February 4, 2021

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VOLUME 139, ISSUE 14 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021

COVID-19 PANDEMIC FORCES LOCAL BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES TO RESTRUCTURE IN ORDER TO STAY OPEN Black business owners call for government aid at both the local and state levels

BY JELENA LAPUZ city@theaggie.org The economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted businesses across the nation. While some businesses were able to adapt to this new economic climate, other businesses had to reduce their hours of operation or close altogether. Black-owned businesses in particular faced added difficulties during the pandemic, according to local Black business owners.

Sac Black Biz is a community organization and social media marketing agency that focuses on supporting Black-owned businesses in Sacramento County. Founder of Sac Black Biz Chris Lodgson explained how the COVID-19 pandemic caused several Black-owned businesses to shut down completely.

“90-95% of Black-owned businesses that start will fail between 1 and 5 years,” Lodgson said. “[Due to the pandemic], 30-40% of Black-owned businesses have already closed their doors, and many of those businesses will never reopen their doors again.”

Zion Taddese, the owner of Queen Sheba Ethiopian Cuisine in Sacramento, explained how she was forced to restrategize her business when the pandemic began.

Before the pandemic, business was going well for Taddese’s restaurant. Customers would come not just to eat, but also to socialize with each other.

When the pandemic began, Taddese adapted her business in order to comply with social distancing guidelines.

“I had to navigate through a lot of things the whole year,” Taddese said. “It was like a rollercoaster.”

Fungai Mukome, a co-owner of Zim Cuisine

in Davis, shared a similar story of how her restaurant transitioned when the pandemic began.

ZimCusine was booked out with catering events prior to the pandemic, but had to reinvent its method of business by creating a weekly menu and completing a weekly dinner delivery that customers could preorder on their website.

Chantoll Williams, the owner of Rasta Mama’s Kitchen, in Vacaville reflected on the adaptation of her business.

Williams noted that when the pandemic began, she lost a lot of business because social distancing guidelines no longer allowed for large gatherings. In order to survive, Rasta Mama’s Kitchen had to adapt to focus on contactless delivery.

“Since there are no grand events I can do, the only way to stay afloat is to do lunches and dinners, and basically be like my own DoorDash,” Williams said. “[Customers] can still experience Jamaica and still experience my family’s recipes, but on a smaller scale.”

Taddese reflected on the added difficulty of being a small Black-owned business.

“As it is, being a small business is hard,” Taddese said. “Being a small Black-owned business is even harder.”

Mukome noted that a challenge Black-owned businesses face is the lack of representation. There is no specific initiative from the Davis Chamber of Commerce or from the city of Davis to promote Black businesses. “[There] definitely has to be a push from the city to create a program that supports the particular struggles of Black businesses, and a lot of them have to do with opportunities and funding,” Mukome said. “We don’t get the same opportunities and we definitely don’t get funding for our ideas.”

A row of businesses in Downtown Davis. (Photo by Quinn Spooner / Aggie) Lodgson advocated for work at the federal level as well in order for long-term change to occur.

“The federal government needs to pass a reparations program that targets and has specific help for Black businesses in particular,” Lodgson said. “Secondly, the federal government needs to start to create policies that specifically target Black-owned businesses.”

Lodgson further explained that while there are currently policies that target “minority-owned businesses,” Black-owned businesses have their own unique set of needs.

“We need to be really specific and create policy that is intended for Black-owned businesses

specifically because we are a unique group and we have our own unique set of needs,” Lodgson said. “When you sort of aggregate us into these larger groups, what happens is you diminish and you dilute the effectiveness of the actual policies themselves, however well-intentioned you may be.”

Taddese left a final comment regarding the importance of unity.

“If the people are not united, it’s going to be hard for our future generation—for our kids—to catch up on things,” Taddese said. “There is plenty enough in this world to feed everybody.”

PUNJABI LANGUAGE PROGRAM OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED FOR STUDENT ENROLLMENT

WESTERN CENTER FOR FOOD SAFETY AT UC DAVIS SCHOOL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE PARTNERS WITH FDA

Thanks to the efforts of students, alumni, staff and community members, the course also introduces the first app to accompany a UC language course

The partnership is intended to research E. coli outbreaks in the lettuce industry and is one of four FDA centers for excellence nationwide

BY REBECCA BIHN-WALLACE campus@theaggie.org The Western Center for Food Safety at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine recently partnered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture to research the role of E. coli in food safety.

The center began cooperating with the FDA in 2008. As one of four FDA centers for excellence in the country, it helps the FDA implement preventative measures under the Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA).

This includes monitoring and researching outbreaks of E. coli in the produce industry.

Professor Michele Jay-Russell, the program manager at the Western Center for Food Safety, specializes in veterinary public health and foodborne pathogens at UC Davis. Jay-Russell and Professor Rob Atwill, a principal investigator at the university who is researching zoonotic

pathogens, spoke about the importance of the partnership.

Between August and October 2020, 40 people across 19 states were infected with E. coli.

FDA on 11

Mrak Hall during Fall Quarter 2020. (Quinn Spooner / Aggie)

Sproul Hall at UC Davis during Winter Quarter 2021. (Quinn Spooner / Aggie)

BY ANNETTE CAMPOS campus@theaggie.org After eight years of demand, the Punjabi language program has officially launched through the UC Davis Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies Program for UC-wide enrollment. The Elementary Punjabi three-course sequence is being taught fully online, with the first group of students having begun the class in the Winter Quarter of this year.

UC Davis, alongside UC Santa Cruz and UC Santa Barbara, received a grant of about $200,000 through the UC Innovative Learning Teaching Initiative (ILTI) to fund the course.

While other UCs have offered Punjabi classes in the past, this is the first time the Punjabi language course will be available online to all UC students.

The course is called “Punjabi Without Walls,” since it goes beyond the physical classroom walls and traditional way of teaching. It is modeled after a similar online language program called “Spanish Without Walls,” launched by UC Davis Professor Robert Blake.

Pushpinder Kaur, a Bay Area author and teacher, led the curriculum effort together with Arshinder Kaur at UC Santa Cruz and Upkar Ubhi at UC Berkeley.

According to Dr. Sudipta Sen, the director of the Middle Eastern and South Asian studies program at UC Davis, students had been asking to have Punjabi taught at UC Davis for more than eight years, but the university was hesitant to approve it due to budget and enrollment concerns. It was the long-standing student demand that helped this program get approved, Sen said.

One of those students was Harfateh Singh Grewal, a UC Davis alumna. After taking a class with a visiting lecturer during his junior year, Grewal and some members of the Sikh Cultural Association came together to ask for a Punjabi course at Davis.

“Seven or eight years ago, we knew it was going to take close to 10 years to get here,” Grewal said. “I graduated in 2014. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to take this class, but I wanted my nieces and nephews and other people to be able to take this course; we were looking into the future.”

Despite this, it wasn’t until 2015 when Dr. Nicole Ranganath, an assistant adjunct professor at UC Davis, reached out to Grewal to further discuss and develop the curriculum for the program. Grewal says he is proud it has finally launched.

“The most unique aspect of this program is that it grew up from a strong partnership between the UC system and the Punjabi community,” Ranganath said. “This innovative approach to offering Punjabi for all UC students would not exist without the support of hundreds of friends in the Punjabi community.”

So far, the course has been popular, having filled up immediately with 35 students on the waitlist.

Dr. Kuldeep Singh, the lecturer of the Punjabi course currently in place, emphasized the time and effort it took for this program to come into existence.

“We have more than 800 UC Davis Punjabi heritage students who really wanted to learn the language,” Dr. Kuldeep Singh said.

PUNJABI on 11

YOLO COUNTY PLANS TO PRIORITIZE SENIORS 65 AND OLDER IN NEXT VACCINE DISTRIBUTION PHASE More vaccine doses are needed before the county can put this plan into effect

KATHERINE HUNG / AGGIE

BY SHRADDHA JHINGAN city@theaggie.org As of Jan. 19, California’s updated plan to efficiently increase the distribution of vaccines now includes residents aged 65 and older being prioritized in Phase 1B Tier 1, according to a press release from Yolo County.

“Currently, Yolo County is in Phase 1A Tiers 2 and 3 and will likely move into Phase 1B

in the coming weeks once additional doses are received from the State of California,” the press release reads, which was published on Jan. 19.

Yolo County was expected to run out of vaccines the week of Jan. 25, but they received more just before their supply was used up.

Yolo County Public Information Officer Jenny Tan explained via email that vaccine distribution efforts are currently slow in Yolo County.

“We are currently getting around 1,000 doses a week,” Tan said. “For seniors 65 and older, there are more than 28,000 residents. As you can imagine, this would take a long time.”

Healthcare systems such as Sutter Health and Kaiser Permanente are helping with the distribution of vaccines, but they have also received limited doses, according to Tan. However, on Jan. 26, the state of California announced a new method of distributing vaccines.Although vaccine supplies are still low, the new plan’s goal is to distribute vaccines fairly and quickly when more are available.

SENIORVACCINE on 11

2 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Resolution advocating for Election Day to be non-instructional holiday unanimously passed at Jan. 21 Senate meeting A discussion of the Sexual Assault Awareness Advocacy Committee organization occurred, updates from The Pantry and The California Aggie

BY AARYA GUPTA campus@theaggie.org The ASUCD Senate meeting on Jan. 21 was called to order at 6:10 p.m. by Vice President Emily Barneond.

The first agenda item was the quarterly report for The California Aggie, presented by Editor-in-Chief Anjini Venugopal.

“With all the benefits that come with print, we, like all publications, continue to search for ways to expand digitally,” Venugopal said. “I am currently working on our long-range plan, and some of my ideas about digital expansion will be made more clear there—creating staff positions for people who are particularly interested in multimedia storytelling through audio and video for example.”

After Venugopal’s presentation, elected officer reports, followed by ex-officio reports, were discussed.

In his elected officer report, Senator Ryan Manriquez said that a new chairperson was hired for the Student Health and Wellness Committee.

Senator Michael Navarro said that he, along with Senators Lauren Smith and Roberto Rodriguez Ibarra, met with the director of the Coffee House (CoHo) to determine action items following the CoHo’s indefinite closure.

During public announcements, The Pantry Director Ryan Choi provided updates.

“Across the state we are seeing an increased need among UC students who have returned to their hometowns but are still in need of resources,” Choi said. “Across the UC system—throughout all 10 UCs—and the UCDC program, we have discussed in our [...] monthly calls about the ability for us to share resources.”

Choi said that basic needs resources on the UC Davis campus, like the Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center, will accept all UC students.

“All of the resources [students] will have obtained at their home

UC campus, we would be able to support them with,” Choi said.

“The only exception is for direct financial aid, money, doctors and things like that.”

Additionally, Choi said that an increase in donations allowed The Pantry to support students during Thanksgiving and winter breaks.

“With partnership with the Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center, we’re able to serve 270 students across our UC Davis campus with food vouchers and gift cards through statewide funding,” Choi said.

No comments were made in public discussion.

After a break, the Senate reconvened. When discussing the status of previous legislation, President Kyle Kreuger said that he “signed everything.”

No new bills were introduced at this senate meeting. ASUCD Senate Bills #47 and #52, and ASUCD Resolution #6, were discussed by the table.

ASUCD Senate Bill #47, which was introduced on Jan. 7, was tabled due to author Senator Roberto Rodriguez Ibarra being absent during this senate meeting.

This bill intends “to allocate $9800 to the DREAM Committee for the purpose of a relief fund for basic needs, specifically for DREAMers,” according to the bill.

ASUCD Senate Bill #52, authored by Senator Maahum Shahab, was introduced as emergency legislation.

Shahab said that this will likely be the first of many bills passed to ensure that the Sexual Assault Awareness Advocacy Committee (SAAAC) has a specific structure that can be sustained long term.

According to the ASUCD Senate Bill #52 background, SAAAC “has faced many challenges in its ability to remain active, transition and train members who could adequately lead the committee in the future.”

“This is basically a bill that helps us specify within the SAAAC some of the positions— specifically the chair and vice chair—which

weren’t previously stated on here explicitly,” Shahab said. “These are positions that will be assigned to students so that there can be a lot more structure.”

This bill was passed unanimously.

ASUCD Resolution #6, authored by first-year political sciencepublic service major Cole Murdoch from the External Affairs Office, was introduced.

“I am introducing this resolution because, first and foremost, we are the last [in the] UC system to not have a resolution in support of a non-mandatory day on election day, which in my opinion is a little embarrassing,” Murdoch said. “We should be promoting student engagement when it comes to our elections.

College students are one of the largest voting blocs in the country, let alone in California.”

This resolution passed unanimously.

After approval of the previous meeting’s minutes, the meeting adjourned at 7:39 p.m.

City of Davis and Yolo County collaborate to help local individuals experiencing homelessness find housing City and county raise possibility of sanctioned campground with full services for homeless individuals

BY RACHEL SHEY city@theaggie.org Makeshift campsites set up by individuals experiencing homelessness have lined Covell Boulevard from F Street to the Cannery for many years, according to Davis Deputy Director of Police Services Deanne Machado.

Machado said that the encampment has “ebbed and flowed in terms of size. Prior to COVID-19, it was smaller, so it has definitely grown in size over time.”

According to Yolo County District 4 Supervisor Jim Provenza, the city of Davis and Yolo County plan to open lines of communication and cooperate to help the individuals experiencing homelessness in Davis.

“Everybody wants us to address the problem,” Provenza said.

“It’s fairly broad and it relates to housing. We’re very supportive of having additional housing.”

Provenza said the objective of the new collaboration initiative is to eliminate “the rigid lines between the city and county that have existed in the past.”

“Figuring out who does what things, that’s easy,” Provenza said.

“The hard part is finding a better place for [the homeless individuals], because it’s dangerous, it’s not good for the neighborhood and it’s not the best situation.”

The county typically provides services, while the city is responsible for police-related affairs, making collaboration necessary on issues regarding homelessness, Yolo Public Information Officer Jenny Tan explained via email.

“Usually, homelessness is a collaboration between county and city since some of the services and responsibilities overlap,” Tan said

KAITLYN PANG/ AGGIE via email.

The Davis Police Department has not had much difficulty obtaining county assistance in the past, according to Machado.

“I can tell you that [the county and the police department have] always collaborated,” Machado said. “I can tell you that we’ve never had an issue; whenever we’ve needed help from the county, they’ve been very helpful. Perhaps they [are] in a strategy phase right now to find out the best way to deal with that geographic location, because clearly it’s grown in size and clearly we need to try a different approach and pool our resources to make sure we’re addressing the issue properly.”

Provenza emphasized that the city and county are trying to take a more holistic approach than they have taken in the past.

“What we don’t want to do is just drive them out, which was the traditional approach in many areas,” Provenza said. “Just, you know, ‘run them out of town.’ Which doesn’t work, but back then the police would come and roust them, and then they’d come back somewhere else. It was not very nice and also not very effective.”

Provenza mentioned a specific project that the city and county

plan to consider.

“The city did raise the possibility of a sanctioned campground that they’re looking into, and [the county] offered to help them on that,” Provenza said. “That’s obviously not a solution to homelessness, but it’s much better to have a place that would have a bathroom and services and is safer for the people there, so that might be part of the solution.”

The sanctioned campground is still in the works, Machado said.

“We are pursuing the grant funds to see if we can make something like that happen,” Machado said. “But it would be contingent on receiving those grant funds at this time, and we do not know if we are the lucky recipients at this time.”

Provenza also mentioned past projects addressing homelessness, which the city and county have collaborated on.

“There’s been cooperation this past year,” Provenza said. “The county paid for about half the cost of the daytime respite center for the homeless. We’re also supporting and contributing to the construction of Paul’s Place, the new transitional housing which is being constructed.”

The county hopes to model its efforts confronting homelessness after the successful Bridge to Housing project in West Sacramento, Provenza explained.

“One of the motels in West Sac became available, and we needed to relocate some homeless people who were living in a lot,” Provenza said. “We took over the whole motel, worked with the people and asked them to move in. The idea there was that they would be there temporarily, then go to transitional housing from there and then permanent housing from there.”

Provenza described that many individuals involved with the Bridge to Housing project were able to find permanent housing.

“A large percentage actually made it through all the steps to permanent housing—it was a really successful program,” Provenza said. “So we’re trying to duplicate that approach—housing people temporarily, then transitioning and getting as many of them as possible back to a regular situation, where they have housing.”

City of Davis honors Dr. Martin Luther King JR. in its 27th annual celebration event This year’s virtual program included performances from local artists and youth as the city continues its commitment to social justice

BY YAN YAN HUSTIS HAYES campus@theaggie.org On Jan. 18, the City of Davis held its 27th annual celebration honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK). The program aired on DCTV Channel 15 and was broadcasted on KDRT 95.7 FM. It was available to view through January via the city of Davis YouTube channel and the Davis Media Access website.

Sponsored by the city of Davis and the Davis Human Relations Commission and with footage compiled by Davis Media Access, the program included highlights of speakers and performances from past years as well as current messages from local students.

Management Analyst with the Davis City Manager’s Office Carrie Dyer oversaw much of the event coordination and explained the impact of the ongoing stay-at-home orders.

“For this year in particular, [the coordination of the event] was a little bit different,” Dyer said. “In a typical year, the commission would have a subcommittee of maybe a few people who come together and identify speakers and performers. We hold the event at the Varsity Theater downtown. It’s often standing-room only with a number of people that we have in attendance. It really is amazing and quite moving.”

Despite the changes in venue and planning, Dyer explained that the final 2021 program is similar to the typical program in its makeup and includes memorable highlights from past years.

“The video that was compiled is actually a very similar type of line-up to what is presented at the Varsity Theatre each year,”

Dyer said. “I found clips that really resonated with the community in years past. [We usually] do a nice balance of spoken word, dance and song to really appeal to all ages of audience. It’s typically about an hour and 15 minute event, and we conclude with a freedom march downtown.”

Dyer explained that the inclusion of new clips and readings from local youth was achieved in partnership with Davis schools and the local organization Parents of African American Children.

“For the poem that was read, [we] reached out [to] the junior high’s Black student union,” Dyer said. “Separate from that, there’s an organization we work with [the Parents of African American Children] every year for the MLK event. We had sent out an open call to the members and the ones [featured] in the video were children from that group.”

Chair of the city of Davis Human Relations Commission (HRC) Sheila Allen stressed the value of recognizing figures like Dr. King, and she explained some of the ways in which the Davis community is also a part of the national history in regards to racial justice.

“The city of Davis, with the leadership of the HRC, honors and acknowledges the work of MLK and Cesar Chavez each year as examples of how individuals can make a positive difference in their community,” Allen said via email. “You may note in the 2021 video the ‘Freedom Singers’ leading the audience in song. This group included some of the original 27 people who chartered a bus from the Davis Community Church to Alabama on March 21, 1965 to join MLK and the Freedom Riders from Selma.”

KATHERINE HUNG / AGGIE Allen explained that support from community members for events such as the MLK Celebration have a vital role in creating the kind of cities and the kind of country we strive to be.

“We gather to remember that we all can have a role in making our city and nation a more just place,” Allen said via email.

In addition to the annual MLK Celebration, Allen explained that the HRC also hosts a celebration of Cesar Chavez at the end of March. The HRC selects local community members to recognize during the Thong Hy Huynh awards and is actively involved in facilitating community conversations on how to improve safety and policing in Davis.

“These awards recognize the local leaders in social justice and make [Davis] a more inclusive city,” Allen said via email. “We hope that the community will feel inspired and more connected and think about what they can do to make Davis a better place for all.”

DAVISMLK on 11

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, FEBUARY 4, 2021 | 3

Students, remote faculty grow to love campus from a distance Many incoming students since last Fall Quarter have been introduced to an entirely remote campus experience

BY KATHLEEN QUINN campus@theaggie.org

CATHY TANG / AGGIE

A large group of students who enrolled for the first time last Fall Quarter or the current Winter Quarter have never experienced many of the hallmark characteristics of the UC Davis campus and have had to build connections as Aggies completely online.

Fiona Davis, a third-year English major and transfer student, decided to join UC Davis just as the pandemic was taking hold and has never taken in-person courses at the university. Davis was looking forward to seeing some specific aspects of the UC campus.

“I mean, I was really looking forward to seeing the cows,” Davis said. “I know that some people are not fond of the smell, but I love cows. I love baby cows.”

Davis said that not having the full campus accessible has impacted her UC Davis experience, but she understands the circumstances do not permit in-person instruction.

“It’s not like I regret spending the money,” Davis said. “I think it’s still worthwhile, but I can’t say I’m getting the same amount of experience and the same amount of value as someone who might have been on campus in person.”

A previous lawsuit, Ritter v. Regents of the University of California, attempted to request a waiver of fees associated with oncampus amenities, but it was dismissed in federal court.

Marissa Weiss, a transfer specialist for UC Davis, moved from the East Coast to the Davis area but started her new job entirely remotely in July.

“Similar to my experience, their main experience has been all on the computer,” Weiss said. “I’ve talked to so many of them who have never been to campus, or their only time was for decision days or whatever open house they attended.”

Davis said it has been difficult to connect to other students who have already had the in-person campus experience at Davis.

“They talk about the eggheads and the cows and the food trucks that are supposed to be great; all of these things I hear people talk about and they’re like, ‘Wow this is something I really miss,’” Davis said. “I don’t have that connection to the campus.”

UC Davis, which was recently re-certified as a “Platinum level Bicycle Friendly Community” for fostering a healthy bike culture, has long been known for its attachment to bicycles and Weiss has successfully joined this established community.

“I came here with one bicycle for myself and now I have three, so I feel like I’ve made that transition,” Weiss said.

She said she is excited to meet people who, up until now, she has

only seen on Zoom.

“I think it will blow my mind just to see the activity,” Weiss said.

“I’ve only met a handful of people in person, my supervisor and a few people from my office.”

Kristin Dees, the director of the UC Davis Center for Student Involvement, sees the potential for the return to campus being a hybrid of online and on campus.

“Students, I believe, really do want to be in person and want to connect,” Dees said. “However, when that happens, when we return, their expectation of offices and services and resources will change because of the convenience factor and what virtual engagement has shown them.”

One of the recurring themes she has seen from students is a lack of motivation, and she recommends students get involved with student organizations.

“My advice is connecting with clubs and organizations,” Dees said. “Aggie Life is a great way to do that.”

Students are expected to return to in-person instruction in the fall, according to a press release sent by the UC, which may present problems for students who have just mastered online education.

“I’m getting used to the college, I’m getting used to the system, but once I get on campus it’s going to be an entirely different game,” Davis said. “I recognize I’m getting used to something that ultimately isn’t really going to be there.”

The lives of UC Davis art students in quarantine UC Davis Master of Fine Arts (MFA) candidates share how their artistic outlook has changed since the start of the pandemic

BY LYRA FARRELL features@theaggie.org For four UC Davis graduate students earning a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree, the COVID-19 pandemic has altered their use of art mediums and their sources for artistic inspiration. Kelley O’Leary, an MFA candidate whose mediums include sculpting, collages and animation, has recently been devoting more of her time to digital work. In one of her art series, titled “Water Country,” O’Leary layers still images bearing a theme of water and animates them to create movement. In another series, titled “Maps,” O’Leary compiles images taken by Google Street View to create collages.

“The great part about my work is that I’ve been working in these virtual worlds where no matter where you are, you can go to the location that you would like to go to,” O’Leary said. “I’m not glorifying Google Maps, but I [...] think there’s something interesting about being able to be somewhere else from a screen.”

Toward the beginning of quarantine, O’Leary became inspired to create a video piece entitled “Sterilize,” where she scrubs down an iPhone in a sink with soapy water as an expression of obsessive tendencies felt during the pandemic to maintain a

sterile environment.

“I think we’ve all kind of gotten into a rhythm of how much we’re willing to do and what actually matters, like wearing a mask and washing your hands and sanitizing, but maybe you don’t have to wipe down your groceries,” O’Leary said. “So I was just playing with this idea of obsession and fear of getting the virus. My phone is something that I don’t even really think of an object a lot because it’s just this thing that brings me into another world or connects me to people, and then all of a sudden, it’s like, ‘No, this object is a cesspool.’”

According to O’Leary, the additional time she has had to herself in the midst of quarantine has been beneficial for her creative process as an artist.

“I’m an introvert, and so [...] I’m kind of thriving because it feels like I can really go into myself, and that’s where I get my inspiration from,” O’Leary said.

Morgan Flores, another graduate student currently working on earning her MFA, was in the middle of a project centered around themes of love and touch when the pandemic began.

“I had been painting about [...] love and connection and touch, and so I remember the week that the pandemic hit very strongly because I was like, ‘How am I supposed to paint about this?’”

Flores said. “It definitely caused a disruption in that theme because, as everyone knows, that was

An exhibition of MFA student Helia Pouyanfar’s work. (Helia Pouyanfar / Courtesy)

when we first heard the term ‘social distance.’”

During lockdown periods, MFA students were not able to access the studios from which they would normally work. Since the pandemic began, Flores has centered her art around sustainability, using objects she has been able to find in her house.

“I want to be able to make art wherever I am,” Flores said. “I don’t want to be dependent on having studio space because when the pandemic hit, the MFA students had to completely abandon their studio.”

Helia Pouyanfar, another MFA student, has been inspired by themes relating to hardships during the pandemic.

“I think the thing about the pandemic is more of, ‘What are the concepts or ideas that rise from it?’” Pouyanfar said. “Like the idea of accessibility or equity, [...] the pandemic highlights those ideas.”

Though Pouyanfar has drawn inspiration from the struggles of the pandemic, she wants to be mindful of how her work may be received in the future.

“One [...] challenge that artists always have to think about is being careful with timing your work,” Pouyanfar said. “You think about it in the future, 10 years from now or 20 years from now, when people have no idea about how living in a pandemic is, how are they going to react to your

work if it’s timed in a specific setting?”

Sofía Del Pedregal, who is working toward her MFA degree in Chile, created a group for international artists in which they could offer each other feedback and support.

“I designed this network with artists from the U.S., Hungary, Brazil, Venezuela [and] Chile,” Del Pedregal said. “For all of us, it was something that helped us to face the situation, to deal with the emotions. We were making art, exchanging images, but at the same time, we had a lot of Zoom meetings and it was like a support group.”

Much of Del Pedregal’s art is based on the theme of ruins, which she finds to be pertinent to the current state of the world.

“I think art is a way of processing information and dealing with things, so [...] I was working with ruins as a main subject and then here we are facing this ruinous landscape situation,” Del Pedregal said.

She has found that collaboration with other artists is crucial during this time.

“Crisis generates active collaboration processes,” Del Pedregal said. “One thing that has [most] influenced my work is the notion of collaborating as a fundamental way of surviving critical times.”

4 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

UC Davis students act as ‘Big Sibs’ to children affected by COVID-19 Through Hearts Over Hands, students serve as one-on-one mentors for children all over the country

BY KATIE DEBENEDETTI features@theaggie.org During the COVID-19 pandemic, students have had to adjust to virtual classes and the cancelation or postponement of most summer camps and after school enrichment programs. This has left many caretakers struggling to keep their kids busy and engaged in learning for the past 10 months. Hearts Over Hands is an organization that connects these families with college-aged tutors to help mentor and teach their children while physical tutoring or daycare centers are closed.

The child mentorship program started in April 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic was just beginning. Its creators wanted to build a program that would help the families most affected by the pandemic: essential workers, parents facing illnesses and single parents. Hearts Over Hands created a “Big Sib” program, in which college students are matched with a family and take on a combined role of tutor, playmate and mentor.

UC Davis created its own club for students looking to get involved with the program during spring 2020, and now more than 10 UC Davis students are active “Big Sibs” to these struggling families.

One of Davis’ “Big Sibs” is Sonam Sehdev, a third-year neurobiology, physiology and behavior (NPB) major. She decided to join Hearts Over Hands last spring after seeing a Facebook post about the club. She was matched with a family in New York with a newborn and two young boys, so she became a virtual playmate and babysitter for the two boys twice a week. Sehdev said that she initially worried that she wouldn’t be able to be much help over Zoom, but she was surprised by how much she and the boys benefited from the experience.

“Before I joined the program, I was kind of reluctant because I was like, ‘I don’t know about meeting a random family and trying to help them virtually,’” Sehdev said. “It seemed kind of like that would be tricky, but it was surprisingly very easy. They were super friendly. I’m glad that it helped them because it helped me to have a designated time where I get away from school and just do something completely different.”

McKenna Ma, a third-year NPB major, was also surprised at the relationships that she formed with her mentees. Ma has two “little sibs,” a 5-year-old boy from New York and a 16-year-old girl in Southern California. She shared that when she began working for Hearts Over Hands, she was mostly looking for a way to give back to the community, but she has now formed a much deeper friendship with her older mentee, Alex, than she expected.

“I figured ‘Oh, you know, [I’m] just helping a kid out,’ but her mom let me know that I was a lot more,” Ma said. “I feel like at that point, I kind of transitioned our meetings to being a little bit more open.”

Ma said she also feels like she has created a sibling-like

Logo for Hearts Over Hands, a nonprofit that allows university students to serve as mentors for children across the country. (Hearts Over Hands) relationship with her younger mentee. She shared that usually in their sessions they played board games like “Battleship” or “Guess Who?” and talked about Harry Potter. She was even able to get him a shoutout from one of his favorite YouTube video creators that he told Ma about in a session.

“He loves watching YouTube, and so I actually got one of his favorite YouTubers to record a little video for him saying hi and all that sort of stuff,” Ma said. “He flipped out.”

Valerie Betsis, a fourth-year NPB major, had a similar story as Ma and Sehdev, finding that she connected with her mentee in a really special way. Last spring, Betsis was paired with a middleschool-aged girl from New York, who made her a heartwarming gift when they finished their sessions together.

“She made me a little PowerPoint thanking me, which I totally didn’t expect, but it was just so wholesome and so nice to see that what I was doing was actually worthwhile,” Betsis said.

Betsis said that she joined the club while she was at home during spring quarter as a way to give back during the pandemic.

“As someone who wants to go into the health field after graduating, I thought that this was a really great thing that I can do [...] without any sort of prior medical experience, to kind of help with the pandemic,” Betsis said. “I think that I just wanted to do anything I could, and I thought that this is a great opportunity for me to kind of give back.”

Liliana Wilf, a fourth-year human development major, also joined Hearts Over Hands because of her job intentions post graduation. Wilf plans to pursue teaching and said that the pandemic has made it difficult to get experience teaching and interacting with children in person.

“It’s really a great way for me to still have interactions with children while I can’t be in a classroom or at a camp to watch kids,” Wilf said.

Wilf taught cooking and dance classes at some of the program’s larger events, in addition to working as a “Big Sib” for siblings in middle school. She also shared Betsis’ sentiment pertaining to giving back during the pandemic.

“I think a lot of students feel like they want to give back but they don’t know how because it’s really hard to give back without meeting in person,” Wilf said. “So this is a really nice way to help people all over all over the country and just to say thank you to the first responders and to people who are putting their lives on the line.”

The program has over 200 volunteers from different universities and have been able to serve over 200 families. Sehdev also said that they are still enrolling new families to further expand Hearts Over Hands. The program is also accepting applications for new “Big Sibs” through their website. Betsis said that she believes the work that the program is doing is extremely important at this time.

“I think what Hearts Over Hands does so well is it provides you [with] that one-on-one interaction, where even though it is online, you still get that human interaction with somebody else,” Betsis said.

“I think that that’s so necessary for a child and for development.

And I think that it provides them [with] an individual to talk to who may not necessarily be their parent [...] it gives them that social interaction that they so desperately need right now.”

KDVS podcast hosts share their experience creating shows for the Davis community Two KDVS podcast hosts reflect on the development of their shows and how they have continued during the pandemic MARIO RODRIGUEZ / AGGIE

BY NORA FARAHDEL features@theaggie.org KDVS, a student-run community radio station at UC Davis, provides a platform for many students and community members alike. From music to podcasts, KDVS broadcasts a variety of content 24 hours a day.

Dr. Doug Desalles, a 1976 UC Davis alumni, hosts the podcast “Radio Parallax” at KDVS. Going on its 19th year, “Radio Parallax” began at KDVS by producing CDs and giving them to the station, along with occasionally putting on live shows. After a couple of years, the show officially transitioned into a podcast that continues to this day.

Desalles shared that the show covers many different topics as the station provides podcast hosts with a lot of flexibility.

“We’ve been doing the same thing all along,” Desalles said, “which is, as we say, the show about science, technology, politics, current events, history and whatever we [...] please. So we’ve had a lot of latitude, and the beauty of KDVS is that they never tell you

what to do. As long as you follow the rules, you get to do what you want.”

According to Paul Malelu, the producer of “Radio Parallax,” he and Desalles share an interest in current events, and Malelu will often help brainstorm ideas for the show.

“I think we both have a pretty big curiosity about the world, and [there are] so many fascinating things out there,” Malelu said.

Malelu has worked with Desalles on the show from the very beginning. Among his other tasks, Malelu edits the podcast to make sure it flows well and is listenable, in addition to adding music when necessary. He shared that a significant amount of time goes into producing each of the podcast’s one-hour episodes.

“For a one-hour show, it’s—at least on my side—probably eight production [hours] to do that, to get that show from [recording] him originally to a show that we’re willing to put out there that sort of represents us,” Malelu said.

Desalles is currently taking a break from producing weekly shows but remains active amid the pandemic creating biweekly content. He shared that, as a physician with a radio show, he felt

an obligation to continue sharing accurate data with the public in today’s climate.

“I just thought it was kind of my duty to do that because there’s so much misinformation, disinformation and crazy Trump behavior in the last year that someone’s got to put out better data,” Desalles said.

He shared that regardless of the topic of each episode, the goal is to be informative and entertaining. The show has had many guests in the past, including comics like Will Durst and news anchors like Walter Cronkite, but has had to refrain from including guests recently because of the pandemic.

As the show continues into the future, Desalles shared his immense appreciation for KDVS and the flexible platform it provides.

“The beauty of a college radio station—and the podcast has evolved out of being in the college radio station setting—is that you have tremendous freedom to do what you want, and people are really open to lots of different things,” Desalles said. “KDVS tries to make an effort to fill the cracks in. There’s sort of a mandate for the station to try and meet community needs and get data out there.

And I think that we’ve fit right into exactly that mold.”

Michael Meloni, a graduate student in chemical engineering, hosts “Science in Context” at KDVS. Meloni began his podcasting career co-hosting a KDVS food show with a friend for a year before deciding to start his own show about science.

“I enjoy learning and teaching, so this was a perfect way to do both and share some of the insight I have from my education,” Meloni stated via email. “KDVS is a great place to get started because there is not a large barrier to entry. Essentially anyone willing to put in the effort can have their own show.”

Each show is based on one scientific topic, such as permafrost, and Meloni researches each subject extensively. Meloni stated that he tries to present the information to the audience in an engaging way and occasionally incorporates interviews with experts as well.

While the show is usually released once a week, it has been on a hiatus. Meloni is on a nine-month break and plans on returning in February. Looking forward, Meloni hopes to expand to other stations and narrow the show’s focus.

“We are taking the show in a new direction, focusing mostly on environmental policy,” Meloni stated via email. “The show has only been on KDVS, but we are working to bring it to other podcasting services soon.”

Meloni advised those looking to start a podcast to ease into the process.

“If you are hesitant, I would suggest committing to doing a certain number of shows to see how you like it,” Meloni said via email. “It can be intimidating to start a show but it only takes a couple shows to become more comfortable recording and the whole process to become very enjoyable.”

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, FEBUARY 4, 2021 | 5

OPINION THE

C ALIFORNIA A GGIE

E D I TO R I A L B OA R D ANJINI VENUGOPAL Editor-in-Chief MARGO ROSENBAUM Managing Editor SABRINA HABCHI Campus News Editor EDEN WINNIFORD City News Editor CALVIN COFFEE Opinion Editor

The Editorial Board celebrates UC Davis for its role as a medical, environmental leader In addition to its remarkable handling of the pandemic, the university has had many incredible achievements

SOPHIE DEWEES Features Editor ALLIE BAILEY Arts & Culture Editor OMAR NAVARRO Sports Editor MADELEINE PAYNE Science & Tech Editor

JUSTIN HAN Photo Director KATHERINE FRANKS Design Director JOELLE TAHTA Layout Director KAITLIN ARAGHI Copy Chief ALEX WEINSTEIN Copy Chief KESHAV AGRAWAL Website Manager BEN CHENG Social Media Manager JOSHUA GAZZANIGA Distribution Manager

UC Davis’ efforts to bring free and accessible COVID-19 testing to both its own students and the broader Davis community were recently recognized in an article in The New York Times. The Editorial Board agrees that the university’s mass testing initiative has been remarkable, and we wanted to take a moment to acknowledge some of its programs and accomplishments.

On top of its robust testing campaign, UC Davis Health in Sacramento has launched a Novavax COVID-19 vaccine trial.

This trial will prioritize participants from groups disproportionally at-risk from COVID-19, such as people from Latinx, African American and Native American populations. The Editorial Board commends this effort, especially considering that people of color are severely underrepresented in U.S. clinical trials and receive a lower quality of healthcare than their white counterparts.

A vaccine clinic opened on the UC Davis campus on Feb. 1, helping to expand vaccination infrastructure in the county and increase vaccination opportunities as more people become eligible.

Given California’s slow vaccine distribution, it’s vital that UC Davis uses its resources to expedite the process.

The university also started a $3 million initiative to decrease COVID-19 risk for California farmworkers. Agricultural workers are among the most vulnerable groups for COVID-19 transmission, and this program will offer them safety training and information.

Aside from its efforts addressing the pandemic, UC Davis is a global leader in environmental sustainability—it has ranked first in the U.S. in the GreenMetric World University Ranking for four

years in a row. Its future environmental goals are to become zerowaste, reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and design new buildings that prioritize energy efficiency.

We’ve also had many alumni with remarkable achievements. Charles M. Rice (class of 1974) won the Nobel Prize for medicine in 2020 for his success in culturing the hepatitis C virus and received his undergraduate’s degree from UC Davis. Two NASA astronauts Stephen Robinson (class of 1978) and Tracy Caldwell Dyson (class of 1997) are UC Davis alumni, and Robinson is now a professor for the university.

On top of these initiatives, UC Davis has accumulated top academic rankings in a variety of subjects as the fifth U.S. public college. It’s ranked as the No. 1 veterinary medicine school in the world and has the No. 1 agricultural program in the U.S. It also has an ongoing commitment to make its programs widely accessible. Nationally, UC Davis ranks first for diversity and internationalization and ninth for having graduates of color.

Although attending UC Davis is still astronomically expensive, it placed second for Affordable Elite Colleges in the U.S. These top rankings likely helped to attract the record-breaking 105,850 freshman and transfer applicants hoping to become Aggies in 2021.

Though our university isn’t perfect and we will continue to hold them accountable, every member of the Editorial Board is proud to be an Aggie. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, UC Davis has cemented itself as a global leader in public health and embraced its responsibility to both the students and the wider Davis community.

LAURIE PEDERSON Business Development Manager

Giving away California desert to renewable energy is still destroying public lands In a small corner of California, the Biden administration’s climate policies and promise to protect public lands are about to be tested

BY JOE SWEENEY jmsweeney@ucdavis.edu Two universally accepted principles of our country’s plan to fight climate change are the development of renewable energy and protection of open wilderness across the nation. California is a great example of this since it has more national parks than any other state and laws mandating that it gets the majority of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. With a hefty goal like this, sacrifices are going to have to be made, but what happens when these two ideas come into conflict?

Just before leaving office, the Trump administration opened up millions of acres of federally protected desert in Southern California to the development of solar panels and wind turbines, putting President Joe Biden in an unusual spot. Although many government officials and solar companies argue that this plan is necessary and part of a larger picture that will allow the entire country to transition away from fossil fuels, conservation groups like Defenders of Wildlife are less convinced.

California’s state reptile the desert tortoise. (Daniel Elsbrock / NPS)

“This ill-conceived proposal throws a monkey wrench into the efforts of a diverse group of supporters and will cause a strong backlash from the military, local government, business industries, tribes, conservationists and recreationists,” said Pamela Flick, California program director with Directors of Wildlife. “The state of California has already commented that this proposal should be set aside.”

The original plan, which took more than half a decade, was proposed by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and finalized by the Obama administration. The first agreement opened up 400,000 acres of land for renewable energy, but the Trump administration’s proposed amendment opens up more than 2 million acres of additional land to renewable energy.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by individual columnists belong to the columnists alone and do not necessarily indicate the views and opinions held by The California Aggie.

DESERT on 11

It’s not ‘make Instagram casual again’, it’s ‘make Instagram authentic again’ All the world is an Instagram grid, and all the people are merely posing

BY RENEE WANG reswang@ucdavis.edu In July 2010, Instagram co-founder Mike Krieger made the first-ever Instagram post. His shot of a random marina marked the birth of an app that will rule our generation, but, ironically, it also breaks every unwritten rule our generation has created when posting on Instagram. The tilted angle of the marina, the somber Instagram filter and lack of caption betrays the typical Instagram shot you would find today.

That same day, roughly two hours later, Krieger made the second-ever post on Instagram—a candid shot of co-founder Kevin Systrom working, aptly captioned “Kevin hard at work.” Today, this photo would not make it as a sufficient post, much less an Instagram story. There are many unwritten rules of Instagram, but perhaps the most important rule of all: photos are not just posted, but curated for a purpose.

There is no envy or storytelling involved in Kevin being “hard at work.” Whereas in 2010,

Instagram shots were grounded in spontaneity—a careless selfie or blurry shots of frozen yogurt— they are now a polished portfolio of our lives.

The photos we choose to post add to a narrative about ourselves, and funnily enough, most of us seek to share the same narrative: that our lives are awesome. After all, the proof is in the Instagram feed.

More than ever, our curated and real lives are constantly intersecting. The politics of Instagram have affected the way we derive enjoyment.

Memories are created solely for an Instagram shot or memories are whittled down into a pretty shot “good enough for the feed.” These come with the anxiety that if we don’t post, the memory of a good night vanishes as a private memory instead of public evidence of a fun time.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by individual columnists belong to the columnists alone and do not necessarily indicate the views and opinions held by The California Aggie.

IGCASUAL on 11

AGGIE FILE

6 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

OPINION

beauty is pain: eurocentric beauty standards in asia

Eurocentric beauty standards affect Asian women in harmful and toxic ways

BY AMARA PUTRI aputri@ucdavis.edu “White is clean, white is pure, white is beautiful,” declares an advertisement from Japanese cosmetics company Mosbeau—a portmanteau of “most beautiful”—which specializes in skinwhitening creams and supplements. The 30-second video-ad features a Filipino model who credits her confidence and good looks to the brand’s skin-whitening cream, before promising customers that they too can have whiter skin and be their “most beautiful” selves. Mosbeau is one of many brands that help make up an $8 billion market for skin-lighteners, but who exactly is driving this multi-billion dollar industry?

At a young age, most Asians are told to stay out of the sun—to fear it. “If your skin is too dark, you won’t find a husband” was a phrase I heard all too often growing up, accompanied by the slightly more subtle “you’re pretty, for a brown girl.”

Many Asian women feel pressured to maintain fair skin, turning to skin-lightening creams with harsh chemicals like mercury and

hydroquinone, which are known to cause irritation, poisoning and In the wake of recent social movements and efforts to tackle antieven long-term damage to the nervous and renal systems. Despite blackness, uprooting colorism in the Asian beauty industry is a longthe health risks, skin lighteners continue to be a popular commodity, overdue measure. underscoring a Eurocentric standard of beauty that is literally toxic.

In South and Southeast Asian countries, colorism is a colonial legacy rooted in class systems. In colonial-era Indonesia, natives who spent hours working in scorching-hot paddy fields had dark skin, while wealthy Dutch women who spent their time lounging indoors had fair skin. Similarly, the ancient Hindu caste system made fair skin desirable in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal, as laborers in the lower castes had dark skin and were subject to poor treatment from their higher-ranking, fairer-skinned counterparts. Thus, fair skin became synonymous with wealth and power, making it a soughtafter, profitable trait.

STANDARDS on 11 Priyanka Chopra at the 2019 Marrakech International Film Festival (Fadel Senna / Getty Images)

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by individual columnists belong to the columnists alone and do not necessarily indicate the views and opinions held by The California Aggie.

HUMOR

UC Davis REPORT: Bill Belichick administration turns attempts to win back Mondavi Center into Tom Brady It got kind of awkward giant ball pit and hosts pizza party for struggling students

BY EAN KIMURA etkimura@ucdavis.edu

“We just want to show students we care”

BY IAN COSNER iacosner@ucdavis.edu With the pandemic now close to reaching the one year mark, UC Davis is determined to help struggling students. So the entire Mondavi Center has now been turned into a giant ball pit and three cheese pizzas have been ordered for the entire student body.

“We wanted to do something special for students, to show how much we care about them in these trying times,” said a spokesperson for the administration.

The giant ball pit is open to every student, but due to COVID-19 regulations, only one student is allowed in at a time for a maximum of three minutes. After each student’s regulated ball pit time, each of the 3,000,000-plus plastic balls must be washed. The current waitlist for the ball pit now extends to late September with three people currently on the waitlist.

The three cheese pizzas, which are also free for students, will be available on Feb. 20 from 6 a.m. to 6:05 a.m. Students will only be allowed an equal share of the pizza, so between the school’s roughly 35,000 students, each student will receive exactly a fraction of a slice of pizza for all the obstacles and difficulties they’ve had to face during the pandemic.

“You see it’s important to show the students you know what they want,” the UC Davis spokesperson continued. “Yes, we could lower tuition or maybe give additional funds in student relief, but none of those are truly personal. I wanted people to see the ball pit and think, ‘Yes, this is what my tuition is going toward.’”

BALLPIT on 11 Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by individual columnists belong to the columnists alone and do not necessarily indicate the views and opinions held by The California Aggie.

Tom Brady just punched a ticket to his tenth Super Bowl, but this will be the first without his long-time head coach Bill Belichick. Last season, the rift between the two resulted in Brady taking his talents to Tampa Bay. With last weekend’s victory, it is evident to Brady that his time with Belichick is over. Belichick, however, has made one more Hail Mary attempt to get back with his ex-quarterback.

According to witnesses, this week, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practiced in preparation for their showdown with the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs, a rambling Belichick stumbled into the practice facility in an attempt to win back his “forever signal-caller.”

“I told him he can’t be here, and he just starts talking all crazy like, ‘I’m here to coach Tom Brady’ and how he knows this Bruce [Arians] guy isn’t the soul-coach for Tom,” a now-fired security guard recalled.

When Brady finally confronted his past coach, “Belichick literally went through the five stages of grief right before our very eyes,” one witness said.

According to a bystander watching this unfold, it began with denial when Belichick just kept pretending to coach Brady as it was before.

“He was trying to call out plays he wanted them to

run, blowing a whistle at random times, trying to talk to players who weren’t even there.”

Then it moved to anger when Belichick—in an incoherent rant—called Brady a “footballdeflating fraud.” It slowly moved to bargaining, when Belichick began apologizing, telling him: “Cam [Newton] was just a fling,” how he would “Never even think about looking at Jarret [Stidham] again” and how he was “never even thinking about dumping [Brady] for Jimmy [Garoppolo].”

Many witnesses left as Belichick moved to the depression stage, which ended with him weeping on the practice field. At this point, current head coach of the Buccaneers Bruce Arians approached Belichick. “Come on man, can’t you see, Tom’s done with you. Stop embarrassing yourself. Just leave.”

As Belichick pulled himself together, he finally reached acceptance, wishing Brady well, and telling Arians: “Take good care of him. He’s special,” before drying off his eyes with his shortsleeve sweatshirt. Some say he even had a happy grimace on his face as he ambled away.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by individual columnists belong to the columnists alone and do not necessarily indicate the views and opinions held by The California Aggie.

IAN COSNER / AGGIE

Budget Chair Bernie strikes back

BY KE LIN keylin@ucdavis.edu

A tattered Bill Belichick answers questions from the media in September. (New England Patriots)

What are the eggheadS up to at night?

BY RUSHI TAWADE rntawade@ucdavis.edu

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

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

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021 | 7

Vice President Kamala Harris breaks glass ceilings, but she isn’t perfect While Harris is a first in many respects, her past makes her a contentious trailblazer

BY MUHAMMAD TARIQ arts@theaggie.org She holds many titles: former district attorney of San Francisco, former attorney general of California and first Indian senator of California, to name a few.

Out of all of her great achievements, Kamala Devi Harris now holds the most esteemed title of her career: Madame Vice President— and she’s the first person of color and woman holding this position in the history of the U.S. In essence, Vice President Harris has broken glass ceilings.

Harris was born on Oct. 20, 1964 in Oakland, CA to UC Berkeley doctorate holders Shyamala Gopalan Harris, an Indian immigrant, and Donald Harris, a Jamaican immigrant.

Harris’ childhood was colored by her parent’s different cultures.

She experienced both Indian culture and Hindu religion as well as Black culture by frequenting the Black Baptist Church.

Harris went on to attend the prestigious Howard University, a historically Black college or university, and then attend law school at UC Hastings College of Law. In 2004, Harris became the district attorney of San Francisco, and then served as attorney general of California from 2011-16 before going on to become a California Senator in 2017. Harris formally declared her run for president on Jan. 21, 2019.

In the 2019 presidential primary debates, Harris brought up thencandidate Joe Biden’s strong opposition to racial busing in 1970— an attempt at desegregating education in which students would be bused to attend schools outside of their communities to create a more racially diverse school population. Harris explained to Biden,“There was a little girl in California who was a part of the second class to integrate her public schools and she was bused to school every day…

And that little girl was me.”

Mere hours later, the Kamala Harris For The People campaign organization began to sell T-shirts with “That Little Girl Was Me” plastered on the front for $29.99. This strategic political move,

however, also accrued backlash. This coupled with vague policy stances, issues with electability and having to differentiate herself from the sea of many other qualified candidates, led to Harris’ falling behind in the polls. Biden soon became the Democratic nominee and Harris suspended her presidential campaign on Dec. 3, 2019.

During Harris’ presidential campaign, her record as California’s attorney general came under scrutiny. While attorney general in 2011, Harris prevented the release of fewer than 5,000 nonviolent offenders who had not been deemed a threat to public safety and had no risks of recidivism.

Harris defied the U.S. Supreme Court orders to reduce the immense overcrowding of California prisons. California has a rate of incarceration of 581 per 100,000 people as compared to the U.K. which incarcerates 138 per 100,000 people.

In other words, California, and the whole U.S. for that matter, lock up a considerably high number of people compared to other wealthy countries. California’s prison population over-represents Black, Latinx and Indigenous people as they make up the highest percentages of incarcerated people, despite white people making up the majority of the state’s population.

In addition, given California’s propensity for wildfires, the state is heavily dependent upon its enormous prison population to fight wildfires, which was a stance Harris supported during her time as California State’s attorney.

Many have even gone as far as to consider her a cop—not aided by her self-proclaimed label “top cop” of California—who did not aggressively pursue enough contentious police brutality cases that resulted in many deaths of Brown and Black people.

Some consider it an egregious claim to say that Harris had a political agenda that upheld misrepresented, high prison populations, among other systemic inequalities, while others staunchly argue in favor of that idea. Her record as California’s attorney general and the frequent use of identity politics in America has left many wondering if she has always represented the interests of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities that she claimed to represent,

contributing to her outcomes in the polls and primary election.

On Aug. 11, 2020, Harris accepted then Democratic presidential nominee Biden’s offer of becoming his running mate. After a drawnout election, on Jan. 21, Harris officially became the Vice President of the U.S. So, what’s left to ask?

Can we realize that it has taken far too many years for the first woman to become vice president?

Can we celebrate this great American achievement while still actively acknowledging that a lot still needs to change?

At the end of the day, stripping away the accolades, the successes and the “firsts,” Harris is still a politician. Politicians often have competing interests, and the ordinary American—minority and majority groups alike—isn’t always the highest on their priority list.

Despite what some consider a rocky past, there is no denying that Vice President Harris has broken barriers, both in this election and in her prior roles, leading the way for more like her to come.

She certainly was the first for many things, and we now have hope to hold on to that she will not be the last.

CATHY TANG / AGGIE

Valentine’s Day activities for singles and couples during the pandemic

From speed dating to exotic vineyards, below is a comprehensive list of local Valentine’s Day activities that comply with public health regulations

BY FARRAH BALLOU features@theaggie.org While everyone is confined to their homes, it might be difficult to experience a traditional Valentine’s Day. Even without a sense of normalcy, however, here are a few socially-distanced activities to participate in with a friend or significant other this holiday.

Virtual Speed Dating Dating has become more difficult this past year as inperson interactions have decreased due to COVID-19 concerns.

Consequently, people have resorted to online apps to start conversations and meet new people. This Valentine’s Day, SpeedSacramento is offering a speed dating event that enables people to meet one another in a unique way. Amanda Ortiz, the director of global events at SpeedSacramento Dating, discussed the company’s first ever virtual “Valentine’s Day Bash.” Unlike traditional speed dating platforms, SpeedSacramento seeks to have a different approach toward matchmaking.

“We try to stay clear of anything over the top such as name tags, bells, whistles or cheesy-themed events,” Ortiz said. “For us, it’s all

MARIO RODRIGUEZ / AGGIE

about the connections made in a ‘chic’ environment.”

Valentine’s Day is the busiest time for the company, and Ortiz affirmed that it aims to mimic the quality and structure of their inperson activities during their online events.

“This includes a main room with a host introduction, rotating until you meet 10 [or more] daters at six to seven minutes each, and mutual match information [is] sent to those who garner matches following the event,” Ortiz said.

Ortiz explained that at SpeedSacramento, “Date Nights” are structured to place couples with similar interests and preferences together on blind dates.”

“Our experienced matchmaking team pays more attention to personality compatibility rather than a checklist of wants,” Ortiz said.

SpeedSacramento cannot guarantee relationships from their services, but Ortiz shared that their studied approach has been successful for many clients. One of her favorite couple stories actually resulted from a successful matching during a past Valentine’s Day Bash.

“My favorite story from one of our past couples this year was this couple who got engaged, married and received news [that] they are pregnant with twins,” Ortiz said. “They met two years ago at our Valentine’s Day Bash.”

Overall, Ortiz acknowledged the difficulties and fears associated with dating and “putting yourself out there.” She assured that many clients who utilize their services are serious about finding relationships.

“Many of our daters are looking for someone to settle down with and have similar goals to our other singles,” Ortiz said. “So, what I would say to them is, try not to be nervous and remember that people who come to us are doing so for the very same reason as yourself.”

Great Bears Vineyard Marcus Meadows-Smith, the co-owner of the Great Bears Vineyard, discussed the unique charm and mission of the winery.

Located near UC Davis, Meadows-Smith mentioned how its

courtyard setting, sustainable practices and wildlife make the land feel detached from the world.

“You really feel somewhere sort of different and in harmony with nature and it’s just right off the edge of Davis which is 2-3 miles from campus,” Meadows-Smith said.

This Valentine’s Day, the vineyard is hosting a special event for a romantic date night. Unlike previous years, Smith said that the vineyard had to downsize and shift their normal Valentine’s Day events. Instead of indoor dining and dancing, they will now offer activities in a smaller, outdoor setting. To be COVID-19 compliant, the vineyard plans to accommodate 100 people outside with socially distanced tables, sanitation and symptom checks.

Each Valentine’s Day package provides two people with champagne, a single rose and the chance to bring picnic or delivered foods to the location. Meadows-Smith described how the event is structured to be a romantic scene with live piano music and a beautiful setting. Accommodations can also be made for a larger party of four or six.

He recommended the vineyard for people who are looking for an escape from the difficulties of the past year.

“I’m assuming that people have been through a lot,” MeadowsSmith said. “This gives them the opportunity to come to a beautiful courtyard garden. A lot of people come out and say that they don’t feel like they’re in Davis, that they’ve gone somewhere exotic, to Spain or somewhere in Europe.”

Valentine’s Day Grams Throughout the year, Kristin Milliken, one of the City of Vacaville’s recreation coordinators for cultural arts and special events, noted recent difficulties associated with connecting with individuals.

She hopes to bring gratitude and love during a time impacted by job loss and COVID-19.

COVIDVALENTINES on 11

VibrationsViaVirgo: a student-run jewelry business A UC Davis student combines her love for crystals, music and jewelry in her handcrafted jewelry business

BY LIANA MAE ATIZADO features@theaggie.org As the pandemic carries on into the new year, students continue to find ways to express their creativity from home. Gabrielle Reid, a third-year communication major, combined her love for crystals and many different art forms to create her small business, VibrationsViaVirgo. Reid creates and sells handcrafted crystal jewelry including belly rings, earrings and necklaces.

While she has been making jewelry since she was young, Reid decided to turn this hobby into a business during quarantine. She developed the idea last summer, based on her interest in finding jewelry for herself.

“I have a belly piercing but I can never find super cute, unique belly rings,” Reid said. “I [wanted to] combine my love for crystals with belly rings so that people can have something cute but also spiritual to wear.”

Reid draws her inspiration from books on crystals that describe the qualities of different stones, as well as the chakras that each stone can activate. Reid combines these crystals accordingly to give her jewelry pieces a deeper meaning.

“My ‘Eternal Self Love’ belly ring is made with rose quartz, which is great for heart chakra,” Reid said. “Rose quartz is the stone of love and I wanted everyone who wears it to be able to foster self-love from that piece.”

On top of being a student and small business owner, Reid creates her own music. She finds ways to incorporate this art form into her business by making pieces inspired by lyrics she has written.

“My business is unique because I blend so many aspects into

Third-year communication major and creator of Vibrations Via Virgo, Gabrielle Reid, shows her “Eternal Self Love” belly ring.

(Vibrations Via Virgo / Courtesy) it,” Reid said. “I include a business card that encompasses my music links as well, so I love when people tell me, ‘I love your jewelry and I checked out your music.’ Just being able to share my art in so many different ways with people is my favorite part.”

In addition to giving a personal meaning to each of her pieces, Reid also strives to ensure that they are made of high quality materials. While she can find some beads at craft stores, she said she sources most of her crystals from reliable vendors online.

“I buy them from actual crystal bead vendors on Etsy, so they’re really high quality,” Reid said. “I really pride myself in not having belly rings that are just going to break. I buy the bases from a quality wholesale vendor as well.”

In the process of creating her jewelry, Reid also makes a point to support other small business owners. She acquires additional materials from A Better Place to Bead, a local craft store in Davis that offers a selection of stones, beads and other materials used to create jewelry.

Despite the current restrictions in place, Reid’s business has grown through the use of social media. Her work is available on Etsy at VibrationsViaVirgo and on Instagram. Her prices for each piece range from $10-20.

Reid has also sold her products at outdoor vending shows in Sacramento. During these vending shows, small business owners from the Sacramento area gather together to sell their products, listen to live music performances and network with one another.

Briona Blanco, the owner of another small business called BeautyByBriona and the organizer of these shows, took measures to ensure the safety of all vendors and participants amid the pandemic.

The event required participants to sign up, which let vendors know how many people were attending and how many were allowed at each booth at one time. Standard social distancing and safety measures were implemented to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19.

Although the pandemic has restricted the ability of business owners to sell their products in person, it has also given Reid a more flexible schedule to work on her craft. Because she is able to attend classes and work on her business from home, she finds herself with more time to do both.

“Since everything is online, I can just take breaks and work on my jewelry in the morning or at night,” Reid said. “It’s actually very manageable.”

Each of her pieces are designed, put together and packaged by Reid herself. She said that this process is not very time-consuming.

“If I have to wire wrap them, that can take a good 20 minutes to make, but if it’s simple then it doesn’t take too long,” Reid said.

“Then I just clean them, sanitize them, package them and ship them out.”

Despite not being able to see customers physically, Reid loves being able to connect with them online and share her art with them.

“If someone has a favorite stone, I’m always willing to do [custom orders] even if I have to order that stone or find it,” Reid said. “If anyone has a piece that they want me to make for them, not only belly rings but also necklaces and earrings with stones, I’m always open. I just love getting my work out to people.”

8 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021

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HOW PIXAR ALLOWS FOR ESCAPISM—AND THEN REJECTS THE NOTION YOU NEED IT AT ALL The production studio’s wholesome themes are meaningful to children and adults alike

BY ITZELTH GAMBOA arts@theaggie.org It’s safe to say that most of us love a happy ending—even the most despicably cynical human can appreciate tearing up every once in a while, right? And we all know that children’s movies almost always give us that happy ending that we crave in life. I believe that that craving stems from the uncertainties in our lives. We never know where we will end up, if we will be happy or just content or who will stay with us, and that is just the beginning of the unknowns.

These questions can send me into a downward spiral filled with endless fear and anxiety, and Pixar movies help me get away from that.

We all have this desire to achieve a certain ideal in our lives. We want the job, we want the house, we want the lifestyle. But something that Pixar movies do amazingly is show us that we don’t have to reach that perfect ending to have a happy life. Below are some movies that perfectly highlight what Pixar does best.

Warning: spoilers ahead.

“Monsters University” is my favorite Pixar movie. Although it did introduce a few holes into the plot of “Monsters Inc.,” I loved seeing the slow progression of friendship. But the best part of the movie was the way it ended. Both Wazowski and Sulley are expelled for cheating and thus can’t get a scaring job at their dream company. However, they still get to work there.

They start off as mailmen, then move up as

janitors and continue climbing up the ropes from there until they finally land jobs as scarers. All of this happens in a mere minute of the movie when the credits are playing, but it’s the perfect way to end it. They got what they wanted, it just wasn’t exactly how they pictured it and I loved that. “Monsters University” shows that achieving your goals doesn’t have to happen in a straight, continuous line; there can be breaks, detours and loopty loops. It’s an important reminder that success isn’t measured by how fast we get to where we want to go.

In “Onward,” a Pixar movie released just last year, brothers Ian and Barley go on a magical quest to resurrect their dad for a day. Because the magic went awry, the duo have to go on an adventure to find the missing pieces for a spell and save whatever time they have left with their dad. Ian soon sees through his own pain of not being able to meet his dad, and recognizes that his brother was also hurting because he never got to say goodbye to his dad when he was dying in the hospital. Towards the end of the movie, Ian gives up his chance of meeting his father so that Barley gets the opportunity for closure.

Ian saves the day by giving Barley a little more time and conquering a beast they accidentally unleashed in the process of the resurrection. I’m tearing up just thinking about it. At the end of the day, Ian realizes that his brother had been with him through everything in his life; his brother had become his father figure. This sort of ending where a character acknowledges that other people’s needs are more important than their wants is a beautiful addition to Pixar’s

KATHERINE FRANKS / AGGIE heartwarming movie themes.

Similar to “Onward,” “Up” is a good example of the concept of wants versus needs. In “Up” Russell earned his elderly badge and completed his training as a wilderness explorer, but his dad never made it to the ceremony. However, he did gain a fatherly figure in an unexpected individual: 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen. And once Mr. Fredricksen relocated his house to Paradise Falls, he realized—with the help of his beloved wife—

that he needed to continue his life despite her being gone. He still needed to be happy and if that meant completely giving up their lifelong dream to live near the falls, then that’s what it had to come down to. Pixar gives their characters these hard decisions and child and adult viewers alike can empathize with them, internalizing their struggle and learning important lessons.

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‘DWARF FORTRESS’ IS COMING TO STEAM AT SOME POINT

BY MARGO ROSENBAUM arts@theaggie.org

The meticulous game is kind of like if Patrick Bateman made “The Sims”

Movie: “Spotlight” dir. by Tom McCarthy (2015) “Spotlight” is not an easy movie to watch, but it depicts an utterly amazing feat of journalism. The film tells the true story of The Boston Globe’s investigation into the Roman Catholic Church in the early 2000s. The story begins with Spotlight, a team of investigative journalists, looking into one priest who was accused of molesting children. After numerous interviews with victims and their lawyers, the writers realize that it is not a problem central to one priest, or even Boston. The journalists make it their mission to find proof that the Catholic Church has been covering up sexual abuse for years. Through their investigations and writing, the journalists strive to bring justice to the victims and their families. Like I said, this is not a movie to take lightly, so please keep that in mind before viewing it. It’s a very heavy story, depicting real-life abuse, but it illustrates journalism’s power to spread awareness about injustice. I love a great journalism movie, and this is just that.

TV Show: “Blown Away” Now back for its second season, Netflix’s glass blowing reality show has brought in a new group of contestants and challenges. The show features glass blowing artists who compete against each other in new challenges every episode. In the hotshop, artists have a limited number of hours to create a work out of glass fitting the challenge’s criteria. Each episode, one winner is crowned “Best in Blow,’’ and one contestant is eliminated. The winner of the final challenge receives a $60,000 prize and an artist residency at the Corning Museum of Glass. Although I usually do not like reality shows of this type, I absolutely love watching this show. As someone who has never glass blown, I find it thrilling to watch experts create vases, cups, glasses and other amazing sculptures of glass. The creators understand that most people watching the show know little about glass blowing, so they present the show in an educational light to get viewers psyched on the artform. The artists themselves are fascinating as well, each with their own background and expertise. Some artists talk of their “little” experience, even though they’ve been glass blowing for 10+ years—illustrating the extreme skill necessary to succeed in this field. From every glass piece dropped five minutes before time is called, to every emotional story behind the artists’ pieces, it’s safe to say that this show really just blows me away.

Album: “Swimmer” by Tennis (2020) Tennis, the indie pop husband and wife duo, has done it again! Their newest album, “Swimmer”—which was released in February of last year—is exactly what the world needed to listen to at the start of the pandemic. Tennis is a modern vintage band, making their soft pop-rock sound nostalgic yet fresh. Lead singer Alaina Moore’s sweet voice illustrates the deep influence of the great female singers from the ‘60s and ‘70s. The duo’s frequent trips abroad on their sailboat—where they write most of their music—shines through their tunes, giving them wavy, soothing tones. “How to Forgive,” “Need Your Love” and “Runner” are some of the catchiest, grooviest songs I’ve heard in a while and make me feel like I’m dancing at a prom in the ’80s. I’m very disappointed that Tennis will no longer be able to perform their planned show at San Francisco’s The Fillmore this April, just days after my 21st birthday (I know, so tragic). For anyone who needs to hear music that brings you sheer joy inside and makes you want to start dancing instantly, Tennis’s “Swimmer” will bring you just that.

Book: “Spying on Whales” by Nick Pyeson (2018) My inner science-nerd comes out with this pick. Author Nick Pyeson’s “Spying on Whales” perfectly fits my craving for interesting, digestible literature about mammal ecology and evolution. As a leading scientist in the field of cetacean evolution, Pyeson tells a story of the history of whales and how they moved from land-roaming, dog-sized creatures into 30,000 pound fish-like beings that breathe just like us. The book creates a sense of urgency for readers, explaining the uncertain future of these whales and their oceanic homes. The book also depicts the difficulty of researching animals of this stature in the vast open-ocean, presenting leading research methods of tracking and understanding them. Through Pyeson’s stories of long boat rides and tear-jerking discoveries, readers learn the grueling life of a scientist—where misses are often much more frequent than celebrated breakthroughs. While I have not finished the book yet, I can’t wait to continue learning about the amazing world of studying the world’s largest animals.

Logo of the game Dwarf Fortress made by Zack and Tarn Adams. (Bay 12 Games)

BY JACOB ANDERSON arts@theaggie.org “Dwarf Fortress” has now been in development for almost 19 years. That’s more than double the life expectancy of a Great Dane dog. It’s been in development through four presidential administrations, six seasons of Jersey Shore, two recessions, four console generations and odds are—if you’re a college student reading this—most of your life. It is now, with its forthcoming release on Steam, getting graphics for the first time.

Before now, the only way to know whether the creature you were looking at was a cat or a forgotten beast who has acid for skin and “undulates rhythmically” was to recognize the various colored ASCII characters and use your imagination. And now, finally, those ASCII characters will be replaced by tiny sprites.

“Dwarf Fortress” generates a new procedurally generated fantasy world each time you play. But unlike your typical roguelike or simulation game, “Dwarf Fortress” captures the minutia of its worlds in a way rarely matched by even fantasy authors: an entire history is generated. Every notable figure, when they were born, what they did, when they died, when wars started and basically anything else you can think of is compiled into a file that you can browse at your leisure, if you ever come to wonder why the center of your map has like a 8x8 tile zone of abandoned citadels filled with nothing but crocodiles and elderly vampires.

The level of detail is unprecedented and much of the joy to be found in the game is just discovering all the intricate, strange things its world generation has made for you. As you might guess, this level of detail can frequently become cumbersome (such as when a character loses a finger in a fight and a necromancer is somehow able to resurrect said finger and command it to strangle its previous owner to death), but though these elements can get in the way of clean gameplay, it’s impossible to get too upset at a game that’s this dedicated to

creating a realistic world. And so far, game creators Tarn and Zach Adams have only implemented a fraction of the content they intend to. There are still wizards, military management, property law and a plethora of other mechanics that must all be blended seamlessly into the game’s already bloated shell.

A hint of the game’s density can be found in some of the bug fixes: “Stopped dwarves from silently dissolving their marriages when they make a close friend,” “Stopped inebriation personality alterations from being permanent,” “Animals no longer become distracted from being unable to drink if they’ve experienced trauma.” All this regularly funny stuff also serves as a reminder of the game’s scope—the development’s end goal is to “create a fantasy world simulator in which it is possible to take part in a rich history, occupying a variety of roles through the course of several games,” which seems to be an understatement. Two people have managed to create a video game world many times more detailed than any corporate developer. And with no end in sight, they may continue to do so until they die.

The primary gameplay of “Dwarf Fortress” consists of designing and managing a fortress full of dwarves. It’s comparable to something like “The Sims” or “Minecraft” in its broad strokes, but the experience formed by all these deep elements is really nothing like those games; it feels more like managing the world’s largest spreadsheet, but fun. It’s also very, very hard. It’s less “wow, these monsters are really strong” hard and more “I forgot to dispose of this meat and the fumes have upset my best soldier enough to start killing all my craftsmen” hard. With so much to consider and manage, there is no end to the number of variables that might lead to a game-ending scenario if left unchecked.

“Dwarf Fortress” is still free, but the upcoming Steam version will see the Adams brothers charging money for it for the first time, to the tune of a modest $20. The Steam page has the release date listed as “time is subjective.”

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021 | 9

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

Answer to previous puzzle 01/28/21

crossword

Answer to previous puzzle 01/28/21

10 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021

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SCIENCE EMERGING SARS-COV-2 VARIANTS RAISE CONCERN FOR THE FUTURE OF THE PANDEMIC Several strains seem to be infecting people more efficiently and rapidly

BY MICHELLE WONG science@theaggie.org Imagine walking through campus and seeing a single white crow among a flock of black ones. The next day, you see 10 white crows. On the following day, you see 500. This is how Jonathan Eisen, a professor in the department of medical microbiology and immunology, described the rapid spread of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants worldwide.

Dean Blumberg, the chief of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital, explained that the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been mutating ever since it was discovered. Eisen elaborated that the virus generates a lot of diversity even within one infected individual. When these different forms spread to other people, the virus will appear very similar to its former host but contain slight differences. Eisen explained that it is because of these differences that the virus can be traced through people as it keeps a “record” of where it has been.

“There’s lots of diversity, and what we’re talking about here is what they’re generally calling strains,” Eisen said. “Basically what they mean is there’s collections of viruses out there that are very similar to each other, so similar to each other that we’re going to lump them all together and call them strain 11 or whatever. And then there are other strains out there that are different enough from each other that we’re going to call it strain 12 and strain 13. There are hundreds of these.”

Although there are many different versions of the SARSCoV-2 virus, Eisen stated that most of them do not seem to be significantly biologically different from the original variant that began to circulate in December 2019. In order for the virus to spread, it must make a copy of its genome, containing roughly 30,000 nucleotides. Each time the virus creates a copy, it is likely that there may be one or two mistakes or mutations. Eisen stated that most of the time, these mutations have no effect on the biology of the virus or are rather detrimental toward its ability to spread. Yet for the recently spreading variants, this does not seem to be the case.

“What’s different here is that there’s a collection of SARSCoV-2 viruses that are similar to each other and different from everything else—such that we’re going to call them a strain,” Eisen said. “Some of [these strains] look like they function differently and function in ways that are a little bit scary.”

Blumberg stated that one of the main strains being widely discussed by the media is the B.1.1.7 strain, which originated in the U.K. around September 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Eisen explained that when researchers in the U.K. were sequencing the SARS-CoV-2 genome and cataloging its diversity, they noticed that this particular strain had suddenly begun to increase in frequency at an alarming rate. According to the CDC website, the mutation in B.1.1.7 affects the receptorbinding domain of the spike protein and is associated with increased transmission rates. Data on the spread of B.1.1.7 in the U.S. by the CDC shows the strain has been especially widespread in California, currently with 92 identified cases.

“The spike protein serves as the area of attachment to our human cells,” Blumberg said. “So some of these mutations allow the spike protein to bind more tightly to our cellular receptors or to get inside of our cells faster. That means they might have the ability to spread more quickly.”

People getting tested at COVID-19 testing center at the main gym of ARC at UC Davis. (Justin Han / Aggie) While this particular strain doesn’t seem to worsen the severity of COVID-19 symptoms in infected individuals, another emerging strain raises this concern: the B.1.351 strain. First identified in South Africa, this variant contains multiple mutations in the spike protein, according to the CDC. Eisen expressed concern that the B.1.351 strain appears to make individuals sicker in some cases.

Blumberg added that because of the E484K mutation, one of the mutations of the spike protein, this strain may be neutralized more weakly, potentially affecting the vaccine’s efficacy.

“If the virus changes too much, then people who’ve already been infected, they may not have immunity and they may be susceptible,” Blumberg said. “And if it changes far enough away from the vaccine, then people who are vaccinated may not be as protected, and so that would end up prolonging the pandemic.”

Though it is not yet known what caused these sudden changes to the virus’ genome, Eisen stated that one theory attributes an accumulation of differences in between transmissions to the evolution of the virus causing rapid transmission, but this is yet to be proven. Eisen likened these strains to branches of a family tree to explain the effects of these changes.

“You have these different branches of the family tree, and most of the time, those branches are roughly similar to each other,” Eisen said. “But every once in a while, some key changes happen in the virus on those branches, and now, that whole branch— everything that descends from that individual—is now going to

work differently.”

Eisen explained that his three main concerns regarding these strains are how they will respond to vaccines, testing methods and drugs. Although recent research suggests that the current vaccines will still work against the B.1.1.7 strain, Eisen is almost certain that future variants may raise issues about the vaccine and concerns of the virus developing resilience toward drugs. Eisen’s laboratory is currently working toward increasing screening of different variants to prepare for such situations when they arise.

“Every infectious disease that has ever existed, and will exist, evolves,” Eisen said. “This is not remotely surprising. We have to just be prepared. We have to continually monitor, and we have to anticipate that occasionally some of the strains that come up are going to be worse, at least from a human point of view.”

With strains that spread more easily, Eisen stated that it is possible that the pandemic could be temporarily worsened. He emphasized the need to be even more careful in following social distancing, masking and cleaning guidelines.

“I think it’s a reminder that we need to double down on our current precautions,” Blumberg said. “So the social distancing, the masking will be appropriate for all of these strains, and then the more people that we can get vaccinated and immune that way, that’ll mean less multiplication of the virus and less development of these new variants.”

NASA ANALYSIS SHOWS 2020 IS TIED WITH 2016 FOR THE HOTTEST YEAR ON RECORD Many UC Davis researchers are studying transportation methods to reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere

KATHERINE FRANKS / AGGIE

BY FRANCHESKA TORRES science@theaggie.org According to a NASA analysis, 2020 is tied with 2016 as one of the hottest years on record. The average temperature of 2020 was 1.84 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the mean between 19511980. As many climate science studies have shown, Earth’s rising temperature over the last 150 years is nearly all due to greenhouse gas emissions from human activities.

Many researchers at UC Davis are working to address climate change through the lens of transportation. Joan Ogden, a professor emerita from the department of environmental science and policy, is interested in alternative fuels that can be produced from renewable energy instead of carbon. Ogden retired from teaching in 2018 but still leads research with the Institute of Transportation Studies and the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at UC Davis.

“Most of my research has been aimed at looking at lower-

carbon and low-pollution-emitting transportation technologies and fuels,” Ogden said.

Ogden also directs the Sustainable Transportation Energy Pathways program at UC Davis, which encourages graduate, Ph.D. and post-doctoral students to look at different options for reducing carbon emissions in the transport sector. The program is still running today and is supported by many state and federal agencies of energy, transportation and environment.

These agencies include the California Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the California Air Resources Board and car companies such as Toyota, Ford and Honda that are developing new electric- and hydrogenpowered vehicles.

Ogden came to California 18 years ago to lead the Sustainable Transportation Energy Pathways program at Davis. She believes California has very future-oriented policies on implementing zeroemission vehicles to reduce greenhouse gases. She hopes that, by 2030, there will be a continuing trend in California to decarbonize

the electric sector and increase the use of solar and wind energy as renewable sources of electricity. Worldwide renewable energy is growing more rapidly than any other source of electricity, according to Ogden.

“California has been a national leader in implementing policies that support those [renewable energy] developments,” Ogden said.

Ogden has worked with energy for about 40 years and has seen firsthand that changing the energy system takes a long time, especially with the frequent purchase of long-lasting cars. She is optimistic that by the year 2050, the goal of zero-carbon-emission technology will be close to accomplished.

Even with zero-carbon emission taking place, there would be continued effects of climate change due to the atmosphere’s long response to increased greenhouse gases. The amount of carbon in the atmosphere will remain there for a significant amount of time until removed by natural processes, according to Ogden.

A solution termed the “stabilization path” refers to lowering the carbon emission to have the carbon concentration stable in the atmosphere. After stabilizing, climate change will continue its course, though hopefully not as drastically, and humans can live in a habitable environment.

“It will cost us a lot less to deal with it [now] than it will to deal with the consequences of unchecked climate change,” Ogden said Mollie D’Agostino, a policy director, is working with a program called Three Revolutions Future Mobility under the Institute of Transportation to decrease carbon emissions. The institution is led at UC Davis by Daniel Sperling, a professor in the department of civil and environmental engineering.

D’Agostino’s work with the Three Revolutions Future Mobility program is tied to slowing the effects of climate change. The three solutions the program endorses are shared mobility, automation (driverless vehicles) and electrification (electric cars).

“We see those three revolutionary forces together as a blueprint for a new, sustainable and equitable transportation future,” D’Agostino said.

Susan Handy, a professor in the department of environmental science and policy, studies travel behavior, including the quantity of people driving and how they make the decision to bike instead of drive. According to Handy, driving is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in California and many other parts of the world. Her research brings to attention the different types of strategies that might be effective in decreasing how much an individual chooses to drive.

“The public needs to understand that the decisions they make every day—about transportation but also food, energy and consumption in general—does indeed matter in the effort to slow climate change,” Handy said. “We are all a part of the problem, and we all need to be a part of the solution.”

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PUNJABI CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The course developed its curriculum not only through staff in the UC system, but also relied heavily on community members who have taught Punjabi, including instructors from gurdwaras, or Sikh temples, who volunteered their time.

So far the course has been popular, having filled up immediately and had several students on the waitlist.

The course also introduces the first app to accompany a UC language course, called UC Punjabi. The app was developed by volunteer Punjabi software engineer Nirvair Singh and UC designer Unmol Singh Bhinder. Students can use the app to listen, write, pronounce, read and more to further help develop their Punjabi skills and learn Gurmukhi script, which translates to “from the guru’s mouth.”

Not only does the course offer Punjabi language, but it integrates Punjabi culture as well, with students learning about Punjab holidays, food and more.

“Language is a carrier of culture,” Dr. Kuldeep Singh said. “I share my passion for the Punjabi language and my pride for the Punjabi culture. They are not only learning language; they are enriching themselves in the culture.”

Currently, the course is filled with mostly students who have Punjabi heritage, but there are students from different ethnicities and backgrounds as well.

Jasdeep Hothi, a current fourth-year psychology and political science double major,

DESERT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 was also a part of the students who pushed to get the course approved, gathering signatures from classes she was a part of in the past and advocating for funding since her first year.

She is one of the few students who advocated for it and has gotten the chance to experience the class.

“There’s a lot of Punjabi students at Davis,” Hothi said. “Walking to class, I would run into five to six Punjabis every 10 minutes. We were stuck taking Hindi classes, because that’s the second closest language to Punjabi. To have Punjabi now is a game-changing factor, because it opens doors for other Punjabi literature classes to be offered or Punjabi history so it’s definitely a stepping stone in the right direction for the Punjabi community.”

With UC Davis being surrounded by cities with large Punjabi communities, and with Punjabi being the third most spoken language in the Central Valley, the Punjabi program is a win that students, staff and other community members can celebrate.

“California Punjabis are a very old community,” Sen said. “They came here in the 1880’s and 1890’s, and they have been part of the California ethnic landscape for a very long time.

[The Punjabi program] not only enriches our MESA program, but recognizes the contributions and the presence of more than two generations of Punjabis in the Central Valley and the greater Sacramento region.”

These significant changes would remove protections from large areas of desert, including several areas that house rare earth metals and lithium. Conservationists argue that the new amendment would open up easily exploitable loopholes that the original agreement prevented, while others believe that it is a fair compromise between public land protection and a green transition.

“Environmental groups raised the alarm when the Trump administration made an 11thhour attempt to dismantle the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan, known as DRECP,” said Cecilia V. Estolano, chief executive of Better World Group, in a letter to the editor in the LA Times. “The plan was crafted through years of compromise and public engagement. It protects essential habitat while making room for solar and wind-powered energy.”

In the face of countless more wildfire seasons like the past few years, developing renewable energy is at the front of most Californians’ minds. With increasing public support, Gov. Gavin Newsom and the federal government are trying to find a reasonable compromise— but this is not it. Opening up federal lands to private industry has never been a good idea, especially considering the mismanagement we’ve specifically seen in California for other projects by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), like the misguided attempts to raise the Shasta Dam.

When the original deal was struck at the end of the Obama administration, it was a precarious compromise that allowed for limited development to satisfy practical needs while still protecting the exact thing that makes this state golden. California’s public lands are an essential part of the fabric of this state and needed reprieves from an increasingly populated urban state. The landscape is home to thousands of species, including California’s state reptile: the desert tortoise. Once abundant across their range, the desert tortoise is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, and the new plan would open up many areas that are critical to their survival as a species to development of renewable energies.

The public consensus is that the continual attacks on public lands by the federal government will end with the Biden administration, but I’ll believe it when I see it. The Biden administration could fix this issue with an announcement alone, but will they? Giving away millions of acres of public land to potential development, regardless of what the industry is, makes no sense.

For now, there actually is something you can do. The public comment period for this proposal goes until the end of April 24, so it is still very possible to have a direct impact on the decisionmaking behind this process. You can write to the BLM at their California State Office or online to express your concerns or support of the plan.

FDA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Of the 20 people hospitalized, four developed a form of kidney failure. However, no deaths were reported. Researchers are currently focusing on ways to prevent lettuce from crosscontaminating.

This year, the FDA outlined an action plan to prevent further Shiga toxin-producing E. coli outbreaks, particularly in lettuce crops.

“Lettuce is grown outside,” Jay-Russell said. “It’s not a sterile environment, so you’re going to have different inputs. [The pre-harvest environment] is complex. That’s where a lot of this project is focusing. It’s a very high-visibility project because it’s devastating for the [lettuce] industry to have outbreaks linked to agriculture systems despite tremendous efforts going into protecting the plants from contamination.”

Atwill explained that California produces up to 50% of the country’s lettuce. Any outbreaks that occur are not only damaging to those who experience E. coli, but to public perception of and confidence in the industry.

“It’s rewarding to do high-impact research,” Atwill said. “We’re the salad bowl for the nation, and the work that we do in partnership with the FDA really has the opportunity to help people.

We collaborate with the lettuce industry. We’re all frustrated with this continuing problem.”

According to Atwill, there have been around 2-3 outbreaks of E. coli per year. Even so, it can be challenging to trace the source of the bacteria

IGCASUAL since lettuce is broadly distributed throughout the country.

“The way our distribution works, it can be very hard to trace back,” Atwill said. “If someone gets sick at a restaurant in Boston, you have to go all the way back to where the lettuce was grown.”

Graduate students also participate in the research and have the opportunity to work with FDA scientists and other federal government officials, according to Atwill.

“It’s very dynamic, fairly stressful,” Atwill said. “You’ve got to be spot-on, because this is real stuff, this is people’s lives.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has often prevented field research because of social distancing guidelines and travel restrictions.

Still, Atwill highlighted graduate students’ commitment to their work despite these limitations, mentioning one student who took water samples in the Salinas Valley hills despite the rain.

Jay-Russell emphasized the complexity of the issues at play in food safety.

“This is not a simple story of feedlots or factory farms,” Jay-Russell said, referring to popular theories about the involvement of the cattle industry in recent outbreaks of E. coli. “[The work] is dynamic and challenging because we don’t always agree, but the center really prides itself on working closely with the [lettuce industry] and being objective.”

SENIORVACCINE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “In simplifying eligibility beginning midFebruary, the state will implement a statewide standard under which health care workers, individuals 65+ and education and child care, emergency services and food agriculture workers will be eligible to start making appointments to receive the vaccine, pending vaccine availability,” the plan reads.

According to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), the quantity of vaccines that are distributed to a county depends on population and how many vaccines the state gets altogether, among other factors. At the moment, the demand for vaccines is higher than the amount available.

The CDPH released recommendations for distributing the vaccine, which include the process of prioritization and ways to reach those who are in the highest-priority groups. Once the vaccines have been distributed to them or when doses are nearing expiration, they may be provided to lower-priority groups.

Counties should distribute vaccines to those eligible as quickly as possible in order to vaccinate the greatest number of people possible

and to minimize waste, according to the CDPH. UC Davis Health has also been distributing vaccines, which has greatly reduced worker positivity rates, said UC Davis Health Senior Public Information Officer Charles Casey via email.

“Vaccination efforts have been going well,” Casey said. “The vaccine is already yielding good results. Since vaccinations began a month ago among our workers, the number of employees diagnosed with COVID-19 is down roughly 80%.”

Similarly to Yolo County, UC Davis Health awaits more doses to vaccinate those who are currently eligible.

“We continue to vaccinate our patients and healthcare workers who qualify as we wait for more supply to cover the demand,” Casey said.

“UC Davis Health is at the forefront of fighting COVID-19 through patient care and research to find COVID-19 treatments and vaccines.”

Once more doses have been distributed to Yolo County and providers, vaccines can be administered to those in higher-priority tiers and eventually those in lower-priority groups.

DAVISMLK CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 “These awards recognize the local leaders in social justice and make [Davis] a more inclusive city,” Allen said via email. “We hope that the community will feel inspired and more connected and think about what they can do to make Davis a better place for all.”

City of Davis Mayor Gloria Partida provided the opening remarks for this year’s MLK Celebration and explained that it is just one example of the city of Davis’ continued dedication to providing a more equitable, safe and accepting community.

“The city has a commitment to social justice as evidenced by having three commissions devoted to ensuring the vulnerable populations of the city are heard,” Partida said via email.

“The Human Relations Commission is tasked with hosting a number of events that recognize

diversity. The other two commissions devoted to equity are the Police Accountability Commission and the Social Services Commission.”

In addition to these commissions, Partida explained that the city of Davis also partners with several nonprofit social justice oriented groups to support local artists and the LGBTQ+ community.

Partida described that the commitment to justice and remembrance helps to build a sense of a larger community.

“We must continue to mark our life in milestones and remember that we are a part of a large collective of humanity that gives us purpose,” Partida said via email. “Every small action done by citizens multiplies the message of standing up to injustice.”

BALLPIT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 The three cheese pizzas, which are also free for students, will be available on Feb. 20 from 6 a.m. to 6:05 a.m. Students will only be allowed an equal share of the pizza, so between the school’s roughly 35,000 students, each student will receive exactly a fraction of a slice of pizza for all the obstacles and difficulties they’ve had to face during the pandemic.

“You see it’s important to show the students you know what they want,” the UC Davis spokesperson continued. “Yes, we could lower tuition or maybe give additional funds in student relief, but none of those are truly personal. I wanted people to see the ball pit and think, ‘Yes, this is what my tuition is going toward.’”

Sadly, a recent problem at the Mondavi Center has now closed the ball pit indefinitely.

The reason for the closure remains unknown, but rumours of what’s happened in the ball pit have circulated over social media. A student volunteer who was forced to work on the ball pit for class credit had this to say: “Yeah someone pissed in the ball pit.”

A university-wide investigation has been launched in search of the perpetrator that peed in the ball pit. If you or anyone you know has any information on what happened to the ball pit, please call 1-800-BALLPIT. Not all hope is lost, however, the pizza party is still planned to go on without fail—though the university has said that it would be greatly appreciated if someone brought some plates and drinks for the whole student body to share.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 In response, a burgeoning campaign to “Make Instagram Casual Again” has surfaced, calling for a return to the landscape of Instagram in 2010— posting on a whim, a form of “digital anarchy” where you post whatever you think is cool, “without trying to impress anyone.” However, the good intentions behind it inadvertently aestheticize authenticity. Posts casual in nature do not signal a return to authenticity. And if we are not careful, making Instagram casual may become as much a trend as it is a movement.

Influencers have hopped onto the trend of making Instagram casual as well, abandoning one aesthetic for another. Content marketer Lexi Carbone remarks that “everyone is trying to be more authentic” since after all, “you don’t want to see the same girl standing in front of a wall you’ve seen thousands of times. We need something new.” The movement of making Instagram casual signals our value in authenticity in the photosharing app, which some influencers have picked up on.

But before we re-negotiate our posting habits on Instagram, we need to acknowledge that truly returning Instagram to a “casual” state means relinquishing some control.

The power of Instagram no longer lies in just the connectivity it provides, but also the control it gives us. As a photo-sharing platform, Instagram offers a hard-to-argue-with visual narrative about our lives and also serves as a point of reference, cutting through small talk and allowing the photos we choose to speak for ourselves. Most of all, it gives us an omniscient control over our lives: all the best moments replicated into neat,

square grids.

The problem with making Instagram “casual” again, as Stanford University student and lifestyle blogger Maddie Rose points out, is that casual Instagrams are just another version of what we have now: “While before it was apparent that someone was working to portray their life in a certain way, now you can barely tell if what they are showing you is real or fabricated.”

For example, there was a trend to use the photo-editing app Huji Cam, with 16 million downloads, to edit high-quality photos taken on an iPhone to photos reminiscent of a grainy, digital camera. Although photos in a casual feed may appear to be less curated and diverge from the “life is awesome and here’s proof” narrative, it feeds into a different kind of aesthetic—that of mirror selfies and photos taken at grocery stores There are many parallels in the effort to make Instagram casual and the app’s landscape we have today—and branding polished photos as disingenuous and grainy, candid photos as authentic just represent another set of unwritten Instagram rules. Within these two modes of posting, the mindset of curation instead of spontaneity remains. We cannot undo the more toxic aspects of Instagram by disguising our largest unspoken rule: Sometimes we post because we have something to prove.

Making Instagram casual does not mean that we should give up polished photos to establish a popularized sense of authenticity. To truly make Instagram a casual place, first we need to write our own rules.

STANDARDS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 Apart from using chemicals to lighten the skin, Asian beauty trends include using a paler shade of foundation and wearing colored contacts in an attempt to mimic European features. While everyone has the right to use makeup how they want and follow trends that make them feel confident, the problem with Asian beauty companies pushing an exclusively white, Eurocentric image of beauty is that young girls with naturally dark skin, deep eyes and wide noses will end up hating themselves for looking different—feeling as though they have to undergo painful, unnecessary changes in order to be beautiful.

Evidently, the beauty industry seems to be making slow headway in achieving greater diversity. In 2016, #unfairandlovely was a global social media campaign launched against skin-lightening brand “Fair and Lovely,” which was famous for problematic commercials that featured darker-skinned models portrayed as

lonely and undesirable, while noticeably lighterskinned models attracted success and happiness.

In August last year, “Fair and Lovely” changed its name to “Glow and Lovely”—a small step towards overcoming toxic beauty standards in the greater South Asian community.

However, it’s not enough to simply change the name of a skin-lightening product while still perpetuating attitudes that contribute to its demand. There should be a greater representation of dark-skinned models in the Asian beauty industry, and businesses should be held to a higher standard of ethics when it comes to both their products and their advertisements.

As we collectively try to unlearn colonial beauty standards—spending a little more time under the sun—we give way to a new era of beauty, one that embraces racial diversity and our natural features, so that one day, hopefully soon, young girls will look in the mirror and see their unique features as something worth celebrating.

COVIDVALENTINE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 “[I’m] trying to provide ways to bring the community together and really show the people that are special in our lives how grateful we are for them,” Milliken said.

“Feel the Love: Virtual Valentine Gram Event” arose from her desire to rekindle relationships and forge community bonds in a safe manner. She explained that Vacaville’s virtual grams enable people to send online video messages to their friends, partners, family members and coworkers as a sign of thankfulness.

Milliken said that during this overwhelming period of long distance separation, these videos are a powerful alternative to traditional cards that tend to get discarded. She explained that participants will record a one-minute video and answer questions about the receiver of the gram. All videos will be compiled into one video montage and will be released during a Facebook watch party at 6 p.m. on Feb. 12.

Milliken stated that the cost to participate is $5, and a concession package can be added for another $5. The concession package includes a bag of popcorn, candy, and soda pops; one bag will have a chance to win a $50 gift card to Napoli’s Pizzeria in Vacaville.

Despite months of obstacles, Milliken emphasized the importance of remaining connected and involved in the community. “[I’m] looking for a way to still reach people and still bring people together in the community and together in their relationships,” Milliken said. e. Once abundant across their range, the desert tortoise is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, and the new plan would open up many areas that are critical to their survival as a species to development of renewable energies.

The public consensus is that the continual attacks on public lands by the federal government will end with the Biden administration, but I’ll believe it when I see it. The Biden administration could fix this issue with an announcement alone, but will they? Giving away millions of acres of public land to potential development, regardless of what the industry is, makes no sense.

For now, there actually is something you can do. The public comment period for this proposal goes until the end of April 24, so it is still very possible to have a direct impact on the decisionmaking behind this process. You can write to the BLM at their California State Office or online

12 | THURSDAY, FEBUARY 4, 2021

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

SPORTS Out of the bubble trouble The NBA has been hit hard by COVID-19 so far in this young season, leaving many questions about what is left to do CATHY TANG / AGGIE

BY OMAR NAVARRO sports@theaggie.org Roughly a quarter of the way through the first National Basketball Association (NBA) season outside of the Orlando bubble, the league has seen its fair share of frustrating moments. With the number of COVID-19 cases rising rapidly across the country, the league has been forced to postpone many games and modify their protocols.

When the NBA released their COVID-19 protocols before the season began on Dec. 22, 2020, the league was determined to follow through with the season no matter what happened. Following the success of the Orlando bubble, the league hoped to accomplish the same level of containment. Seeing how the National Football League (NFL) handled its number of COVID-19 cases, the NBA hoped to replicate that “bend don’t break” mindset when it came to the pandemic. But, it seemed like right off the bat, they had to face reality.

The Dec. 23, 2020 matchup between the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder in the Houston Toyota Center was

the first game of the season to be postponed, due to three positive or inconclusive tests. The league’s contact tracing led them back to four other players with exposure, for a total of seven possible COVID-19 cases. Because NBA rules state that a team must have at least eight healthy players, the Rockets were unable to reach that criteria. Despite the early trip up, the league managed to go almost three weeks without having to postpone any more games, until the string of positive tests hit.

Having previously been able to play games without many of its players, the NBA hit a wall, postponing six games over a span of four days—three of those on a single day. It began a long stretch of over two weeks with 21 postponed games in total. The Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards were forced to miss a total of six games each, messing with the rhythm and flow of their season. In the Wizards’ return to the floor on Jan. 24, they had to play with only an eight man rotation.

“It’s not normal,” said Wizards star guard Bradley Beal. “I just got done getting tested after the game, so it’s not normal. We are doing a lot of things on the fly. It’s just the next-man-up mentality.”

Throughout the uncertain time, the NBA adjusted their

COVID-19 protocols in an effort to limit the damage caused. Masks now have to be worn by anyone who isn’t playing, including the players who are on the bench. Players are no longer allowed to leave their hotel rooms on the road, nor are they allowed to go out back at home. Some NBA veterans expressed concerns that these rules were too restrictive.

“I’m a grown man,” said Oklahoma City Thunder guard George Hill. “I’m gonna do what I want to do. If I want to go see my family, I’m going to go see my family. They can’t tell me I have to stay in a room 24/7. If it’s that serious, then maybe we shouldn’t be playing.”

This is understandable from Hill’s point of view. Having such drastic changes to the normal NBA life takes an adjustment period, but it cannot be ignored that the safety of the players and staff is the priority of the league. However, Hill raises a concern about the tension between the pandemic’s severity and the league’s intensity in moving forward with the season.

In addition to the aforementioned modifications, the NBA also banned the postgame handshakes between opposing players. A common ritual after pre-pandemic games, opponents would meet at center court and talk for a little bit and oftentimes exchange jerseys.

But, the NBA now has security guards on the floor that prevent this from happening. An example is the now viral moment after the game between the Miami Heat and the Brooklyn Nets. Heat forward Bam Adebayo met up with Nets’ Kyrie Irving and tried to exchange jerseys with him. The NBA security guard broke up the interaction.

“I just want to follow NBA protocols,” Irving said, laughing postgame. “I have the jersey, by the way.”

The amount of postponements so far is concerning for everyone in the league. Having some teams hit hard by COVID-19 and others experiencing minimal impact, the NBA is reaching a potentially troubling situation when it comes to the balance of power. With some teams missing players, it is hard to build a rhythm and reach their true potential. Because of this, it is important that the NBA enacts all protocols they possibly can to avoid reaching a situation where some teams have an unfair advantage during the season.

“It’s what’s necessary, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get rid of this COVID thing,” said Thunder guard Shai GilgeousAlexander. “If it means I have to wear a mask on the bench the whole time, it is what it is and I’m gonna do it. I want to get back to normal living, and whatever it takes to get back, I’m going to do it.”

It is still early in the season, and the league hopes they can reach some sort of stability as the first half of the schedule draws to a close.

How the NBA maneuvers and reschedules the games remains to be seen, but it is going to take some creativity all-around. A potential vaccine is a factor that has begun to be taken into account, and the possibility of it being administered before the playoffs lies in the hands of those in charge of the vaccine rollout. Whatever the case may be, the NBA has struggled massively so far and the inability to avoid positive tests may eventually lead to a break the league does not want to take.

Preview of the UEFA Champions League knockout stage As European giants prepare for their do-or-die situation, many look to make history

BY KATHERIN RAYGOZA sports@theaggie.org

All eyes will be on former Barcelona star Neymar, as he hopes to capture PSG their first Champions League title.

One of the most popular competitions in the world to watch is the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League. Only the top teams of Europe qualify to then see who is the strongest of them all.

This past year, because of the pandemic, the Champions League coordinators had to squeeze in more than 1,000 matches throughout Europe in four months.

When the round of 16 came around, the League did not invite club representatives due to these unprecedented times. To stay on schedule, strict rules were applied to all European leagues and players had to make difficult sacrifices.

Since European soccer resumed back in August, over 110,000 COVID-19 tests have been administered by players and officials. Less than 1% returned with positive results.

With everything going according to plan thus far, the round of 16 of the 2020-21 Champions League will kick off its first leg on Feb. 16 and 17, with the second legs taking place on Feb. 23 and 24.

Sevilla vs. Dortmund Sevilla’s strongest asset this season has been their backline. They are difficult to break and even then they have Yassine “Bono” Bounou who is an all-around goalkeeper. This team finished second in their group, losing just once in group play.

Sevilla hopes to reach just their second quarterfinals in club history and carry the momentum forward.

On Dortmund’s side, management thought it would be a good idea to add more youth to the squad entering the season and the Champions League. Jude Bellingham, at 17 years old, has been featured in their mid-field many times with American Giovanni Reyna, having the most assists. Their right, left and center midfield work well with one another, yet their defense has to be matured and strengthened if they want to make it into the final eight and possibly beyond.

RB Leipzig vs. Liverpool Liverpool isn’t entertaining crowds the same way they were back in 2018. Thiago Alcântara, Sadio Mané and Mo Salah are as dangerous as they can be in the attacking third and if Roberto Firmino enters the matches at full strength, Liverpool will be one of the best teams remaining as they hope to capture another title.

On the other side, last season Leipzig almost made it to the Champions League final and is still a very talented team today.

They are a strong team in all positions even with their new players, especially their top Norweigan scorer Alexander Sørloth and Hwang Hee-Chan. With one of the more intriguing matchups left in the round of 16, the teams will surely entertain.

Barcelona vs. Paris Saint-German Barcelona has been through several changes regarding their coaching staff and board. Superstar Lionel Messi has attempted to leave, their forwards have left and new recruits are replacing essential players. While they aren’t the dominant force of years past, they have to tighten things up if they want to win another Champions League with Messi on the squad.

Paris Saint-German is seeking revenge matches in this matchup after suffering a heartbreaking loss at the hands of Barcelona years ago. They are stronger on the defensive side and their offense is still sharp like in previous years, but they no longer have Thiago Silva, who kept the back organized.

Porto vs. Juventus Porto has lost a lot of key players, like Danilo Pereira and Alex Telles, but has still been a team with full force. Recently signed 27-year-old Felipe Anderson has a high chance of performing exceptionally well in the forward position. Porto has become a staple in the Champions League, and hopes that this underdog squad can win their first title since 2004.

Juventus has been introduced to several players and coaches, making it difficult to adjust to a style of play. Andrea Pirlo became the new manager and this will be his first experience with Champions League knockout matches as a coach.

It’s critical that Pirlo immediately catches up on his knowledge and adjusts to the game if he wants to come out with a champion, because he has a great group of players who are more than capable of winning the trophy. While the team looks different from the one who made the final not too long ago, being led by Cristiano Ronaldo comes with expectations and many believe that it is win or bust for the Italian squad.

Atlético Madrid vs. Chelsea Atletico Madrid has strengthened all their tactics, but they have lost a very important midfielder, Thomas Partey, to Arsenal F.C. In turn, they have brought in Lucas Torreira who has been a great addition to the team.

They will be tough to break down defensively and their mid-field is one of the strongest remaining. The only question is whether their offense will perform with Luis Suarez being their only tenacious forward and after only scoring seven goals in six group stage games, the offense will need to show up if they want to get back to

the final.

Chelsea has massively improved on defense with Thiago Silva and most importantly, their striking on goal has been a very crucial element because of Edouard Mendy. On top of that, Kai Havertz is a good fit for the team for finishing on goal, something that they’ve been missing. In one of the most evenly contested matches in the round of 16, this will surely deliver some fireworks.

Bayern Munich vs. Lazio Last season, Bayern took the crown as the best team in Europe and offensively it has strengthened their squad even more. As far as the mid-field option goes, they lost crucial player Thiago Alcantara to Liverpool and their defense is showing some weaknesses.

Even then, they haven’t been glaring due to their great Bundesliga campaign once again and their dominant group stage performance. Heavily favored, Bayern is hoping their Champions League defense lasts much longer than this.

Lazio is looking like they are in good shape with Ciro Immobile and Felipe Caicedo picking up the slack for their teammates. The midfield and attacking are solid and their defense needs work before they face teams with a well-grounded offense, like Bayern. While they still hold the possibility of upsetting the favorites, they will all need to be at the top of their game.

Atalanta vs. Real Madrid Atalanta has been able to hold onto their talent the past couple of years and has been competitive.

While they have been underwhelming in Serie A and were fortunate to fall in a favorable group, they will need to be firing on all cylinders to upset the Spanish giants.

KATHERINE HUNG / AGGIE

For the first time in over 40 years, Real Madrid did not sign anyone during the summer open transfer window leading up to this season. They have many young players who were able to find their depth behind the older players.

Sergio Ramos is one of the older players who must be reserved for important matches, but because of his experience, leadership and mentality he must be in the starting line-up or else the team may face some upsets. Although they are set up differently than they have been in previous years and struggle to put the ball in the net at times, the Madrid squad hopes to not overthink this matchup and walk into the next round.

Mönchengladbach vs. Manchester City This is the first time that Möchengladbach has ever qualified for the round of 16, thanks to their exceptional manager Marco Rose. Finishing with eight points in group play, they were able to take advantage of the goal difference and went along to the knockout stage. While they don’t possess the big names, they always seem to score timely goals and they hope to continue their historic run.

As for Manchester City, Pep Guardiola and his team faced what looked like one of the most challenging groups yet. But, they ended up finishing with five wins and one draw, earning themselves the top spot. Their run in recent years can be considered dominant, but their Champions League drought continues to dangle over their head. City has currently been struggling with many injuries, but they hope that it won’t be needed in this round. Having never made a Champions League final in club history, they hope this is the year they can achieve the elusive dream.