November 14 2019

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VOLUME 138, ISSUE 8 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2019

UCPATH PAYMENT ISSUES LEAD TO STUDENT PROTESTS, CAUSING ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSE Similar issues seen when UCPath rolled out at other UC campuses in recent years

Coffee House employees held a demonstration at Mrak Hall on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019. Employees walk out during their shift in protest of the UCPath issues which have resulted in employees not receiving pay in over two months. (Photo

by Timothy Li / Aggie)

BY A N D RE A ESQ U E T INI campus@theaggie.org UCPath, the UC’s centralized payroll and human resources system, completed its implementation at UC Davis in late September. Since that time, undergraduate student workers, as well as graduate student readers and teaching assistants, have reported late, incorrect or nonexistent payments.

On Thursday, these issues culminated in a three-hour walk-out organized by employees at the CoHo, leading the university to announce that Chancellor Gary S. May “has directed that all student employees be paid what is owed them immediately.”

Problems with UCPath are not unique to UC Davis. Since the system was announced in 2012, it has been plagued with delays and issues at every campus it has been implemented at.

The project was also significantly delayed and

far exceeded the initial projected cost — while the UC claims the project cost an estimated $504 million, a state audit estimates the actual cost to be $942 million, triple the initial projected cost of $306 million.

UCPath, an acronym for the UC’s Payroll, Academic Personnel, Timekeeping and Human Resources, is an effort to consolidate the payroll systems of the different campuses into one system, headquartered in Riverside. It has been rolled out in waves, starting with a launch at the UC Office of the President in 2015. At this time last year, UCLA students were protesting payment issues at their campus.

In March, it was announced that the UC system would compensate over 700 of its workers that had experienced payment issues — something the United Auto Workers 2865, a labor union that represents student workers, fought for.

The union asked the university to postpone

CITY SELECTS FINAL, FIVE-DISTRICT MAP FOR NEXT YEAR’S ELECTION New district map approved after lengthy planning, community input period

the launch date of UCPath at UC Davis, initially set for April 1, 2019, according to Thomas Hintze, the northern vice president of UAW 2865.

UC President Janet Napolitano eventually announced that it would do so, citing “a large number of employee records improperly converted after several test periods.”

Despite the delay, issues with pay arose.

During the CoHo’s midday rush on Thursday, the majority of employees walked out with signs and gathered outside, where they shared their experiences with spectators. Among those who spoke was ASUCD Vice President Shreya Deshpande who called it “ridiculous” that so many students had not been paid all quarter.

Students made their way to Mrak Hall, the building that houses the UC Davis administration offices. Emily Galindo, the interim vice chancellor for Student Affairs, came downstairs to talk to the students who were shouting and chanting their complaints. She stated that out of the 3,000 students employed by Student Affairs, the majority of them are getting paid.

“Unless every student gets paid, your system is not successful,” said one of the students that organized the walk-out.

Students called for a response from the chancellor. May, who was in Atlanta on Wednesday receiving an award for his work with Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg on Aggie Square, was not present.

Adam Hatefi, the ASUCD external affairs vice president, pointed out the fact that the administration had not communicated about the possibility of problems with payment effectively.

Hintze echoed a similar sentiment, saying that “Graduate Studies could have opened up a more clear communication line with students about the issues that could happen.”

Kelly Ratliff, the vice chancellor for finance, operations and administration, spoke with students protesting in Mrak, eliciting a heated reaction when she stated, “I am UCPath.”

Before students left Mrak to continue marching through campus, they told Ratliff and Galindo that if they do not receive the next paycheck they are owed on Nov. 13, they would file for wage theft with the U.S. Department of Labor.

Later, in an email statement sent to The California Aggie, Ratliff said “the feedback we heard

today prompted us to create a way for a student to receive emergency cash. Students can apply online for a UCPath Emergency Pay Advance.

Financial Aid will expedite approval, generally the same day. Students will be notified of approval by email and can go to the Cashier’s Office in Dutton Hall to receive cash. Advances are up to $1,000, interest-free and are due on January 15.”

Ratliff and Galindo also sent out an email to all students Thursday evening informing them of this option.

Though employees of the CoHo led Thursday’s protests, they are not the only ones affected

by UCPath errors.

According to Lizzie Campbell, one of the head stewards of the UAW 2865 union at UC Davis, graduate students have had a variety of issues that have led many to take extra shifts at outside jobs — taking time away from their work at UC Davis, restricting access to healthcare and leading some to borrow money from friends and family.

Graduate students and undergraduate tutors are able to do more about the issues they face because they have a union, unlike undergraduate employees. Through the union, workers have a contract that is supposed to guarantee they get paid on time, as well as a process for filing grievances when such issues occur. The university has been more willing to work with their grievances in the past week, according to Hintze.

Hintze says he hopes the union can reach an agreement similar to the one that compensated workers last year. After seeing other campuses’ experiences with UCPath, he says the union’s aims to reach more people affected and educate them about their options has been successful.

In addition to their education campaign, UAW 2865 also sponsored Senate Bill 698, which would ensure UC workers are paid on time. The bill was signed by Governor Newsom in October, and will go into effect Jan. 1, 2020.

UC Irvine and Santa Cruz are scheduled to join UCPath before then, in December. UC San Diego is currently scheduled to implement the system in May 2020.

When UCPath was initially announced, it was projected to be fully implemented at every campus by 2014. Issues with the system, however, have caused a significant delay in implementation.

BULOSAN CENTER FOR FILIPINO STUDIES RECEIVES $1M IN STATE FUNDING Funding to support wide-scale Filipino research survey, media justice lab, advocacy, education efforts

KATH E R I N E F R A N KS / AGGI E

BY TI M L A LON D E city@theaggie.org After months of meetings, public outreach and planning, the city council selected a new map of the city on Oct. 22 that will divide Davis into five separate voting districts, each with its own representative council member.

The new district map was the fourth version of a five-district model, one among ten potential districts maps released in two sets on Oct. 1 and Oct. 15. Four of the maps divided the city into five districts and six of them into seven districts.

The final map approved by the council can be found on the city website, along with additional demographic data for each new district.

The Oct. 22 council meeting marked the fourth and final public hearing on the district mapping process, according to the city’s website.

Much of the debate during the meeting centered around whether the city should be divided into five or seven districts.

After a short presentation on each of the po-

tential district maps, the council opened up the floor to public comment. The discussion drew an unusually high number of community members, with over 20 different individuals delivering input in two-minute comments.

Many commenters advocated for five districts, citing a desire to keep council procedures simple. Supporters of the five-district maps expressed a desire to make the number of council members low and the city meetings shorter.

Some also argued that Davis’ relatively small size did not warrant more than five districts.

Greg Rowe, a member of the Davis Planning Commission, compared the population of Davis to larger cities where he has worked, like Cincinnati, which has nine districts or Oakland, with seven districts.

“Davis is not that large of a town — it’s 68,000 people,” Rowe said. “I just don’t see the need to have the same number of districts that you see in cities that are substantially larger.”

NEW DISTRICTS on 11

Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies at Hart Hall at UC Davis recently recieved $1 million in funding from the state. (Photo by Justin Han / Aggie)

BY G RAS CH E LLE FAR I ÑAS H IPO LITO campus@theaggie.org The Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies at UC Davis received a $1 million allocation in state funding to expand its work in Filipino research studies, advocacy and education.

Dr. Robyn Rodriguez, professor and chair of the Department of Asian American Studies, launched the Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies initiative in 2018. With Filipino Americans being one of the largest and fastest growing Asian American groups, Rodriguez saw the need to create a center for Filipino studies.

The center builds on the work of the Welga Project – an initiative led by Rodriguez and Director of Archives and Public History Jason Sarmiento – that focused on documenting and

preserving the history of Filipino Americans’ contribution to the farmworker movement in California, such as with the Delano Grape Strike.

With its inception as a grassroots community effort, the Bulosan Center developed into the first and only research center focused on the Filipino American diasporic experience based at a major research university in the country.

A team of undergraduate interns and leaders, including UC Davis doctoral students and scholar-activists, continue to contribute to the field of critical Filipino studies on a local and national scale and maintain their pillars of research, advocacy, and education through the Bulosan Center.

“In just 12 months, we preserved Filipino American history through the Welga Digital BOLOSAN on 7

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

2 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2019

UC DAVIS NOW HAS STUDY ABROAD, INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS ON ALL SEVEN CONTINENTS Antarctica, Lebanon, Tanzania among new additions to Global Affairs, Global Learning Hub

The International Center on campus is home to the UC Davis Study Abroad program. The study abroad program now has programs to all seven continents. (Photo by Quinn Spooner / Aggie)

BY AA RYA G UP TA campus@theaggie.org Global Affairs and the Global Learning Hub — formerly the Study Abroad Office — have introduced an extensive array of study abroad and internship programs led by UC Davis Faculty for the 2019-20 school year. Antarctica, Lebanon and Tanzania are three notable destinations added to UC Davis’ overarching global reach.

“These three programs provide opportunities in parts of the world that are underrepresented in study abroad,” said Zachary Frieders, the executive director of the Global Learning Hub, via email. “They each tackle subjects that are of glob-

al importance and resonate with UC Davis.”

Each year, 1,300 students are granted the opportunity to study abroad in over 30 countries.

Now, with the addition of a program in Antarctica, UC Davis has established programs on all seven continents.

“We are very proud of that accomplishment,” Frieders said. “But it’s not just about having a presence on every continent. It’s about asking the question: Do we provide students opportunities in the very best location for their area of study?”

Last year, UC Davis adopted a set of global learning outcomes affirming what the university anticipates students will learn from participating in such programs.The three key elements of these

ONLY SIX SEATED SENATORS SHOW UP FOR HALLOWEEN SENATE MEETING, WITH FIVE ARRIVING ON TIME

outcomes include “building global self- and systems-awareness” as well as “embracing linguistic and cultural diversity” and “acting globally.”

“We want our programs to engage students in hands-on learning on issues of global importance,” Frieders said. “These sites highlight challenges that are critically important at those locations, but they are also concerns that affect people around the world.”

With the “Ecology in Antarctica” program, 15 students will board a purpose-built polar expedition vessel and embark for the Antarctic Peninsula.

“We stay on the boat overnight,” said Laci Gerhart Barley, an assistant professor of evolution and ecology. “The day trips will have a variety of excursions where you can go out on a small boat called a zodiac and either go whale-watching, or look for penguin rookeries, maybe do some surveys of icebergs or hike [on the land of the continent]. We’ll be able to see some of the historical areas and there is a working research centers.”

During the university’s winter break, Dec. 16 to Dec. 30, 2020, students will delve into the ecology, biology and geology of Antarctica while understanding the history of the region integrated with human effects and interactions.

“In the seminar and on the trip, we will be considering the geopolitical environment, the social and historical history and how those components have guided how Antartica exists today, even in a legal context,” Gerhart-Barley said.

Prior to visiting Antarctica, students will be required to take an online course, taught by specialists from various institutions, and attend on-campus meetings, according to the Global Learning Hub website. Specifically, students will be expected to complete readings, watch videos, write responses and answer some discussion questions.

“What students will be learning in class is all the ways Antarctica is weird,” Gerhard-Barley said. “It’s weird ecologically, it’s weird geographically, it’s weird politically [and] it’s weird socially. It is fundamentally different than most land masses on Earth. We’ll spend a lot of time talking about why that is, and how those components of unusual nature interact to make it a particularly complex place.”

“Science and Society in the Middle East” will be taught at the American University of

Beirut in Lebanon. From June 22, 2020 to July 21, 2020, students will grapple with contemporary environmental challenges including “saltwater intrusion, waste mismanagement and deteriorating air quality,” according to the Global Learning Hub website.

Taught by Majdi Abou Najm, an assistant professor of soil biophysics, the course will also involve students learning about community-based conservation efforts, study groundwater systems and delve into rain-fed agriculture and winemaking.

From July 1, 2020 to Aug. 1, 2020, 30 students will be traveling to the College of African Wildlife Management, commonly known as Mweka, aside the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to study “Tanzania — Culture, Wildlife and Activism.” Later, they will be trekking to the Maasai Village.

The program will be taught by Assistant Professor of Literature and Culture of the Black Diaspora Danielle Mollel.

According to Mollel’s message to students and parents on the Global Learning Hub, she is “excited to combine [her] experience providing life-changing trips for travelers with her experience and knowledge as a professor and [her] commitment to social and environmental justice in this summer course.”

Through cultural immersion and field lectures, students will learn first-hand about wildlife behavior, conservation, political economy, tourism, human rights and indigeneity, according to the Global Learning Hub website.

“We will continue to grow our global internship programs,” Frieders said. “Students can search from among 300 different global learning opportunities on our search tool.”

In addition to these aforementioned programs, UC Davis has launched opportunities such as studying human rights in Chile and Peru, water management in Mexico City, design in Japan, personality psychology in Germany and cell biology and behavior in the Netherlands, according to the Global Learning Hub website.

“One goal we have at UC Davis is to prepare our students [to] tackle global challenges.”

Frieders said. “It is useful to think about frameworks in that regard. Students can study topics on campus so it’s important that we understand what added skills, capacities and understanding

SAME-DAY VOTER REGISTRATION TO COME TO UC DAVIS CAMPUS MU polling place will have same-day registration by 2020 general election

Senate discusses UCPath payment issues for employees at CoHo — some students have not been paid since September KAT H E R I N E F R A N KS / AGGI E

The MU patio leads to the rooms at Memorial Union used as a polling place on campus. Efforts by CalPIRG has enabled UC Davis’ polling place to have same-day voter registration. Nov. 8, 2019. (Photo by Markus Kaeppeli / Aggie)

BY JANE LLE MARIE SALANGA campus@theaggie.org

BY A L LY RUSSE L L campus@theaggie.org Only Senators Maya Barak, Sean Kumar, Shondreya Landrum, Karolina Rodriguez and Tony Chen were present and on time for the Oct. 31 Senate meeting. Senator Sahiba Kaur arrived late. Without two additional senators present, the senate did not reach a quorum. The meeting was called to order at 6:20 p.m. — based on a consultation of the Bylaws and Constitution, it was decided that the meeting would continue without a quorum.

Senators Anna Estrada and Andre Spignolio were absent. Senator Victoria Choi arrived an hour late to the meeting. Two chairpersons were also absent.

The meeting began with the confirmations of interim senators. Lylah Schmedel, a thirdyear transfer student and anthropology major, was confirmed as interim senator for both Fall and Winter Quarter. Schmedel addressed mental health among transfer students and safety on campus in terms of lack of lighting as issues that she has noticed during her time at UC Davis.

Violeta Ruiz, a first-year political science major, was sworn in to serve as interim senator for the remainder of Fall Quarter. Ruiz is interested in expanding advocacy efforts for the undocumented student community during her brief time as a senator.

During elected officer reports, Rodriguez conveyed grievances brought up to her by students. Many students expressed their frustration regarding payroll problems associated with the transition to UCPath. Rodriguez said that she and other CoHo student employees have not been paid since September.

“I have rent due tomorrow and I haven’t gotten paid,” Rodriguez said. “It’s not okay, just because it’s a shift to a new system. Students still need to get paid.”

BreAnda Northcutt, a member of the UCPath communications team, weighed in on issues involving the UC-wide transition to a new payroll system.

“Bottomline, we have a process to get student employees paid within 24 hours or less if they are

due pay,” Northcutt said. “If they’re not getting paid, then they should contact their supervisor immediately. The UCPath team has done so much to plan and prepare for potential problems and we need students to take advantage of those help options by letting us know so we can help.”

Students can take advantage of resources located in Dutton Hall, where there are services prepared to cut students emergency checks in the event they are not paid.

At the time of this article’s publication, there have been 59 student employees who have reported issues with payroll services, but many other cases have likely gone unreported.

“There are a lot of folks working around the clock, over weekends, with the sincere intention of helping our student workers get paid,” Northcutt said.

The week following this Senate meeting, on Nov. 7, students gathered outside of the CoHo to protest pay delays and system errors with the transition to UCPath. Students who gathered chanted “UCPath, pay your staff” and “UCPath can’t do math.” At this time, student protestors brought up the fact that while there are emergency checks being written, they should not have to rely on figuring out how to access emergency checks to get paid.

The Senate then confirmed Novejot Bal, a second-year economics and political science double major, as Student Advocate. The position was created through a Constitutional amendment last year, but this is the first time a student has been interested in the position.

The Student Advocate position was created to be an advocate for the student body and a point of reference between students and different resources on campus.

Bal hopes to shape the position for future students in the role. The position has been modeled after other UC campuses’ student advocates, which have boosted student turnout for student government elections.

Six students were confirmed to the Academic Senate. The Senate did one overall confirmation for all students without objections.

SENATE on 11

For the 2020 general election in November, students will no longer need to drive to Woodland for voter registration during voting day if they have forgotten to register: the MU polling place will house conditional or same-day voter registration once construction is finished.

This development comes on the heels of efforts by different groups to prioritize voter registration by combating voter apathy and voting accessibility, including ASUCD’s #UCWeVote campaign, the Yolo County Elections Office’s YES! (Youth Empowerment Summit) and CalPIRG’s Youth Voters Project. Members of CalPIRG, an all-volunteer organization, lobbied the California legislature for the passage of SB 72, which mandates same-day voter registration at all California polling places. Before the legislature’s passage, same-day voter registration was only available at district elections offices — a barrier for Davis students without cars or without time to bus to Woodland.

Though same-day voter registration will definitely be available for the November general election, it remains uncertain if this type of voting will be available in time for the March presidential primary.

Since voting isn’t mandated by law, the U.S. has a lower voter turnout than other developed countries, according to a 2018 Pew Research Center study. Inconvenient polling places and election indifference are two of the biggest barriers for youth voters.

UC Davis CalPIRG Chair Emily Webber said, historically, younger voters have a lower turnout than older voters. Through the Youth Voters Project, she emphasized that politicians can’t advocate for the wants and needs of youth voters if they don’t vote.

“We really highlight that need to have people between 18 and 29 voting so that we can be heard and so our politicians have our priorities,” Webber said.

Last year, CalPIRG chapters across eight of the UC campuses were able to register over 6,000 new collegiate voters and build phone banks with over 500,000 numbers, Webber said.

“We text those numbers before an election to make sure people have a plan and ask if they know their polling place,” she said. “Even if people are registered, they don’t show up to vote

because they don’t know their polling place and don’t have the motivation to find out.”

That’s where same-day voter registration comes in, according to Jesse Salinas, county clerk for the Yolo County Elections Office.

“In the 2018 general election, over 400 voters were able to vote via same-day voter registration,” Salinas said by email. “It creates more opportunities for citizens and residents of California to engage in their civic responsibility.”

Salinas also said the office involves students in civic engagement through other initiatives, such as creating public service announcement videos for the UC Davis campus and local movie theatres, running the student body elections at Yolo County high schools and hosting YES! YES!, an annual event that began in 2018, is held in September and aims to educate youth about the political process. The office is moving the event to March to encourage more 18-yearold high school seniors to attend — hopefully increasing their likelihood of voting in upcoming elections.

Salinas shared data taken from entrance and exit surveys of the event. During the most recent 2019 summit, students were asked to rate the statement “I understand why it is important to vote and how the voting process works” on a scale of strongly disagree to strongly agree.

Before YES!, 2% of students marked “disagree,” 12% marked “neither,” 30% marked “agree,” and 26% marked “strongly agree.” After YES!, 58% of students marked “agree” and 42% marked “strongly agree.”

ASUCD Organizing and Advocacy Director Ben McDougall tries to improve students’ understanding of the power of their vote through the #UCWeVote campaign.

“We’re a non-partisan office, so we present students with the facts of different situations in the City of Davis or nationally,” he said. “We tell them, ‘Whether you want things to stay the same or change, you have to register to vote.’”

He also said students need to remember to re-register once they move to Davis, especially if they’re switching their permanent address, in order to have a say in local issues. McDougall emphasized that students have the opportunity to vote for the construction of more housing projects when such measures are on the ballot, such as 2018’s Measure L,

VOTING on 11

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2019 | 3

GOVERNOR NEWSOM DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY OVER KINCAID FIRES Kincaid, Tick fires ravage California despite statewide power outages meant as proactive measure

KA IT LY N PA N G / AGGI E

BY EDEN WINNIFORD city@theaggie.org The first flames of the Kincaid Fire were reported on Oct. 23 in the small town of Geyserville, located in northern Sonoma County.

Calif. Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency due to both the Kincaid Fire and the Tick Fire in Southern California. The Proclamation of a State of Emergency was signed

by Newsom on Oct. 25.

“A significant wind event struck California,

resulting in nearly statewide red flag warnings due to extremely dangerous fire weather conditions,” The Proclamation states. “These fires have destroyed structures and continue to threaten homes and other structures, necessitating the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents” The Proclamation orders, moreover, that all state government agencies comply with the discretion of the Office of Emergency Services and that all citizens must evacuate when told by emergency officials.

Five thousand firefighters worked on wildfire

strike teams to put out the blazes. Tony Voight, a lieutenant engine boss for the City of San Francisco Fire Department, has worked on about 10 strike teams during his 29-year-long career as a firefighter.

“You focus on protecting life,” Voight said, speaking about efforts by firefighters to fight wildfires against 80 mph winds. “If you protect property along the way, that’s fine. But on that first day and a half of the Kincaid Fire, it was literally just fighting the fire around the buildings, and it was going to go wherever else it goes.”

Four non-student firefighters stationed at UC Davis, along with one UC Davis engine, joined the strike teams as well, according to Nathan Trauernicht, the fire chief of the UC Davis Fire Department.

Longtime California resident Rick White, was evacuated from Geyserville during the Kincaid Fire. The increasingly frequent wildfires and blackouts have driven White to consider leaving not only Sonoma County but the state of California. He commented on his experience evacuating with only an hour notice.

“It was scary,” White said. “You didn’t know whether you’d be able to come home or not. But when I walked out the back door of my house, and the fire was that close, and the wind was blowing in my face, there was no consideration to stay.”

Stress from the fires was felt on campus as well. The atmosphere was tense as the fires continued to rage and evacuation zones expanded throughout Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties.

Hannah Eosma, a first-year biology major, has family located near the fires in Fort Bragg,

FIFTH STREET NOW PRIMARY LOCATION FOR HOMELESS RESPITE CENTER Concerns from community members about Second Street location addressed during Davis City Council meeting

KI YO M I WATSO N / AGGI E

BY MADELEINE PAYNE city@theaggie.org The Davis City Council has moved the planned respite center for the homeless to a corporate yard on Fifth Street, after listening to concerns from the community about its original location on Second Street.

The topic was discussed during the City Council meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 5, where a number of community members voiced their opinions about the proposed Second Street site.

The site is located on city-owned land under the Dave Pelz bicycle overpass.

Several community members expressed their support for the project, including members from local church groups who volunteer with the Interfaith Rotating Winter Shelter.

Other community members, including resi-

dents of Mace Ranch, voiced their disapproval of the site chosen during a council meeting in July.

Among their concerns were the safety of community members using the bike overpass, the center’s distance from downtown and the cost associated with building the project. These points were also stated in a petition, which gained over four hundred signatures.

“While we feel strongly that the issue of homelessness must be addressed in every city, we also believe that the safety of our children drastically outweighs the benefits of this proposed location,” wrote Yingzhi Lu, the publisher of the petition.

Mayor Brett Lee highlighted that a daytime shelter would bring an aspect of security and surveillance to the community.

“Some of the folks have potentially serious addiction issues or mental health issues,” Lee

DAVIS CONTINUES TO STRUGGLE WITH WATER CONTAMINATION PROBLEMS Davis water reaches legal limit, Environmental Working Group contests limit’s leniency

said. “The proposal is for there to be 24/7 supervision, so whenever there are people on site, there would be a staff person on site as well. If anything, this will increase the availability and supervision — in a way that should address the community’s concerns.”

Following recommendations made by city staff and responses from the community, the Davis City Council shifted its focus to 1717 Fifth St. as the new location for the respite center. Lee supported the Fifth Street location during the meeting and emphasized a sense of urgency.

“For me, I would like to see something happen prior to the rainy season,” Lee said. “For that reason, I suggest that we use the east end of the corporate yard on Fifth Street — so 1717 — and that we, with all speed possible, develop a daytime respite center in time for this winter.”

Although the plan for the daytime respite center is continuing with the new location, the status of an overnight facility remains unclear.

Gloria Partida, the Mayor Pro Tempore on the Davis City Council, mentioned a needed focus on the overnight facility.

“Hopefully, while we’re in the process of figuring out the day site, we can continue working on the night portion of this because I think that is also very important,” Partida said.

Davis Community Meals and Housing currently has a daytime shelter in Davis with a few overnight beds. In the winter, the Interfaith Rotating Winter Shelter provides a place to stay for those needing shelter.

Lee emphasized that the respite center would give additional support to the current services and hopefully provide more beds before the completion of Paul’s Place, a large overnight facility for the homeless that is underway.

“Part of the reason for the pilot is to prove that the city can manage a facility like this, and keep it as a well-organized, well-run project,” Lee said. “So we have examples of non-profits that are able to do that, and they’re doing a great job.

This isn’t to take away from the good work that nonprofits are doing, but the need is much bigger than any one non-profit can do.” ty of the region’s tap water, but additional issues soon arose. In the year after the surface water project was completed, Davis’ public water systems violated the maximum contaminant levels for nitrate — a widespread contaminant in California often associated with agricultural runoff — three times.

In the most recent Water Quality Report

California. Although Fort Bragg itself wasn’t evacuated, all roads to and from the town were closed, making the threat of evacuation even more daunting. Eosma spoke about how the fire negatively affected her ability to complete her schoolwork.

“Focusing was a little difficult, especially when I was trying to text my parents when the cell service was bad and when the Internet coverage was getting really bad,” Eosma said.

Eosma said classes should have been canceled for a few days so students who were impacted by the fires could spend time with family.

It is possible that the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) was the reason the fire began, despite their widespread power outages at the time. Just seven minutes before the fire was reported, PG&E filed an incident report that documented a broken jumper on a transmission tower near where the fire started.

PG&E has already been found to have started 1,500 fires in Northern California since 2014.

This includes the deadly Camp Fire, which killed 85 people in Paradise, California.

Due to the many lawsuits sparked by the fires, PG&E has declared bankruptcy.

The company stated that rolling mass blackouts could be expected for the next 10 years.

“If [PG&E and the state] fail to reach an agreement quickly to begin this process of transformation, the state will not hesitate to step in and restructure the utility,” read a post written by Newsom on Medium over the future of PG&E. As of Nov. 5, the Kincaid Fire was 80% contained, and all evacuation orders had been lifted.

In almost two weeks, it burned 78,000 acres of land and 374 buildings. No lives were lost in the fire.

SHEREEN LEE / AGGIE

Dog barks out of loneliness Headline: Police Logs Layercake: Dog barks out of loneliness November 1 “Red Fiat or Mini Cooper driver irratically.

Driver honking and causing disturbance.”

“Reporting party has filled out the online packet.”

November 2 “On-going for last hour. Dog barking. No one home.”

“Guests have their bikes parked on reporting party’s lawn and they knocked over their table.”

November 4 “Reporting party concerned about bike theft or bike part — theft taking place at the bike racks next to location as subject was seen removing a bike wheel from locked bike.”

“Five underaged subjects drinking alcohol in the park.”

“Vehicle driving continuously around parking lot, parking and turning off car to then start up again.”

November 5 “Reporting party witnessed someone take something off of a train and put it onto the truck of the car.”

November 6 “Vehicle blocking driveway, request tow if unable to reach a resolution as she has to leave for work.” released by the City of Davis, 25 contaminants were detected and several of those were found to be above legal regulatory limits, including chromium, iron, manganese, odor and boron. The most common sources of pollution were leaching and erosion of natural deposits.

R EAD FULL ARTI CLE ONLI NE

KAIT LY N PA N G / AGGI E

BY MEGAN TSANG city@theaggie.org Since 2017, nearly 9% of California’s public water systems have been “out of compliance,” violating state and federal drinking water standards, according to the state’s Water Resources Control Board. Davis has been a repeat offender, with the most recent reports detecting high levels of carcinogens in the city’s supply of drinking water.

In 2016, Woodland and Davis completed a water treatment facility and intake that allowed

both cities to receive water from the Sacramento River in addition to older groundwater sources.

The plan was devised in 2006 in order to address water shortages and deteriorating wells.

The project currently provides water for more than two-thirds of the urban population of Yolo County, but “in the future […] will provide approximately 85 to 95 percent of Woodland and Davis customers’ water needs in normal years,” according to the Woodland-Davis Clean Water Agency.

Residents had hoped this change would help alleviate concerns over the hardness and alkalini-

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THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

4 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2019

ASUCD FALL ELECTION 2019: MEET THE CANDIDATES 14 candidates running for six Senate positions

Jenna DiCarlo

Violeta Ruiz

Khalil Malik

Noah “McLovin” Dickman

Juan Velasco

Camille Randolph

PHOTO COU RTESY BY ASU CD ELECTION S CA MPA IGN S/ ASU CD

Samantha Boudaie

Mahan Carduny

BY ANJINI VENUGOPAL AND LEI OTSUKA features@theaggie.org Jenna DiCarlo — THRIVE Jenna DiCarlo is a second-year international relations and history major running on the Thrive slate. DiCarlo decided to run for Senate after noticing a lack of transparency between the association and the student community.

If elected, DiCarlo would like to better inform students about what ASUCD does by live-streaming Senate meetings and promoting resolutions and legislation on social media. She is also looking to improve student wellness by increasing the number of hammocks in the quad.

DiCarlo currently works with the financial investment club on campus, and aims to bring back the student investment fund. Funded by alumni and thereby at zero cost to ASUCD, the fund would give students the opportunity to invest in ideas and gain real world technical skills and experience. By implementing more modest platforms, she hopes that students will be able to see the impact of her platforms in the short-term.

Violeta Ruiz — BASED First-year political science major Violeta Ruiz was recently sworn in as an interim senator and is running for a full Senate term on the BASED slate. Her platforms are focused on mental health advocacy and the lack of food options on campus after the dining commons closes at night.

“I’m running to be the voice for students,” Ruiz said. “I know it’s a little difficult to put your votes on a first-year because you typically think she doesn’t know much about the school yet. But that’s actually the point — I could be that voice for the first-years.”

Juan Velasco — THRIVE Juan Velasco, a second-year political science, public service major is running on the Thrive slate. He would like to work with Unitrans and the Center for Advocacy, Resources & Education (CARE) if elected.

Velasco wants to increase funds and resources for AB540 students, as well as push for a STEM committee, an on-campus pride festival and more free STD testing. His experience in the internal affairs commission last year inspired him to run for Senate, and he recognizes the lack of name recognition as ASUCD’s biggest challenge. In order to counteract this, he wants to provide a guideline to all students with information about ASUCD and its benefits at orientation. He wants to focus on representing minorities on campus, especially out of state, international and AB540 students.

Amanjot Singh Gadhoke — THRIVE Amanjot Singh Gadhoke is a third-year managerial economics major running on the Thrive slate.

As a supporter of student safety, Gadhoke wants to bring back tipsy taxi and improve Unitrans for workers. He is running with platforms focused on advocating for the agricultural values that the campus was founded on, improving student safety and representing the Sikh community — an underrepresented minority on campus. If elected, he hopes to create change with realistic goals that will improve the quality of life for everyone on campus.

JB Martinez — THRIVE Fourth-year political science and history major JB Martinez, a second-year transfer student, is running on the THRIVE slate. If elected, he would adopt the Whole Earth Festival and Picnic Day because they are “fun events that really bring the campus together and are just examples of how college should be.” Martinez’s platform focuses on fiscal discipline regarding the budget, the underrepresentation of transfer students and the housing problems in Davis.

“I’ve been of the mindset that if you want something done right, do it yourself,” Martinez said. “I don’t want to complain — I would rather be the change that I want to see.”

Ratnapala Katukoliya “RK” Gamage Jr. — BASED Fifth-year Ratnapala Katukoliya “RK” Gamage Jr is majoring in Middle East/South Asian studies and political science. Running on the BASED slate, Gamage said his work in grassroots campaigns advocating for refugees through organizations such as Amnesty International helped him realize that he truly enjoys talking to people about issues that impact them. As a Sri Lankan American who lived in Sri Lanka for fifteen years, Gamage wants to support and motivate these groups through UC-wide policies, such as culture-specific counsels.

With experience as the ASUCD executive office mental health lead, he wants to make mental health the “number one priority” and pass a statewide bill to reduce the student to counselor ratio at UC Davis, which is currently 1,500 students to one counselor. He also acknowledges student debt as a generational problem, citing his personal struggles with financing his undergraduate education. He plans to follow “The Student Debt Cancellation Resolution” passed by ASUCD to the state capitol by sending a representative to pressure the legislature each week.

Khalil Malik — BASED Khalil Malik, a second-year political science, public service major, is running on the BASED slate with four main platforms — communication beyond mere transparency, fighting for basic needs on campus by allocating more funds for units like the Pantry, tackling gender and sexuality issues on campus and advocating for student issues and basic needs off-campus, such as housing.

He is interested in adopting Creative Media to improve communication and the CoHo because of recent payroll issues and what he describes as “spotty” communication from unit directors. He also hopes to work with the Sexual Assault Awareness and Advocacy Committee, as fighting sexual assault and harassment is part of his platform and senators are not currently held accountable.

Malik has been involved with ASUCD since his first year — first as a Gender and Sexuality Commission member and then in legislative staff roles for two different senators.

“I’ve really seen a lot of what ASUCD has to offer, what the problems are [and] what we can be doing more to help students,” Malik said. “I am knowledgeable enough to fight for these issues and help students out in our community.”

Noah “McLovin” Dickman — F.U.C.K. Noah Dickman is a fourth-year economics and political science major running on the Friends Urgent Campus Kindness slate under the name “McLovin.” With two years of prior ASUCD experience, he hopes to make a difference on campus by being a different kind of elected representative and bringing humor into student government. He believes that the budget deficit facing ASUCD is a byproduct of ASUCD as a toxic environment and he hopes to bring a different set of ideas through humor to remind people that student government does not need to be as volatile as it is.

Dickman would like to adopt the CoHo, as he believes that there is a lot of unoptimized

Amanjot Singh Gadhoke

JB Martinez

Michelle Hua

Karolina Rodriguez

Ratnapala Katukoliya “RK” Gamage Jr.

Purva Bhattacharjee

potential within the unit. He would like to privatize the CoHo and rent out the space to food vendors, ensuring that the vendors hire student workers and offer living wages. He believes this would improve upon the financial burden that the CoHo currently places on ASUCD with its $6 million budget that barely breaks even.

Dickman also wants to focus on mental health — he feels that there has not been tangible improvements despite many previous senators running on this platform. As a senator, he would push for academic credit in exchange for involvement in clubs, thereby incentivizing students to be involved, promoting well-being and a sense of belonging.

Camille Randolph — BASED Camille Randolph is a second-year international relations major running on the BASED slate.

Their platform includes addressing food insecurity by implementing an emergency swipe program, strengthening renters’ rights and advocating for student and union workers’ rights. Randolph says the budget deficit is an issue of huge concern and believes that ASUCD is not doing enough for students in part because the amount students pay for ASUCD has not increased since the 1960s.

“As a biracial, queer, nonbinary person, I’ve never really seen any representation for myself,” Randolph said. “I’d love to be that representation for others and to really advocate for marginalized voices at the table.”

If elected Randolph wants to work with the Ethnic and Cultural Affairs Commission, the Gender and Sexuality Commission and the Environmental Policy and Planning Commission.

With experience writing and passing resolutions through Model United Nations, mock trial and debate, they are confident in their ability to write coherent legislation and get it passed.

Michelle Hua — BASED Third-year transfer student Michelle Hua is majoring in political science and Asian American Studies and running on the BASED slate. If elected, Hua, who has had issues with her mental health and had difficulty finding resources to help, plans to adopt the Mental Health Initiative.

She also plans to adopt the Pantry to help expand its reach and make sure students know what resources are there for them. Hua is running with the platforms of sustainability, transparency, representation and supporting underserved communities.

Hua says that she is running because of the strong leadership she demonstrated in community college as the representative to 2.1 million students.

“I know what it’s like to serve our students and I know the needs of our students,” Hua said.

“I was active since day one, right when I entered the community college system, because there [were] so many things that had to be fixed. I came here thinking the exact same thing [...] I want to bring that energy and that fire and that passion to the UC level because I will continue to fight for all students.”

Karolina Rodriguez — BASED Second-year political science major Karolina Rodriguez is a current interim senator on the table running on the BASED slate and has adopted the Mental Health Initiative, Aggie Reuse, the Recruitment and Retention Organizing Committee and the Pantry. She hopes to adopt the Whole Earth Festival, as she has been working with its co-directors to ensure that there is no cultural appropriation present at next year’s event.

Rodriguez has three platforms: student workers’ rights, mental health and transparency and accountability for senators. She thinks that ASUCD faces multiple small problems, the most notable being UCPath. She drafted constitutional amendment number 62 to establish the Worker and Student Solidarity Commission (WSSC) to “act as a liaison between student workers and higher campus departments.” Rodriguez wants students to know about WSSC as a resource “if they feel like they’re being exploited.”

Purva Bhattacharjee — BASED Second-year political science major Purva Bhattacharjee is currently an academic senate student representative and is running on the BASED slate. She calls her platform “SOS” — an acronym for a shadow program for undergraduate students interested in graduate school, an initiative that she calls “organize and democratize” that calls for more communication with the design team for on-campus construction and sustainability. Bhattacharjee recalled how the residents of the floor she lived on during her first year provided their own hand towels to promote sustainability and thinks that should be a requirement for first-year living.

“Most of the things I’m passionate about are [because] I want to fight against injustice,” Bhatacharjee said. “As a senator, I will have the position and the resources necessary in order to combat that and to make sure that we have more information available to students as well.”

Samantha Boudaie — THRIVE Second-year undeclared major Samantha Boudaie is running on the THRIVE slate and, if elected, hopes to adopt Aggie Studios and Unitrans. She hopes to network with Davis businesses to get more student discounts, scholarships and grants, work towards lessening food insecurity, hire more students through ASUCD and fight hate speech — specifically anti-Semitism, as someone from an Iranian Jewish background.

“I hope one of the number one things I’ll do is improve ASUCD recognition,” Boudaie said.

“I’d [also] like to do everything in my power to combat hate speech. At the end of the day, we all want to be comfortable on this campus. And when we’re getting attacked for who we are and what we come from, that’s just not something that should be tolerated.”

Mahan Carduny — THRIVE Mahan Carduny, a third-year microbiology major, is running on the THRIVE slate. If elected, he would adopt the Pantry and Aggie Studios. Carduny’s platforms address the housing crisis, expand communication with the campus as well as the city to guarantee housing for two years for incoming freshmen and transfer students and improve campus parking policies. He also aims to expand ASUCD resources — for instance, Carduny, a STEM major, believes that a lot of STEM students do not take advantage of helpful resources.

Carduny moved to Davis from Chicago when he was seven years old and never imagined attending UC Davis, but described it as the best decision he ever made. He also talked about his involvement with Camp Kesem and the Sigma Chi fraternity.

“I think it’s extremely important that I do what I can to give back to the community that has given me so much,” Carduny said. “One of the ways in which I want to do that is through ASUCD and running for Senate.”

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2019 | 5

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Opinion THE

C ALIFORNIA A GGIE

E DI TO R I AL B OAR D KAELYN TUERMER-LEE Editor-in-Chief HANNAH HOLZER Managing Editor KENTON GOLDSBY Campus News Editor 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 SYDNEY ODMAN Social Media Manager LAURIE PEDERSON Business Development Manager

Senate endorsements: Consider the following The Editorial Board endorses three candidates for ASUCD Senate In anticipation of ASUCD’s Fall Election, which began on Nov. 12, the Editorial Board sat down with all 14 senatorial candidates to discuss their campaign platforms and attitudes toward ASUCD. While many of the candidates expressed enthusiasm for the position, the Editorial Board felt that the following three individuals gave concrete solutions to problems impacting the UC Davis student body.

Khalil Malik — BASED Second-year political science-public service major Khalil Malik is the Editorial Board’s top choice for ASUCD Senate. He plans to use his Senate tenure to improve communication between the Association and the student body by utilizing the ASUCD newsletter that all employees are required to subscribe to, as well as live streaming Senate meetings. The Board was impressed with Malik’s achievable goals for addressing students’ basic needs, which include allocating more funding to The Pantry, working with the administration to provide free menstrual products for all on-campus bathrooms and holding senators accountable for abuses of power. He also plans to

extend his reach to off-campus issues like voter mobilization. His previous experience holding several positions within the association has proven his ability to work across the aisle, which is a valuable skill at an often-divided Senate table.

Michelle Hua — BASED The Editorial Board hopes that political science and Asian American studies double major Michelle Hua will be able to implement her practical, concrete ideas. A transfer student from De Anza College, Hua brings to Davis an innate understanding of the role of student government and hopes that the adoption of the Brown Act will increase transparency and student participation in ASUCD. Hua plans to establish a safe, overnight parking program for students that are faced with homelessness, as well as further the university’s commitment to sustainability by banning the sale of single-use water bottles and paper towels.

Camille Randolph — BASED Camille Randolph, a second-year international relations major, is dedicated to being an advocate for underrepresented and marginalized

students. Randolph wants to address serious issues like food insecurity and a lack of affordable housing during their time at the table. They impressed the Editorial Board with their amount of research and knowledge about the legal barriers that prevent affordable housing development in Davis. Randolph emphasized to the Board that student issues are not a partisan issue, and said they will work diligently to empower and support students, especially student workers. Randolph has already proved their ability to pass legislation as a student, and the Board looks forward to their continued advocacy as a senator.

Although the Editorial Board was impressed during the endorsement interview by the experience and insight of Noah Dickman, who is listed on the ballot as McLovin, it ultimately chose not to endorse him.

The Board felt it would be unfair to his fellow candidates who have demonstrated their commitment to running genuine campaigns and upholding the seriousness of ASUCD office.

Students can vote online at elections.ucdavis.edu until Nov. 14 before midnight.

Even with the best intentions, censoring books is dangerous CENSORSHIP OF IDEAS WILL ALWAYS HAVE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES

BY SI M R A N KA L KAT skkalkat@ucdavis.edu

Banned Books Week is an annual campaign in which libraries, schools, bookstores and other institutions rally to show their support for books that have been censored and banned for often irrational reasons. There seems to be a very clear understanding that banning books tends to do more harm than good.

Almost all the classics have been subject to censorship, even the greatest of the Great American Reads.

My interest in looking at banned books and censorship was renewed for two reasons. This past month, journalist Ronan Farrow came out with “Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators.” This book has been at the top of my to-read list since it was announced. “Catch and Kill” isn’t just a detailed account of Farrow’s experience reporting the Harvey Weinstein story for The New Yorker, for which he won a Pulitzer Prize, but also a window into the nefarious structural systems that have allowed for powerful figures such as Harvery Weinstein to remain in the public sphere with impunity.

Then, Amazon Australia and other major Australian booksellers blocked the sale of “Catch and Kill” for all the wrong reasons.

Dylan Howard, the Chief Content Officer for American Media, is prominently featured in “Catch in Kill” for his close alliance with Weinstein. Howard’s lawyers had sent letters to Australian booksellers warning them that if they sold this book, they would also face the same legal actions as the publishers for “the defamatory imputations contained within the book.”

At the outset, this is an affront to democracy and the free press. This book was written and published with tight scrutiny for factual accuracy and the utmost journalistic integrity. But what I didn’t understand is why there was a threat to pursue legal action to get a book banned, and why there were booksellers who complied with this demand.

Censorship and banning books are all too common among schools, parent groups and organizations looking to keep certain concepts or ideas away from children. The list ranges from “Animal Farm” to the “Harry Potter” series. The most frequent justifications for banning such books are alarmist at best and malicious censorship of unique ideas at worst.

I have always been a staunch supporter of maintaining open access to banned books in order to assure the free and open flow of words, thoughts and ideas in a democratic society. But I recently came across a new trend in which books are being banned for the purpose of inclusivity and to ensure that children won’t read material that could potentially be upsetting.

This may seem like an understandable reason to keep certain books away

RA B IDA / AG GIE

from children, but censorship is never that simple. Banning books because they might touch upon some difficult themes, or because they might contain damning information, is just another form of regressive censorship.

It seems we live in a time when we have become much more concerned about the content kids and young adults consume, especially online and through different forms of media. But unlike social media posts, books are written to foster an open and frank conversation about real-life experiences so that we may understand, process and accept the raw realities of life as a part of the human experience.

Books are meant to be openly discussed and contested in order to spark the kind of intellectual curiosity that allows for us to gain an understanding of the world in which we live. Even with the most misguided and perhaps even reprehensible content, books don’t have the same sort of virality that we see on social media. They can be openly debated and aired out in a way that isn’t possible with social media.

I can understand the instinct that is often the drive behind banning certain books, but even if done with the best of intentions, censorship still carries unintended consequences. Often, most of the books facing censorship are the ones with diverse characters and stories.

Books, no matter how “egregious” they may be, deserve to be circulated. In being circulated, readers are afforded the basic freedom to judge the value of a book and its meaning for themselves.

6 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2019

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

ALASKA IS THE LAST FRONTIER, THEREFORE WE MUST DESTROY IT! Wai t, wh at ? Sl o w d o w n , M r. Trump

R A B IDA / AGGIE

BY B EN JA M I N P O RT E R bbporter@ucdavis.edu

Like many Breaking Bad fans, I found the new film sequel, “El Camino,” to be unnecessary but satisfying. It was nice to finally see Jesse realize his dream of starting a new life in Alaska, a seed that was planted back in the original series. Unfortunately, Jesse may not have long to enjoy the natural beauty up there — not if President Donald Trump has anything to do with it.

I say this because Trump now has an unholy trinity of major policy proposals to his name that would forever destroy three of the largest and most pristine ecosystems

on the planet. Trump has opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) for oil drilling, revived the proposed Pebble Mine near Bristol Bay — which could devastate the most valuable salmon fishery in the world — and most recently, he opened the Tongass National Forest to logging and development. Sorry, Jesse.

Each of these decisions is harmful and shortsighted enough on its own, but together they make for a particularly nasty batch of cynical Trumpian environmental vandalism.

Just how stupid and reckless are we talking here? Well, this is stupidity as measured on a log scale. For simplicity’s sake, and in keeping with the spirit of simple-mindedness, I’ll

go in chronological order.

ANWR is about 19 million acres of pure nothingness, but the size of North Carolina.

Pristine wilderness untouched by development; the last place of its kind in the United States. ANWR, also known as “America’s Serengeti,” was created by President Eisenhower in 1960 and has been protected ever since. But this is now at risk because Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) snuck a measure into the GOP’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, of all places, that mandates oil drilling in ANWR. In a very poor choice of words, Senator Murkowski giddily said that this was a “watershed” moment for Alaska. Yes, it is a watershed moment in that it will likely destroy several watersheds.

Where there is oil drilling, there are oil spills, and this is bad news for the 700 plant and animal species, not to mention the many indigenous people who rely on this robust ecosystem. North America’s largest caribou herd, which has between about 120,000 and 200,000 caribou, could be adversely affected by oil spills and the construction of roads and other infrastructure. But at least the oil lobby will be happy with almost 12 billion barrels of oil! Sucks to be a caribou!

Meanwhile, in the southwest portion of Alaska, near Bristol Bay, the Nushagak and Kvichak watersheds “produce nearly half

the world’s sockeye salmon.” A massive proposed open-pit mine, referred to as Pebble Mine, however, could destroy the fishery’s long-term viability. Bristol Bay supports an average annual run of about 37.5 million sockeye salmon, and the Obama EPA estimated that the salmon fishery supports about 14,000 full and part-time jobs and produces about $480 million in revenue per year. The mine would only create about 1,000 to 2,000 jobs for it’s short lifespan.

Unfortunately, the Trump Administration reversed the Obama-era decision to block the mine, which would be about two miles wide and 2,000 feet deep and produce about 80 billion pounds of copper, 107 million ounces of gold and 5.6 billion pounds of molybdenum, worth an estimated $350 billion. Obama’s EPA, however, determined that the adverse impacts on fish populations would be “significant.” About 10 billion tons of waste from the mine could destroy 94 miles of streams and 5,350 acres of wetlands, ponds and lakes and remove about 35 billion gallons of water from the watershed per year. This would permanently devastate a sustainable fishery for short term profits and temporary jobs, even though polls show that most Alaskans oppose the mine.

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HUMOR

STUDENTS STAGE AN INTERVENTION ON A CROWDED SIDEWALK

Do you know why we’re here? This is an intervention.

HOW TO ACTUALLY SIGN OFF YOUR EMAIL

When “sincerely” just isn’t sincere enough

MA R IO R ODR IGU EZ / AGGIE

BY K E L SE Y ST EWART kcstewart@ucdavis.edu

At noon last Tuesday, an intervention was held for a student.

The intervention took place in the high-traffic sidewalk between Dutton and Young Hall. The set-up included three foldout chairs, notebooks filled with emotional sentiments and a whiteboard detailing their course of action.

The student, Cole Rogers, was stopped by his friends as they were casually walking.

“Cole, this is an intervention.”

Cole’s pupils were thrust out of their sockets in shock. He took out his AirPods.

“S---, no, not here.”

His friends, Sammy Bowers and Jack Johnson, nodded solemnly. “It’s time to go public.”

Students were starting to notice the AA-

SAD BLOB

like meeting and were forced to dangerously walk on the road to pass them. One unknown individual told them to go f--- themselves, then continued on their route.

“Jack, get the chairs out,” Sammy ordered. He set up the folding chairs in a circle as Sammy arranged the whiteboard on a stand.

As Jack and Sammy discussed Cole’s transgressions, our source lost contact with the group when a large crowd of nine protesters walked in between them. The source got back in touch with the group as Jack and Sammy were sharing their feelings.

Jack was sobbing, holding up a piece of notebook paper with his thoughts. “Lean into that pain, Jack. Lean in,” Sammy said, guiding Jack through his emotional breakthrough (in regards to Cole).

INT E RVE NT IO N on 11

BY MA R IO R O DR I G U E Z marrod@ucdavis.edu

KAT HERIN E F RA N KS / AGG IE

BY JU LIE T TA B IS H ARYAN jsbisharyan@ucdavis.edu

Undoubtedly, the most valuable bit of knowledge you’ll ever learn at college is mastering the art of proper email etiquette. Appropriate salutations, acknowledging your professor’s Ph.D. title and a formal tone are all important things to consider when drafting your message. But you already knew that.

The greatest challenge I and any respected communication major will notice is the lack of conviction in email closings.

“But there are oh so many adverbs to choose from, how will I know which one to use?” I hear you, and I’m here to tell you to throw “thanks” and “best” out the window because the only sign-off you’ll ever need to use is “affectionately.”

“Why ‘affectionately?’” you may wonder.

According to the OED (English major slang for Oxford English Dictionary), the word ‘affectionately’ is defined as, “with favorable disposition; in a kindly or loving manner; fondly.” That may seem too forward or just plain inappropriate when asking about next week’s midterm, but in this essay I will discuss precisely how it will help you ace all your classes and leave a lasting impression.

You’ll stand out.

How many emails does your professor receive a day? Probably a lot. How many of them actually have anything interesting to say? Not many. But you and your doting diction are what’s going to get you that curve at the end of the quarter versus your basic classmate who signs “warmly.”

You’ll impress your professor with your extensive vocabulary.

A 14-letter word? That’s talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before…

Your professor will feel appreciated.

Too often we ask our professors, “What’s on the final?” and never “What’s on your mind?” or “How are you?” They say a single word is worth a thousand other words — or something like that.

It suits any email subject.

Asking for a paper extension? Affectionately. Wondering about office hours? Affectionately. Initiating an affair with a married man? Affectionately. It really has a certain je ne sais quoi to it.

So before you eagerly hit send, I ask you to look into your heart and say what you really mean.

Sent from iPhone

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2019 | 7

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

“ART GALA”: AN UP-AND-COMING HOUSE EXHIBIT A trio of passionate artists making a change through their art

BLACK PRE-LAW STUDENT ASSOCIATION HEADS TO NYC The road to the National Black Pre-Law Conference J EREMY DA N G / AG GIE

CA ITLYN SA MPLEY / AGGIE

BY SIERRA JIMENEZ arts@theaggie.org Beginning in Spring Quarter 2019, an inseparable artistic trio decided to make a change in the Davis art scene, starting in their own house. Creators and artists of the event, Dominic Rivetti, Axel Steeno and Gabriel Laude, who goes by the stage name Viper, will be hosting their second exhibition of “Art Gala” on Nov. 16 at 849 A Street from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. This will be a free event, where they will be displaying, selling and creating a scene of local art that is not typically seen in town.

“We wanted to have an event that was different from all the ones that are ‘normal’ in Davis,” Rivetti, a fourth-year anthropology major, said. “[Because of ] the lack of art we found interesting around here, we felt that we had to make somewhere where people can come see art that we would want to see. We had to create what we wanted because it wasn’t here [...] We’re trying to build a creative community in Davis.”

The gala is meant to bring people out of their comfort zones — “You’ll be exposed to something different — some music you’ve never heard before, some art that nobody can just make,” Viper, a fourth-year political science major and the “motivator” of the group, explained.

Starting at $1, artists will be selling their “hella rare” canvases and prints, according to Steeno, a fourth-year design major. With a plethora of art, music, snacks and creative people, the gala is a place for all.

“I want it to represent youth, authenticity and creativity,” Rivetti said. “I want it to make people feel happy and vibrant. To meet friends and have a fun place to be happy and feel like there’s something really cool for them to be doing.”

Last year’s gala was a success. While Rivetti performed his music, Steeno socialized with the crowd, explaining and displaying his art. A diverse group of people gathered in this unconventional Davis event, sharing their passion for art and creativity with one another.

Each one of the trio have their part in making the event possible and showcasing their own creative individualism that they bring to the table. It’s ultimately a collaborative, creative and supportive experience for them all.

“In terms of organizing it, we all just kind of do it together, brainstorm together,” Viper said.

“It’s like free flow form.”

The trio has been collaborating since freshman year.

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BOLOSAN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Archive; we developed curriculum with K-12 teachers in support of AB123 based on the archive’s resources; we disseminated the Filipino American experience to hundreds of Filipino American community members through exhibitions, workshops and lectures; we convened young Filipino American scholars at what will be an annual national research conference on the Filipino American studies [and] we partnered with documentary filmmakers on projects highlighting the trials, tribulations and triumphs of our community,” Rodriguez said at a press conference. “We did all of this and more with modest funds we received exclusively from our community.”

Rodriguez thanked California Assembly Member Rob Bonta, the first Filipino American state legislator in California, for championing the $1 million state funding that was announced during Filipino American History Month in October.

“I hope [the funding] is a down payment on ongoing funding and we’ll have to keep fighting for it every year, but this is a good first-time effort by all of us fighting together,” Bonta said at a press conference.

One of the projects being pursued with the funding is a wide-scale Filipino survey of health and well-being in California – a project that has not been done to a great extent since David Takeuchi’s Filipino American Community Epidemiological Study (FACES) in 1995. The goal of this survey is to translate Filipino American academic research for broader consumption.

“Through this research process, we are not only equipping [community members] with the resources to talk about their concerns grounded in empirical data, but we’re also fostering this data collection movement – this idea that our community is valuable and nobody has looked at us, but we need to be represented in these things,” said RJ Taggueg, a Ph.D student in the UC Davis Department of Sociology Ph.D. and the director of research for the Bulosan Center.

For this centerpiece project, Taggueg said he and his team of interns are joined by community partners that focus on topics specific to Filipino American health and well-being, such as the migrant experience, youth mental health, labor, employment and housing issues.

Taggueg aims to figure out the questions that they need to answer about their communities, what issues they face and how to get the information to be able to equip them with the necessary tools to push Filipino studies forward.

“Later on down the line, this data will also be useful for other researchers to no longer be hindered by the fact that there just isn’t any data out there beyond what you can glean off of the big national surveys like the census,” Taggueg said. “When you take a subset of that big data set, you get a very limited picture of what is going on because those questions are not particular to the Filipinx community. Ultimately, we wanted to pursue a project that not only speaks to the Filipinx experience, but will be used by the community moving forward.”

Taggueg acknowledged that they would not be able to pursue this project without the $1 million in funding and credits Rodriguez for allowing him to pursue this work with the support that only the center can provide.

“I think it also says something that the state of California is the one funding this

because it just demonstrates how valuable the center is,” Taggueg said. “It starts this conversation that the Filipinx community here in California in particular is worthy enough for investment.”

Aside from the research survey, the funding will also support the launch of a lab for new media justice for the center. The prospective lab will encourage experimentation with digital and other forms of media to document the stories of everyday Fiipino Americans as they struggle against racism, heterosexism, homophobia, exploitation, and other forms of marginalization.

“Most importantly, we will be ensuring future scholars complete their Ph.D.’s at UC Davis and that the next generation of FilAm scholars are on a path to following [in] their footsteps,” Rodriguez said.

The Bulosan Center has also provided the opportunity for many undergraduate interns to learn more about their culture and history, as well as be more involved in their community as leaders.

“I got into college and I really wanted to make change through government and policy, and then I joined the Bulosan Center and it taught me about community organizing and advocacy,” said Catherine Deguzman, a second-year Asian American studies and political science double major and intern at the Bulosan Center. “It showed me the power of the people, which really taught me that you don’t have to be in a government position to make change.”

Abbygayle Principe, a fifth-year history major and one of the original Bulosan Center interns, said that she hopes the center serves as a source of empowerment for Filipino youth to not feel ashamed of where they come from or who they are. She wants them to reclaim their identities and be proud, especially as the center has supported the implementation of Filipino studies in K-12 curriculum throughout California.

“I hope the youth are able to see that they are studying more than just George Washington and Benjamin Franklin and that there are visionaries that look just like them that have made history,” Principe said. “It’s just so empowering to think that maybe some young Filipina girl somewhere in a very white dominated area can learn about someone her skin color that did something amazing and how empowering that mentality must be for someone her age to grow up with.”

The center draws its mission from the life’s work of Carlos Bulosan, an immigrant worker, activist and writer who wrote about the Filipino experience in California through the book “America is in the Heart.” Rodriguez, Taggueg and other Bulosan Center team members – such as Sarmiento, Associate Director Wayne Jopanda, Director of Operations Kirby Araullo, Director of Policy and Community Engagement Katherine Nasol, Senior Historian Stacey Salinas and Senior Communications Editor Nick Garcia – aim to continue Bulosan’s legacy, provide other people all across the nation with the opportunity to pursue Filipino studies and divert more resources to their communities.

“This funding represents a vote of confidence by the California state legislature in the importance of research that lifts up the stories, experiences, contributions and struggles of our community,” Rodriguez said.

BY NAH IMA S H AFFER arts@theaggie.org After a year of preparation, this past week, the Black Pre-Law Student Association (BPLSA) sent nine students on a fully-funded trip to New York City, N.Y. for the 15th-annual National Black Pre-Law Conference.

For the first time in the club’s history, members were able to attend the conference, which took place from Nov. 8 to 9 at Columbia University. The conference created a unique opportunity to network with other Black prospective law students, professionals and deans of admissions, while also providing more information about the law school application process and the legal field.

The conference, which has been hosted at other top-tier law schools such as Harvard and New York University, is pursuant to its mission of “providing a high-quality, comprehensive national event designed specifically for aspiring Black lawyers. Its purpose is to provide them with access to empowering information, resources, and contacts that will assist them in the challenging journey ahead in pursuing admission into law school, success in the law school experience and on the bar exam, and beyond.”

Fourth-year anthropology and international relations double major Valencia Scott is the club’s grant coordinator. Scott began spearheading this effort over a year ago.

At the time, the BPLSA board was looking at pre-law conferences to attend, and the National Black Pre-Law Conference came across its radar.

The conference at the time was in its 14th year and hosted by Harvard University.

“When I heard about it and then we saw that it was so far away and we couldn’t really afford to go as a small organization, asking people to foot the bill for that was a lot,” Scott said.

Luckily, not too long after the club began looking at conferences, Scott learned of a Council on Student Affairs and Fees (COSAF) grant of up to $25,000 in funding to be awarded to a student organization.

“I saw a CSI email that it was up to $25,000 in funding and so the idea came to me because the conference registration was free, so I was just like, “What if we wrote a grant to go?” she said.

This opportunity came at a time when, according to Scott, the club had just rebranded its board and realigned its mission, vision and values. Scott says she used this rebranding as an outline for the grant’s extensive grant application. She also emphasized the disproportionately low retention rate for Black students on campus, the small size of the Black pre-law community and the lack of opportunities for Black pre-law students as opposed to other students or larger pre-law organizations.

Scott, along with Shondreya Landrum, a R EAD FULL ARTI CLE ONLI NE

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THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE TE SSA KO G A / AG G I E

BYCARO LINE RU TTEN arts@theaggie.org

TV Show: “Big Mouth” Season 3

RECIPE: SIMPLE PUMPKIN LOAF Who knew how versatile pumpkin pie spice is?

BY ALLIE BAILEY arts@theaggie.org With the transition from summer to fall finally happening in Davis, Calif., the time has come for fall traditions that make this season’s cozy atmosphere to come to life. All things pumpkin and spice have been on the shelves of Trader Joe’s for some time, but the crisp air and crunchy leaves now make it appropriate to delve into autumn recipes.

While a Pumpkin Spice Latte and several servings of stuffing at Thanksgiving dinner usually fulfill my fall cravings, this year I decided to expand my seasonal food fare. I wanted to make something simple that would fill my apartment with an autumnal aroma and put me and my roommates in the fall spirit. Accordingly, I made a pumpkin loaf.

Most pumpkin bread recipes are pretty basic, other than the incredibly long list of spices for which they call. Along with pumpkin pie spice, recipes usually call for ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg… the list goes on. Upon examining the pumpkin pie spice ingredients, I noticed that all the called-for powdered flavors were in the one little jar. Working with a budget and limited cabinet space, I decided to ditch all the other spices and just buy that one. Thus, the following is a college-friendly (and gluten-free) pumpkin loaf recipe.

Ingredients (this recipe makes one loaf, perfect for you and your roommates to share): 3 eggs 1 cup sugar

¼ cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup pumpkin puree ⅓ cup vegetable oil (I used canola oil, instead) 1 ½ cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon baking powder 2 ¼ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 50 minutes to an hour Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the loaf pan with parchment paper. This recipe is made for a 9-by-5-inch pan, but mine was closer to 8-by-6 and it worked fine — most loaf-shaped pans will suffice.

Beat together eggs, the two sugars and vanilla extract in a large bowl (use a mixer if you have one. If not, use a whisk and a quick wrist).

Add the pumpkin puree and oil and mix until fully combined.

Next, add all the dry (and remaining) ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder and pumpkin pie spice.

Once everything is mixed, fill the pan evenly with the batter and place it in the oven. Set a timer for 50 minutes, and then check it with a toothpick (or knife) — if it comes out clean, it’s done. Check every five minutes or so if the knife came out with batter on it the first time.

Take some photos of your loaf, let it rest for ten minutes, then slice and enjoy with butter.

Wrap whatever you don’t eat and store it in the fridge or freezer.

I am continuously surprised by the constant flow of relevant subject matter and characters that are produced by “Big Mouth” creators Nick Kroll, Andrew Goldberg, Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett. When I think that this Netflix program has exhausted everything encompassing puberty’s awkward years, they find another dimension that I must have suppressed in my memory. In this season, sexuality is explored in a variety of forms (no spoilers here) and even features a segment on the changing bodies of older women. As evident through the previous seasons, there is no topic the series shys away from, to our collective embarrassment and laughter.

Movie: “The Lighthouse” In true Arts Desk fashion, a group of us spontaneously decided to see “The Lighthouse” at the Varsity Theater this past weekend. And, in true A24 fashion, the piece fits the mold of every film nerd’s perfect movie: black and white, framed in a boxy ratio and stellar performances from Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson. The film is haunting yet whimsical, combining allusions to 1800s sailor folklore and Greek mythology. The scene is set on two lighthouse keepers amidst a tremulous storm off the coast of Maine. The film dives deeper into their respective drifts into insanity, which includes sirens and the allure of the lighthouse itself. Their masculinities are tested and the lines between what is real and what is fantasy soon begin to blur.

Book: “The Little Prince” Yes, I chose a children’s book, but hear me out. It has come to my attention that, while most people know the basic premise of this classic children’s book, few remember its main themes or even read it in its entirety. What those readers have missed out on is an intergalactic prince learning how to truly love what is close to him and how to grapple with the changing tides of growing up. Within the context of an enchanting plot this book, covers topics that I need to be reminded of in the wake of my college graduation.

Album: “It Might Be Time” by Tame Impala Tame Impala will always be one of my favorite bands of all time, and the release of this single in anticipation of their upcoming album drop increases my excitement. The song follows the similar electronic, borderline-pop motif from their previous album “Currents” — an emphasis on repetitive beat and heavy keyboard. And while I personally crave grimey sounds similar to “Innerspeaker,” that is not to say “It Might Be Time” is not good. The uniqueness and composition of sound produced by Kevin Parker is still alive and well, and I anticipate such will continue into the release of their new album.

REVIEW: “JESUS IS KING,” LYRICALLY LIFELESS AND SAVED NOT BY GOD, BUT COLLABORATORS Ye is overpowered by a world of his own creation

K IYO M I WATS O N / AGGI E

BY ANDREW WILLIAMS arts@theaggie.org Draped in a baby blue shroud, Kanye Omari West stood tall, rapping, singing and praising alongside one of Los Angeles’ finest gospel choirs during the Inglewood leg of “Sunday Service” — a sermon-infused concert to worship God and promote Kanye’s new album “Jesus is King.”

The scene was fervent, as hundreds raised their hands to the heavens singing, swaying and shouting in blissful conviction. During the two-hour set, the ensemble worked through 20 songs, varying from gospel standards, to nostalgic Kanye hits, to tracks fresh off the new 27-minute album. An event centered around religious camaraderie was a new look for an artist who, in the past, has opted for solo performances on massive glowing platforms hanging above the outstretched hands of his own devout followers.

The “Jesus is King” journey from studio to stream has been fraught with drama. West’s personal life has been the center of an onslaught of criticism after he aligned himself with President Trump, proudly donned a MAGA hat and told his wife, Kim Kardashian West, that her Met Gala look was too sexy for a mother of four. West caught an immediate backlash, as many in his fanbase felt betrayed by the cultural icon who has

previously promoted himself as a champion of the Black community and empowerment.

This past July, an unfinished bootleg of “Yandhi” leaked, leading to increased public speculation and interest until the project was scrapped for “Jesus is King.” Then, right before the album was scheduled to drop in September, West continued to tantalize his fans by pushing back the release date another month. Compared to fragments heard on “Yandhi,” which where all “Ye, Ye, Ye,” “Jesus is King” aims to draw from an even higher power.

At the intersection of gospel and hip-hop, “Jesus is King” delivers heavenly production with insipid lyricism. West flexes his production chops by harnessing the power of soul and gospel (two long-time influences) in the Sunday Service choir’s punctuating chants, flowing crescendos and lung-busting climaxes. The instrumentals included rippling organs, pounding drums and a spattering of horns. Blanketed in a storm of gospel and soul, Kanye sings and raps along on the periphery with fleeting intensity and beleaguered focus.

“Every Hour,” a traditional gospel piece set to double speed, establishes the album’s reverent and rejoiceful tone to a higher power. The project pivots into the visceral “Selah,” which is the standout in the 11-track list. If anything can ac-

curately convey the power of the gospel through a contemporary lens, it’s “Selah.” Kanye opens the track rapping over a foreboding church organ, expounding his place in society and faith.

War drums accentuate his every word. The choir kicks in and drives the rhythm with swelling hallelujahs, culminating into one of West’s few, untempered passionate moments: a wall-busting war chant capable of rousing even the coolest of cucumbers.

In most of the album, Kanye is sonically overpowered in a world of his own creation. The full-body spirit of the chorus dwarfs Kanye’s hohum intonations. “Water,” featuring Ant Clemons, speaks directly to West’s lyrical inadequacies.

Clemon’s refreshing voice meets a bubbling baseline and cooing chorus that washes over the listener, only to be abruptly ousted by West’s blunt preaching, “Jesus, flow through us. Jesus, heal the bruises. Jesus, clean the music,” and so on.

We get the point, you’ve found God — but don’t tell us, show us. Gospel can transcend its religious origins. You can be secular and still revel in its uplifting characteristics, but Kanye barely attempts to address this in his flow. We see flashes of it on “God Is” as he exclaims, “This my kids, this the crib! This my wife, this my life! This my God-given right!”

The majority of Kanye’s vocal expression, however, fails to match gospel’s spirituality. The frustrating thing is that he is fully capable of

rising to its level of intensity. We’ve all seen it dozens of times before, whether it’s in the defiant snarls of “Black Skinhead” or in the wounded vulnerability of ‘’Roses.”

The penultimate song on the album is “Use This Gospel,” a three-minute piece of barebones production predominated by autotuned humming. Lyricists cycle from West on the chorus to verses from his longtime friend and collaborator Pusha T and Virginia-based (and recently converted Christian) No Malice. Not a single memorable bar is uttered. Despite the track’s misgivings, it includes perhaps one of the most memorable snippets of the album — a gliding 30-second saxophone solo from none other than Kenny G himself. It seems to perfectly reflect the gospel’s intimate spirituality — what West’s lyricism and delivery were desperately lacking. Once again, a supplementary musician saves the album from resounding mediocrity.

I commend Kanye for his bold plunge into gospel. In stereotypical fashion he keeps us on our toes while prodding at his own musical capabilities. This time, however, he may have out done himself. Outgunned by his own devices, West was lyrically lifeless on instrumentals that demanded the best from his talents. I wouldn’t chalk up the album to a failure, but for West it signals an emotional slump for an artist who has hallmarked his name as a super-charged provocateur.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2019 | 9

Sudoku

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

Answer to previous puzzle

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

10 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2019

SCIENCE+TECH UC DAVIS LEADS IN INNOVATIVE GENE EDITING RESEARCH WITH NIH GRANTS Researchers strive to address societal health issues through gene editing

NURSE PRACTITIONER RESIDENCY PROGRAM LAUNCHED BY UC DAVIS HEALTH Advanced practice residency program at Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing to provide care for underserved groups

KATH E R I N E F R A N KS / AGGI E

BY A L M A M E C KLE R - PAC H E CO science@theaggie.org In October, three researchers at UC Davis were awarded a $1.5 million grant to fund their project which attempts to demonstrate the effectiveness of gene editing through use of CRISPR, a powerful technology that allows alteration of DNA sequences to change gene function.

“This kind of design can help enhance personalized medicine,” said R. Holland Cheng, a professor of molecular and cellular biology in the College of Biological Sciences. “Specific patients with specific illnesses can be treated in specific ways.”

Cheng, along with Kit Lam, a distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine in the School of Medicine, and David Segal, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, were awarded this highly competitive and sought-after grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH).

UC Davis is part of the NIH’s Somatic Cell Genome Editing (SCGE) consortium which has awarded grants to 45 other research institutes across the nation so they can begin groundbreaking work on gene editing. Through this consortium, the NIH hopes to find an efficient and safe way to conduct gene editing.

Research programs are investigating the best delivery mechanism as well as the most dynamic gene editing tool.

The major problem with gene editing currently is the inability of cells to be edited within a living organism. It has become fairly easy and efficient to edit genes in a cell culture outside of the body but extremely difficult to do the same processes inside the body. Cheng, Lam and Segal are focused on changing this.

“The question is how to do it inside of an animal and eventually a human,” Lam said.

They are answering this question by utilizing Cheng’s work in engineering a non-toxic nanoparticle that they hope can transport the gene editing tool CRISPR into the cells of a living organism. Cheng has been able to create a Hepatitis E viral nanoparticle (HEVNP) that when manipulated could be a delivery system for CRISPR. They plan to take this nanoparticle and encase CRISPR inside of it, producing a mechanism for delivery of CRISPR. The Hepatitis E nanoparticle has the capacity to be a highly efficient way to deliver gene editing to cells in the body due to its unique nature. HEVNP is resistant to the gastric acid

environment of the intestines and stomach, enabling it to survive once its entered the body.

Given its resistant abilities, HEVNP can be taken orally, making it a useful form of medicine.

If able to successfully get HEVNP to the target cells in the body and deploy CRISPR, gene editing abilities could drastically change.

The addition of a cell-type specific targeting ligand to the HEVNP would code the nanoparticle to deliver CRISPR to a specific cell. The abilities of this method to be precise and safe will determine its success.

With five years of funding from the NIH, these three researchers are eager to begin work on this project and see the strides that can be made in gene editing. They have impressive goals for this research, as it has the capacity to reshape medicine.

“This will redefine precision medicine as currently there is broad medicine that can cause side effects to people and not be effective, yet by making it specialized it is becoming more precise and effective,” Cheng said.

As more effective and safe tools to cure illnesses are being tested and created, the benefits to society could be expansive. With so much potential to help improve the health of society, the NIH is dedicated to coming to new solutions at a quick rate. All programs that received grants will be required to share and utilize the research occurring at other funded programs.

The NIH is hoping to eliminate the private nature of research through enforcing the sharing of ideas, as scientists are often constrained by the institutions they work for. It is their hope that by having communication between the programs, positive results will arise faster.

“I think this is great because scientists inherently want to work with each other but have real world concerns especially with money,” Segal said.

The research results, when groundbreaking, can provide incredible monetary gains and credibility to the institutions that made the discovery. Ultimately, scientists collaborating with one another will serve society as people are able to benefit earlier from this innovative research.

“We want the public to know that we are working in their best interest,” Segal said.

The NIH grant is competitive and still the third research program to join the consortium at UC Davis. Innovation has never been more prevalent than in this field at UC Davis. With three different programs researching gene editing, UC Davis stands out as a hotspot for this field of research.

R AWPIXEL / PIXA B AY

BY H U S N K H ARAB ANDA science@theaggie.org The new residency program for nurse practitioners at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing has opened its applications. While nurse practitioner residency programs exist at other institutions, this is the first one to be funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration, according to Debra Bakerjian, a School of Nursing clinical professor and principal investigator.

The $3.5 million grant is monumental for the nursing community since it depicts federal recognition of the importance of nurse practitioners in primary care.

While residency programs are common for physicians — and often federally funded — the same cannot be said for nurse practitioner residency programs. This is partially because a residency is not required for nurse practitioners.

Despite this, residency programs, where health professionals get mentored by experienced clinicians to complete their medical education, are critical in preventing the disorientation that would otherwise be felt by the sudden shift from a controlled classroom environment to a busy clinic.

“I’ve seen new nurse practitioners leave practice within the first year of their first clinic experiences because they’re so disheartened at how unprepared they were,” said Greg Stone, CEO of Peach Tree Health. “And that’s a shame, because they’re likely just needing a little extra help and coaching to get through those big transitions.”

Peach Tree Health is a non-profit organization focused on providing “personalized, affordable, high quality services,” in healthcare for underserved groups. The organization is working together with UC Davis on this federal project of creating an advanced nurse practitioner program.

Centers such as Peach Tree Health will be part of the residency rotations for the 10 nurse practitioner residents to be selected each year.

Applications are open until Jan. 6, 2020 for nurse practitioners who graduated within the past 18 months. The program is looking for family or adult gerontological nurse practitioners, specifically those interested in providing care to underserved populations. There are few residency programs in California that are similar and most are carried out by existing practices hoping to

hire the selected residents.

“We are not requiring them to actually work for UC Davis Health,” Bakerjian said.

She mentioned that the program was simply meant to provide a mentored environment for a 12 month period, although there is hope that some nurse practitioners will choose to stay with UC Davis Health and the clinical partners of this program.

Nurse practitioners in the program will have the chance to gain experience on working with addiction, chronic illness, telehealth, pain management and wound care.

“There is a crisis in the United States with opioid addiction,” said Christi D. Delemos, the director of advanced practice at UC Davis.

“This will help prepare these nurse practitioners, through better curriculum, to better manage that crisis and more responsibly care for patients with pain.”

She also mentioned the interest in promoting telehealth, which is meant to increase convenience and reduce economic burden for those who live in areas where visiting a medical professional can be a costly, time-consuming task.

Convenience and economic viability are important topics for this nurse practitioner residency because a large number of the people Peach Tree Health works with have little to no insurance, according to Stone. The program is also partnered with the Sacramento County Health Center, Western Sierra Medical Clinic and other Federally Qualified Health Centers, allowing nurse practitioners to work in a variety of communities during the six month rotation that is to be part of their residency.

Nurse practitioners are meant to take up gaps that have been left in primary care by the lack of physicians working in the field. With a large segment of the United States population aging, the availability of such care is essential. This means providing mentorship to nurse practitioners transitioning into clinic work is of increasing importance.

“This is vital,” Stone said. “We need to give more training and more structured experience without the pressure of making a living.”

In-person interviews for the program will be conducted in February, with applicants due to be selected by early March. Selected applicants will begin the program on July 1, 2020.

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THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

NEW DISTRICTS

SENATE

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Many students who attended the meeting spoke in favor of a seven-district map, arguing that one or more districts with a majority of renters would better represent student populations during elections.

Brooke Pritchard, president of the Davis College Democrats, argued that a majority-student district would give UC Davis students a voice in important city matters relevant to their concerns, including tenant rights and cost-ofliving issues.

“Because 55% of students are Davis residents, without a district aimed towards Davis students, we will inevitably be disenfranchised,” Pritchard said.

Council members, on their part, also initially disagreed over whether five or seven districts would best serve the needs of the city.

Councilmembers Dan Carson and Will Arnold, as well as Mayor Pro Tempore Gloria Partida, supported a five-district map. Carson argued that a seven-person city council makes it more difficult for the council to address citywide issues in a unified manner.

“There are really important issues coming to our city: on finances, on land use, on housing,” Carson said. ”We need, more than ever, to work closely and cohesively together and I think a five-district map gives us the best chance of doing that.”

Partida, though voicing her support for a five-district map, expressed displeasure with the districting process itself, saying that she be-

lieved it ultimately disenfranchised the Latinx population in Davis.

“What this has done for the Latino population is that we’re at [around] 11% in these districts, so this process has actually disenfranchised the Latino population,” Partida said.

“The highest that I think I’ve seen is at 17%, so that’s very troubling to me.”

Councilmember Lucas Frerichs and Mayor Brett Lee initially favored seven-district maps.

Lee claimed that seven districts in Davis would lower the cost of campaigning in the city. As a result, more citizens would be encouraged to run for office.

Furthermore, Lee said that seven council members would ease the substantial workload council members currently face.

“When I say [to citizens] ‘Hey, you should run for city council’ — if the cost doesn’t scare them off, then the fact that literally, they’re going to be away from their homes and family for four to five nights a week on a regular basis [does],” Lee said. “This is concerning.”

Lee and Frerichs represented a minority on the council and ultimately voted with the rest of the council members to unanimously approve the fourth version of the five-district map. In their next meeting on Nov. 5, council members approved an ordinance that would push the next city council election from March 2020 to November of that year, finalizing the city’s transition to a district-based election system.

The Senate then moved into consideration of old legislation. The table saw five pieces of legislation: SB #10, CA #61, SB #8, SR #1 and SB #5.

SB #10, authored by Internal Affairs Commission Chair Ashley Lo, would create a onetime Elections Committee made up of ex-officio members. Due to a number of circumstances, there is no official Elections Committee or Elections Committee Chair for this election cycle.

Vice President Shreya Deshpande removed her own voting power from the committee after pushback she received due to the possibility of her own bias. She would remain on the

committee because of her logistical knowledge of elections proceedings and workshop formats.

Landrum commented on the executive team’s work behind the scenes trying to fill the position of Elections Committee Chair and specifically commended Deshpande’s efforts.

“This is not their jobs,” Landrum said.

“They have taken steps to diligently rectify this and as you can see there’s a bill in front of you now.”

The bill passed without objections, just in time for the closing of student petitions and the candidate workshop on Nov. 1.

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which zoned land for the construction of a senior housing project.

The challenge with registering voters, he said, is convincing them that their vote matters.

“It’s very important that the student vote get out because historically the city residents have had disproportionate power in the elections,” McDougall said. “But the residents of Davis are not our enemies — we want to work with them and communicate with them through a more even vote.”

So far, #UCWeVote has organized voter reg-

istration during move-in weekend and Welcome Week. ASUCD volunteers worked alongside volunteers from J Street, Davis College Democrats and CalPIRG, setting up multiple stations across freshman dorm areas — McDougall said almost all of Cuarto is now registered to vote.

“You may not want to vote in your 350 million person election where the popular vote doesn’t matter,” he said. “But here, you’ll be one of 12,000 voters — that vote is quite a bit different.”

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And now to the Alaska panhandle, where Trump’s Department of Agriculture is proposing to allow logging in a 9.4 million acre section of the Tongass National Forest that was previously protected by President Bill Clinton under the 2001 Roadless Rule. 165,000 oldgrowth acres and 20,000 young-growth acres could be clearcut. And these trees don’t just

provide valuable habitat, they also sequester incredible amounts of carbon. Sucks to be anyone or anything impacted by climate change!

So in summary, Jesse Pinkman isn’t gonna have much luck if he hoped to live out his days as a peaceful fisherman up in pristine Alaska, so he’d better start rediscovering his meth-cooking chops. Fast.

“Oh, I’m leaning in, Sammy, I’m leaning into the waterfall of emotions that is cascading down my consciousness. It envelops me in its cold, refreshing embrace. I feel naked, like an infant crawling after my mother.”

This continued for several minutes as Jack unpacked the inner-workings of his consciousness.

By the time it was Sammy’s turn to become an emotional baby, there was a flow-chart on the whiteboard detailing how Cole would seek retribution. The source was unable to decipher the chaotic details on the whiteboard.

Cole finally gave in and let out a yelp of wretched pain. “I have been intervened,” he whimpered. His tearful confession caused even more salty secretions to pour out of his friends’ eyes as they eventually all began crawling on the floor.

The intervention lasted for a few more hours as Sammy took on the role of a psychoanalyst and considered Cole’s childhood in regards to his current state. They concluded with a group hug and let out what our source says appeared to be an empowering chant in an unknown language.

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“Axel and I collaborate on almost everything,” Rivetti said. “We’ll both do our own stuff entirely, but we’ll tell eachother about it, like the methods we used, and then apply it to our own things.”

Steeno recycles old canvases from other artists and then repaints them or adds to them with his own spin. He incorporates elements from other pieces to create his own style. For example, hanging in their living room is a piece that Steeno’s mom painted, which he

FOOTBALL then added to — “[We’d] rather create than consume,” Viper said.

“I either compose [music] using pianos, synthesizers and drums, or sample and make beats, techno or ambient music,” Rivetti said.

“I just want to make people happy and be chilled out and not stressed, just have fun.”

Viper added, “You have to feel his sound.”

Art plays a vital role in all of their lives.

READ FULL ARTICLE ONLINE

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back of the end zone and somehow came down with the football with one foot in bounds.

On the next Aggie possession, Babb snagged a wide-open 44-yard catch down the sideline that would have went for an easy touchdown if he didn’t have to dive for the football. Kicker Max O’Rourke finished the drive with a 23-yard field goal, but Portland State scored a touchdown in the final minute of the quarter to cut

the Aggie lead to 17-14 at halftime.

Midway through the third quarter, Gilliam evaded one tackler en route to a 75-yard touchdown run, the longest offensive play of the season.

The Vikings answered with a chunk play of their own, completing a 55-yard touchdown pass that made it 24-21 as the fourth quarter READ FULL ARTICLE ONLINE

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2019 | 12

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

UC DAVIS FOOTBALL GETS BACK ON TRACK WITH OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION Aggies even record at 5-5 with two games remaining

Matthew Hyman (88) carries the ball during a play to gain yardage for UC Davis during a away game against Portland State on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2019. (Photo by C.K. Hicks / UC Davis Athletics)(Photo by Timothy Li / Aggie)

BY BRENDEN OGBURN sports@theaggie.org The UC Davis football team took full advantage of its bye week and came out focused and prepared in Saturday’s 45-28 win over Portland State in Hillsboro, Ore. The Aggie offense exploded for a season-high 649 total yards, averaging 8.95

per play, and benefited from an assortment of spectacular individual efforts. UC Davis struck serious damage with long yardage gains, gashing the Vikings on eight pass completions of 20 yards or greater and six runs of 15+ yards.

“It’s not the wins that are satisfying,” said head coach Dan Hawkins during his weekly press conference on Monday afternoon. “It’s satisfying when you see guys step up, make

AGGIES DOMINATE FULLERTON IN BIG WEST SEMIFINAL UC Davis men’s soccer advances to third straight conference final game

Midfielder Max Arfsten (11) celebrates with his teammates after scoring the first goal for the Aggies against the Cal State Fullerton Titans during the Big West Tournament semifinal on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019 at Aggie Field. (Photo by Justin Han / Aggie)

BY DOMINIC FARIA sports@theaggie.org To say the Aggies were ready for their first postseason game would be an understatement.

The UC Davis men’s soccer team played arguably its most complete game of the year on Saturday, completely overpowering the visiting Cal State Fullerton Titans from start to finish in a 2-0 victory. The win sends the Aggies to a third straight appearance in the Big West conference tournament final, where UC Davis will host UC Santa Barbara on Friday, Nov. 15.

Perhaps a full week of rest was just what the Aggies needed following a grueling regular season in which UC Davis managed to amass 11 wins and clinch the top spot in the Big West. The Titans, on the other hand, finished fifth in the table and had to get past a quarterfinal matchup at Cal Poly on Nov. 6 to advance to Saturday’s semifinal.

Fullerton blanked the Mustangs 2-0 to capture its fourth victory in five games heading into the showdown at UC Davis. The only loss in that stretch was at the hands of the Aggies, when UC Davis took down the Titans 2-1 in overtime.

Given the competitive nature of this previous meeting, many expected Saturday’s rematch to be another nail-biter. But UC Davis made sure that there would be little drama this time around.

In front of a lively crowd at Aggie Soccer Field on Saturday, the Aggies wasted little time to impose their will on the visiting Titans. Senior forward Adam Mickelson recorded the game’s first shot in the fourth minute, testing the Titans with a low-driven attempt that was blocked by Fullerton goalkeeper, Paul-Andre Guerin. Just over a minute later, sophomore midfielder Emmanuel Doherty curled in a cross from the right side that met senior forward Kristian Heptner, whose header forced a diving save from Guerin.

These first five minutes were an accurate indication of what was to unfold over the course of the entire match, as the Aggies would outshoot the Titans 25-4 when it was all said and done.

Fourteen of those 25 shots were on target, giving Guerin a workout he likely didn’t want.

On just their fifth shot of the game, the Aggies found the back of the net. In the game’s 15th minute, Heptner lofted a high, arching ball into the penalty area, where junior defender Jake Haupt was able to head the ball toward the back post. Waiting there was freshman midfielder Max Arfsten, who could not have picked a better time to head the ball in and record his first goal as an Aggie.

Haupt, who assisted on both of the Aggie goals on Saturday, complimented his teammates for being in the right places.

“First of all on the set piece — being able to flick that ball on — it was a great [ball] from Kristian,” said Haupt. “And then trusting that one of my guys is going to get on the back post to get that in the net with Max [Arfsten] — and he did a great job with that.”

The early breakthrough further fueled UC Davis’ momentum and gave the Aggie defense

an opportunity to truly settle into the ballgame.

The Aggie backline was quite simply impenetrable. Aided by a midfield that constantly kept the pressure on the Titans, the UC Davis defense snuffed out any and all forward advancements by Fullerton. Senior goalkeeper Wallis Lapsley only needed to make two saves the entire afternoon.

“It’s a veteran group in our defense, led by Wallis Lapsely, and then Jake Haupt and Nabi Kibunguchy, and then Marte Formico,” said head coach Dwayne Shaffer. “That kind of group in our defensive side of it, they’ve been great leaders.”

Everything was clicking for UC Davis at the halftime break. And just over ten minutes into the second frame, the Aggies broke through for the second time.

The aggressive, high-press play style of the Aggies paid off enormously, as Haupt was able to force a turnover in the Titan third and send a pass toward goal to a streaking Mickelson. Even with Guerin charging at him, Mickelson calmly lifted the ball over the keeper and into the back of the net to double the UC Davis lead.

“I knew Adam was going to make that run,” explained Haupt. “And I knew I could play a good ball over the top and I know he’s going to finish that every time.”

Instead of resting on the two goal lead, the Aggies doubled down, turning up the pressure on an increasingly desperate Titans team and recording 12 more shots before time expired.

The 2-0 victory was the eighth time this year that UC Davis had held its opponent scoreless. It was certainly a performance that the Aggies could feel confident about heading into Friday’s showdown with the team that finished just behind them in the Big West standings: the Gauchos.

UC Santa Barbara enters the Big West final with a regular season record of 12-3-4 and is the highest scoring team in the conference. The Gauchos’ 13 goals in their seven conference games ranks first among among all Big West teams, and their three goals allowed in conference play ties them with UC Davis for the fewest in the Big West. The Aggies and the Gauchos squared off in Davis back on Oct. 23 when the teams drew to a 1-1 tie.

But regardless of what team they will be facing this Friday, the Aggies will be playing determined to reverse two years of heartbreak. In each of the previous two title games, UC Davis was outlasted in penalty kicks after grinding through a scoreless contest. Now, with a third opportunity to finally win the Big West championship game and punch their ticket to the NCAA tournament, the Aggies will have to perform when it matters most.

“You know, penalties are — they can go any way,” explained Shaffer. “And unfortunately they haven’t gone our way in the final the last two years. But we didn’t talk about it. We trained a little bit on penalty kicks, but if we take care of our own performance, and we focus on ourselves and our own performance, hopefully the games won’t go that far.”

The Big West final is set to get underway at 2 p.m. at Aggie Soccer Field on Friday.

growth, overcome obstacles, handle some issues. I think it was the first time this year we played off of each other in all three phases, which was really good to see.”

Redshirt freshman wide receiver Lance Babb II went off for the best performance of his young career, hauling in 10 of his 11 targets for 168 yards and a trio of touchdowns.

“Lance Babb had a great game,” Hawkins said. “If you watch him practice, watch him train, watch his attention to detail and watch his passion, it’s really cool to see that come to fruition.”

Babb wasn’t the only Aggie who enjoyed a career day, as sophomore running back Ulonzo Gilliam Jr. sprinted for a pair of scores and 242 yards on the ground. Gilliam’s rushing total, which included a career-long 75 yard touchdown run, was the fifth highest for a single game in program history.

“It was probably the funnest thing to see him break the long one, which he’s been trying to get done, and how he handled the clock,” Hawkins said. “Some of his best runs were a lot more subtle, just in how he made people miss.”

Defensively, redshirt freshman linebacker Nick Eaton had one of the best games of his season as well, constantly flying around to the football and racking up a team-leading eight tackles and two forced fumbles, as well as a pair of sacks. The performance earned him Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week honors for the second time this season. In the week leading up to the game, Eaton was one of 24 players added to the watch list for the Jerry Rice Award, which honors the best freshman player in the FCS. UC Davis never trailed in Saturday’s contest and was always within striking distance of putting the game out of reach, but the Vikings were able to hang around for three quarters. The Aggies put the finishing touch-

es on their fifth victory of the season with a 21-point fourth quarter and will now set their sights on the home finale against Montana State this upcoming Saturday at UC Davis Health Stadium.

“We got a great opportunity, versus a ranked football team, to be able to step up against some good competition and come back home and get after it,” Hawkins said.

The Aggies, currently at 5-5, are seemingly a longshot to make the FCS playoffs, largely due to a costly, three-game midseason losing streak. Even so, the team will get a shot to bolster its resume and make one final case to the selection committee if it can find a way to knock off Montana State and Sacramento State to close the regular season. Both opponents will be ranked in the top-10 entering week 12, so the opportunity is there for UC Davis to grab peoples’ attention and re-enter the playoff conversation.

“We’re not blind to the situation,” Hawkins said. “We’re playing two ranked teams at the end of the year and we’ve got to take care of business. Should we get on the plus side of the ledger in both of those games, we’re a playoff team. There’s no doubt in my mind about that. We’ve played a tough schedule.”

The Ags struck first on their second possession of the game, going up 7-0 when Babb caught an inside screen pass and weaved his way untouched for 26 yards to the end zone.

After Portland State leveled the score at the start of the second quarter, the Aggies immediately responded on an 80-yard scoring drive, with Babb accounting for 31 of those yards. On third and goal, senior quarterback Jake Maier took the snap and rolled out to his left before scrambling all the way back to the right and lofting an off-balanced throw to Babb, who leaped over two defenders in the

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