May 12, 2022

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VOLUME 140, ISSUE 27 | THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2022

UNIONS RALLY TO CALL ATTENTION TO EQUITY COVID-19 CASES UPTICK ONCE AGAIN AS DEMANDS The rally followed one held in March, which centered on rent burden and housing insecurity

OMICRON’S BA.2 VARIANT SPREADS Positivity rates have been averaging around 1% since the Thursday before Picnic Day

COVID-19 testing center in the ARC at UC Davis. (Quinn Spooner / Aggie).

Dutton Hall at UC Davis. (Aggie File).

BY ISABELLA KRZESNIAK campus@thaggie.org On April 26, members of Student Researchers United (SRUUAW), United Auto Workers (UAW) 2865 and UAW 5810 marched from the Memorial Union to Dutton Hall to bring attention to demands for their upcoming contract negotiations.​​ United Auto Workers (UAW) 2865 represents graduate student instructors, teaching assistants, readers and tutors, and UAW 5810 represents postdocs and academic researchers. Union members presented an open letter outlining their demands, which include eliminating rent burden, creating a safe and inclusive workplace and expanding benefits related to childcare.

This action follows a union rally held on March 3, which called attention to bargaining demands centered on housing.

The rally on April 26 was intended to bring attention to demands to create a more equitable workplace, according to Neetha Iyer, the chair of the UC Davis branch of UAW 2865.

“Over the lifetime of our contracts, administrators [...] have refused to move on some important equity measures, including things like support for fair housing, paid family leave and decent compensation,” Iyer said.

The 48,000 members of the three unions aim to bargain under one contract for 2022, according to Conor White, the campus recording secretary for UAW 5810.

“The idea is that with a larger body to negotiate with, we’ll have a stronger negotiating position,” White said. “We’re making concessions on different things for different unions, and we’d rather just bargain collectively.”

Among the bargaining demands is support for international scholars. The open letter insists that the university cover immigration and visa costs and eliminate Non-Resident Supplemental Tuition (NRST), an additional cost of up to $15,000 that non-resident

workers pay as part of tuition. As an international student, Iyer believes that eliminating NRST is a step toward creating equity in the workplace.

“One thing that the university can do to make our lives better is to bargain with us over immigration issues and tuition issues,” Iyer said.

According to the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, academia reports the second highest rates of workplace harassment. White believes that the UC does not completely fulfill its contractual obligations when it comes to helping those with harassment grievances.

“Oftentimes we find ourselves impeded with our ability to seek justice for people who have to go through that sort of thing,” White said. “[The UC] likes to put their image forward and say they care […] and we’re trying to hold them to account. But unfortunately, they’re dragging their feet on that, especially when the things that we’re asking them for aren’t that radical — they’re commensurate with a lot of academic workplace standards.”

The UC Davis Harassment & Discrimination Assistance and Prevention Program did not respond to a request for comment as of May 8.

Iyer and her colleagues emphasized that their working conditions impact the learning conditions for undergraduate students.

“If our workers aren’t paid or treated correctly that directly affects the education that’s provided to undergraduates, which the university prides itself on,” Iyer said. “We’re the ones that teach classes, grade papers and do the research for the UC.” According to Wes Westerfield, a guide for UAW 2865’s executive board, the bargaining sessions that are taking place now will define the graduate student experience for the next four years.

He said he is hopeful about the impact of the rally.

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BY KATHLEEN QUINN campus@thaggie.org COVID-19 cases had a sharp uptick right before Picnic Day on April 23, when community members from Davis and the surrounding areas arrived in the thousands to take part in UC Davis’ on-campus activities.

Since then, the cases have been steady at around a 1% positivity rate, with on-campus quarantine hovering at 21% capacity.

Yakov Perlov, a fourth-year psychology major, contracted COVID-19 on April 13 after being exposed to the virus by his fiancé.

“The week after I got COVID was when we had to do midterms,” Perlov said. “Thankfully, all of the assignments that I had to do were online that week.”

UC Davis dropped its mask mandate at the beginning of the spring quarter but still highly encourages masking indoors as of March 19.

Perlov said in his experience, the majority of students in his classes have not been wearing masks.

“I think there were maybe a quarter of students wearing masks,” Perlov said.

Kris Jayme Matas, a fifth-year community and regional development major, said in their classes, mask-wearing diminished as the quarter progressed.

“Originally, one of my professors walked into the classroom without wearing one and then saw all the students in masks and was like, ‘Oh, okay, I guess I’ll wear one too,’ which was great,” Matas said. “But I’ve noticed as the quarter has gone on, less and less people are wearing them.”

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VICE CHANCELLOR KELLY RATLIFF TO RETIRE ON MAY 15 AFTER 35 YEARS WITH UC DAVIS Two campus leaders will provide interim leadership for Finance, Operations and Administration until the new vice chancellor is in place

BY JENNIFER MA campus@thaggie.org In September, Vice Chancellor of Finance, Operations and Administration (FOA) Kelly Ratliff announced her plans to retire in May. This comes after working for 35 years at the university along with obtaining a B.S. in Zoology in 1986 and a MBA in 1993 at UC Davis.

“I’m a UC Davis Aggie through and through,” Ratliff said. “I feel so lucky. Davis is an amazing campus. I just love the diversity of people and programs. And so for me, it’s just a really special place. And I feel very lucky that I’ve been able to have my education and my career here.”

According to Ratliff, she is going to miss the people she has worked with the most, but she is excited to travel, spend more time with her kids and stay connected as an alumni through events.

Chancellor Gary May said he expects to have a successor by the start of the next academic school year, but until then, campus leaders Christine Lovely, the chief human resources officer, and Eric Kvigne, the associate vice chancellor for Safety Services, will provide interim leadership for FOA, effective May 15.

“Finance, Operations and Administration is in a very stable place, thanks to Kelly’s solid stewardship, and the leadership team she put in place there is excellent,” May said via email. “I’m

Mrak Hall. (Aggie File).

grateful to [Lovely] and [Kvigne] for stepping into such crucial interim roles that impact how well the entire campus functions every day.”

Lovely will have interim responsibility for budget and institutional analysis, finance, university resources, human resources and administrative IT as well as business transformation. Kvigne will have interim responsibility for campus planning, design and construction management, facilities, safety services, the campus police and fire departments as well as animal care.

“It’s an opportunity to serve is what it boils down to,” Kvigne said. “FOA is a complex organization within a complex enterprise. I think [Ratliff’s] left some pretty big shoes. And I think that’s reflected in the interim role being divided between [Lovely] and I. I do very much look forward to and appreciate the opportunity to serve the university in another role.”

Lovely echoed this sentiment.

“Without a doubt, her departure from the university will be felt,” Lovely said. “She has been a very dedicated and committed leader that has been a steady influence over the university and only made it better during all the time that I’ve known her, and I’ve been here since 2018. She’ll be very missed, but I am honored to have worked with her and to have known her.”

PERMANENT BALLOT DROPBOX INSTALLED ON UC DAVIS CAMPUS Students discuss the importance of on-campus voting options and how the dropbox might affect their voting habits

BY JALAN TEHRANIFAR features@thaggie.org On April 19, UC Davis and the Yolo County Elections Office co-hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the installation of an official ballot dropbox on campus. The ballot box will be permanently located outside the bus station at the Memorial Union (MU) on the northeast corner of Hunt Hall.

Chancellor Gary May made a statement in regard to the ballot box, according to the UC Davis website.

“One of the primary goals of UC Davis is to help our students become citizen leaders in our democracy who exercise their right and duty to vote,” May said. “We also welcome other county voters who find UC Davis a convenient place to drop off their ballot.”

The ballot dropbox is in the center of campus, offering a convenient location for students, instructors and other members of the UC Davis community to cast their ballots. Additionally, many UC Davis students who are not from Yolo county may not be aware of their options for submitting absentee ballots.

Ballot box near UC Davis Memorial Union. (Benjamin Cheng / Aggie).

Kimberly Bautista, a first-year nutrition science major, said she wouldn’t know where to

submit her vote if it weren’t for an on-campus ballot box.

“I’m a student, I’m practically here every day, so having one close by would make voting so much easier,” Bautista said. “Also, I’m not from here, so if there weren’t a ballot box here, I wouldn’t know where to go to find another one, if I’m being honest.”

Daniela Ocampo, a first-year managerial economics major, also said she hadn’t thought about where to go to vote, and the placement of a ballot box on campus has brought that to her attention.

“Actually, now that I think about it, I’ve never really thought about what it would be like when the time came and I’d actually be able to vote,” Ocampo said. “I remember being younger and wishing I was 18 already so I could vote, but now I’m here; I just turned 19, and I wouldn’t even know where to go to vote if you hadn’t mentioned it.”

Even if students know where they can drop off their absentee ballots, getting to a ballot box off campus can be inconvenient for students who bike or ride the bus.

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HEALTHY DAVIS TOGETHER PROGRAM CLOSING DOWN DESPITE YOLO COUNTY COVID-19 CASES RISING City and county officials are hopeful that the virus will continue to subside but testing data still illustrate rising cases

BY LEVI GOLDSTEIN city@thaggie.org Healthy Davis Together (HDT), a program that has been instrumental to pandemic response in Davis and Yolo County, is set to conclude on June 30, according to a city press release.

HDT launched in September 2020 and expanded to Healthy Yolo Together in July 2021 and to Healthy Central Valley Together early this year. According to City of Davis Director of Community Engagement Jenny Tan, Yolo County and the City of Davis, in collaboration with UC Davis, have set up COVID-19 clinical testing sites and organized wastewater monitoring efforts in the greater Sacramento area and in the Central Valley.

“Knowing what the numbers are, knowing which areas people are getting sick [...] definitely helped the city, the county, the campus to work more efficiently in terms of providing services,” Tan said. “It’s an award winning program. It is acclaimed because of the level of partnership, because we were able to respond so quickly.”

HDT was originally planned to end in 2021, but the Davis city council voted unanimously to extend it for an additional six months. Now, the program is closing with no plans to extend it further. The Research Park testing location shut down on April 28, and it is expected that more will follow suit one at a time.

“Healthy Davis Together had a really great life, and we’re excited and happy that it was able to help as many people as it did, but it’s just winding down at this point,” Tan said.

Testing is still available to Yolo County residents through athome rapid tests and at local pharmacies. Tan is confident that people will continue to seek testing outside of HDT. Yolo County Public Information Officer John Fout said that other protective measures, such as vaccinations and new oral antiviral treatments, will keep the community safe.

While HDT is closing down, testing data shows that COVID-19 cases are once again rising in Yolo County. According

Closed Healthy Davis Together COVID-19 testing site at Research Park on May 6. (Kayla Bruckman / Aggie). to Fout, this is because of the new omicron sub-variant BA.2.12.1, which is about 30% more contagious than the original omicron strain. Thus, it seems that the pandemic isn’t coming to a close as many may believe or hope.

Sentiments are spreading that things will be “back to normal” soon with schools returning to a fully in-person schedule and mask mandates lifting across the U.S. HDT shutting down is seemingly another step in this process. However, some are still wary that another surge may be incoming.

According to Fout, Yolo County Health Officer Dr. Aimee Sisson still advises that people take precautions by wearing masks indoors, continue to test regularly and get booster shots as soon as they’re eligible.

Tan concurs that safety measures are still necessary as the pandemic continues.

“The pandemic is still here to a certain degree,” Tan said.

“COVID is still here, people are still catching it. [...] Hopefully things will get better, and things continue to get better, but there’s still a bit that’s unknown.”

HDT concluding in June could be jumping the gun, but this remains to be seen. For now, though, officials are projecting a message of hope.

“People, humans, communities, we’re resilient,” Tan said. “I think that’s something important that we need to remember as we go through this.”

SENATE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE ADDRESSED SPRING 2022 UNCONTESTED ELECTION AT MAY 5 MEETING During the quarterly Town Hall, ASUCD Presidential Candidate Radhika Gawde was questioned about whether she would withdraw from the race so a special election could be called

AGGIE FILE

BY KAYA DO-KHANH campus@thaggie.org On Thursday, May 5 at 6:17 p.m., Vice President Juliana Martinez Hernandez called the Senate meeting to order and recited the UC Davis Land Acknowledgement.

The quarterly Town Hall began, and the public asked the senators questions. The senators were asked what projects they were working on.

Senator President Pro Tempore Radhika Gawde, who is running for ASUCD president in the spring 2022 election, was questioned about running uncontested. A member of the public asked Gawde if she would be willing to withdraw from the race so that the Senate could call a special election.

“I would welcome the elections committee to take whatever actions they deem necessary,” Gawde said. “Whatever it is that the elections committee wants to do, I am completely amenable to. I’m going to defer to their judgment on that, because it’s improper for me to interfere, because I have a very strong conflict of interest since I’m running.”

Gawde also addressed the number of candidates running for Senate in the elections.

“It’s unfortunate that we are in a situation where there is an uncontested election and only seven people running for six Senate spots, but I think it’s less because of petition signatures, and I think it’s marketing and engagement failure from ASUCD and also a structural issue with the elections committee that need to be rectified for the future,” Gawde said.

The senators were then released to speak to individuals one-on-one.

Next, Kabir Sahni was confirmed as the chairperson for the Judicial Council, Trévon Mims was confirmed as an interim senator and Sasha A’Hearn was confirmed as a Donation Drive Committee member, all with no objections.

Then, Amanda Portier and Jesse Goodman, the Picnic Day Board chair and vice chair respectively, gave a quarterly report. They addressed the most recent 108th Picnic Day as a safe return to in person with record attendance at exhibits and venues. The board surpassed its sponsorship goal by $15,200 and sold most

merchandise, exceeding the expected income by $2,000. For the 109th Picnic Day, the board plans on making data-driven decisions based on guest feedback.

General Manager Jaidyn Alvarez-Brigance gave the KDVS quarterly report and shared that they had a successful fundraiser week in which they made over $27,000. KDVS also held a music festival in Sacramento, which has been an annual event since 2005. Alvarez-Brigance also stated that KDVS has been stationed in Lower Freeborn Hall since 1966 and expressed the difficulties of unit relocation.

This report was followed by one from the Aggie Reuse Store in which they reiterated their goals of fostering sustainability and community, providing affordable and accessible resources as well as volunteer opportunities. The unit is also in the process of moving out of the EcoHub during summer 2022 and is focusing on the rebranding and marketing of the store with the relocation.

Aggie Studios and Creative Media gave their quarterly report, touching on Housing Week, in which they focused on humanizing the housing process through reels and alumni stories and interviews. Creative Media is currently working on promoting ASUCD elections with graphics and posters, producing merchandise for Bike Barn’s 50th anniversary from May 16 to 20 as well as promoting Lawntopia, ASUCD’s annual spring quarter concert, which is set to occur on May 19.

Unit Director Ashley Hicks gave the quarterly report for Entertainment Council, detailing past events that were put on such as open mic and movie nights showing films such as “Midsommar” and “Lady Bird.” Additionally, the Entertainment Council hosted a vinyl paint

event with over 200 people in attendance, and there are plans to host a second one toward the end of the quarter. The council is also working on Lawntopia, and Hicks mentioned the struggles of having to move out of Lower Freeborn.

All previous legislation was signed according to Martinez Hernandez.

Next, the senators introduced emergency legislation starting with SB #83, which authorizes a transfer of $10,000 from the Petrichor line item (59550) to the Mid-size & Miscellaneous Shows Line Item (59500) and CA #76, which is a constitutional amendment to improve the recall process to allow for voting on a candidate to replace an elected official in the event of a successful recall. Both were moved to be considered as normal legislation.

SB #77 allocates $3,767.52 from Senate reserves to the ASUCD Pantry for the purpose of purchasing menstrual products passed unanimously.

SB #80, which works to increase the scope of potential initiatives and responsibilities that may be carried out by the ASUCD Board on Engagement & Outreach, passed unanimously.

SB #81 and #82 passed unanimously, which includes minor grammatical edits to SB #68 and SB #69.

SR #31, a resolution to urge UC Davis to recognize Eid al-Fitr as a holiday celebrated by numerous UC Davis students and implement a campuswide system for accommodations to students observing religious occurrences that occur during the academic year, passed unanimously.

The senators approved past meeting minutes, and Martinez Hernandez adjourned the meeting at 12:16 a.m.

STUDENT FARM LAUNCHES EFFORT TO RESTORE WILDLIFE AREA ‘THE WOODS’ SLLC and student stewardship coordinators aim to create an outdoor refuge and community space for UC Davis community

BY MALERIE HURLEY features@thaggie.org On April 17, the Student Farm at UC Davis was bustling with students chatting, mulching, hauling wood and painting in a small, forested area nestled snugly between the Student Farm Market Gardens and Community Gardens, known to many as The Woods. While many may pass by this site without batting an eye, these students represent a coalition involved in restoration efforts which aims to maintain stewardship of an area that holds deep meaning for so many.

The Woods, and the rest of Davis, resides on land that has been stewarded by the Patwin people for generations, and the recent restoration effort at the Student Farm aims to rekindle connections with Indigenous communities that have been harmed by colonization.

According to The Woods Stewardship Plan, the space operated as an almond orchard in the 1940s and ‘50s, until it became the headquarters of the Market Garden and a community gathering space when the Student Farm was created in the 1970s. A committed group of volunteers in the 1990s and 2000s took up stewardship of the space, constructing a fence around the area to protect the wildlife and ecosystems within The Woods from outside interference.

The space was subsequently used for a number of purposes over the next few years — as a community gathering space for spiritual groups, an outdoor classroom for the Student Farm, a site for Experimental College Community Garden efforts, an experimental aquaculture project and even the site of a wedding, according to

“The Woods” area of the Student Farm. (Benjamin Cheng / Aggie) Suraya Akhenaton, a Green Fellow and former Stewardship Coordinator for the space.

As the number of volunteers dwindled over the years, the space became barren and trashed, with few volunteers active in maintaining it and preserving the ecosystems within it.

In recent years, Sustainable Living and Learning Communities (SLLC) took over maintenance operations of the space. Upon receiving $19,000 in funding from The Green Initiative Fund in May 2020, SLLC hired current fourth-year sustainable environmental design and landscape architecture students Suraya Akhenaton and Lucy Yuan to be Stewardship Coordinators for the 2020-2021 school year.

“I got to this space and thought it was the

coolest project,” Akhenaton said. “I love the idea of balancing that ecological refuge in the space and then creating an intentional community gathering space and bringing people in to see the potential of what it could be.”

The pair, along with retired Student Farm Associate Director Carol Hillhouse and SLLC Projects and Partnerships Coordinator Ben Pearl, have been coordinating with students and SLLC volunteers to clean up the area and to create a stewardship plan for future implementation.

They brought in a student chainsaw team to remove dead branches and debris, removed trash, held work parties to address weed management and removed the fence that had blocked off the area for so long.

“We did a lot of planning and a lot of conceptual place making, deciding where plants would be good, deciding where seeding would be good,” Akhenaton said. “It kind of was also a lot of management with the grounds team on campus to identify trees that were hazards, seeing what they wanted to remove and then also having to rearrange plans when they removed too much.”

The team identified practices for tree management, weed abatement, irrigation and planting, hardscape installation and community engagement for each season while collecting research to create an ecological report of the region. Additionally, they created fire safety, irrigation and weed management plans with ongoing adjustments being made to maintain the conditions of the site. Using this information, the team authored a 30 page stewardship plan in the spring of 2021 highlighting their findings and solidifying plans to maintain the site for the next few years.

Akhenaton has continued their work throughout the 2021-22 school year after receiving The Green Fellowship, an SLLC grant program that provides funds for student restoration projects. She was able to hire a student intern team to implement the management practices highlighted in the stewardship plan.

The team collaborated to create new designs for the site while continuing to lead efforts to clear out invasive species, mulch pathways, install seating, implement irrigation practices and restore 25 native plant species to the area with signage detailing their Patwin names.

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‘SUFFERING CRIES FOR RESOLUTION’: AS COVID-19 CASES RISE, MEMORIALS DO TOO Davis Cemetery District & Arboretum begin planning a memorial dedicated to the lives lost to COVID-19

BY CHRIS PONCE city@thaggie.org COVID-19 cases have seen an uptick throughout April, according to a press release from Yolo County published on April 26. The increase in positive cases can be attributed to the subvariant related to omicron, as shown by evidence of the uptick, according to the press release.

“Testing positivity rates have sustained increases over a one-week period,” the press release reads. “Elevated levels of the virus have been detected in wastewater in Davis, which often indicates wider community spread ahead of clinical testing.”

As cases are on the rise, the Davis Cemetery District & Arboretum is currently in the planning stages of a new project. They intend to install a permanent memorial to the cemetery that recognizes the lives lost to COVID-19.

Fundraising is a key aspect to the project plan, according to Heidy Kellison, a member of the Davis Cemetery District & Arboretum Board of Trustees.

When Davis Cemetery & Arboretum announced its plan for installation, it stated that the memorial will consist of three pillars, representing remembrance, honor and acknowledgement and resiliency and strength.

A statement on their website highlights these aspects of remembrance.

“This memorial will provide a space for community members to remember those we lost and how the pandemic has impacted them personally,” the website reads.

The architecture of the memorial will highlight all of the lives lost from the pandemic and appreciate the strength of the Davis community, according to the Davis Cemetery District & Arboretum website. Five pillars will be a part of the memorial representing the lives lost to COVID-19. Visitors can walk through a path to view each pillar. The end of the path will include a reflection area where people can not only remember what was lost, but also look forward to what is to come.

District Superintendent of Davis Cemetery District Jessica Smithers gave credit to Heidy Kellison and Stephen Souza for their work in leading the project. Smithers praised their work via email. “[They are] the visionaries behind the permanent COVID-19 memorial,” Smithers said.

The Davis Cemetery District & Arboretum is focusing on raising funds for this project, as it is

Davis Cemetery. (Benjamin Cheng / Aggie). still early in the planning phase. They are asking for donations and sponsorships. Heidy Kellison, who is tasked with fundraising and outreach for the memorial, talked about the importance of fundraising for this project via email.

“By way of background, we are still in the planning phases for the memorial,” Kellison said. “Community input is being sought and we are raising the necessary funds. This work is happening currently.”

The Davis Cemetery & Arboretum website has three tiers for sponsors based on the amount of their donation. The individual sponsor, who can donate anywhere from $50 to $999, will have their name featured on the website and marketing materials. They will also be given recognition at

the memorial. The memorial partner, donating $1,000 to $2,499, will receive the same benefits as well as a feature plaque within the memorial.

The community champion, donating over $2,500, will be asked to speak at the dedication event and in addition to benefits from the other tiers.

Kellison stressed the emotional importance of the memorial to the local Davis community. The memorial will be designed to not only remember and mourn the lives lost, but also serve to display the resilience of the Davis community. Kellison further elaborated on the impact the pandemic has had on people’s lives, and how the memorial will help to provide closure.

“Pandemic trauma has impacted everyone.

People lost and continue to lose loved ones.

Our entire way of life, including our sense of security, has been upended,” Kellison said.

“This is worsened by a lack of access to mental health services and to family and friends who offer essential support. The memorial will perform a critical function by acknowledging loss — something that is missing from our understandable rush to forget. Suffering cries for resolution. The Davis Cemetery District wishes to be a healing resource by offering a space to grieve, reflect, and recover in a way that is available to all people.”

SUSHI RESTAURANT OPENS IN DAVIS Hikari Sushi & Omakase officially opened its doors on May 3

This week in Davis

APRIL 27 “Residence egged overnight.”

“Person seen pushing Target cart containing two bikes.”

APRIL 28 “Booming noise occurring every 15 minutes for a few hours.”

“Coyote in cemetery getting closer to road, reporter worried for pedestrian’s safety.”

APRIL 29

Omakase restaurant coming soon on F street in Downtown Davis. (Kayla Bruckman / Aggie).

MAY 1

BY SOFIA BIREN city@thaggie.org Hikari Sushi & Omakase, a new sushi restaurant in Davis, opened in late April. The restaurant began offering take-out on April 29, before officially opening for dine-in on May 3. It is located on F Street at the storefront that used to house Cookies N Cones.

Hikari Sushi & Omakase is dedicated to making sushi with ingredients of the highest caliber. According to their Instagram page, the word Hikari means light in Japanese. Omakase, the second part of their name, has a more intricate meaning.

“Omakase means a meal consisting of dishes selected by the Chef,” the owners wrote on their Instagram page. “The chef will create some courses with seasonal and best available ingredients”.

Natalie Glassman, a third-year student on the pre-med track, is an avid sushi fan. Coming from Los Angeles, Glassman said she has been exposed to sushi for as long as she can remember. The idea that a high-quality sushi restaurant is in Davis is a complete game-changer.

“I’m really excited to try it,” Glassman said. “There was this documentary called Jiro Dreams of Sushi, which I saw a few years back that really opened my eyes to sushi as more than a cuisine.

There is a real art that goes into it, which I found really amazing.”

The owners of Hikari Sushi & Omakase have paid attention to every detail in their restaurant. They documented the transformation from ice cream parlor to sushi restaurant on their instagram page, which lasted about four months.

“Sprinklers left running by workers at vacant residence.”

For example, they shared in a post that it took them three weeks to find the best design for the chairs that would be in their restaurant. Furthermore, they built the kitchen counter twice, because the first one did not fit their vision for the design.

In addition to remodeling the space, local artisans in Davis contributed to the aesthetic of the restaurant. According to their Instagram page, Lily Watkins, a local potter made a sake set for the restaurant and Dave and Jenny Nachmanoff gave the owners of Hikari Sushi & Omakase hand made dishes as well.

The menu is another aspect of the restaurant that the owners take great oversight in. They take the meaning of Omakase to heart and base the menu on whatever ingredients they happen to get, according to their Instagram. On May 6, they served Wagyu beef imported from Japan and made their wasabi from scratch.

Gabriel Andres, a graduate student from Southern California, says that he’s excited that a restaurant like Hikari Sushi & Omakase is in Davis.

“I love restaurants such as these because they are a reflection of the diversity in California and in Davis,” Andres said. “Although it’s a little pricey, I’m ready to try it. I’m sure it’s definitely worth it.”

The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sithu Tun and Zin Khine, the owners of the restaurant, were contacted but unable to provide comment as of May 10.

“Threatening roommate to call police department over rent. Rent has been paid, but threatening to evict roommates.”

MAY 3 “Reporter’s vehicle rear ended. No damage but motorist refuses to give contact information to reporter.”

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UC DAVIS ALUMNA OLIVIA SERENE LEE REFLECTS ON 140TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT, AAPI HERITAGE MONTH Lee shares her family’s history in the U.S., how her time at Davis and upbringing inspired her career in immigration law and upbringing inspired her career in immigration law and her advocacy in the AAPI community

Olivia Lee. (Olivia Lee / Courtesy).

BY MAYA SHYDLOWSKI features@theaggie.org This May, which marks the 140th anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, UC Davis alumna Olivia Serene Lee remembers the tumultuous and proud history her family has had in the U.S. Now an immigration attorney and partner at Minami Tamaki LLP in San Francisco, Lee shares how her upbringing and time at UC Davis inspired her career as a lawyer and advocate.

May 6 is the anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act, a law passed in 1882 restricting Chinese immigration into the U.S. It was the first exclusionary law passed by the U.S. government that limited immigration from a specific part of the world.

The Act came after many Chinese and Chinese American laborers came to the U.S. to help complete the first transcontinental railroad in 1868, which ran from Omaha, NE to Sacramento, CA. When the railroad was completed, many of these men had to find other employment, which in part spurred the claim that some Americans made that Chinese immigrants were replacing American workers — a fear that is often still reflected in modern politics.

Lee’s great-great-grandfathers on both sides of her family were two of the many Chinese men who traveled to California for work on the railroad. Lee’s relatives could not afford to bring their families with them initially, so both of her parents were born in Hong Kong, but moved to the U.S. during their childhoods.

Lee’s parents’ families both settled in the Bay Area upon moving to the U.S., and Lee said that her family has strong ties to San Francisco’s Chinatown, where some of her relatives are prominent figures as civil rights activists and community members.

In 1947, Emma Ping Lum, Lee’s great-aunt’s partner, became the first female Chinese American lawyer in California and the U.S. Though Lee said that Lum’s and her great aunt’s romantic relationship caused tension in her family since they were not legally allowed to get married at the time, Lum was considered like a cousin in the family. Lee feels that her work now is following in Lum’s footsteps.

Lum’s father, Walter Uriah Lum, was also a prominent San Francisco figure. He was born in 1882 — the same year the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed — and spent his life fighting against it as a civil rights activist and the founder of the Chinese Times newspaper.

Walter Lum even has a street named after him in Chinatown in San Francisco, where Lee was raised before attending UC Davis in 1998 as one of the first students to major in Asian American studies.

In 1999, UC Davis added Asian American studies (ASA) as a major, 31 years after the first ASA course was taught.

“It was quite memorable how the community came together to ask the administration for more resources to create an [Asian American studies] major and to offer more faculty positions,” Lee said. “Witnessing something so momentous was such an honor. It was an inspiring moment.”

Before majoring in ASA, Lee got involved with the Asian American community on campus by working as the director of UC Davis’s Asian Pacific Culture Week, which she said was a highlight of her college experience.

Among Lee’s role models and mentors at UC Davis were

professors and administrators that helped found the ASA department. Lee accredits much of her journey through college and involvement in Davis’s Asian American community to Dr. Gertrudes Montemayor, a UC Davis alumna herself and a member of the Asian Pacific American Systemwide Alliance (APASA).

Lee said that Bill Hing, a professor at the School of Law, was also a critical part of her path to a life in law.

“I didn’t think I was going to go to law school,” Lee said. “It was through meeting him and learning more about Asian Americans, the legal system and immigration histories that really changed my trajectory to what I do now.”

Lee graduated from Davis in 2003 with dual degrees in biochemistry and molecular biology and Asian American studies.

She began working in the nonprofit sector before becoming a paralegal and attending law school at Santa Clara University (SCU), where she focused on critical race theory and immigration law.

While at law school, Lee was involved in the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association and the Asian Law Alliance in San Jose. During her second year at SCU, she worked with Manami Tamaki LLP in San Francisco, where she is now a partner.

As a Chinese American and San Francisco native, Lee said that she is proud to work in immigration law, especially with Manami Tamaki LLP. Donald Tamaki of Manami Tamaki LLP was on the pro bono team of attorneys that reopened the Korematsu v. United States case, a landmark case restricting Japanese immigration into the U.S. in the wake of World War II. Today, Lee said that she prioritizes her involvement in community and professional organizations as well as civil rights groups. She is an elected director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and serves on both the American Bar Association’s diversity and inclusion council and the board of Chinese for Affirmative Action, one of the co-founders of Stop AAPI Hate.

Lee calls her work rewarding. She said that she is grateful for her time at UC Davis, as she accredits the ASA department and all it taught her about the experiences of the Asian American community for where she is in her career today.

When asked what advice she would give to Asian American and Asian students in institutions of higher education, she simply said to follow your passions.

“What really inspired me [to go into immigration law] is that I have this interest in learning about people’s histories and their pasts,” Lee said. “That’s what I find so inspiring and fulfilling in this type of work.”

UC DAVIS CHEF ON FINDING HIS WAY IN HIS CAREER, THE JOYS AND CHALLENGES OF THE FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRY

SUSPECT ARRESTED IN BURGLARY CASE ON CAMPUS

Justin Ridgway shares his view of the Segundo Dining Commons from the Pacific Fusion station and beyond

UC Davis Police have arrested Gavin Tucker for burglary and auto theft

Chef Justin Ridgway at the Segundo Dining commons at UC Davis. (Benjamin Cheng / Aggie)

BY UMAIMA EJAZ features@theaggie.org Justin Ridgway serves over 1,000 students every day at one of the busiest platforms at Segundo Dining Commons: Pacific Fusion. The lines are often so long that they can be the first thing you see when you enter Segundo Dining Commons (DC). But despite the popularity of his food, Ridgway said he sometimes feels “invisible” to the people who eat it.

In 2002, Ridgway, who was 21 at the time, was working at Toys“R”Us, a well-known toy and children’s store. But one job wasn’t enough for him to make ends meet, so he applied to Fulton Pribe Ribs — and the job changed the next 20 years of his life.

Ridgway used to visit his best friend Jacob Carriker at Fulton Prime Ribs in Old Sacramento every night after work, and it was there that he found his first kitchen job as a dishwasher.

Over the course of the last two decades, Ridgway has loved working in the kitchen industry, even throughout the most difficult periods. He said that as a service worker, his life hasn’t always been easy. He has more often than not found himself working two jobs, and has at times felt constant worry about his workplace closing or losing benefits like health insurance.

“Even today, when I think about it, I wish chefs or cooks — who are skilled laborers — were able to be paid more than just what a lot of entry level positions pay,” Ridgway said.

He noted that these jobs are the foundation of many aspects of the food industry, arguing that although the food service sector has come a long way, there is still much to be improved.

Right after high school, Ridgway enrolled into the U.S. military for two years, during which time he was mainly stationed on the East Coast. He said that throughout his career, he hasn’t felt that not having a college degree has really impacted him.

“Whenever I start looking for another job, it does seem like there’s an emphasis put on a degree,” Ridgway said. “Yet everyone I’ve worked with who’s had a degree in something is less efficient in their job than people who have been actually working in it for a while. Service workers are just overlooked despite our hard work.”

In some of the roles he’s had during his time as a chef, his

days would start as early as 4:30 a.m. He said that at those times, his daughter, Avienda, was usually still asleep when he left in the morning, so he’d quietly just stand and watch her.

“I wouldn’t get much time with my daughter then,” Ridgway said. “But whatever I got was enough. I remember one morning, looking at her while she slept — she was about one and a half at that time — she threw all of her blankets out of her crib and pulled her pillowcase off her pillow and crawled into it like a sleeping bag.

It was adorable.”

Ridgway said that in addition to the long hours, working in the food service industry can also be dangerous. The equipment in a commercial kitchen has a lot of potential to be dangerous if interacted with in an improper way. Ridgway recalled one occasion on which he was asked to clean a panini press that had never been cleaned before at a cafe he used to work at. The proper tool wasn’t available, and he had to use a spatula to chisel the char out of it.

“A piece flew off and fluid hit me directly in my pupil,” Ridgway said. “No severe damage, but I had trouble seeing that day just because my eyes were watering so much.”

He said that he has suffered numerous other burns and cuts as well.

“I’ve had the fingerprints on my left hand burnt off for a month because someone handed me a mixing bowl that had been sitting over a pilot light,” Ridgway said. “But these were all at other places.

I haven’t really had any injuries [at Segundo DC].”

But Ridgway said that the most discouraging aspects of having this kind of job aren’t the potential physical hazards — It’s the feeling that no matter how hard you’re working, the effort you’re personally putting in isn’t really ever recognized.

“The most negative thing is that it feels, especially coming from the students, that we’re invisible,” Ridgway said. “They either just completely ignore us, or — very rarely — we’ll have people talking down to us because we’re in a service position.”

Robert Cutts, 43, another chef who has been working at the Segundo DC for 15 years, said that he loves his work, but Ridgway often makes it more fun.

“Justin always has some riddles or he’s always got something to talk about,” Cutts said. “He’s an intelligent guy. I enjoy his presence while doing what I love, and nothing else matters.”

Twenty years into his culinary career, Justin might have made new friends but is still in touch with the ones he first started with.

Jacob Carriker, Justin’s liaison to the food service industry and best friend of 20 years, remembers their nights as young adults playing “Magic: The Gathering,” cooking and drinking beer. A lot has changed since then, but both of them have been in the culinary field together until today. Carriker said that he believes the food industry is challenging to work in, but Ridgway is someone who is great at the work.

“It just takes a different kind of mindset to do this for a living,” Carriker said. “Not everybody has what it takes, and I think Justin has proven that he does.”

UC Davis Police Department. (Quinn Spooner / Aggie)

BY SYDNEY AMESTOY campus@theaggie.org A suspect was arrested on April 15 for a burglary that occurred during the night of April 14 at the greenhouse complex at Orchard Park Drive.

UC Davis police apprehended the suspect, 43-year-old Gavin Tucker Boulet, for the burglary at the greenhouse complex as well as the Cole Facility, an animal science research facility. According to the UC Davis press release, the suspect was arrested on charges of auto theft and burglary and currently resides in Yolo County Jail.

“The original call was for Headhouse 2, which is one of the support buildings for the greenhouses,” said Andy Fell, the UC Davis Police Department media representative and a news and media relations specialist at UC Davis. “A staff member arriving for work just before 8 a.m. noticed equipment missing.”

Some of what was stolen included high-tech drones, laptops, office equipment and a Toyota RAV4 university vehicle. The suspect, as well as the stolen property, were located on April 15 in a parking lot for the University Mall on Russell Boulevard.

Fleet Services, the service responsible for university-affiliated vehicles, assisted UC Davis police in this investigation and used GPS to locate the vehicle.

“The responding officer contacted UC Davis Fleet Services, who told them that the RAV4 was fitted with a GPS tracker,” Fell said. “Fleet Services found [that] the vehicle had been driven away [at] about 6 a.m.”

UC Davis Police Chief Joseph Farrow did not respond to a request for comment on May 4.

According to the press release by Fell and UC Davis police, greenhouse burglaries are just a part of an ongoing burglary issue on campus and in the Davis community. To prevent being burglarized, UC Davis police recommend locking doors and windows, keeping anything of value away from sight like in one’s home or car and reporting any suspicious behavior to UC Davis police’s non-emergency line.

The UC Davis Police Department’s non-emergency line can be reached any time at 530-752-1727.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2022 | 5

OPINION ASUCD ENDORSEMENTS: CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING The Editorial Board endorses four candidates for ASUCD Senate and the single executive ticket ASUCD Spring Elections began today on Monday, May 9, with seven Senate candidates running for six available seats, one executive ticket running for the president and internal vice president positions and one candidate running for student advocate. The Editorial Board interviewed the executive office ticket and all seven candidates running for Senate. The student advocate candidate did not respond to The Aggie’s request for an interview as of May 8.

Executive Ticket Endorsements Radhika Gawde (she/her/hers), second-year political sciencepublic service major, and JT Eden (he/him/his), first-year international relations and environmental policy analysis and planning double major — Rise!: Gawde and Eden are the lone and extremely compelling candidates on the executive ticket.

Both have substantial experience: Gawde has served as the WRITTEN BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD

Internal Affairs Commission (IAC) as the chair and is currently the ASUCD Senate president pro tempore and Eden served as a senator at his community colleges and is currently serving as the IAC chairperson. They expressed dedication to their slate’s comprehensive nine-point plan, which includes specific action items for increasing transparency surrounding sexual assault and sexual violence reporting, broadening academic accommodations (including providing menstrual accommodations) and instituting a three-point basic needs advocacy plan aimed at providing direct, need-based aid to students and additional housing and parking reform. The candidates also emphasized their intention to increase mental health resources access for students and work on improving engagement with ASUCD in order to bolster advocacy. Ultimately, Gawde and Eden’s vast experience, knowledge of the commitment and drive required of people in these positions and detailed plan with specific actionable items make them promising and dedicated candidates.

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STUDENTS MUST ENGAGE WITH THE ASUCD ELECTION PROCESSES ASUCD makes important decisions about campus, so consider candidates and ballots carefully and encourage others to vote Seven hundred and sixty-two students voted in the ASUCD elections this past fall quarter. To put that into perspective, there are over 30,000 undergraduate students who can vote — voter turnout was under 3%.

All students, regardless of their level of involvement in ASUCD, should acknowledge that this low voter turnout is a problem and work to combat it. Part of this recent lack of engagement likely stems from the upheaval of daily life during COVID-19. ASUCD affiliates have made an effort to address this issue, and hopefully it manifests in some capacity this election season.

If you’re reading this and did not know about the election, here

are some starting points we suggest. You can check out elections. ucdavis.edu to vote and learn a bit about elections as well as the candidates and measures. If you take a look at our website next week, you can also check out our election coverage, which will include the Editorial Board’s endorsements. The Editorial Board interviews all candidates who respond to our interview requests, asking them questions about their platforms and qualifications. As a group that is able to interact with all (or almost all) candidates, we have an opportunity that not all 30,000 students have and ask tough questions that inform our suggestions as to whom you should consider voting for.

WRITTEN BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD

This article was originally published on May 6.

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REMEMBER TO TAKE TIME TO APPRECIATE WHAT’S AROUND YOU Sometimes it’s easy to forget where we are

BY OWEN RUDERMAN opruderman@ucdavis.edu

KELLIE LU / AGGIE Being a college student can feel like a fulltime job. Schedules packed full of classes, deadlines and club activities need to be balanced with social lives and work. It’s extremely easy to become overwhelmed with the variety of tasks

and responsibilities placed on us. Entire days spent worrying about what’s around the corner are exhausting. Luckily, though, there’s a way to put things in perspective.

It all started with my daily commute. Every day I hop on my bike, pop my earbuds in and ride to campus. At a certain point, the bike ride became part of my daily routine. The people and places around me blended into the background of my day as I rode through Davis, desperate to get to class on time.

But a few weeks ago I had a sort of revelation.

I had forgotten my earbuds and was heading back from campus in the evening. I was lost in my thoughts as usual, but then, for some reason I can’t quite explain, everything around me came into focus. I felt the soft breeze on my face. The nostalgic sound of crickets chirping in the grass nearby mingled with the sound of my tires on the

asphalt. I looked up and saw the most stunning golden sunset I’d ever seen, accompanied by brilliantly white, fluffy clouds. I smiled to myself.

I felt so incredibly present. It felt like everything was going to work out.

Since that day, I’ve been trying to take some time to stop whatever I’m doing and take in my surroundings. It’s easy to forget about the beauty of the simple things around us. I’ll be walking to class and stop to admire the quad. Or I’ll be sitting on the second floor of Wellman Hall and, instead of scrolling through my phone, I’ll peer out the balcony and people-watch. Taking time to admire the little things makes my day just a little better.

It’s not just my surroundings, either. Being more present in the moment has made me more appreciative of my relationships, with both myself and with others. I was in the Memorial

Union the other day, eating a CoHo chicken quesadilla with my friends, when I decided to take a moment to soak everything in. I realized how fortunate I am to be at UC Davis, to have people in my life who care about me — to be alive.

While being more present has definitely improved the quality of my own life, don’t just take my word for it. A 2017 study reported that being more present in the current moment can actually decrease stress and increase resilience and well-being. As college students, I think we could all use a little of that.

So the next time it feels like everything is crumbling down around you, try to take a second to look up and really appreciate your surroundings. I’m willing to bet that your upcoming midterm might not seem so bad after all.

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.

ON MY PLATE: WHY DUTCH BROS IS MY FAVORITE COFFEE SHOP EXPERIENCE How to relieve and reduce Dutch Bros anxiety

BY NADIA ANEES nsanees@ucdavis.edu “Dutch Bros?” My friend asks me in a text that I wake up to on a Friday morning. That one question alone holds the power of making me look forward to rolling out of my comfortable little bed and beginning the day. “Dutch Bros” I reply without a second thought.

Dutch Bros is a carefully crafted experience designed to make you, the coffee consumer, delighted. You can arrive to Dutch Bros in any state — still half asleep with bedhead and morning voice, in a state of complete anxiousness about your midterm tomorrow for which you are not prepared or hyper and gleeful at midnight after a night out with friends. Everybody has a different Dutch Bros style. But no matter what your style is, Dutch Bros is there for you whenever you need it — morning, day or night.

The experience of going to Dutch Bros is unlike visiting any other coffee chain. Going to Dutch Bros carries an excitement in my mind that is unlike a casual stop at Starbucks or Peet’s.

NADIA ANEES / AGGIE It starts when you first see the blue hut in the distance. The warm and slightly retro Dutch Bros sign invites you in. Then you’re met with the expected long line of cars that nearly meets oncoming traffic on Richards Boulevard.

Once your turn to order arrives, an employee greets you with excitement, ready to get your order(s) in. They assure you that they

can accommodate your drink needs exactly how you’d like. After a bit more of a short wait comes the handoff. At last you are met with a delicious concoction of a drink. The first sip makes your eyes dazzle.

Despite rainy nights or windy Davis days, the Dutch crew brings uplifting energy and stays swaying gleefully to the music blasting inside their small, magical hut. Essentially I’m saying Dutch Bros employees are my heroes.

Despite my clear fandom for Dutch Bros, I’m aware of how many people simply do not get the hype of the coffee shop or find visits to be a highly stressful experience. Here are some of my tips to make this experience one you can embrace, like I do.

DUTCHBROS on 9 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.

CARBON FOOTPRINTS ARE A SCAM Why did the fossil fuel industry invent the carbon footprint?

BY ALEX MOTAWI almotawi@ucdavis.edu Everyone knows the concept of having a “carbon footprint.” The idea of reducing your carbon footprint has been around for a while (first coined in 2000) and is known almost universally due to its prevalence in the school curriculum for young kids. It caught on for a reason — many people want to be better and make a difference in keeping our environment healthy, and outputting less carbon is a way to do that. However, the movement did not sprout from the minds of altruists trying to be helpful — it was birthed by savvy marketers working for British Petroleum (BP). The third-largest oil and

gas company in the world, which took in $300 billion of revenue in 2004 when their concept of the carbon footprint was reaching national popularity.

The concept of the carbon footprint was popularized by one of the biggest carbonemitting companies in the entire world. And it wasn’t created out of goodwill and a desire to do better on their behalf; it was a smokescreen designed to keep people from recognizing the carbon emitters that actually matter — big oil.

According to the BP-sponsored website “Know Your Carbon Footprint,” “The world needs smarter, more sustainable energy. When we work together, small actions can make a big difference. Use our calculator to find out how much carbon you use each year — and take the

first step towards shrinking your footprint.”

Let me tell you straight: the “we” they use is refering to us normal humans trying to live our lives, not oil companies actively destroying the environment and contributing to global warming.

The truth of the matter here is that our carbon footprint is minuscule compared to these large oil companies. Beyond that, it is impossible for someone in the U.S. to maneuver their carbon footprint to even just 8.5 metric tons, which is still over double the world average (4 metric tons, data from 2007.) This 2007 data places the average American at about 20 metric tons of emissions, but 8.5 is spent on your own behalf by the government — so it’s impossible for someone living in the U.S. to emit less.

KELLIE LU/ AGGIE Basically, you can only control part of your carbon footprint, probably around 20 metric tons per year.

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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.

6 | THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2022

ARTS & CULTURE

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

‘FIGURATIVELY SPEAKING’ KICKSTARTS THE SPRING SENIOR SHOWS Three senior undergraduate artists display years of work as the first installment of the Basement Gallery’s annual exhibit

BY SUN YIE arts@theaggie.org Movie: “Ladybird” dir. by Greta Gerwig (2017) “Ladybird” is a coming-of-age film that revolves around Christine “Lady Bird” MacPherson’s growth in her last year of high school, approaching conventional high school crises with a depth that isn’t typically seen in other films of the genre. For instance, Christine’s growth is instigated by issues that reflect real-world problems, like her tumultuous relationship with her mother and her desire to attend colleges unattainable to her because of her family’s financial instability, demonstrating its timeless relevance. Though Gerwig’s audience seems to be intended for high school students who hope to live a life like “Lady Bird,” as Christine so christens herself, the movie’s blend of bittersweet wit render it a movie that can be enjoyed by all audiences.

Artwork displayed at the Basement Gallery. (The Basement Gallery / Courtesy)

BY SIERRA JIMENEZ arts@theaggie.org The Art Building’s Basement Gallery annual Senior Show began on Friday, May 6 with the first of the five senior exhibitions, “Figuratively Speaking” including work from graduating seniors Layne Takahashi, Julia Walters and Charlotte Grenelle Krayenbuhl.

Including a range of pieces from class assignments to personal work, the Senior Show allows graduating undergraduates to showcase their years of work for other Davis students to enjoy.

“It just feels kind of like an accumulation of years worth of work and seeing kind of where I started and how it progressed and changed and morphed into something else,” said Julia Walters, a fourth-year design and art studio double major.

“It’s also really cool to be sharing that space with Layne and also Charlotte because you get to see that for them as well.”

A completely student-run space, student artists have the freedom to showcase anything and everything on campus grounds. Layne Takahashi, a fourth-year design and art studio double major, expressed her appreciation for the community-based environment the Basement Gallery grants and the significance of art in the student population in Davis.

“It’s so centered around the art community within college students specifically. I think it brings out more people that are genuinely trying to see your work versus maybe if it were more of an academic setting,” Takahashi said. “It’s a very central part of Davis and to have the senior show, it just really ties everything back to the community that has helped us create what we’ve created in the past four years.”

Walters also acknowledged the Davis art community that helped shape the artist she has become. “​​I think that [Davis is] such a community

and art itself is such a community, and so it’s been really great having a smaller program at Davis that is small but mighty,” Walters said.

Working closely with other graduating seniors, the artists are put into groups to create an exhibition curated by their own liking.

Takahashi, Walters and Krayenbuhl decided on their show’s theme title “Figuratively Speaking” based on their interest and similarities in their pieces.

“We chose ‘Figuratively Speaking’ because the phrase itself doesn’t necessarily mean for real,” Takahashi said.

With pieces incorporating the human figure, abstractionism or other elements based off of some element of reality, “it circles back to the idea that it’s figuratively speaking, it’s not exactly what you think it is,” Takahashi said.

Each provided with a full wall to display their pieces, this smaller Basement Gallery exhibit allows for the seniors to truly show off their art from all the years they have studied at Davis at large.

“It’s much more intimate,” Takahashi said.

“The basement gallery doesn’t filter out any [pieces], the artists decide what they put up.”

From her favorite piece, “8:12 am,” a personal piece inspired by the first chapter of her favorite book “Top of Mason,” to various assignments for classes such as her piece, “The Ditch,” an experimental piece made of various materials, she incorporated a range of her pieces from her time in the design and art studio department and in her spare time at the exhibit.

Fond of portraiture, Takahashi and Walters compliment each other with similar color palettes and interests in figure painting. They originally paired up for their senior show based on their artistic similarities and after hours spent working late nights in the studio together.

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Book: “Song of Achilles’’ by Madeleine Miller (2011) Fans of Rick Riordan’s “Percy Jackson” series should consider turning to Miller’s “Song of Achilles” for another contemporary and romantic — albeit gut-wrenching — take on the classic Greco-Roman myth. Though Miller’s novel is titled “Song of Achilles,” the narrative is centered around Patroclus as he finds himself falling inexplicably in love with the legendary demigod Achilles. Miller blurs the boundary between friendship and love in prose that rivals Homer’s poetry. Those who are familiar with Achilles’ classical tale will remember that it is only Patroclus’ death that fuels Achilles’ rage and drives him to rage in the war at Troy, where he, too, dies. Although Miller’s adaptation of this tale is revolutionary, it doesn’t save the two star-crossed lovers from this tragedy, leaving nothing but their honor to remain in the hearts of the audience.

Album: “Inside” by Bo Burnham (2021) Directed during the pandemic, Bo Burnham’s “Inside” is an honest and raw multimedia experience. It explores the mind of a comedian who has been disconnected from the rest of the world and has struggled to maintain his identity without the energy of a live audience. Though Burnham’s last special before “Inside” was released six years ago, it CALIFORNIA AGGIE feels as if he hasn’t taken a hiatus at all as heTHE shares his perspective on an assortment of sociopolitical topics, like white privilege and police brutality, through catchy piano tunes and lyrics dripping with satire. In “White Woman’s Instagram,” he captures his distaste for performative activism through the lyrics, “A bobblehead of Ruth Bader Ginsburg…

Some random quote from ‘Lord of the Rings’ incorrectly attributed to Martin Luther King.”

TV Show: “Heartstopper” (2022) Adapted from Alice Oseman’s graphic novel, the show “Heartstopper” follows the journey of 14-year-old Charlie, the only openly gay student at Truham High School, as he navigates his growing feelings for his new friend Nick, the popular “Rugby King.”

Their ostensible differences are far outweighed by their heartwarming moments of intimacy, accompanied by little animations that nod to its graphic novel origins: when Charlie and Nick first hold hands, doodle hearts appear in the background. Though the lack of adult presence suggests that this show might be a typical high school coming-of-age story, labeling it as such would be a disservice. Instead, I’d like to think of it as a story that is yet another milestone of representation for the LGBTQIA+ community.

COMMENTARY: THE DYSTOPIAN AIR OF THE MET GALA This year’s grandiose event disappointed, with a historical theme eerily reflecting today’s realities

BY ANGIE CUMMINGS arts@theaggie.org There are many ironic — or even paradoxical — levels to this annual ball. All the most beautiful, wealthy and powerful people in the country gather together in outfits that often cost more than your college tuition to party, be beautiful and flaunt their riches to the world, while the rest of us live in reality.

The 2022 Met Gala was a particularly interesting experience. The event, which was themed “gilded glamor” in reference to the historical Gilded Age, coincided with a leak of the Supreme Court’s draft decision to repeal Roe v. Wade (taking us back in time in a horrifying way). It’s an odd time to gawk at perfect celebrities and their lives of luxury — but is that small form of escapism okay? Unfortunately, the jury is still out on that one.

During last year’s rescheduled gala in September, we saw the heights of empty and cringe-worthy celebrity “activism,” from Cara Delevigne’s now infamous ‘peg the patriarchy’ corset, to New York state representative Carolyn B. Maloney’s dated suffragette costume. While these celebrities (and some politicians) wined and dined at the “party of the year,” Black Lives Matter protesters were arrested just a block or two away. These protesters were calling attention to the $11 billion granted to the already wellfunded NYPD, while many residents of the city were struggling to afford food and adequate housing.

This situation made clear the similarities between the Met Gala and the extravagance of the Capitol from the dystopian young adult series, “The Hunger Games.” After last year’s Met Gala left such a rotten taste in my mouth, this year’s Gilded Age theme felt all too pertinent. If you aren’t familiar, this was a period in American history characterized by “gross materialism and blatant political corruption” from about 1870 to the beginning of the 20th century. And for just a

little bit of icing on this dreadful cake, it has been noted that the wealth gap in the U.S. is almost as big as it was during the Gilded Age. Besides this uncanny feeling of history repeating itself, this year’s theme brought quite a bit of excitement for the possibility of seeing pretty and frilly dresses, corsets and updos — it’s always important to see the positive side of things.

I hold the belief that everyone part of the 99% has the right to judge any Met Gala look worn by the uppermost crust of society — if we have to be annually reminded of our regular lives by this grandiose ball, we should at least get to pretend we have some power and roleplay as fashion critics. I mention this justification of tearing celebrity style to shreds on this iconic red carpet because the 2022 Met Gala was quite the year for judgements. Hardly anyone was on theme. It was atrocious (or exciting, depending on how you look at it).

Besides most of the men in attendance simply donning a black suit — or if they were feeling really risky, opting for a double-breasted blazer in a color other than black — many of the dresses barely even merited a second glance. I could probably count the amount of corsets worn on my hands: this is far too low a number of corsets!

There was an astonishingly high amount of Golden Globe-level dresses on the red carpet — meaning they were just about six steps above a prom dress. Without naming (too many) names, I can say there were far too many celebrities who made the conscious choice to completely ignore every aspect of the theme.

Just to list the biggest offenders of this heinous crime, there was Camila Cabello in a weird artsand-craft two-piece prom dress and almost the entire Kardashian family in Iris Van Herpen.

We can technically exclude Kim Kardashian and Kendall Jenner, who at least took the theme into

KELLIE LIU / AGGIE consideration. There were countless other bad looks that night. I’m trying to be “less of a hater,” so I’ll keep those judgments to myself and turn to some of the pleasing looks.

Every official article on the best dressed from this year’s gala puts Blake Lively (and Ryan Reynolds in a boring suit) as the top look of the night… but just because there’s a concept aligning with the theme doesn’t mean it’s great — this Statue of Liberty inspired dress was fine, that’s all I’ll say. Comparatively, Lizzo’s extravagance, Kaia Gerber’s intricacy, Billie Eilish’s adherence to the theme and Paloma Elsesser’s minimalist corset and lace look restored my faith in the ultra-

wealthy’s ability to hire a good stylist.

Thank you to Evan Mock and Ben Platt for their dedication to the theme while looking pretty adorable. Again, I have a bone to pick with all the men who still wear a boring suit to the Met Gala of all places — I wholeheartedly believe they should not be allowed on the carpet dressed so plainly. While it wasn’t the most eye-catching look of the night, Riz Ahmed had a particularly poignant take on the theme, paying homage to the working class that built this country (and its gilded ages), which I much prefer to a corny red phrase on a white garment.

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ARTS & CULTURE

THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2022 | 7

REVIEW: ‘LOOK AT IT IN THE LIGHT’ FEELS LIKE A HUG FROM SOMEONE WHO IS AS CONFUSED AS YOU ARE Kate Bollinger’s third EP explores themes of growth and acceptance

BY CLARA FISCHER arts@theaggie.org Among the many great indie/alt musicians who have graced our headphones in the past couple of years — looking at you, Phoebe Bridgers — Charlottesville-based singer Kate Bollinger shines through like a beam of light with her cozy, dreamy songs that transport you right into her home where they’re written.

“Look at it in the Light” sees Bollinger tackle her third EP and continue honing her folksy, comforting sound that she’s already established in some of her previous work. With sweet harmonies and hazy guitar chords to accompany them, the soundscape of the work feels like a ticket to a warmer, more peaceful dimension.

Starting off with “I Found Out,” a song that has Bollinger layering vocals on top of a smooth guitar hook and snare beat, listeners are instantly clued into the peaceful sound permeating the whole EP. The song is ushered in with a recording of bird noises, which evokes an image of a peaceful Virginian forest, perhaps in homage to Bollinger’s stomping grounds.

The next track is one of my personal favorites and also one of the first songs I ever heard from Bollinger. “Who Am I But Someone” explores the idea of moving forward, for better or for worse. With lyrics like “I set out on a sinking ship / I’d rather slip than be alone on the island,” the song may come across as depressing at first glance, but the lyrics are juxtaposed by a cheerful melody and guitar riffs in a way that makes the song an upbeat yet insightful listen.

Next is the titular track, “Look at it in the Light.” The song sees Bollinger’s sweet voice lament “the way things change.” The lyrics and note progression on this song are somewhat repetitive for my taste, but perhaps that’s the point — she can’t deny that “something’s not right,” but by repeating the same mantra (“I try not to notice”) over and over again, she can

attempt to tune it out.

“Yards / Gardens” is one of those songs that speaks directly to the soul of the young and confused. Bollinger explores themes of growing up and moving on — or more specifically, the struggles that come with doing so. With lyrics like “I’m viewing days like practice rounds / Come next year I’ll know what to do” and “I’ve finished mourning what I lost in the past year / The past’s how I got here” coming directly before she sings “Please don’t leave me behind / When the world is burning outside,” the song captures all the turmoil of a coming-of-age movie in two minutes and 21 seconds.

While the whole EP has many of the same musical qualities running through it, “Lady in the Darkest Hour” feels like somewhat of a switch-up in the work’s tone. It’s a bit moodier and almost like a more grown-up version of the precursing songs. Up until now, Bollinger’s been trying to deny the effects of change, and on “Lady in the Darkest Hour,” it almost seems that she’s accepted that it is inevitable: “Things couldn’t stay, but change has a certain bite / Then the outside peels away / Revealing it was right.”

The closing track, “Connecting Dots,” is very intimate, with an intro featuring limited drum snares and more emphasis on Bollinger’s voice and her guitar. As the song develops, so does the production, though the lyrics stay the same. She builds on the central themes of the EP and closes out the work by revealing, “The commotion became my devotion.”

“Look at it in the Light” is a relaxing, relatable listen that will likely resonate with anybody going through a period of self-reflection. More than anything, listening to Bollinger feels like a hug from someone who is as confused as you are but is somehow privy to the notion that everything will work itself out in the end.

Look at it in the Light EP Cover by Kate Bollinger. (Courtesy of Ghostly International)

REVIEW: ‘OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH’ IS THE QUEER PIRATE SHOW WE’VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR The HBO comedy is a witty challenge to gender norms

BY CORALIE LOON arts@theaggie.org

Since its release in March, the HBO series “Our Flag Means Death” (2022) has become an internet sensation, quickly growing into one of “the most popular new series in the United States,” according to a Collider article.

The show stars Rhys Darby as Stede Bonnet, a closeted aristocrat who, bored with his conventional life, abandons his family to become a “gentleman pirate.” During his voyage with his crew, he forms an unexpected friendship with the infamous pirate Blackbeard, played by filmmaker Taika Waititi, and they embark on a wacky and surprisingly emotional adventure.

Filled with British humor, camp and an array of unique pirate personalities, this show seems to have just the right combination of elements to gain both critical acclaim and a healthy (and very justified) fanbase.

The show’s ability to tackle the trials and tribulations of piracy in a fun and lighthearted way led to some describing “Our Flag Means Death” as a “comfort show.” Most prominent is its unabashed celebration of queerness and gender nonconformity, which has led one Twitter user to crown it “the best gay pirate show,” although it might also be the only one. Another said, “Our Flag Means Death is the queer pirate romp I’ve waited my entire life for.”

One Twitter user went a step further, calling it the “greatest love story. ever.” And it might just be.

Stede’s budding romance with his buddy Blackbeard could’ve easily been reduced to another instance of queerbaiting — and, at least for me, this is partly what I expected after having been let down so many times by straight directors’ noncommitment to queer story lines.

The portrayal of multiple queer relationships and individuals in “Our Flag Means Death” felt like a breath of fresh air, especially because of the show’s placement in an 18th-century world.

According to Theresa Bauer, the author of “Pirates in Modern Media - The Queer Masculinity of Pirates in TV and Film,” popular pirates such as Jack Sparrow are an example of the bending of traditional masculinity, but they make up for this by asserting their heterosexuality.

And while many historians acknowledge the fact that homosexual relations were pretty common among pirate crews, others question the extent of these relations or discredit their legitimacy.

While this skepticism in the name of

Our Flag Means Death Season 1 Poster.

(Courtesy of HBO Max / Fair Use)

“historical accuracy” may be well-intentioned, it undermines the fact of the matter: that queer people have always existed, during every time period and in every society. “Our Flag Means Death” is a response to the exhaustion of being denied screen time, non-tragic story lines and even existence.

This little show disrupts (in style) gender expectations all across the board: The female pirate Spanish Jackie has 20 husbands, although a few are killed along the way. Stede encourages his mostly male crew to talk about their emotions and reads them bedtime stories. Crew member Jim’s gender is purposefully ambiguous; despite disguising themself as a man out of necessity, they maintain the name Jim and find solace in not committing to one gender or another.

In fact, the only bad thing about this show is the fact that it hasn’t been renewed for a second season yet, leaving fans with (spoiler alert) a bleak and frustratingly unsatisfying ending.

Hopefully, the popular success of the first season and the high demand for a second will lead to a continuation of the adventures of Bonnet and Blackbeard. The world deserves more pirates and more queerness, so why not at the same time?

Until then, you can join the pirate party by watching the first season on HBO.

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UAWPROTEST

CARBONFOOTPRINT

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“We don’t always see an immediate result, but I think with the level of media attention that was drawn at some of the other campuses and the level of noise that we made in the administrative

building, I think it will pressure the UC into giving into our bargaining demands,” Westerfield said.

COVIDSPIKE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The Centers for Disease Control recently reinstated a mask mandate on public transportation, citing the spread of the omicron BA.2 variant.

Matas said they feel strongly about providing remote accommodations as a student with a disability. They have worked with other students with disabilities to develop a Higher Ed COVID Policy Report Card, which recently graded UC Davis with a “D.” Scores are based on a survey that asked students, faculty and staff of higher education institutions to rate universities based on mask mandates, test mandates, vaccine mandates and remote options which are then fact-checked by looking at official documents and statements by each school.

“We’re finding that a lot of schools are dropping more and more mandates,” Matas said.

“They’re becoming less transparent about what’s going on on campuses and yet, many of them are having these surges due to the BA variant.”

Andy Fell, a news and media relations specialist at UC Davis, said the university is aware of the increase in cases and is keeping an eye on it.

“We will monitor the situation and take action if appropriate, as we have before,” Fell said.

A statement by Healthy Davis Together on April 26 acknowledged the recent increase in transmission of COVID-19 within the greater Yolo County community, as shown by wastewater reports.

The decision to continue online education during the first few weeks of winter quarter was made after cases jumped to 4.3%, with a sevenday average of close to 800 cases. The current numbers according to the UC Davis COVID-19 dashboard are not as high, at 153 cases within the past seven days, but they are still higher than at any other time since the last spike in January 2022.

Heather Ringo, a second-year Ph.D. candidate in English, is currently using the Planned Educational Leave Program after finding that repeatedly requesting accommodations compromised her health.

“I’ve spent well over 100 hours,” Ringo said. “I stopped keeping track because I was so depressed by how much labor I was spinning away trying to get accommodations despite the fact that I have four documented accommodations with [the Student Disability Center] and [Disability Management Services] to get remote learning and teaching.”

The pursuit of remote options by members of the UC Davis student body has been an ongoing issue, previously leading to a petition by students, faculty and staff in January that garnered over 9,000 signatures.

Remote options for students with disabilities remain a top priority, according to Sarah Theubet, a fourth-year communications major and the president of the Disability Rights and Advocacy Committee (DRAC).

“Because we are so used to having to fight for every access need, we are the people who are paying attention to the numbers,” Theubet said. “We’re checking the wastewater statistics versus what Davis is putting out. We’re doing all of these things so we know how to stay safe ourselves, but no one will listen to us.”

Perlov said his professors were largely supportive when he reported his positive case, but there were some limitations.

“Of the two classes I have in person, one of them does not do recordings of any sort, so if you miss [a] lecture it’s just too bad,” Perlov said, “which is why I went to campus in the first place.

I didn’t want to miss a lecture before I found out I was positive.”

In a statement from the chancellor’s office on Feb. 11, Chancellor Gary May said that the university continues to weigh all of the data and consult with experts and campus leaders when making decisions that impact everyone at the university.

The UC Davis officials have cited COVID-19 as becoming endemic and have relaxed guidelines.

Theubet said it may be that people are simply succumbing to COVID-19 fatigue.

“They don’t want to think about it anymore so they are all just feeding this ignorance around the whole thing,” Theubet said.

BALLOTBOX CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Gabrielle Osorio, a first-year biological sciences major, said that having a ballot box on campus makes voting much easier for students, since they can now drop off their ballots while biking to class or catching the bus.

“I always intended to vote, but I think it’s really nice to have a ballot box so accessible for students,” Osorio said. “It kind of, in a way, gives students no excuse for not voting, which I think is good. As students, we are here most of the year, which means during voting times, so being able to have a designated box on campus to put our ballots in kind of takes the stress away from

making a submission.”

The California Primary election is on June 7, and early voting began on May 9 across the state. The new on-campus ballot dropbox will be available to use for this upcoming election, and will accept ballots for the first time since its installation this month.

“We know students have busy lives. A drop box on the campus of UC Davis is a wonderful innovation to help meet young voters where they are and help them develop the habit of voting,” said Secretary of State Shirley Weber, according to the UC Davis website.

STUDENTFARMRENO CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 Akhenaton is now leading more community engagement efforts by hosting restoration work parties, stakeholder meetings and a heart painting party with local artist Will Durkee.

While the stewardship of the site is ongoing, students can now use the space as an outdoor refuge to escape the hustle and bustle of campus.

With the expansion of housing in the Orchard Park neighborhood, project leaders hope that more students will engage with the beautiful scenery this space provides and benefit from the wildlife living within it.

Student Farm Director Katharina Ullmann hopes student engagement with the site will bring about a greater appreciation for nature while also connecting students to the Indigenous communities who have cared for the land for generations.

“My hope is that The Woods can remain this sort of semi-natural area that supports oak woodland plants, wildlife, community and education,” Ullmann said. “I hope that people care for it and treat it in a respectful way. I hope that Patwin people, the Native American Studies Department, the Native American Student Union and the Native American Academic Success Center as well as other groups on campus connecting with Indigenous students, feel comfortable there and find ways to connect with the place that are meaningful.”

In addition to including signage educating visitors about Patwin plant terminology, stewards of The Woods are excited to continue developing stronger relationships with the Native American Studies Department, the public and elders in the region.

Akhenaton said that they believe it is important to acknowledge the Indigenous stewards of the land in this work and to make meaningful connections with Indigenous communities in the area.

“I want it to be a place where we value the Indigenous history of the land and make sure that there’s plant signage in local [Patwin/] Wintun languages and that there’s a land acknowledgement statement because it’s not my land, it’s not the university’s land and that should

definitely be acknowledged,” Akhenaton said.

The restoration of the site has introduced a new habitat for wildlife in the Orchard Park area, with potential new benefits for the neighboring student farm ecosystems. The restoration of native plants to the area has introduced new insect and bird species which could provide increased pollination and crop production in the Market and Community Gardens surrounding The Woods. Additionally, Yuan said that restoration of the site aims to help the local ecosystems flourish, as the introduction of new species has invited predators like foxes and snakes into an area with previously unfavorable conditions for habitat growth.

Yuan hopes that the wild nature of the space will be preserved moving forward, allowing students to connect with nature in their own backyards. She said that since many other outdoor spaces on campus are paved and landscaped, The Woods offers students the chance to interact with the natural environment without leaving campus.

“In essence, it’s one of the few areas left that’s mostly untouched and unaltered,” Yuan said. “I personally went and surveyed a bunch of plants and identified all of them and was really hoping to keep it shielded off to retain more of the natural environment that’s left there, and that’s what’s happening on the inside part of The Woods.”

Moving forward, students in the Orchard Park area will be able to use the space to connect with nature. Whether they go to do homework, have a picnic, host a community gathering or just enjoy the scenery between classes, the restoration of The Woods hopes to give students a new space to connect with the natural environment in Davis.

“I want it to be a space for people who might not be as familiar with outdoor spaces to feel welcomed,” Akhenaton said. “I want it to be a place where people can gather and respect nature, enjoy art and community and a really special little pocket of love on campus, and I think it’s already getting there.”

DUTCHBROS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 First, keep the Dutch Bros mobile app on your phone so that you can easily browse the menu from your screen well before you place your order. Take all the time you need while waiting in line to decide on the drink that sounds the best to you. Be sure to scan the app so you can start to accrue points for every drink purchase to eventually earn yourself a free one, too!

Next, visit on the first of the month. You’ll be met with an exciting surprise of a free sticker when you request one for as long as supply remains. If Dutch Bros’ drinks are not convincing enough

for you to make the trip, perhaps the vibrant and free stickers will be.

Also, be sure to bring a buddy with you.

Coffee obsessed or not, anyone can find something to enjoy off the menu. I will highly recommend that you stick to the classic menu, of course making alterations to the milk choice and sweetness preference, as needed. But with the classics I truly think you can’t go wrong. You can share the pre-Dutch nerves with your friend and enjoy your drinks together on a slow ride around cow town.

Now I’m not saying nothing you do to shrink your footprint matters. It all matters when we are in a fight to save our Earth, one we are currently losing. What I am saying is that the big oil companies talking about the carbon footprint of an individual like it’s the number one way to save the environment isn’t just disingenuous — it’s false.

BP’s operations in 2020 emitted 374 million metric tons of greenhouse gases (it was 490 precovid in 2018). Shell, the giant in an industry full of giants, emitted 1.337 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2020. Shell itself is responsible for 1.6% of the entire world’s carbon emissions.

These are the companies that are “fighting for” a greener earth by trying to get the average person to save an amount that is a drop in the

bucket compared to what they themselves emit into the atmosphere. The Shell company emits 66,850,000 U.S. citizens’ worth of carbon into the environment every year and isn’t legitimately even trying to shrink their contributions and instead pawning it off to us by pushing the idea of a “carbon footprint.”

While we should do everything we can to lower our emissions, the onus to actually make a difference falls on the big oil companies as well as our government. They know climate change is killing our world (and even knew and hid the knowledge of it from us for over 20 years) yet choose to ignore it for the sake of profit anyway.

If we want to truly save our world from climate change, we need to look past the marketing facade that is our carbon footprint — and hold big oil companies accountable instead.

ED51 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 Some of you may already be active voters in ASUCD elections. If that’s the case, we encourage you to go out of your way to convince less engaged peers to consider voting. After all, the student leaders who are elected represent all undergraduates, even the ones who don’t vote.

Students who don’t make their voices heard by voting may not see the on-campus outcomes they want — selecting candidates whose platforms align with what they want to see can be a powerful step in advocating for change.

Moreover, the more students that vote, the more students are actually represented. We don’t doubt that members of student government aim to represent everyone, but that has to be difficult when over 90% of students aren’t providing their input. Having such a large undergraduate community presumably means there is diversity in beliefs and opinions. It is in part up to student leaders to seek out more voices to inform their decision making, but at the same time, it is up to each student to provide their input — through voting and other ways of being engaged on campus.

This quarter, the ballot includes non-binding measures on the student fees funding athletics programs — a topic that gained attention across campus in the wake of the elimination of forcredit physical education classes. If this measure is passed, there will not necessarily be any direct administrative action to eliminate the fees; however, it will provide university administrators and student leaders insight into how students feel.

For students who feel strongly one way or another, voting — and getting other people to vote — is critical. Frankly, if only 762 (or around that) students vote, it doesn’t provide

much information for either student leaders or university administration. Students should tell their peers that this measure is on the ballot, guide them to informational resources and try to convince them to vote; if there is a significant increase in voter turnout, leaders can move forward with discussions and action that actually reflects what most students want — which should be the goal.

Making informed decisions is an important aspect of this too. A friend telling you to vote for a candidate or to vote “No” on a certain measure doesn’t mean you should just take it at face value. Check out candidates’ platforms if available on the elections website and try to read the language of the measures. Our “Meet the Candidates” interviews can also provide digestible information about candidates’ platforms. And as we mentioned above, you can also check out the Editorial Board’s endorsements — whether or not you agree with our assessments, they are based on our interviews with candidates and may provide some additional insight.

Voting in the ASUCD elections is a relatively easy process and grants all undergraduate students the opportunity to bring about change that affects not only us but also those who will come after us. After all, senators in term during the spring quarter budget hearings vote for the following academic year’s budget. And voting on fees can impact students years from now too, as we have seen recently with the two fees related to UC Davis Athletics (SASI & CEI).

Week seven is a pretty busy time for many with midterms and other commitments, but taking the time to vote is incredibly important.

Make sure you vote and spread the word!

ED52 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 Senate Endorsements: Zeph Schnelbach (all pronouns), first-year political science major — Independent: We were incredibly impressed with Schnelbach’s knowledge of ASUCD and the concrete ideas he had for how to improve the organization as a senator, including tapping into what he understands to be an unused fund for student programs. Their platform emphasizes advocacy for mental health and addiction resources, LGBTQIA+ advocacy and campus sustainability.

In addition to having taken trips with the External Affairs Vice President Office, Schnelbach has experience advocating for students in legislative offices and lobbying in her hometown, and her position as a student worker on campus provides her with the necessary perspective to support this group in the Senate. They demonstrated a clear passion for representing the study body and improving student engagement with the organization, and we feel they would make an invaluable contribution to the Senate table.

Eustacio Alamilla (he/him/his), second-year political science major — Independents!: As the current Housing Advising for Undergraduate Students (HAUS) unit director, Alamilla has relevant experience with supporting units and with ASUCD’S internal workings, making him an excellent candidate. His role has also prepared him well to manage projects, connect with student organizations and make an impact on the student body, made obvious by specific project ideas he hopes to implement as a senator. Key tenets of his platform are connecting students to affordable housing, increasing awareness and use of campus resources and promoting safe drinking habits on campus.

Alamilla also demonstrated an interest in improving student involvement with ASUCD, citing concerns with low voter turnout and a goal of increasing outreach to students.

Juliana Martinez Hernandez (she/her/hers), third-year political science major — Rise!: Martinez Hernandez is a compelling candidate for senator with her plans for internal ASUCD

reform and improvement of the association’s engagement and outreach. Her platform includes new internal reforms like increasing ASUCD volunteer compensation and more external aspects like improving students’ access to basic needs, but she also includes expanding on projects she developed in her role as ASUCD internal vice president, like building a human resources department. The Editorial Board was particularly impressed with her intention to encourage transparency for private companies operating in conjunction with UC Davis, especially in light of the recent lawsuit filed against UC Davis in relation to their work with Neuralink. Martinez Hernandez demonstrated an impressive drive for improving the internal efficacy of ASUCD and her advocacy for improving students’ access to basic needs and resources makes her a promising candidate for Senate.

Priya Talreja (she/her/hers), third-year environmental policy and planning major — Rise!: Talreja impressed the Editorial Board with her extensive previous legislative experience and welldeveloped platforms. Talreja served as a legislative director for an ASUCD senator and worked as an elected Delegate for the California Democratic Party. With her previous experience writing legislation and organizing campus programs, the projects Talreja plans to introduce will create tangible benefits for the student body. We were impressed with her desire to support students from BIPOC communities seeking mental health care by ensuring access to racially diverse and culturally competent student mental health resources. She also strives to increase student engagement and understanding of ASUCD — an issue brought up by many candidates that the Editorial Board believes is crucial to address. One of Talreja’s other platforms, creating stronger relationships between Registered Student Organizations, would also help address issues of low voter turnout and the lack of knowledge many students have about the inner workings of ASUCD.

SENIORSHOWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 “[Our pieces] have similarities, especially within the color palettes,” Walters said. “Seeing the work up and getting it all ready and it was really cool to see how harmonious and how they really complemented each other in terms of color.”

Walters’ favorite piece of her friend at a gas station, “Caught a Vibe,” was the painting that made her realize how fun colors could be and encouraged her to be more bold with her color palette, she said.

“I feel like this [was] the beginning of a new era of art for me,” Walters said.

Both Walters and Takahashi have their friends in most of their portraiture pieces, further influencing the theme of their exhibition.

Krayenbuhl, also a fourth-year design and art studio double major, on the other hand, feels it is “me all over the place,” she said.

From multimedia projects, such as her favorite piece “Finding the Minotaur” — a three-canvas piece with music based on the novel “House of Leaves” — to her silk screen print “Crow Woman,” she feels she is very much a “product of [her] education,” and the influences from her professors and mentors.

Incorporating Native American influences into her work, Krayenbuhl adds her personal background of various California tribes — Achomawi, Atsugewi and Yana — but is clear that “I don’t want to make [my art] political. It’s just part of who I am,” she said.

All three seniors root their art in various personal influences and all create individually unique pieces, and then come together in this space to build an irresistible show.

“I feel really proud of this show. And I’m really proud of the work I am presenting and I’m really proud of my co-exhibitors as well,” Walters said. “I hope everyone enjoys it as much as we did, putting it together and making the art.”

After an exhausting amount of work put into these pieces throughout their time in the programs at Davis, the artists produce one last hoorah before graduating and pursuing their futures as artists and designers.

If you’re interested in seeing other Senior Shows, the exhibition will be showing “Displaced Amnesia” on Friday, May 13, “Obstructive Metaphors” on Friday, May 20 and “Fresh Stains” on Friday, May 27, all from 6 to 9 p.m.

10 | THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2022

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR PUBLIC ART PROJECT AT N STREET PARK OPEN UNTIL JUNE 3 Artwork will help to promote engagement with the arts in Davis

N Street park in Davis, Calif. (Benjamin Cheng / Aggie)

BY SHRADDHA JHINGAN city@theaggie.org In a news release, the city of Davis announced that “qualified artists or collaborative teams” have the opportunity to design a piece of public art for N Street Park, by submitting a Request of Qualifications (RFQ), due on June 3 at 5 p.m. The public art will be used to “enhance a neighborhood park improvement project.”

In order to “renovate and enliven N Street Park,” the Davis Manor Neighborhood Council (DMNC) and the City of Davis will be working together to commission a team or an individual professional artist to design and create the public art. The piece of part will improve upon a performance area and will consist of “an open-form metal screen for backstage definition” as well as “an open-form metal superstructure” and “theatrical armature.”

The former will be used to add definition backstage whereas the superstructure will be utilized for lighting purposes.

Rachel Hartsough, the arts & culture manager for the city of Davis, explained that residents in the area around N Street Park “have a unique relationship” and have been collaborating for years on various projects for the community.

“This includes the design of a street mural at Duke and M called Naturehood, organized opportunities for gathering, supporting local neighborhood artists, making music together, and generally creating opportunities to share friendship and camaraderie,” Hartsough said via email. “All of these activities are performed through a lens that also celebrates and preserves the natural environment in their neighborhood.”

Hartsough added that the idea for the RFQ is an amalgamation of the experiences from previous creative projects.

“The RFQ for the N Street park is the culmination of several years of re-imagining the use of a small park at the end of N Street,” Hartsough said via email. “The call invites artists to apply for a commission to build a unique structure that will function as both public art AND stage.”

Mayor of the City of Davis Gloria Partida, explained that this collaboration will not only highlight their exemplary teamwork, but will also allow people in the City of Davis to be able to experience performances and other arts.

“The City’s partnership with the Davis Manor Neighborhood team has been a model of collaboration and community engagement,” Mayor Partida said in the news release. “We look forward to experiencing this unique, intimate performing arts venue as part of our efforts to enhance our existing park spaces, as well as provide more locations to experience the arts in Davis.”

Additionally, the news release explains that one of the City Council’s goals is to come up with a plan to “grow arts and culture in Davis.” This project will help to do so, by engaging both viewers of the artwork and the artists who created it as well as by promoting the performing arts scene in Davis, according to the news release.

“Within the technical and safety constraints of the project, the artist/team will be at liberty to explore their own artistic vision in partnership with a dynamic team of resident visionaries and within a neighborhood community that has become a local model for community-based design and activism,” the news release reads.

The RFQ for the public art is not the first public art project in Davis. One example, also in Davis in Senda Nueva Neighborhood, is the Elemental Street Mural. Lead Artist for the project Danielle Fodor explained that the project was a community effort in the project’s video.

“Community projects happen in steps,” Fodor said. “For me it starts with an invitation. Somebody in the community invites you in. And that happened for me several months ago when neighbors started talking to me after my last project and said ‘Hey, could we do something like this in this neighborhood.’”

The N Street Park project is not the first one that DMNC has worked on, as it also completed a street mural called “Naturehood” in 2016 with 150 volunteers from the community. For the N Street Park project, there will be a budget of $45,000 through the City of Davis’ Municipal Arts Fund.

Hartsough explained that the goal of the N Street Park project is to help increase the performing arts scene in Davis. Eventually, this will hopefully lead to similar ventures in other parts of the city.

“The goal of the project is to activate this small park with the tools needed to support intimate performing arts gatherings, like live music and small theatre productions,” Hartsough said via email. “We hope that this acts as a pilot project for similar spaces in other parks around Davis, and of course, we look forward to a new and exciting piece of public art!”

Ultimately, the RFQ for the N Street project will allow members of the community to engage with arts in Davis, either by viewing the artwork, performing at the venue or creating it.

Interested individuals can apply on the website listed on the news release and obtain further information through the websites and email addresses also listed.

PLACER COUNTY LANDOWNERS USE PRESCRIBED BURNS TO REDUCE DRY KINDLING ON THE GROUND California’s stewardship agreement with the U.S. Forest Service details the state’s plan to burn half a million acres of land this year

BY RACHEL SHEY city@theaggie.org California residents are familiar with the inevitable smell of smoke and talk of fire that comes every summer with the onset of hot, dry weather accompanied by autumn winds. Much of this fire risk is attributable to, ironically, a century of fire suppression, according to California’s stewardship agreement with the US Forest Service.

“A historical transition toward unnaturally dense forests, a century of fire suppression and climate change resulting in warmer, hotter and drier conditions have left the majority of California’s forestland highly vulnerable to catastrophic wildfire and in need of active, science-based management,” the agreement reads.

The stewardship agreement suggests using controlled burn tactics to reduce fire risk by efficiently eliminating much of the dry kindling that is ready to catch fire at a moment’s notice.

“To protect public safety and ecology, experts agree that at least one million acres of California forest and wildlands must be treated annually across jurisdiction,” the agreement reads.

Despite the risk, fire is one of the cheapest and most efficient methods of clearing litter, which is why scientists are advocating for its use. Unlike other methods, prescribed burns don’t require

JACOB SLOAN / AGGIE

expensive manpower and tools, according to UC Davis ecologist and scientist John Williams.

“It can be expensive to do all of that manual work and to find a place to take [the leaf litter],” Williams said. “People need trailers or some way to lug it or they need to pay somebody. The other reason is that fire is a natural part of these ecosystems and by introducing low intensity fire in this form, you’re restoring one of the natural processes of the land and you’re reducing the likelihood of a high-severity fire.”

Not only does fire reset the land and clear the dry brush, but it also plays an ecological role. Many species are adapted to require the rejuvenating force of fire every few years to properly reproduce, according to Williams. “[Fire] reduces the forest fuels, the leaf litter and sticks on the forest floor, which are what fuel the big wildfires that we hear about, and the other thing is that it gives a chance for some species that have specific regeneration needs, like Ponderosa pine, which requires mineral ground for the seeds to sprout,” Williams said. “If there’s a bunch of leaf litter, those seedlings won’t make their way to the ground and sprout.”

Williams explained that fire used to be much more frequent in many of these areas. After a century of fire suppression, California forests are

jam-packed with organic material that’s ready to catch on fire.

“In the foothills of the Sierras, fire was something that would come through every five to 35 years, historically,” Williams said. “We’ve got a hundred years of fire suppression, so the conditions have changed a lot. By suppressing those fires, we’ve allowed a lot more shade and canopy cover, and a lot less light is hitting the forest floor, so that’s what we’re trying to reverse.”

When conducting a prescribed burn, the landowners usually follow safety procedures to prevent the fire from growing out of control.

Williams described a few of these methods.

“One of the things we do is we create a perimeter around the area that you want to burn,” Williams said. “It can be just a few feet that’s cleared to bare ground so the fire doesn’t have anything to burn at the edge, kind of like a trail.”

Other methods involve reducing the fuels and keeping them low to the ground so the fire doesn’t rise and become uncontrollable. Fire that is higher up can come down outside of the perimeter and cause other parts of the land to catch on fire, too.

“There’s also something called masticating, which is where you bring a tractor and it chews

up the smaller shrubs and plants and seedlings and saplings so that you’re reducing the fuels,” Williams said. “You can also trim the ladder fuels, the lower branches. You want to keep the fire on the forest floor.”

Landowners also carefully choose the day of the burn, avoiding hot, windy days when fire spreads fast, but also choosing a day warm enough so that the fire can get started and reduce the fuel efficiently.

“You also want to choose the conditions under which you do the burn,” Williams said.

“You want to burn on a day when you have low wind, humidity levels that allow the fire to burn a little bit but not too much.”

Placer County’s conservation project coordinator Cordi Craig explained that fire is a very efficient method well-suited to Placer County’s ecosystem.

“There’s a lot of prep work that goes into it as far as making sure you remove your ladder fuels,” Craig said. “As far as maintaining your property and reducing fuel loading, it’s incredibly effective for that. Placer County is a fire-dependent ecosystem just like most of California, so it’s important that fire is reintroduced into these landscapes.”

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THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2022 | 11

SCIENCE AND TECH AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH CLOSES WITH A LIVE TALK FROM UC DAVIS EXPERTS UC Davis experts answer questions on autism and the pandemic’s impact

BY MONICA MANMADKAR science@theaggie.org Since 1998, the UC Davis MIND Institute has been working to improve the lives of people with autism spectrum disorder, especially children and their families. On April 28, three UC Davis experts spoke on the advances that UC Davis has made in understanding these conditions during a UC Davis LIVE. Aubyn Stahmer is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UC Davis Health and is a child clinical psychologist and researcher. She specializes in translating interventions for children with autism and other developmental disabilities to community programs. When asked to define autism in medical terms, Stahmer explained how there is no blood test or genetic test that can be done to detect autism. Instead, psychologists look for an amalgamation of behavioral characteristics.

“There is not one thing that will say whether or not someone will have autism,” Stahmer said in the UC Davis LIVE presentation. “We tend to look for social communication differences, and that is a broad range of social communications, and repetitive behaviors that edge the focus [alongside] sensory challenges with sounds or textures.”

To describe how the pandemic has affected individuals with autism, Stahmer stated that for younger children to be diagnosed, they usually go into the physician’s office and then get referred for an autism evaluation. However, due to the pandemic, visits to the physician’s office have

AMY YU / AGGIE decreased. Additionally, masks have made social communication a challenge for everyone. To combat this, researchers have been working on telemethods of intervention.

Moreover, it is very important to identify children with autism early as it can be frustrating if they cannot communicate their needs, according to Stahmer. She stated that it can be frustrating or traumatic for the child since the parents do not know. Hence, the earlier that the parents and psychologist know that this child is interacting with the world differently, the earlier the child can get the support they need.

Patrick Dwyer is a student with autism who is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in developmental

psychology at UC Davis. He is interested in helping people with autism lead a fulfilling life, with his research focusing on sensory processing and attention in autism. Dwyer detailed some of the struggles that adults with autism were having during the pandemic.

“Among the community, there is a strong preference in having the flexibility in hybrid options and recognizing that everyone has different needs as they are all in different positions,” Dwyer said. “Some are really going to prefer to stay at home and communicate via Zoom, and there are going to be some people who want to be in person, so having that flexibility is really important.”

Later on, Sarah Dufek, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UC Davis Health, explained some of the new developments in identifying autism in children. Although there is more work to be done in the field of diagnostics, Dufek stated how diagnosticians have been getting “better at identifying children earlier and catching the need for the evaluation earlier in younger children.”

However, Dufek detailed that researchers still need to improve on catching the need for an evaluation in children who are a part of historically underrepresented groups and who have other conditions that may impact the ability for diagnosticians to identify autism. Analysts have also seen the need to include women more on the spectrum.

“Most of the behavioral characteristics that have been reported or observed have been on mostly boys and men,” Dufek said. “We have a lot of ways to go to see what autism looks like in women, particularly in young girls.”

Wrapping up the LIVE, Dufek hopes that the neurodiversity movement keeps its momentum and aggressively goes forward. The neurodiversity movement aims to destigmatize autism and other neurological impairments. Additionally, Dwyer believes that there is still a long way to go.

“There are wide gaps on a lot of issues where people in the community are really not trustful of professionals and researchers, and even parents have a lot of unresolved disputes,” Dwyer said. “I am hoping that we will move toward reconciliation and finding common ground on these issues and recognizing the insights that the neurodiversity movement has.”

UC DAVIS HEALTH LAUNCHES HEALTH CARE INITIATIVE TO IMPROVE ORGAN TRANSPLANT EQUITY Pluralist is an initiative aimed at recognizing the needs of underserved communities in need of lifesaving organ transplant surgeries KATHERINE FRANKS / AGGIE

BY BRANDON NGUYEN science@theaggie.org According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Black Americans are almost four times more likely and Latino Americans are 1.3 times more likely to experience kidney failure compared to white Americans. Despite the higher risk, Black and Latino patients on dialysis are less likely to be placed on the kidney transplant waitlist and have a lower likelihood of undergoing transplant surgery.

In an effort to achieve equity in organ transplant distribution,

UC Davis Health recently established an initiative called “Pluralist.”

By creating a union of holistic visions including patient-centered care, individualized precision medicine and health education awareness, Pluralist aims to reduce the gap in availability of organ donations and access to transplant surgeries regardless of socioeconomic status in California.

Dr. Martin Cadeiras, the medical director for the Advanced Heart Failure, Heart Transplantation and Mechanical Circulatory Support Device Program at UC Davis Health and principal investigator of the Pluralist Program, discussed how the initiative will approach reducing the gap statewide.

“So what we do is we capture information for every zip code in California, and our team will use algorithms to cluster and see how the population is distributed based on socioeconomic standing, health interests, ethnic background and so forth,” Cadeiras said.

“These clusters from data sets help us to reach donors differently.

We can adapt how we can best reach out to them and by knowing where they are in this categorization approach.”

By leveraging data and artificial intelligence to learn more about the needs of each community in the state, culturally competent health care providers can then tailor interventions and spread awareness appropriately through both social networks and media platforms to increase organ donations.

Dr. David Lubarsky, the CEO of UC Davis Health, explained the overarching goal of an initiative like Pluralist in reducing health care inequality not just in California, but also nationwide.

“UC Davis Health is committed to advancing health equity and improving health outcomes for people in need of a life-saving

transplant,” Lubarsky said. “Many members of our historically underserved communities are less likely to be placed on transplant waitlists and have had a lower likelihood of transplantation. This initiative will help identify potential system-wide improvements that would increase organ donations and advance equity in organ donation and transplantation.”

Pluralist plans on scaling its operations, projecting to reach over 22 million California residents within a two-year period with at least 70% of individuals from underserved communities identified by the program.

Dr. Richard Perez, the chief of transplant surgery and medical director for the UC Davis Health Transplant Center, further expanded on the ultimate goals of the initiative.

“To deliver comprehensive care and help our patients achieve their best possible outcome, the Pluralist Program will increase organ donations, improve transplants and enhance the quality of care for transplant patients throughout California,” Perez said.

Pluralist’s efforts to reduce health disparities requires a multidisciplinary approach, according to Cadeiras. Focus is not just on the medicine side of the health care system, but also data analysis and health care education, which are aspects that Cadeiras foresees as providing medical centers with a new standard of health care.

“We can now, with computer science and with quantitative methods, provide estimates on organ transplant needs of a given population which we had not been able to do before,” Cadeiras said. “The Pluralist Initiative, within the next few years, will provide us with a new standard for health education and awareness that many other health care providers can adopt.”

‘MIRROR WORLD’ OF DARK MATTER MAY BE KEY TO SOLVING HUBBLE CONSTANT PROBLEM The universe is expanding faster than models predict; dark matter could be the missing piece

BY SONORA SLATER science@theaggie.org Our universe grows bigger every second, the space between galaxies stretching for billions of years. A value called the Hubble constant tells us the rate at which this expansion is happening, and, indirectly, the size of the universe today.

But there are other ways to measure the size of the universe as well — and as it turns out, the measurements that have been predicted and the ones that are being observed don’t match up.

In other words, the universe is expanding faster than the standard model of cosmology says it should be. This discrepancy is known as the Hubble constant problem.

Multiple solutions have been proposed to account for the discrepancy, but the challenge is that any solution which changes the assumptions of the model must do so without breaking the agreement that exists between other cosmological measurements and model predictions.

However, researchers at UC Davis, in collaboration with Francis-Yan Cyr-Racine, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of New Mexico, are using ideas from particle physics to approach this challenge in a new way, according to a recent press release. It may successfully “[allow] for a faster expansion rate without changing the most precisely-tested other predictions of the [model].”

For this model to work, they need a “mirror world,” which we can only interact with through gravity, according to the press release. This mirror world is made of dark matter.

“Now, dark matter, we don’t know what it is,” Cyr-Racine said. “The only thing we know is that it forms this gravitational backbone. We see its gravitational effect on things like stars and galaxies and other things, but we don’t know its nature. It could be a new particle; it could be what we call primordial black holes; it could be something more exotic that we don’t really understand

at all today.”

Dark matter is already a part of the current standard cosmological model. However, what the researchers discovered was that for their new model to work, they needed some of the dark matter to have slightly different properties.

“There’s a tiny part of dark matter that needs to behave much more like the ‘visible sector,’ or matter that we are surrounded with on Earth,” Cyr-Racine said. “We call this small part of dark matter the mirror world, because it kind of mirrors our world in a sense — the properties of dark matter will be atoms, there will be equivalents to light, but it’s going to be dark light, if you will.”

One of the things that led their team into considering the mirror world as a solution was the idea of symmetry, according to Fei Ge, a graduate ​​ student at the UC Davis Department of Physics and Astronomy who worked on the research.

According to Lloyd Knox, a professor in the UC Davis Department of Physics and Astronomy, in the context of cosmology, symmetry means that you can change some aspects of a model and have certain observable properties remain unchanged.

“What we found of the symmetry is that the absolute values [don’t] matter in our cosmological theory,” Ge said. “What really matters is the relative ratios.”

The remaining issue to solve in this new model is similarly related to ratios; for the theory to work, according to CyrRacine, researchers will have to find a way to change the scale of the typical length that a photon travels in the universe in certain circumstances.

“This is hard to do, because this is, like, undergraduate physics that technically we understand very well,” Cyr-Racine said. “So the question is, can we find a mechanism that changes this physics by a little bit — but not by much?”

Despite this being a difficult problem to solve, it provides a direction for researchers about where to go next.

“I now feel a clear target of what I’m supposed to achieve,” CyrRacine said. “We’ve whittled down the problem that was a very

CHRISTINA LIU / AGGIE complicated problem into one problem, and that, I can focus on and try to solve without getting scatterbrained with other ideas.”

However, according to Knox, there’s no guarantee that a mirror world is the true solution to the problem — especially because so far, attempts to reconcile the photon scattering rate haven’t worked.

“I really think that’s a strong indicator that as far as solving the problem, we’re probably not on the right path,” Knox said. “We haven’t given up on it, but I think it’s important to get across that I’m not actually that hopeful that this is going to turn out to be correct.”

But even if this theory is eventually disproven, Knox believes that their work is valuable for the sake of building an improved understanding of the system, and why it is so challenging to gain agreement across cosmological models and observations.

“What is correct is that this model has helped us to understand what’s going on,” Knox said. “It’s not as exciting as discovering the mirror world, but I think it’s important to say. But on the other hand, who knows? That’s part of the fun of working with a puzzle we don’t know the solution to.”

12 | THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2022

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

SPORTS

NHL PLAYOFF FIRST ROUND MATCHUPS A diagnosis of the first round of matchups as teams try to dethrone the Tampa Bay Lightning

BY GABRIEL CARABALLO sports@theaggie.org It’s that time of year again — the battle for The Stanley Cup is on and the NHL’s playoff teams can’t wait to break the ice in this year’s playoffs.

Taking the ice in the first Eastern Conference round one matchup is the No. 1 team of the regular season, the Florida Panthers, against the wildcard Washington Capitals. The Panthers had the best offense in the regular season by scoring the most goals and points while having one of the best players in the league with Jonathan Huberdeau, the left-wing. Huberdeau tied for second in the league in points but also led the league in assists. This team is definitely an offensive powerhouse who enters the playoffs as one of the favorites.

The Capitals are across the ice from the Panthers. The Capitals are a wildcard this year, but that shouldn’t discount their championship DNA and experience as a team. The Capitals had eight shutout games this season, tied for third in the league and were just shy of a top 10 in team goaltending. With star player Alexander Ovechkin and center Nicklas Backstrom from the Capitals 2018 championship to lead the team, this matchup is a battle of who wants it more.

The next Eastern Conference matchup is between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the back to back defending Stanley Cup champions Tampa Bay Lightning. This makes for a tough face off for the Maple Leafs. The Lighting are top ten in both their offensive skating, goals against per game and save percentage. It’ll be tough for the Maple Leafs to get through that defense led by goalie Andrei Valensky.

The Maple Leafs, on the other hand, also shouldn’t be taken lightly. They had the No. 2 skating offense in the regular season, thanks to center Auston Matthews who scored the most goals this season with 60. Overall making for another great offensive hockey team. Although their defense isn’t one of the best, the team was able to tie for fifth in shutouts with a total of seven. This first-round series is going to be a battle and might go all seven games, as they match up great.

Following this first round series is the matchup between the Carolina Hurricanes and Boston Bruins. The Hurricanes stormed opposing teams with their defense, by being the No. 1 goaltending team and being top 10 in save percentage and shutouts. A defense that was led by goalie Frederick Andersen, who is No. 2 in goaltending and third in save percentage.

However, Andersen has been injured for the start of the playoffs and reports are that his return is “still unknown.” Still, this team can be considered

KATHERINE FRANKS / AGGIE as one of the best defenses in the NHL. The Bruins too have a solid defense. Sitting at No. 4 in regular season goaltending and top 10 in save percentage. The Bruins have two solid goalies with Jeremey Swayman and Linus Ullmark anchoring the net, both of which are top 10 in goaltending and save percentage. However, their offense is lacking and needs to be present in the playoffs if they’re going to contend against the Hurricanes.

Wrapping up the Eastern Conference first round matchups is the face off between the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins. The Rangers have some of the best offensive players in the league in leftwings Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin and defenseman Adam Fox. Kreider was No. 3 in the league in goals with 52. While Panarin and Fox are both top 10 in assists. Not to mention their excellent defense which is No. 1 in the league for save percentage, No. 2 in goaltending and No. 3 in shutouts. All of which is anchored by their goalie Igor Shesterkin, who’s No. 1 in both goaltending and save percentage.

This team is well rounded and ready for any opponent.

Their opponent happens to be the Penguins.

This team has a solid offense with players in center Jake Guentzel and defenseman Kris Letang. Their defense was also good in the regular season and they ended up top five in goaltending, save percentage and shutouts.

Although, their two main goalies Casey Desmith and Tristan Jerry are out with injury. CBS reports indicate they are expected to return around May 7. If the Penguins can hold on this will make for a competitive series.

Moving to the other coast, the Western

Conference’s first matchup of the first round of playoffs is between the Colorado Avalanche and Nashville Predators. The Avalanche have one of the best skating offenses at No. 4 in the league, with a player like center Nathan Mackinnon to score and assist on goals for them. Their defense isn’t too shabby either, they are top five in both save percentage and shutouts, while also being top 10 in goaltending. Their goalie, Darcy Kuemper, is to thank for that. Kuemper is just shy of a top 10 spot in goaltending, but is top five in save percentage.

The Predators also have a ferocious side to them. Their skating offense is just shy of a top 10 spot, so they shouldn’t be discredited. Especially with players such as center Matt Duchene and defenseman Roman Josi shredding the ice for the offense. Duchene is No. 8 in goals for a total of 43, and Josi is No. 5 in assists with 73, making for two good offensive weapons for the Predators.

Their defense wasn’t bad either, just missing a top 10 spot in save percentage. Their goalie Juuse Saros however, was top 10 in save percentage, making for a decent overall matchup between the two teams.

The next Western matchup is a fight between the Minnesota Wild and the St. Louis Blues.

The Wild have a great skating offense and were top five scoring team with 305 goals scored.

Especially with their leftwing Kirill Kaprizov, who is top five in player points with 108 and goals with 47. However, their defense is subpar at best with rankings in the low teens for goaltending and save percentage.

As for the Blues, their offense is one of the best in the NHL, holding top three spots in both skating and power play percentage. The Blues

have depth on their roster with veteran rightwing Vladimir Taransenko and a rising youngster in center Robert Thomas. Both scored between 70-80 points this regular season.

Their defense is solid as well, led by goalie Ville Husso, who brought the team to 11th in both goaltending and save percentage. Another intense matchup between two solid hockey clubs. The third Western matchup consists of the Calgary Flames and Dallas Stars. The Flames are a well-rounded team with both prospects on offense and defense. For their offense, the Flames have Johnny Gaudreau who is second in player points with 115. Anchoring the defense is goalie Jacob Markstrom who happens to be top three in goaltending and save percentage. This is allowing the team to take top five spots in goaltending, save percentage and shutouts.

The Stars on the other hand have a decent offense and defense. Their offense doesn’t stand out as much in the rankings but is controlled by rightwing Joe Pavelski who has the most points for the team with 81. Their defense is solid with goalie Jake Oettinger at the helm. He took the team to just under top 10 in defensive stats, which is still a very respectable defense.

Finally, the remaining Western Conference matchup is the Los Angeles Kings against the Edmonton Oilers. The Kings were able to squeeze into a playoff spot by beating out the Las Vegas Golden Knights — the first time since the Golden Knights inception that they missed the playoffs.

The Kings have premiere two way centers Phillip Danault and Anze Kopitar. Kopitar has been a force for the team by contributing 67 points to offense and Danault with 57. On defense they have veteran goalie Johnathon Quick, a good goaltender who was able to get the team to a top 10 spot in overall goaltending. This is the making for a decently well-rounded team.

However, the Oilers are a formidable club.

With two major offensive players in centers Leon Draisaitl and arguably the best player in the league Connor McDavid. He led the NHL in points with 122, while Draisaitl was fourth with 110 but was second in goals with 55. These two alone make for a top 10 offense. Their defense is decent, led by veteran goalie Mike Smith who was top 20 in save percentage. It seems as though the team who capitalizes opportunities on the offensive end will end up winning this series.

This year’s Stanley Cup playoffs are looking like they will all be battles. With so many great teams going at it, the competition seems better than ever. So far the odds are favoring the Avalanche at +300, followed by the Panthers and Flames at +600. Whether you look at the odds or watch the games, there’s no telling what team will raise the holy grail that is the Stanley Cup.

MLB SEASON IN FULL SWING Standout players, competitive play and league-wide issues highlight an exciting first month of baseball

BY PATRICK FIGUEROA sports@theaggie.org With the conclusion of April, MLB teams have played just over 20 games. While this is only a small fraction of the total season, there are still takeaways from this first month of baseball action. People say there are players shining in new places, teams looking impressive, competitive division battles just beginning and also, issues regarding baseballs and hitting.

Takeaway #1: Matt Olson and Freddie Freeman both look great for their new teams One of the biggest headlines during the MLB offseason was about whether the Braves were going to re-sign 32-year-old first baseman Freddie Freeman, or look elsewhere. The Braves opted to trade for 28-year-old, former Oakland A’s first baseman Matt Olson instead of resigning Freeman. They also gave him a contract extension worth $168 million over eight years.

Freeman signed to play first base with the Los Angeles Dodgers for six years and $162 million.

Both players have played well for their respective new teams. Through 29 games, Olson has a batting average of 0.267, an on base percentage of 0.386 and a slugging percentage of 0.457. Through 25 games, Freeman has a batting average of 0.316, an on base percentage of 0.400 and a slugging percentage 0.516. These numbers offer high-end production for first basemen. This seems to be a situation where both players and both teams won, as the players got paid and the teams are getting optimal production from their new acquisitions.

Takeaway #2: The NL West looks like a gauntlet Speaking of the Dodgers, they are currently competing in the most competitive division in baseball — one with all teams at at least 0.500.

With an elite lineup that consists of players like Trea Turner, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts, the Dodgers are in first place — but the rest of the division aren’t too far behind. The Padres are in second place thanks to elite pitching performances and solid offensive production from players like Manny Machado, Eric Hosmer and Jurickson Profar. Brandon Belt, Carlos Rodon and Logan Webb lead the Giants in third place. This battle among these teams will be worth watching for the rest of the season.

However, we must also acknowledge the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies currently sit at fourth place with a record of 13-9 thanks to CJ Cron, Connor Joe and Chad Kuhl. What separates the other three teams and the Rockies is that the Rockies are the only team with a negative run differential. The other three teams have a positive run differential. Because of these four teams, they make the NL West the most

competitive division in baseball. It is very likely that the NL West has three representatives in the NL postseason, and that one of these teams will represent the NL in the World Series.

Takeaway #3: The Twins, Marlins and Angels are good!?

Some surprising teams that had a successful April include the Minnesota Twins, the Miami Marlins and the Los Angeles Angels. The Twins are currently the best team in the AL Central.

Some standout players from the Twins include center fielder Byron Buxton, right fielder Max Kepler and pitcher Joe Ryan. The Marlins sit near the top of the NL East, slightly above the World Series champions Atlanta Braves. On their team, they have one of the most exciting, young players in baseball with Jazz Chisholm Jr, along with star pitchers Sandy Alcantara and Pablo Lopez.

While the Angels have always had highend talent with players like Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, they seem to finally be putting it together as they are fighting for the top spot in the AL West. One of the things that has stood out about them is their pitching, with Patrick Sandoval leading the way with no runs allowed through three starts. It is still early in the season, but if these teams can continue their success, they will be exciting additions to the playoffs.

Takeaway #4: Tommy John who?

Currently, the pitcher with the lowest WHIP (0.69), the top 15 ERA (1.93) and who has 31 strikeouts through five starts is 39-year old Justin Verlander. Verlander missed the entirety of the 2021 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. For most pitchers at this age, Tommy John surgery would likely end any chance of them providing high-end pitching. However, Verlander seems to be just fine.

Another pitcher who also made his return after missing the 2021 season due to Tommy John surgery, is 29-year old Angels pitcher Noah Syndergaard. Syndergaard is off to a great start with an ERA of 2.63, a WHIP of 0.96 and 14 strikeouts through four starts. Both players overcame a tough injury and seem to be in elite form. They are worth keeping an eye on for the remainder of the season to see if they can maintain this early success.

Takeaway #5: Fun, Young Players It is also worth mentioning some rookies that are taking the league by storm only a month into their MLB careers. Starting with Seiya Suzuki, the 27-year old rookie Cubs’ outfielder from Japan, has had a very good April. Through 26 games, Suzuki has a batting average of 0.253, an on base percentage of 0.365 and a slugging percentage of 0.483. Although he has cooled off as of late, all of this is very impressive, especially when considering that he is transitioning to MLB after playing in Japan for the majority of his career.

KATHERINE FRANKS / AGGIE Another player worth mentioning is Jeremy Peña, the rookie shortstop for the Houston Astros. With high expectations to replace Carlos Correa, Peña has delivered with six home runs — including a walkoff home run versus the Blue Jays — 15 RBI and a respectable OPS of 0.787 through 26 games.

Lastly, San Diego Padres’ rookie pitcher MacKenzie Gore has been phenomenal through his first four starts this season. With a 1.71 ERA, 22 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.190, Gore has done a good job filling in for the injured Blake Snell. These players have helped their teams succeed and look to keep this success moving forward.

Takeaway #6: MLB Baseball Situation One of the memorable moments from the MLB season so far did not come from a game.

Instead, during a post-game interview with Mets’ pitcher Chris Bassitt, Bassitt criticized the MLB for problems he has encountered with gripping the baseball. After seeing three of his teammates get hit by baseballs in a 3-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on April 26, Bassitt expressed his frustration. ”MLB has a very big problem with the baseballs… Everyone knows it… We’ve told them our problems with [the baseballs]. They don’t care,” Bassitt said.

Bassitt elaborated on his frustration with these baseballs, describing them as inconsistent from inning to inning and not allowing pitchers to get a grip.

“The first inning they’re decent,” he said.

“The third inning, they’re bad. The fourth inning, they’re OK… Everything’s different. There’s no common ground with the balls. There’s nothing the same, outing to outing.”

Through 20 games, Mets’ players have been hit by a baseball 19 times, the most in the league as of right now. There is a league wide concern for player safety. MLB is currently working to develop tackier baseballs, but it is unknown when these baseballs will make their way into regular season play. One can only hope that these issues will not persist throughout the rest of the 2022 MLB season.

Takeaway #7: All-Time Low Hitting Another league wide issue throughout the first month of the regular season were all-time low hitting numbers. Specifically, this year MLB has all-time lows in batting average and hits per game. It is still early in the season, but if these trends continue, it would be one of the worst offensive seasons in MLB history. This is a problem because when teams hit the ball more and score more runs, this leads to a more exciting on-field product. Some speculate that this could be the result of a shortened offseason but will improve as the year goes along. There is also some hope that this issue can be fixed by next year, as MLB plans to implement a pitch clock and a ban on infield defensive shifts for the 2023 MLB season. However, baseball fans must be aware that this season could be one of the worst offensive seasons in MLB history.

While there is still a lot of baseball yet to be played this season, April was an entertaining start for the 2022 MLB season. Considering that there were concerns on whether there would even be a full season this year due to the lockout, April was likely a treat for baseball fans. With so many storylines already and a long season ahead, it makes many fans excited to see how the rest of this season will unfold.