June 2, 2022

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VOLUME 140, ISSUE 30 | THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2022

DAVIS PRIDE, BOARD LGBTQIA+ RESOURCE IN LOVING MEMORY CENTER HOST EVENTS THROUGHOUT MAY, INTO JUNE IN HONOR OF PRIDE MONTH

ILLUSTRATION BY PRISCILA JIMÉNEZ CORRALES

Board members share their perspectives on Pride celebrations, planning the first Pride Festival on campus and goals for future years

ENGLISH GRADUATE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES CITE THE UNIVERSITY AS PUTTING UP UNNECESSARY BARRIERS CHRISTINA LIU/ AGGIE

BY MALERIE HURLEY features@theaggie.org If you were near Dunloe Brewing Co. on the warm evening of May 21, you would have heard an outpour of cheers from a large group of Davis students tucked into the back patio of the bar.

On a small makeshift stage, drag performers donning exuberant clothing and makeup performed in celebration of the Pride Month festivities put on by the LGBTQIA+ Resource Center.

Students in the crowd were ecstatic, applauding the performers’ joy and the art of drag and singing along with as much intensity as those onstage. The event was one of the many that the LGBTQIA+

Resource Center has put on throughout May, which is Pride Month at UC Davis, to give visibility and celebrate LGBTQ+ joy among Davis students. This year, UC Davis’ Pride Month will conclude with the first-ever Pride Festival on campus, set to take place on June 3. This festival will come at the tail-end of Pride on campus, but it will kick off nationally-recognized Pride Month, held in June.

While Pride is commonly thought of as a celebration of queer and trans love and identity, it has its roots in protest and rebellion against the oppressive social norms that rendered LGBTQ+ people to the margins of society throughout history.

PRIDE on 7

THE MENSTRUAL EQUITY FOR ALL ACT GIVES STUDENTS ACCESS TO FREE MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS ON CAMPUS

The Pantry also supplies menstrual products to students, faculty and staff

BY KRISTIN TRENT campus@theaggie.org Beginning in October 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB-367, also known as the Menstrual Equity for All Act of 2021. The bill specifically requires that sixth through 12th grade public schools in California with 40% of the student population at or below the poverty line supply half of all bathrooms with menstrual products, including at least one men’s bathroom per school. Furthermore, the bill encourages the UC Regents, private universities, colleges and institutions of higher learning to stock an adequate supply of free menstrual products at a minimum of one central location.

UC Davis has followed these guidelines, installing dispensers with pads and tampons during fall quarter 2021. The dispensers are located in 23 campus restrooms including those at Wellman Hall, the Memorial Union, the CoHo, Bainer Hall and Giedt Hall.

Montserrat Morales, a fourth-year psychology major, said she remembers the first time she saw the dispensers in the bathrooms.

Morales felt that having access to menstrual products on campus made her feel more protected if she forgot her own at home.

“You have to rely on other girls [for menstrual supplies] sometimes, but with the dispensers I know I’m covered,” Morales said.

Because the dispensers are not campus-wide, Morales suggested having QR codes in bathroom stalls that list other restrooms with menstrual products available.

Students, faculty and staff can also access free menstrual products at The Pantry.

According to Operations Manager Ian Lawrence, The Pantry goes through 296 pads everyday. Data collected in the fall shows that The Pantry supplied 22,200 pads over the course of two and a half months.

As a result of the demand for menstrual products, Senate Bill

KELLIE LU/ AGGIE #77 was passed on May 4, 2022, allocating an additional $3,767.52 from Senate reserves to purchase more menstrual products.

The bill cites the impact period poverty — the lack of access to menstrual products, hygiene facilities, waste management and education — can have on students’ educational success. With as many as 1 in 10 college students lacking the funds to afford menstrual products monthly, period poverty is prevalent on college campuses.

Furthermore, as many as 1 in 4 teens have missed class due to period poverty, so students with limited access to menstruation supplies may also experience decreased academic performance.

Insubstantial resources can lead to poor mental health and leave menstruators resorting to unhygienic alternatives.

According to Viet-Long Nguyen, the external affairs manager, The Pantry previously relied on cash donations, and passing the Senate bill will allow them to more reliably supply students, faculty and staff with these necessities.

All students, faculty and staff are eligible to get menstrual products regardless of their income or perceived need at The Pantry, according to Nguyen. Students or employees can show their respective IDs to access The Pantry’s resources.

UC DAVIS TO HOLD 29TH ANNUAL PRODUCTION SALE The annual Horse Barn sale returns in person this June, with hybrid formatting options available

BY ANGELINA ANGELO campus@theaggie.org The UC Davis Horse Barn plans to hold their 29th annual production sale on Saturday, June 18. While this event is back in person this year, there are also options for bidders to use an online platform to participate.

As seen in the official catalog, there are 10 horses up for auction this year. The auction is set to begin at 6 p.m. after a live sale preview and barbeque. Annual online bidding this year will take place through the online service ShowWorks.

All of the horses up for auction have been trained by Horse Barn interns, under the supervision of Barn Manager Kelli Davis.

The mare and foal management internship allows students to train these yearlings to be ready for auction.

The yearlings are trained in tie and standing for grooming, farrier work, bathing and clipping. They also have been exposed to large crowds and trailers, for instance, by participating in the 2022 Picnic Day, and are trained in basic groundwork exercises.

“We are excited to present a well-rounded and diverse group of yearlings at this year’s sale,” said Bailey Abi-Nader, a horse barn resident and a fourth-year animal science major.

This year, according to the sale catalog, there are a total of 12 interns. More information on the different internships, residencies

Horse barn. (Claire Diepenbrock / Aggie) and how to get involved are available on the website.

Many of the interns expressed excitement about and pride for this year’s horses.

“I’m excited to see all of our hard work that we put into these horses to be shown,” said Katie Anoskey, a mare and foal manager and a fourth-year animal science major.

Keeley Poloni, another mare and foal manager and a secondyear animal science major, shared similar sentiments.

“I’m ecstatic to see how much these horses have grown throughout the past six months of training and where they will go in the future,” Poloni said.

Multiple application processes for requesting accommodations have impacted graduate students with disabilities in their studies and employment

Voorhies Hall. (Quinn Spooner/Aggie)

BY KATHLEEN QUINN campus@theaggie.org Graduate students with disabilities have expressed frustration over the process of seeking accommodations at UC Davis.

Heather Ringo, a second-year Ph.D. candidate in English, requested remote learning accommodations. After her accommodation was approved by the Student Disability Center (SDC), one of her professors refused to implement it, according to Ringo.

“It’s basically poisoned the well for me,” Ringo said. “I literally depend on them for my recommendations, and now I’m in this contentious situation and they’re denying my rights.”

Jennifer Billeci, the director of the SDC at UC Davis, said that she was not aware of any outstanding complaints that have come to their office, but encouraged students who have concerns to contact them.

Ringo said that, in her experience, the amount of work necessary to get remote accommodation weeds out students with disabilities in graduate programs.

One of the main barriers is the process of applying to the SDC and Disability Management Services (DMS), according to Emily Breuninger, a Ph.D. candidate in sociology who worked with students with disabilities to file grievances through UAW 2865, the graduate student union.

“There’s this separation between SDC and DMS so they’re always applying twice for everything,” Breuninger said.

SDC does not coordinate with DMS, the office that addresses employee accommodations. Instead, they will refer a student to DMS upon the request of the student.

“Accommodations are made on an individualized basis, tied to the student’s functional limitation,” Billeci said. “You have a different role as a student than you have as an employee and different factors to consider.”

DMS has a separate process for requesting remote accommodations as a teaching assistant. All other requests go through the graduate student’s supervisor, such as a chair or instructor, according to DMS Director Elizabeth Hammond Delo.

Claire Waters, the chair of the English department at UC Davis, said that one of the concerns she heard from students was that people did not request accommodations because the process was frustrating.

Billeci said that the SDC’s focus is to provide quick access to accommodations for students. Long-term concerns are addressed by the university through a committee that includes SDC and DMS. “I know that we do not have a particularly accessible campus in general,” Waters said. “But I would say within the constraints, I think the [SDC and DMS] did a good job.”

Delanie Harrington Dummit, a second-year Ph.D. student in the English department, who identifies as hard of hearing, said that she had mostly positive experiences with accommodations within her department.

“A lot of that is that deafness is a little easier for people to grasp than other disabilities and chronic illnesses,” Dummit said.

Breuninger said that she started to understand the issues associated with receiving accommodations better once she started handling grievances as part of her work with the union.

“The school imposes these things, and there is no mode of recourse,” Breuninger said. “I’ve seen graduate students leave their programs. That’s the saddest part, usually, folks end up getting pushed out because everywhere they turn it’s like impossible, it’s a constant fight.”

The Planned Educational Leave Program (PELP) is a program for students to temporarily suspend their academic work at UC Davis. Breuninger said that during the pandemic the university repeatedly mentioned the PELP program as an option for students who have struggled to get an accommodation request approved.

Ringo said she has concerns that her efforts toward getting accommodations have jeopardized her chances of receiving fair treatment within her department.

Ringo’s Ph.D. program requires her to be evaluated by leaders in her department, and she said that after raising such complaints, the committee to evaluate her preliminary exam was restructured due to objectivity concerns.

GRADACCOMMODATIONS on 7

2 | THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2022

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

SACRAMENTO, YOLO WOODLAND OPENS COUNTY AIM TO COVID-19 TEST-TOMAKING VOTING TREAT SITE new site will provide prescriptions for antiviral ACCESSIBLE TO ALL The medication if necessary WHO ARE ELIGIBLE KATHERINE FRANKS / AGGIE

With the California primary election coming up on June 7, The Aggie explores accessible voting options for voters with disabilities and discusses how county officials are attempting to increase voter turnout

BY RACHEL SHEY city@theaggie.org

CHRISTINA LIU / AGGIE

BY LEVI GOLDSTEIN city@theaggie.org The California primary election mail-in ballots have been delivered and ballot drop boxes are open. But the turnout of voters ages 18 to 24 was lowest compared to other age groups in the 2020 presidential election, according to a press release from the U.S. Census Bureau. The percentage of UC Davis students who vote in ASUCD elections is even lower.

With this in mind, The Aggie spoke to Yolo County and Sacramento County officials to discuss how they are working to make voting accessible for all and increase voter turnout in the greater Sacramento area.

Student voters are highly valued, with the Yolo County Elections Office installing a permanent drop box on campus on April 19 this year. In addition, according to Jesse Salinas, Yolo County’s chief election officer, a voting center will be open in the ARC Ballroom from June 4 to 6 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., as well as on Election Day, June 7, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m..

Yolo County aims to make voting more accessible for all county residents, Salinas said.

Yolo fully transitioned to be a Voter’s Choice Act county this year, according to Salinas, meaning voters can cast their ballots however they want, in-person or by mail, and at any polling place in the county. Every voter was mailed a ballot despite what they listed as their voting preference when they registered. Moreover, Yolo will have three voting centers open for a full 11 days starting on May 28, including one in Davis at the Veterans Memorial Center at 203 E. 14th St. Yolo County also recently started a mobile voting service center for remote communities.

“We can bring democracy out to voters that may not be able to make it into a bigger city that we have our vote centers located at,” Salinas said.

Barriers to access for students with disabilities on the UC Davis campus are an ongoing issue,

and it is the same for voting access across the country. Yolo County provides alternative voting options to ensure voters with disabilities can cast their ballots.

At polling places, there are machines with touchscreens with a variety of font options, audio listening and a joystick for navigation. There is also curbside voting where the polling staff can come to you in your car. If a person needs additional assistance, they can contact the office to arrange a remote vote by mail option.

For Sacramento County, the S​acramento County Voter Registration & Elections department works with a citizen Voter Accessibility Advisory Committee to ensure voters with disabilities have access to election materials and a Language Accessibility Advisory Committee to ensure voters who speak other languages have access, according to Janna Haynes, a county public information officer.

“Our registrar of voters is very available to people for feedback and to talk through the latitude that we have based on election code,” Haynes said. “Some things the election code dictates that we don’t have any say in and other things we do have the opportunity to change based on the needs of our county. We are in a constant dialogue with our constituents.”

Options for voters with disabilities in Sacramento also include touch screen machines at voting centers. Voters can also request to use a more accessible website to vote at home.

According to Haynes, in terms of language accessibility, the U.S. federal government requires that ballots are written in Spanish and Chinese in addition to English. Counties can add additional languages as needed.

“This is our first election adding Vietnamese because we received quite a few requests from our constituents for Vietnamese,” Haynes said. “We also do have the ability to print out ballots at our vote centers in other languages.”

VOTINGACCESS on 7

Yolo County recently opened its first “testto-treat site” in Woodland, located near the OptumServe testing site at 2780 E Gibson Road.

The new site allows Yolo County residents to take a rapid antigen test and potentially receive a prescription for the antiviral medication, Paxlovid, according to Yolo County Public Information Officer John Fout.

“Residents can walk in, take a rapid antigen test and get their results back,” Fout said. “If they test positive and have symptoms, they can get screened by the nurse to find out more about them and then they do a telehealth call with a doctor, and about an hour later they can walk out with five days worth of pills, which is the amount they would take to finish the series.”

Paxlovid is the most effective antiCOVID-19 treatment that the county currently has, Fout said. It must be prescribed by a licensed health care provider.

“If you take Paxlovid within the first five days of symptoms, it has 90% efficacy to reduce the risk of hospitalization or worse outcomes,” Fout said. “It is specifically meant to be for anybody who is over the age of 65 or anybody with specific health issues.”

Paxlovid consists of two different drugs taken together, according to the Food and Drug Administration. A clinical trial showed that the drug reduced the proportion of people who were hospitalized or died from COVID-19 by 88%.

“Paxlovid consists of nirmatrelvir, which inhibits a SARS-CoV-2 protein to stop the virus from replicating, and ritonavir, which slows down nirmatrelvir’s breakdown to help it remain in the body for a longer period at higher concentrations,” the website reads.

Due to a shortage, Paxlovid use is being

restricted only to those at high risk for hospitalization from COVID-19. This shortage is caused by a lack of the reagents used to make the drugs, according to medicinal chemist Derek Lowe. “...making DIBOC [a reagent needed to make Paxlovid] needs… another reagent called sodium t-butoxide,” Lowe wrote in a blog post for Science. “But to make that, you need t-butanol and sodium metal, and it turns out that there is, of all things, a bottleneck for sodium t-butoxide because there’s not quite enough sodium to go around.”

Thanks to the new test-to-treat site, it’s still easy to get free Paxlovid if you are eligible, Fout said. The site is designed to help Yolo County residents get access to Paxlovid during the window in which they are still eligible to take it.

“One of the things that’s important is that it’s free, both the testing and the treatments, and you don’t need to have health insurance of any kind,” Fout said. “Part of the issue is that people can’t immediately get an appointment, either for testing or with their doctor. That kind of delay can be really critical to make sure the treatment is taken within the five day period. That’s why this is such a nice important option for people to be able to utilize.”

Although COVID-19 cases are on the rise, heartening news comes in the form of Yolo County’s low hospitalization rate. Since there are now many effective treatments for COVID-19, the burden to the county healthcare system is reduced, and it seems unlikely that mask mandates will return, according to Fout.

“We have seen cases rising, we have seen testing positivity rates rise, but what we’re still seeing, which has been consistent with these newer variants of Omicron, is that the symptoms are relatively mild and most people aren’t winding up in the hospital, and our hospitalization rates are very low,” Fout said.

YOLO COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION ACCEPTS JAMES B. MCCLATCHY FOUNDATION GRANT The $100,000 grant will go toward civic engagement in Yolo County schools KATHERINE FRANKS / AGGIE

BY SOFIA BIREN city@theaggie.org

UCAL.US/VOTE

On April 28, Yolo County announced that its Office of Education had accepted a $100,000 grant from the James B. McClatchy Foundation to build civic engagement among its students.

This grant was received in conjunction with the Yolo County Youth Civic Initiative (YCYCI), which helps foster student engagement in the local community.

The James B. McClatchy Foundation was founded in 1994 by Susan and James B. McClatchy to help support English learner students and foster the First Amendment in the Central Valley. However, it eventually grew to include an expansion of this First Amendment ambition to support local journalism and civic engagement, especially in underserved communities. It was originally called the Central Valley Foundation, but after the passing of James B. McClatchy, the name was changed in 2019.

The Yolo County Office of Education will use the money toward youth engagement initiatives within the county. In a press release, the county said that the “YCYCI will utilize the new cycle of funding to create and build curriculum modules for 12th grade government courses in Yolo County, to be focused on interacting with local government and developing media literacy.”

The vision of the YCYCI aligns directly with the vision of the James B. McClatchy Foundation to foster civic engagement in communities. The Yolo County Office of Education was one of 25 recipients of the grant and serves public schools within the county. According to their website, the YCYCI since its inception in 2017 aimed to “increase civic engagement by building teacher and student awareness and understanding, connecting youth involvement in the civic process

with the end result of creating, promoting, and enhancing school and community improvement of efforts.”

In 2020, the YCYCI was awarded a LIFT Grant, partly funded by the James B. McClatchy Foundation to raise awareness about the First Amendment. Additionally, the YCYCI is working with the History Project at UC Davis to help teachers engage with their students.

In a press release, Garth Lewis, the Yolo County superintendent of schools, said that Yolo County will always value civic education.

“In Yolo County, we continue to prioritize the importance of civic participation from youth,” Lewis said. “We are grateful to the James B. McClatchy Foundation for their continued support which allows us to connect local youth to the civic process in our schools.”

In 2005, James B. McClatchy said, “As time goes by, I hope this organization will continue to fight to protect the dreams and hopes of ordinary people.” The YCYCI has done that since its inception in 2017 with the help of funds provided from the James B. McClatchy Foundation. Yolo County students, with the help of the generosity of the foundation, have attended the Youth Empowerment Summit, have been acknowledged by the Latino Policy Bootcamp and have also engaged with the community regarding voting.

Grants are essential to many school districts beyond Yolo County. Lucy Soriano, an LAUSD teacher, said that projects and initiatives like these keep students engaged.

“Grants are really appreciated by teachers because it allows teachers to expand the classroom in a more engaging way,” Soriano said.

“Grants like these are especially helpful for the student because it gives them the resources they need to develop important skills they wouldn’t

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

ARTS & CULTURE

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2022 | 3

COMMENTARY: DISINGENUITY IN DIVERSITY REVERSES REPRESENTATION EFFORTS IN FILM AND ENTERTAINMENT The industry’s forced depiction of diversity proves to be more damaging for marginalized communities than a lack of it

BY SUN YIE arts@theaggie.org

KATHERINE FRANKS / AGGIE Retconning, also known as retroactive continuity, is a term used to describe creators who retroactively add details that alter fundamental elements of their work; for instance, they might revive a dead character, add details that solve gaping plot holes or address other illogical discontinuities. However, some creators, like J.K. Rowling, might retcon their work to shoehorn in disingenuous representations of diversity to

pander to their audience, causing more damage to marginalized communities through their forced attempts of representation than the harm caused by the lack of it.

In 2007, Rowling sent fans reeling when she declared in an interview that the beloved, wise wizard Dumbledore of her “Harry Potter” series was gay. While a few fans interpreted this information to mean that Rowling would include more diversity in her work going forward, most were outraged by her performative activism and blatant queerbaiting. Though Rowling justified the dubiousness of this choice by claiming that her series was told through Harry Potter’s lens, thus making Dumbledore’s sexuality entirely possible, many fans retorted that there could have been queer relationships among students as well, especially during the Yule Ball, the wizardworld version of prom. This drove fans to claim that Rowling’s retconning had given her the space to act as an ally for marginalized communities without losing her profits, since none of this socalled allyship has been legitimized in her actual works — at least, not until her most recent work, “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.”

Rowling’s latest film begins with a younger Dumbledore locked in a battle with a younger

Grindelwald, the wizarding crime-lord who wants to rid the world of Muggles, or non-wizards.

While the two exchange magical battle spells, Dumbledore declares, “I was in love with you,” and then the screen cuts to Newt Scamander, the protagonist of the “Fantastic Beasts” series.

Dumbledore’s grand proclamation of love lasts a total of five seconds on-screen, an accurate exhibit of Rowling and the Warner Brothers’ idea of adequate diversity and queer representation.

Even worse than forcing these fragments of representation, though, is the fact that the Warner Brothers have admitted to erasing more scenes that would have supported Dumbledore and Grindelwald’s romantic relationship. They claimed to have done so to appease their Chinese audience, demonstrating their desire for profit at the cost of queer erasure. Considering Rowling’s ties to the Warner Brothers, this erasure makes her claims of allyship even more disingenuous and performative, demonstrating the growing need for the media industry to spotlight creators who represent marginalized communities in a healthy way.

This erasure of queer representation by Rowling and the Warners Brothers has been mirrored by other streaming companies, like

Netflix and Hulu, and bigger film franchises, like Star Wars and Marvel. Take, for instance, the unnamed Resistance fighter pilot couple who shared a kiss in “The Rise of Skywalker” that was so brief, it might have been missed by a blink. From the same franchise, Finn, one of the trilogy’s protagonists played by John Boyega, was erased from movie posters that were advertised to Chinese audiences and subsequently marginalized throughout the rest of the trilogy.

Likewise, in his own series on Disney Plus, Loki had been confirmed to be bisexual, but the possibility of exploring his fluid sexuality was soon after abandoned by the showrunner.

By providing their audience with these breadcrumbs of acknowledgement to these marginalized communities, the entertainment industry is able to continue garnering praise while maintaining these hollow acts of inclusivity. Though there has been an increase in well-written, constructive portrayals of queer and other marginalized communities, such as “Steven Universe,” “Sex Education” and “Heartstopper,” these shows are few and far between. The truth remains that the entertainment industry still has much more room to grow in terms of adopting real methods of change in the name of diversity.

THERE’S ROOM IN THE WORLD TO LOVE BOTH A BOOK AND ITS MOVIE ADAPTATIONS Both artforms work together in their own unique ways to convey the intended meaning of the story

BY CLARA FISCHER arts@theaggie.org

AMY YU / AGGIE

There are certain things that are just universally agreed on — the sky is blue, the sun will rise and “Cats” (2020) was a terrible movie.

However, a topic that could not be more filled with hot takes even if it tried is the age-old argument over whether a book or its cinematic counterpart is better.

One example that comes to mind as having a particularly viciously divided fanbase over this subject is the beloved YA series, “Harry Potter,” penned by its equally divisive author, J.K. Rowling. The first installment in the literary series hit shelves in 1997, almost immediately becoming a classic. After its initial success,

the books were elevated from their status of bestselling series to total cultural phenomenon with the inception of their movie adaptations.

Both the books and the movies experienced immense success, and one could even go so far as to say that the “Harry Potter cinematic universe” has become a force of its own, existing independently from the books. However, many die-hard Harry Potter fans (otherwise known as “Potterheads”) maintain the firm stance that the books contain key details and elements that contribute to the Wizarding World in such a way that cinema simply cannot.

Now, this is probably a good time to confess

that I hadn’t been exposed to the Harry Potter series until as recently as last summer, so I may not be considered a true, original fan of Rowling’s work.

However, the movies were able to pull me in and capture my devotion from the very first viewing — which is more than I can say for the copy of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” that I picked up in the third grade. I was a huge bookworm (arguably the world’s biggest) and Rowling’s writing just didn’t manage to reach me in the same way that Danielle Radcliffe and the rest of the cinematic cast were able to.

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WHY EVERY VEGAN COLLEGE STUDENT SHOULD HAVE CANNED CHICKPEAS IN THEIR CUPBOARD Plus some college-friendly recipes that anyone can try

BY CORALIE LOON arts@theaggie.org KELLIE LU / AGGIE

The most common rumors surrounding a plant-based (or plant-heavy) diet often break down to a few main points: vegan or vegetarian food is either too expensive, time-consuming or lacking in nutritional value. Of course, any diet can be any of these things, depending on your purchasing and lifestyle habits. But veggie alternatives to meat products don’t have to be expensive or inconvenient.

For college students in particular, affordability and convenience are some of the most important traits of a good diet. As someone who started their college experience as a fairly fresh vegetarian, I’ve often felt simultaneously unsatisfied with the limited on-campus options and too overwhelmed or exhausted to cook a full meal.

That is, until I discovered canned chickpeas.

When it came to other types of beans such as pinto, black beans or kidney beans, I viewed them as necessary but not particularly enjoyable.

For a non-bean-lover, chickpeas changed the game, tasting more like a nutty, oversized lentil than a bean.

Chickpeas, also referred to as garbanzo beans, are a high-protein legume that offer many health benefits. As well as containing 14.5 grams of protein per 1 cup serving, they also supply hearty amounts of fiber, manganese, vitamin B9, copper and iron. Having chickpeas in your diet would make it harder for vegan-skeptics to question whether or not you’re getting enough nutrients.

Chickpeas can be purchased either raw or pre-cooked, coming in a canned or boxed form.

While cooking your own chickpeas from scratch might sound like a nice, leisurely night to some, it certainly isn’t the most practical way to go, especially if you’re a college student.

Sure, the canning process may slightly reduce the protein content of beans, but the ease and convenience of going the canned way outweighs any slight losses. A 15.5 oz can of chickpeas can be between $1 to $1.50 per can, a bargain compared to meaty alternatives.

Open Nature organic ground beef, for example, is $6.99 for 84 grams of protein, which is about 12 grams of protein per dollar. Safeway’s organic canned chickpeas, on the other hand, cost $1.69 for 24.5 grams of protein, which is about 14.5 grams of protein per dollar. Even for calories, organic chickpeas outpace organic beef with 249 calories per dollar (compared to beef ’s 132).

In terms of nutrition and cost, canned chickpeas check every box. They are also deliciously versatile and surprisingly easy to prepare (partially because they come ready to eat). Chickpeas, either whole or mashed, can be used as a replacement for almost any meat product in a recipe.

For those looking for specific recipes, here are a few of my favorites: Jessica in the Kitchen’s “Curried Chickpea Salad” can be eaten alone or turned into a filling sandwich.

This Apricot, Almond & Chickpea Tagine from Hello Fresh is a delicious and flavorful dish for those with a bit more time on their hands.

Crispy toasted chickpeas (from Love & Lemons) can add spunk to any salad, wrap or rice bowl, or be eaten on their own as a crunchy snack.

On a cold day, Good Faith Fitness’ Creamy Chickpea Curry is a warm and comforting treat.

For those interested in my favorite dish, a hearty chickpea pasta sauce, keep reading for a personal recipe.

While there are hundreds of chickpea recipes around the internet to try, one of my favorite things to do is create my own recipes, using chickpeas to alter the dishes I grew up eating or invent new ones. At the same time, as a college student, sometimes I need a simple and reliable recipe that will just do the bare minimum. For both of these reasons, canned chickpeas deserve much more love and appreciation, from veggielovers and meat eaters alike.

CHICKPEAS on 7

BY ANGIE CUMMINGS arts@theaggie.org TV Show: “The Night Manager” (2016) With just one season, this show can be a quick weekend binge — you just need to devote about six hours to some serious (and very British) drama, romance, scandal and other spy-esque stuff. The main character is a hotel manager turned spy named Johnathan Pine (played by Tom Hiddleston) who must infiltrate the inner circle of an international arms dealer — during which he becomes well-acquainted with said arms dealer’s girlfriend, Jed Marshall (played by the effervescent Elizabeth Debicki).

Sure, Hiddleston is a good actor and everything, all 6’1” of him, but the true gem of this whole cast is Debicki (all 6’3” of her). At this point I should divulge the way I discovered this show: it was way back in 2017 when I searched up Debicki’s filmography and found out that this whole show was available on Amazon Prime! Even if you’re not familiar with Debicki and her always-mesmerizing performances — whether it’s in a serious drama like this one or her stellar voice acting in “Peter Rabbit” — “The Night Manager” is a fun and exciting story with good chemistry and complex characters.

Movie: “Vita & Virginia” dir. by Chanya Button (2018) This slightly cheesy and seemingly low-budget film is nonetheless a beautiful retelling of the whirlwind romance between famed writer Virginia Woolf and socialite/less-famous author, Vita Sackville-West.

Surprise! Virginia is played by none other than Elizabeth Debicki. To me, no performance of Virginia Woolf comes anywhere close to Debicki’s (apologies to Nicole Kidman and her prosthetic nose in “The Hours”). In addition to learning an incredibly important part of literary history, and honoring the creative prowess of Woolf while acknowledging her struggles, this movie might make you want to pick up a book and feel moved. Bonus: it’s a movie about women, directed and written by a woman, so even if it is a little cheesy, it’s never painful to watch.

Book: “Orlando: A Biography” by Virginia Woolf (1928) Can you guess why I read this book? Yes, I was heavily inspired after watching “Vita & Virginia.” One fun little thing this book does right off the bat is lie — this is, in fact, a fictitious novel and not a biography of a real person. Yet again, while the character of Orlando is technically made up by Woolf, the basis of the character comes entirely from her deep understanding and careful studying (and interviewing of ) her lover Vita Sackville-West. It follows the life and adventures of Orlando, who reappears across the centuries as a man and a woman at different times in life. The book has been praised as a classic piece of feminist and queer literature, and having the (false) idea in your head that Elizabeth Debicki wrote the book only makes the reading experience that much better.

Song: “Dear Angie” by Badfinger (1970) Here, sadly, is where we depart from this Culture Corner’s theme… and move onto another topic (my own name). This is truly a great song about what one could only imagine is a truly stellar girl. Besides the obvious appeal of the name in the title of this song, it catches your ears with its smooth classic rock feel and keeps you engaged with a cute love letter. Give it a listen and consider finding yourself an Angie of your own to feel this strongly about.

4 | THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2022

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

SCIENCE AND TECH FIRST EVER ROBOTICALLY-ASSISTED BRONCHOSCOPY PERFORMED BY UC DAVIS HEALTH PHYSICIANS Combining bronchoscopy and surgical platforms through robotic technology allows for quicker diagnosis and treatment for lung cancer patients

BY BRANDON NGUYEN science@theaggie.org For the first time, physicians at UC Davis Health performed a robotically-assisted bronchoscopy, a procedure that examines lungs, for diagnosis and treatment of a lung cancer nodule within one operation.

Dr. Chinh Phan, an interventional pulmonologist at UC Davis Health, described the general procedure for a bronchoscopy.

“A bronchoscopy is basically a camera that you insert either through the nose or through a patient’s mouth that you can use as a diagnostic or therapeutic tool, depending on the abnormality,” Phan said. “So it essentially is a scope with a camera at the end. And recently in 2018 and 2019, the evolution of bronchoscopy has shifted towards robotic assistive technology.”

Conventionally, a patient would set up an appointment with a physician for a biopsy and bronchoscopy, which would take a few weeks before the results return. In addition, results might indicate the need for surgery, which must be booked weeks in advance. The roboticallyassisted bronchoscopy procedure removes the extra waiting time and creates a one-stop shop for both diagnosis and surgical removal of any abnormalities, all in one visit.

A huge landmark lung cancer trial over a decade ago revealed that low dose CT scans enabled earlier diagnosis of lung cancers, leading to a 20% reduction in mortality and extended life from an average of 50 to 80 years old, according to Phan. To treat earlier stages of lung cancers, which often took on the form of smaller masses, new intricate technology was needed.

“Here’s the problem: because we pick up these lung cancers sooner, that means that these lesions are a lot smaller — we’re talking millimeters,” Phan said. “The older technology for diagnosing or to biopsy the lesion was difficult, using the traditional methods with the old sprocket scopes.

Now this newer technology allows us to be more precise and get to these lesions safer and more efficiently.”

Aside from reducing patients’ anxiety during unnecessarily prolonged waiting times, this new approach has undoubtedly become the solution for enhanced precision and safety. Dr. Luis Godoy, a thoracic surgeon at UC Davis Health, underscored the significance of this procedure incorporating robotic assistance.

“The uniqueness of what Dr. Phan and I did was that we were able to combine both robotic approaches, the robotic bronchoscopy platform and the robotic surgery platform, in order to diagnose and stage the patient and then ultimately treat the patient, all within one single anesthetic event,” Godoy said.

The robotically-assisted bronchoscopy procedure uses a platform called the Ion Endoluminal Platform by Intuitive. The hightech system creates a 3D map of the patient’s lungs using a CT scan. According to Godoy,

Dr. Phan (left) and Dr. Godoy (right) practice new robotic-assisted bronchoscopy procedure. (UC Davis Health / Courtesy) the software then generates the safest and most efficient route through the lung to the nodule or mass. Once the most optimal route is determined, Phan would guide an ultrathin and ultra-maneuverable catheter to the site of the lung nodule or mass, where it is marked and biopsied with precision and stability. Lymph nodes are also biopsied during the same procedure and samples are evaluated on-site, all of which are completed within as little as 45 minutes.

If the lung nodule is determined to be an early-stage cancer, the surgical team led by Godoy uses the same navigational route to mark the area with dye to prepare for its removal. Then, the patient, still asleep, has a second robotic procedure using a platform called the Da Vinci Robotic System to remove the lung cancer mass on the same day.

“Dr. Phan was able to use the navigational robotic bronchoscopy to biopsy the lung nodule, confirm the cancer stage of the patient, and then I was able to do a lobectomy where I essentially remove the entire upper lobe of the right lung,”

Godoy said. “We were able to do that all within a matter of hours and the patient went home the next day less than 24 hours later. I think that that’s one of the benefits of using the robotic system, which allows us to perform this complex operation minimally invasively and allows us to ultimately provide better care for the patients and get them home sooner with less pain than traditional open surgeries.”

Dr. Bahareh Nejad, the medical director of robotic surgery at UC Davis Health, echoed the sentiments of Godoy and Phan on how robotic assistance platforms have revolutionized interventional pulmonology.

“Innovations such as the robotic bronchoscopy platform are patient care at the absolute highest level, from diagnosis to treatment with a multidisciplinary team approach,” Nejad said. “We are excited to facilitate more growth with robotic surgery in our Robotics Program to make patient treatment better and more efficient.”

With the advent of successful robotic

technologies, Godoy envisioned the continual rise in robotically-assisted procedures.

“I think in the future we’re going to be seeing a lot more of these procedures that are going to ultimately decrease that time from the moment that the patient gets diagnosed with a lung module to performing the diagnostic steps and ultimately the surgical treatment of their lung cancer in a shorter period of time,” Godoy said.

“This patient I just saw in the clinic this past Wednesday was doing great; his recovery was phenomenal. He and his wife, who live six hours away, actually reported that they were so happy that they didn’t have to wait weeks, worrying and being anxious about their lung nodule and whether it was cancerous or not.”

Post-operatively, Godoy hoped to be able to extend and offer combined procedures such as the robotically-assisted bronchoscopy to patients who live remotely in order to expedite and enhance accessibility of treatment options.

GARDENING IMPROVES MENTAL, PHYSICAL HEALTH DURING THE PANDEMIC UC Davis conducted a survey that suggests increasing the number of green spaces for urban farming can be helpful

BY MONICA MANMADKAR science@theaggie.org Gardening has always been a refuge for people to rely on in moments of crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic was not dissimilar. In a global survey conducted by UC Davis and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR), researchers collected stories from old and new gardeners who looked at the green spaces around them to find comfort from stress and escape the barrage of negative news from the media.

In uncertain times dominated by lockdowns and deaths, gardening and plants have provided certainty and a positive daily routine for many. According to the survey, people who never gardened before tried to give it a shot and enjoyed it. Experienced gardeners felt that their lifetime passion offered a reliable way out the pandemic.

The survey found that gardeners valued many things about their gardens. For many, gardening was therapeutic, offering a reprieve

CHRISTINA LIU / AGGIE

from the stress of the pandemic. Other gardeners observed that their gardens had become a place where they could safely socialize.

“Sometimes family members who hadn’t been interested in gardening before, now joined in caring for the garden,” said Lucy Diekmann, an urban agriculture and food systems advisor with UC ANR who helped write the report, via email. “For others, gardens became a place to engage with neighbors, and food production was another common theme, with gardeners interested in growing more food for themselves and to share with their communities.”

Diekmann explained how the members of their research team were curious about the apparent boom in gardening in the very early months of the pandemic.

“We pulled together quickly to develop a survey that we hoped would capture a broad snapshot of gardeners’ experiences in the pandemic and give us a better understanding of the pandemic

gardening phenomenon,” Diekmann said. “As researchers, each of us had studied different aspects of gardening before — its impacts on health, food security, social connection — and we were also curious to see how these aspects of gardening played out in the context of a global pandemic.”

Alessandro Ossola, an assistant professor of urban plant sciences in the Department of Plant Science at UC Davis, explained the main three results from the social survey. First, most respondents were middle-aged females from an educated background. However, many young people tried to garden for their first time, suggesting that urban agriculture still has the potential to entice younger generations.

“Unfortunately, people from more disadvantaged backgrounds did not reply to the survey, possibly because they did not engage with gardening or because [they] were worried about how to find jobs during layoffs,” Ossola said via email.

Second, the researchers found that the most important reasons for gardening were to better connect with nature and escape from daily stress. The garden became “a refuge, where even birds felt louder,” as put by one of the respondents.

Connection to nature, relaxation and stress relief were by far the biggest reasons gardeners cited. Some of them did this alone in their backyards and balconies. Others saw gardening as an opportunity to socialize and connect safely in community and allotment gardens. In several instances, people reported that they convinced family members and friends to try gardening in a sort of collective movement and shared positive experiences to cope with the COVID uncertainties.

Third, a few gardeners were moved by altruistic reasons. As stated by a home gardener from Stockton, CA, “since I have five acres, I realized that I could supply some food needs for my community, if there was a great need for it. I never really thought about doing that before.” Ossola detailed how the pandemic changed people often in positive ways and gardening enabled that.

“Our findings reinforce recent research evidence on the incredible benefits that urban nature and greenspaces can have on individuals and communities; personal well-being, public health benefits and environmental awareness,” Ossola said.

Given the benefits of gardening for health and wellbeing, the researchers hope that this study will encourage local governments, nonprofit organizations and others to improve access to gardens by offering space and support for gardening. Access to green space broadly speaking is often unequal, so using an equity lens to expand gardening opportunities is especially important.

“As the end of COVID is hopefully approaching, it [is] still difficult to predict what will happen to gardening once people get back to their busy lives,” Ossola said.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2022 | 5

OPINION 2021-22 GOODBYE EDITORIAL

THE

The Editorial Board looks back on a wonderful year together (and cries) Anjini Venugopal, Editor-in-Chief

By Madeleine Payne As I write this, you’re sitting across from me at a table in the Main Reading Room, vigorously editing stories before tomorrow’s layout while sipping on some Tazo Zen tea, pausing to ask my opinion on two pictures for the graduation issue. I think that sums up our library experiences pretty well — chaotic productivity in between spurts of laughter (or post-grad cries); time flying not because we’re doing our work, but because we end up chatting about everything from our favorite Scandinavian Swimmers to the million different things we might do after college.

Whether it’s been in the library or at our weekly pho dates, discussing our love for Madewell clothes or groaning about our theses, you’re always someone I can count on to give me honest feedback on everything, like what fit to wear or how to write a stressful text. While you’re one of my most dependable friends, you’re also one of my most driven ones. You work so incredibly hard at everything you do, whether it’s running The Aggie or grinding out a thesis, devotedly transcribing wall quotes or developing a style guide at a tech company (cue stereotypical honors kid jokes).

I can’t wait to see you succeed in wherever your post-grad plans take you — be that teaching in an elementary school, becoming a girlboss tech leader or following your inner Elle Woods to law school — and know that I’ll always be a 30-minute drive away if you ever need to bawl while listening to Dr. Dog or a last-minute shopping spree at Nordstrom Rack. You’re such a strong, kind and hardworking individual, and just by being around you, you make me a better (not dimmer) friend — congratulations on graduating and get yourself a Tres Hermanas pitcher to celebrate, you deserve it!

Margo Rosenbaum, Managing Editor

By Anjini Venugopal It feels sacrilegious not to start my ode to Margo Rosenbaum with our origin story: As two of the newest additions to the features desk at The Aggie in October 2018, we made our way to Monday afternoon desk meetings in Lower Freeborn from over yonder in Tercero. Every week as I walked to the office, Margo, whose wellresearched articles about animals made me think of her as a true representative of the Davis spirit, would hurtle past me on her bike (more Davis spirit) with a friendly smile and a holler of “See you soon!”

Margo is equally intelligent, thoughtful, hilarious and supportive — she’s quick to liven the room with a witty joke or the latest she’s learned from a nature documentary. Beyond being one of the best people I know, she is a wonderful-beautiful-sensational journalist; her strong contributions spark conversation and help us all be more attentive and responsible in our reporting and in our (minimal) lives outside The Aggie too. As my managing editor for two whole years, she is often one step ahead of me (just like the good old days of her biking past me), putting out fires before they happen. Somehow, she makes time for it all — to be the greatest managing editor, to edit every single article on Sunday evenings, to be a nature (and horse, on the down low) girl, to band (and befriend?) birds and to create a Lord Farquaad costume — and she makes it look easy.

Margo — I’m so grateful to have led The Aggie at your side, and I can’t imagine the past two years without you. Features babies forever <3 Sophie Dewees, Campus News Editor

By Margo Rosenbaum Sophie, I still remember meeting you at Aggie formal in 2020 and chatting about your interests in songwriting. Despite a global pandemic shutting the world down right after that day, we’ve gotten so much closer, connecting over our shared interests of journalism, Sidney Gish, the outdoors and most recently, Ali Baba’s thick cut fries. It’s been an absolute pleasure getting to know you better over two years of Editorial Board meetings and on the trails of Desolation Wilderness and Point Reyes, and I dearly appreciate how you never fail to laugh at all of my terrible jokes (it’s quite the ego booster). Because you live with equestrians, I can officially call you an honorary horse girl and I absolutely love you for that reason (among many others). Your dedication to The Aggie, strong work ethic and desire to get the story right is so admirable and essential for any news editor, but especially for a future EIC. I can’t wait to see all you accomplish in this role next year, and all the mountains you will climb (both physically and metaphorically).

Here’s to many more song recommendations, backpacking trips and good laughs together!

Madeleine Payne, City News Editor

By Eden Winniford We started out together as writers on the city news desk (and English majors, but that didn’t last long), then became co-assistant editors and finally fully-fledged editors a year after joining The

C ALIFORNIA A GGIE

EDITO RIA L B OA RD ANJINI VENUGOPAL Editor-in-Chief

Aggie. I’m so glad I got to go on this journey with someone as funny and kind as you. I can’t imagine Editorial Board meetings without you there to brighten up the room and make everyone erupt in laughter over the smallest joke. There are so many iconic Maddie moments: committing “hummucide” (aka spilling hummus everywhere), naming your pet rat Madeleine, and, of course, being born2plays0ccer.

Even more than your joy, I’ve always been incredibly impressed with your determination — whether you’re hiking up Mount Diablo or training for a half marathon, you never give up. I can’t wait to see what you end up doing after graduating, because I know you’ll do it your way, with persistence and humor.

MARGO ROSENBAUM Managing Editor SOPHIE DEWEES Campus News Editor MADELEINE PAYNE City News Editor EDEN WINNIFORD Opinion Editor KATIE DEBENEDETTI Features Editor ALLIE BAILEY Arts & Culture Editor

Eden Winniford, Opinion Editor

By Allie Bailey

OMAR NAVARRO Sports Editor

When I sat down to write this blurb about Eden a year ago, the bulk of the time I had spent with her was through a screen.

Though this was enough to grow a deep appreciation for her — I believe the analogy was fine wine and good cheese — I am so glad that I had the opportunity to spend almost every day with her in person this year. Eden, I am so proud of how you’ve taken on the opinion editor role. I never doubted that you’d excel, but I was consistently impressed by how well you balanced letting us all share our thoughts (even if they weren’t worth sharing) with taking control of the conversation when it was needed, always leading us in the right direction. You always brought original ideas and a sense of calm to what are often hectic meetings; I can’t thank you enough for coming up with headlines and layercakes as the rest of us went off on a tangent while editing. I was lucky enough last year to wrap up this message with a see you later rather than a goodbye, and I’m tearing up now that I don’t have your bright smile and witty replies to look forward to this time around. I’m really going to miss you, and I wish you so much love and luck with all that comes next for you.

MICHELLE WONG Science & Tech Editor

KATHLEEN QUINN New Media Manager BENJAMIN CHENG Photo Director KATHERINE FRANKS Design Director JOELLE TAHTA Layout Director ANNE THISELTON-DYER Copy Chief SABINE LLOYD Copy Chief DARSHAN SHIVAKUMAR Website Manager

Katie DeBenedetti, Features Editor

By Sophie Dewees Katie, you are one of the people I have known the longest at The Aggie, and I feel so grateful to have worked with you over the past three years. From starting as writers on the features desk our freshman year to hiring you as my assistant editor last year to working with you on Ed Board this year you never fail to inspire me with your insightful ideas, positivity and joy. As we step into our new positions, I have full confidence that you will handle the transition with the poise and grace that you bring to all of your work at The Aggie. From the challenges we’re sure to face to the rewarding moments, I know there is no one I’d rather have at my side. Despite the headline of this editorial, I’m so happy we don’t have to say goodbye; I’m so looking forward to a year full of editing, laughter and (hopefully) only a little bit of chaos with you.

Allie Bailey, Arts & Culture Editor

By Omar Navarro It feels bittersweet because it feels like I just got to know Allie a little more this year that we were in-person. Zoom made getting to know people a little harder, but I quickly realized that she was one of the most thoughtful, caring and welcoming people I had ever met. Not only was she the voice of reason in a lot in our meetings (although she did have some great, funny comments), she also never shied away from saying what a lot of us were thinking. Not only that, but even when she said she was not enthusiastic about writing a certain ed, she would produce some of the best, most insightful writing and I always knew whatever the topic was, it was going to be great. Plus, the amount of time and effort Allie put into the arts & culture desk, whether it was events or articles, was something I always admired and noticed because I could tell how much it meant to her — she was the best arts & culture editor we could’ve asked for.

Although the time at Davis is coming to an end (and so are the gatherings at the Farmhouse aka, the best house in Davis), I know you are going to do great things on your next journey Allie, and I can’t wait to see what amazing things you do in this world. It’s been an absolute pleasure getting to work with you and getting to know you the past two years.

Michelle Wong, Science & Technology Editor

By Katie DeBenedetti Michelle, I’m so thankful to have been able to join Ed Board with you this year, since I think we can both agree that coming into such a well-established, close-knit group was a little bit intimidating, but having someone as kind, intelligent and welcoming as you to do it with made it so much easier. I remember that one of my first impressions of you during the first few weeks of fall quarter was, yes, that you were quiet. But I’m so glad that throughout the year, I have gotten to see so much more of your funny, thoughtful personality — when all of the huge

ANTHONY NGUYEN Social Media Manager JOSHUA GAZZANIGA Distribution Manager JELENA LAPUZ Outreach Director LAURIE PEDERSON Business Development Manager

personalities and louder voices (guilty) would quiet down and give you the chance to speak!

Your ed-writing speed is faster than anyone I know and your incredible editing skills have shown on the science desk, which I’ve got to say, is probably my favorite section of The Aggie to read (not to choose favorites). I’m also amazed by your ability to somehow be a student, do research, work at The Aggie and take the MCAT all at the same time, and oh so gracefully. Even though I’m so sad to lose you — and your thoughtful mask tapping while you wait for us to stop debating where a comma should go or what flavor of Scandinavian Swimmer is the best — next year, I can’t wait to see all that you accomplish post grad.

Omar Navarro, Sports Editor

By Michelle Wong Omar, from the day I joined the Editorial Board, I knew that you were the quiet backbone of the group. Transitioning into this role when almost everyone else already had a year of experience was intimidating, but your kind, welcoming demeanor made me feel more at ease. As I have had the pleasure of getting to know you throughout the school year, I have realized that not only are you a kind person, but you are someone who is incredibly genuine and caring. You are the type of person who is hard to come by, and I feel so honored to have had the opportunity to meet you — to anyone who has not met Omar yet, he is truly one of the good ones. I have never met someone who lives and breathes sports to the extent that Omar does; I have so much respect for the work you do for the sports desk, especially since I have never felt so lost writing an article than when I covered that baseball game. But aside from our time spent at work, thank you for being a wonderful friend and for the kindness you have extended to me and all those around you. I have no doubt that wherever you end up after college, you will continue to positively impact those around you and become immensely successful — I am so excited to see all that you are going to accomplish.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Congratulations to the class of 2022, and goodbye!

I can say with certainty that I never anticipated becoming the editor-in-chief of a college newspaper during a pandemic. I found my way to the role in a not-quite traditional way, after having attended just a handful of storyboard meetings as an assistant editor. Though it felt overwhelming at first, I soon got used to quick turnarounds and even more deadlines. It wasn’t all that bizarre for me to constantly have work to do — and I loved it.

I’ve been lucky enough to support our staff as they tackled challenging projects. With countless stories on changing COVID-19 guidelines, articles on the ongoing discussion on student fees, investigations into UC healthcare coverage and so much more, The Aggie’s staff has worked to uphold its commitment to keeping our community informed.

Over the past two years, I have updated our code of ethics and staff manual per changing professional standards, facilitated a website redesign, contributed to an overhaul of our editor-in-chief selection process, developed an outreach and engagement board and compiled sensitivity guidelines for Aggie reporters. We’ve also committed to compiling annual diversity reports to inform us on staff demographics — being aware of where we fall short and have room for growth is essential for supporting our staff and promoting responsible reporting. As I’ve learned from my time at The Aggie, journalism is about nuance, and I have tried my best to impart that to everyone I know.

I wouldn’t have reached where I am without the people who came before me. So thank you to some legendary Aggie editors (Olivia, Kaelyn, Hannah, Kenton and Liz, just know that I will always be in awe of you and that you’ll forever have a place in my heart for responding to my texts). A tremendous thank you is also owed to my partner-in-crime, the one and only Margo Rosenbaum. I am so grateful to have you as my managing editor and that through the rollercoaster that has been the past two years, we have been around to support each other in such intensive roles both in and out of the newsroom.You’ve already accomplished so much and I can’t wait to see you continue to shine.

It has been a privilege to serve on Editorial Boards with Allie, Calvin, Eden, Katie, Maddie, Margo, Michelle, Omar, Sabrina and Sophie, and it’s a gift to call them friends. I don’t take for granted that during a pandemic, I had a support system, always ready to share insight and provide advice — journalistic or otherwise — when I needed it most.

It is weird to even think about leaving this publication that has shaped my college career more than anything else, but I feel confident leaving Sophie Dewees and Katie DeBenedetti to captain this ship next. They both started their Aggie journey on the features desk (just like me and Margo) and have demonstrated commitment to journalism and community over the past three years. I can’t wait to see where they take The Aggie.

Over my four years at UC Davis, I have taken empowering courses toward two majors and a minor, engaged in valuable and rewarding work and finally learned where to obtain the best lunch on campus (the CoHo coconut curry pho with tofu, all the vegetables, two packets of sriracha, half a packet of Hoisin sauce and an extra lime). And I’ve done this over a college career that involved over a year of online school. Dare I say, it’s pretty impressive. But I have to admit: It is my work at The Aggie that I am most proud of.

The Aggie has given me so much both personally and professionally, and I will forever be honored, grateful and humbled to have served as the editor-in-chief for two entire years (and in a pandemic). Go Ags, and go The Aggie.

Signing off, Anjini Venugopal, Editor-in-Chief

6 | THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2022

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

SUDOKU Enter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces.

Every row, column and 3x3 square must contain each digit. Each Sudoku has a unique solution that can be reached logically without guessing.

Answer to previous puzzle 05/26/22

reduce. reuse. recycle.

The aggie CROSSWORD Answer to previous puzzle 05/26/22

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THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2022 | 7

PRIDE

MOVIEADAPTATIONS

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The story of Pride begins at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, a bar popular among LGBTQ+ New Yorkers in the 1960s. Since it was illegal to serve alcohol to a gay person in New York until 1966 and homosexuality was considered a criminal offense in the state until 1980, LGBTQ+ people flocked to bars like the Stonewall Inn, which did not have legal liquor licenses, because these spots were less likely to discriminate against customers.

On June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn with the intent to “investigate the illegal sale of alcohol” and began to question those inside. According to witness records from the Library of Congress, officers and bar-goers began to fight and continued throughout the night and into the following morning.

This event was later dubbed the “Stonewall Riots’’ and on its one-year anniversary, the first Pride March was held to commemorate the event.

The tradition has grown since and LGBTQ+ people and their allies continue to march and celebrate every June to provide visibility for the community and fight for gay liberation in society.

At Davis, Pride today means different things for many LGBTQ+ students. For some, it’s a chance to be represented and find community; for others, a chance to spread awareness about LGBTQ+ issues and fight against discrimination; for many, the month is a time to have fun with other queer and trans people.

Emma Bishoff, a third-year American studies major and the director of the ASUCD Pride Board, said that the modern-day “corporatization” of Pride by many corporations is a vast departure from the original radical intentions which brought freedom to LGBTQ+ people of all backgrounds. She explained that her own understanding of Pride has evolved away from that presentation of Pride in recent years.

“I think recently it’s become a more radical thing for me, as opposed to ‘rainbow capitalism’ and the Pride that corporations want to benefit from — which actually harms queer people,” Bishoff said. “Focusing on things that actually benefit queer and trans people, like their liberation and their joy, while addressing really serious issues within the community and the history of Pride, is important.”

Bishoff said that the Pride Festival at UC Davis hopes to honor the original intentions of the first Pride while taking a more intersectional approach to LGBTQ+ activism and visibility.

Working with organizers of the Davis Art Market, the festival will showcase local queer and trans vendors and artists selling their work, allowing students to support LGBTQ+ people in their local community. Additionally, the event will give students a chance to enjoy queer performers, art and music.

Gracyna Mohabir, a fourth-year student double majoring in economics and environmental policy analysis and planning and the co-chair of the ASUCD Pride Board, said that one of the goals of the festival is to offer students of all backgrounds a space to explore queer identity and community — including those who are questioning their sexuality or have not come out.

“Large-scale private events are a very lowcommitment way for people who are closeted or questioning to introduce themselves to

that space in their own time,” Mohabir said.

“Personally, when I came to campus, I did not step foot in the LGBTQIA Resource Center. No fault of theirs, but I was very nervous to openly enter a queer-specific space like that. A lot of my formative queer experiences came from more low-key events where I could just participate as an observer.”

Festival organizers also hope to connect queer and trans students with a multitude of student organizations and resources that aim to address issues that adversely impact them, especially those who may not come from accepting family or social circles.

One of these organizations is Aggie House, which will be helping LGBTQ+ students who are disproportionately impacted by housing insecurity access campus resources that can help them find safe spaces to authentically be themselves.

Since this is the first student-run Pride festival to be held at UC Davis, Ashley Chan, a second-year political science major and the cochair of the ASUCD Pride Board, hopes that the event will be a success and lead to the creation of a permanent Pride Board that will solidify Pride into the UC Davis calendar for years to come.

“Ultimately, I hope [...] it will be proof and evidence that student leaders can create something so large and wonderful,” Chan said.

“Hopefully we can make it into an [ASUCD] unit, because we’re essentially doing the work of a unit, like the Whole Earth Festival or Picnic Day, and LGBT+ students deserve nothing less. So I think institutionally and long term, I really hope that this festival can kind of signal that Pride is here to stay and that we can make this bigger and better in future years.”

While the festival will represent an exciting start to Pride month for LGBTQ+ students, the end of the year can bring mixed emotions for many, especially those returning to homophobic or transphobic family and social circles for the summer, Bishoff said. While visibility and community are so important to sustain queer joy, some students don’t have the same level of freedom and acceptance that they experience in queer spaces at Davis upon returning home.

There have been several legislative attacks on queer and trans people from our highest levels of government in recent months, and many might be entering this June with mixed feelings. For those sharing these sentiments, Emma Bishoff said that prioritizing self-care and self-love are necessary to combat harm and can be one’s armor when returning to spaces that may not be accepting.

“Taking care of yourself as a trans person is radical,” Bishoff said. “It truly is, and just making sure that you have those safe spaces, whether it’s online, in person, with other people in the community or by yourself just in a quiet place is so important. Take care of yourself, and just know that you are worthy. [...] No matter what somebody says to you, you’re still worthy.”

For those looking for mental health assistance related to sexual orientation or personal identity, visit www.thetrevorproject.org to get connected with resources and care.

GRADACCOMMODATIONS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “They had to go outside the department to find somebody to be on my committee,” Ringo said.

There is currently no mandatory disabilityspecific training at UC Davis for faculty, though compliance to the Americans with Disabilities Act is included in two of the mandatory supervisory training, according to DMS Director, Elizabeth Hammond Delo.

The SDC, in conjunction with DMS, offered a faculty-only training in April at the request of the English department.

Sarah Theubet, the president of the ASUCD Disability Rights Advocacy Committee (DRAC), also organized training for the department after hearing concerns about the refusal of accommodations.

Though the concept of training had been brought up before, Ringo’s SDC accommodations were refused. This refusal was a catalyst for the training, according to Dummit.

Waters said that their department wanted to mandate training on disabilities, but was told they could not mandate anything that the school itself did not require.

“I personally think that it would be useful,” Waters said. “Insofar as we have other trainings, sexual violence, sexual harassment training for example.”

As a member of the English Graduate Student Association, Dummit has advocated for

mandatory disabilities training.

“We as grad students said ‘We want to encourage you to mandate this training,’” Dummit said.

For the department, Waters said that the plan is to regularly set aside time to discuss disability, as well as other topics, in a formal way coupled with graduate and faculty workshops.

“The thing that we realized, and we were sorry to realize, was that there were some pretty fundamental things that maybe people weren’t thinking carefully about,” Waters said.

Ringo, who is currently on PELP, said her experience with pursuing accommodations and advocating for herself made her experience unnecessarily difficult.

“They are already treating me like I’m gum stuck on their shoes,” Ringo said.

According to Dummit, well-meaning instructors and advisors may make common mistakes related to when to talk about a person’s disability due to the lack of education about disability.

“People don’t think of themselves as ableists, they don’t think of themselves as creating barriers,” Dummit said. “There are tangible things you can be doing to make your class accessible regardless of whether or not you get a letter from the SDC.”

VOTINGACCESS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 Ultimately, the goal is that everyone eligible to vote has the opportunity to vote.

“We need to be able to help make democracy accessible and available to all voters because the decisions that are being made by your local elected officials are very impactful,” Salinas said.

“I want everybody to have the opportunity to have a voice determining who are the leaders that they want. […] Your way of making change is by

voting and putting people into office who believe in the same values as you do. As a result, you can have an impact on your daily lives.”

A complete list of ballot boxes and voting centers in Yolo County is available at www. yoloelections.org/voting/polling_place and for Sacramento County at https://elections. saccounty.net/votecenters/pages/locations.aspx.

Though I do concede that film as an art form certainly has its limitations, one of its main appeals is how it brings a magical world to life; the characters are there for you to see, hear and empathize with, which is most likely one of the reasons the films have become such a mainstay in pop culture.

Another subcategory of cinema worth considering in the fiery debate over movies or books is the popular trend of taking the classics (think along the lines of those novels likely to be found in the curriculum of an 11th grade AP English class) and putting them on the big screen.

Stories by both Jane Austen and Shakespeare have been adapted countless times for the big and small screen — so often, in fact, that there are lists ranking these versions that are in the double digits. Now, I recognize that it would be bold to say that films made in the 21st century are able to outshine their predecessors (though “Clueless” does give Austen’s “Emma” a run for its money), but there is something to be said for the ability of filmmakers to translate stories from days long past into a tale fully palatable to a modern audience. The authors wrote novels with classic

themes, but it’s the work of the film’s cast and crew that keeps them pertinent to our time.

Another example of a great book with an equally fantastic movie is the children’s classic “Fantastic Mr. Fox.” Originally created by British author Roald Dahl, the whimsical children’s tale was taken under the wing of iconic filmmaker Wes Anderson and turned into an ingenious stopmotion film. Though not necessarily a success by box office standards, the movie is a beautiful work of art that remains true to the sentimental nature of the original source material. The movie, though undoubtedly made for children, has all the trademarks of a classic Anderson film, and therefore doesn’t limit its reach to a younger audience — something which Dahl’s book might find itself inadvertently doing.

Though I will always have a special place in my heart for books — especially children’s books — as I have grown older, I’ve come to realize that there is no point in pitting books and movies against each other. Both are their own unique, thrilling art forms, and while they may be cut from the same cloth, they don’t seek to compete; rather, they act as perfect complements to each other.

CHICKPEAS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 Coralie’s hearty chickpea pasta sauce Ingredients: 1 ½ cups marinara sauce 1 15-oz. can of chickpeas ½ tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning large spoonful cream cheese (or vegan alternative) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 box rotini, fusilli or gemelli pasta salt and pepper to taste chili flakes (optional) Instructions: 1. Cook pasta in a medium pot using box instructions. In the meantime, heat the

2.

3.

4.

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olive oil and minced garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until fragrant.

Drain and rinse chickpeas. Add to skillet along with Italian seasoning, chili flakes or salt and pepper. Cook chickpeas over medium-high heat until lightly browned.

Turn off heat on skillet and mash chickpeas with a fork until mostly crushed. Add marinara sauce and heat again.

Once sauce is hot, add large spoonful of cream cheese and stir until melted. Drain pasta once done and return to pot. Mix sauce with pasta.

Serve in bowls and top with cheese or nutritional yeast.

UCDBASKETBALL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 The Aggies bolstered their offense with Beasely III who transferred from Montana. He was second in scoring for the Grizzlies last season, averaging 11.8 points per game. He also shot 36.9% from the three point line last season. This signing fills a hole on offense and could help the scoring gap at guard left by Manjon’s departure.

Lastly, Les added size to his roster by adding Henry, the 6’7 Nevada transfer. Henry played two seasons for Nevada. He played 33 games in the span of over two seasons and could help in adding some size that is missing.

The signings did not stop there, UC Davis added depth with the additions of their freshman class. Joaquin Strong, the 6’7 forward from Villa Park high school in Southern California, averaged 16.7 points along with 8.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. He was ranked the no.

1 forward in Southern California by the Press Sports app.

Jac Mani, the 6’9 forward from Beverly Hills, averaged 18 points per game in his four years at Beverly Hills High School. He averaged a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds per game in his junior year. His large presence in the paint could help, but the question remains whether it will be next season of the following season after that since the transition from high school to college ball could take some time. Still, Coach Les has not shied away from first-year

player’s if they are ready, as recent examples like Manjon and Pepper came onto the scene as first year players.

This Aggie team will look different from last season’s team. UC Davis added size with their new guards that could help the team with defensive assignments on and off the ball.

Many questions have been answered regarding which pieces will be added to replace the players that departed. However, many questions still linger as to how good will this team be come October. They are very young with a ton of potential, expect to see some growing pains with this young unit.

The transfers bring in quality experience from different conferences. They will be the key in unlocking and maximizing the team’s overall potential. The freshman can contribute from the start if they are managed well but the transition from high school to Division One will be challenging.

The Aggies already have established players on their roster such as Pepper, Anigwe and defensive specialist Ade Adebayo. These players are proven and need help from the transfers to get this team to contend for the Big West Championship. If they can reach their potential, the Aggies hope it translates into their second NCAA Tournament appearance.

FANGUIDE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 4. Follow your alma mater One of the easiest ways to follow sports is to follow the teams at your university and its players from the time they play at your school and after as professional athletes. UC Davis has had multiple athletes go pro. For instance, UC Davis football’s defensive lineman Bryce Rodgers was signed by the Atlanta Falcons and punter Daniel Whelan was signed by the New Orleans as undrafted free agents this year. There’s something special about seeing your alma mater represented in professional sports, especially when you attend a smaller school.

One of the limitations to this approach is that some schools produce professional talent more often than others. Big schools like Alabama in football or Vanderbilt in baseball have not only produced professional talent, but their players are some of the best in their respective sports.

This makes it much easier for alumni from these schools to be invested in their athletes and the athletes’ futures as professionals. However, you can also root for more athletically successful college programs and follow their players, even if you never attended the school. While this is not following your alma mater, it still gives you an opportunity to participate in the college to professional pipeline.

There are other ways to find a favorite professional sports team that were not mentioned.

It’s also worth pointing out that you do not need to have a professional team to enjoy sports. There are ways to be invested in professional sports without following a single team, such as fantasy sports. Regardless, getting involved with a team and its players is a great way to follow sports and it can intensify your passion for it.

8 | THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2022

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

SPORTS UC DAVIS BASEBALL SEASON ENDS WITH LOSS AGAINST LONG BEACH STATE The Aggies were unable to bring runners home, resulting in a 0-3 loss to cap off the season

BY MICHELLE WONG sports@theaggie.org The Aggies were unable to break their season’s losing streak against Long Beach State Saturday afternoon as they closed off the season with three consecutive losses against the Dirtbags. Playing shorthanded and with limited depth, the Aggies were unable to cash in with runners in scoring position as they closed off their season.

In their first game against Long Beach, the Aggies were able to take a lead in the first inning off of a Mark Wolbert double to right center field. After the Dirtbags took the lead again in the 8th, the Aggies caught up with them to tie it, leading to an 11-inning game. Yet despite their efforts, Long Beach was ultimately able to overtake the Aggies and won with a score of 5-4 off of a sacrifice fly in the top of the 11th. The freshman Wolbert led the Aggies in the series opener going 3-5 with a double and three RBI’s.

The Aggies suffered a difficult loss during their second game of the series. With the Dirtbags already leading 6-1 in the seventh inning, they were able to bring in seven more runners in the 8th and win with a final score of 13-1. The Aggies struggled offensively and while they had five hits, third baseman James Williams III produced the lone RBI. The UC Davis baseball team started off the last game of the series strong defensively in the first two innings with Carson Seeman as pitcher, until a single into right field by Long Beach’s junior designated hitter Chase Luttrell and a single into left field by freshman left fielder Rocco Peppi allowed Luttrell to come home, scoring the first run of the game for the Dirtbags.

Despite an error in the fourth inning that gave Long Beach’s freshman second baseman Eddie Saldivar on first with right fielder Peyton Schulze on third, amazing plays by James Williams III and Raul Sandoval prevented Long Beach from scoring any runs. Williams III, who played catcher on Saturday afternoon, was

UC Davis vs Long Beach Baseball. (Claire Diepenbrock / Courtesy)

able to throw out Saldivar as he attempted to steal second, while Sandoval threw out freshman Schulze with an almost perfect throw to home after a sacrifice fly attempt into right field.

Although the Aggies worked hard on defense, they were still unable to advance any players home in this fourth inning. Pitcher Andrew LaCour replaced Seeman as they entered the fifth inning.

Tensions were high in the top of the fifth as Long Beach had the bases loaded, but UC Davis held them off and kept the deficit at one.

The score stayed stagnant in the sixth inning, but things soon took a turn for the worse for the Aggies. The bases were once again loaded by the Dirtbags after a walk and a couple hits. A hit deep into left field by Peppi brought home two of the runners, increasing Long Beach’s lead to 3-0.

While the Aggies’ fielding kept Long Beach from scoring any

more runs, they were also unable to advance any runners past second the rest of the game. Despite this loss, graduating senior Kyler Arenado was able to end the game on a high note as he struck out Long Beach’s final batter of the game. Both Wolbert and junior Nathan Peng also served to be solid players, going 2-for-3 this game. The Aggies ended their last game of the season with a final score of 0-3.

The team finished the season with a 6-35 overall record. Despite struggling, the Aggies finished 10th in the Big West Conference, ahead of UC Riverside.

Although they ended the season with a seven game losing streak a high point of the season was when the Aggies were able to take the series win over UC San Diego. While the Tritons were leading 5-3 in the 8th inning of the second game of the series, the UC Davis baseball team was able to score 4 runs in the ninth inning and took the victory, 6-5. In the third game of the series, the Aggies kept their lead and were able to win with a final score of 8-5, securing their series win.

Throughout these games, Wolbert has shown great potential as he continues his collegiate career with a batting average of .351. and a fielding percentage of 0.990. Williams III also shined, as he had a .295 average and drew a team-high 22 walks this season.

Sophomore pitcher Kaden Riccomini and freshman Bryan Green demonstrated to be key pitchers throughout this season, having their moments this season as well as pitching a lot of innings as well. These young players bring hope for the next season.

To wrap up the season, the team honored four graduating seniors — J.D. Mico, Kyler Arenado, Nate Lemos and Raul Sandoval. Most of the team will be continuing on to next season, as the majority of the team is still very young. This extensive playing time under first-year head coach Tommy Nicholson can serve as crucial as the UC Davis baseball program looks toward the future.

THE NEW LOOK AGGIES LOOK TO TAKE OVER THE BIG WEST IN THE UPCOMING SEASON After a five-year drought from the big dance, the UC Davis men’s basketball Head Coach Jim Les hopes that his new players will be the key to reach the NCAA tournament

UC Davis’ Elijah Pepper (#40) drives into the lane in a game against Cal State Fullerton on Jan. 27, 2022. (Benjamin Cheng / Aggie)

BY MARLON ROLON sports@theaggie.org UC Davis Men’s Basketball is still trying to figure out ways to formulate a return to the prominent NCAA Tournament, with a lone appearance in 2017. Head Coach Jim Les and company will attempt to replicate the 2017 season in what is arguably the best season ever in program history.

Since their historic run, it’s not the lack of talent that has plagued the Aggies, they’ve compiled talented players on both ends of the floor since their run, it’s been consistency that has derailed their chances at another tournament

appearance.

The pandemic has played its part in disrupting consistency. The 2020 postseason was canceled and in the 2021 season, 11 games were canceled due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

That trend continued into the 2022 season when eight games were called off, the most of any team in the Big West. The disruption in between games disrupted the rhythm within the team.

“It was a factor throughout the year,” said Les after last season’s second round exit in the Big West Tournament. “The stop, the starts and not getting as many game opportunities. Maybe developing rhythm and being able to experience 30 plus games at this point is really helpful

because you tend to grow and over the years our team continues to get better.”

Despite the cancellation of games last season, the team still managed to make it to the quarterfinals, losing to the eventual Big West Tournament Champions in Cal State Fullerton.

The roster played a big role in UC Davis managing to get into the postseason. The Aggies had three players in the top 25 scoring list in the Big West, shooting guard Elijah Pepper ranked fifth averaging 15.1 points per game. Point guard Ezra Manjon ranked sixth, averaging 15 points per game and Caleb Fuller ranked 14th in scoring, averaging 12.1 points per game.

Pepper wasn’t just a weapon on offense his defensive abilities landed him as number two in steals averaging 1.6 steals a game. Another defensive stand out for the Aggies at the forward position Christian Anigwe, ranked third averaging one blocked shot per game in the Big West.

The talent was there last season to make some noise with a deep playoff run but the distractions interrupted the teams flow and never really established rhythm. Game cancellations became a common theme towards the end of last season which affected the Aggies going into the postseason.

Following their exit in the quarterfinals in Henderson, Nevada, UC Davis lost one of their best players and a top player in the conference in Manjon. The standout point guard entered the transfer portal and ended up going to the SEC and joining Vanderbilt University.

Manjon is a talented player with tons of potential. A player of his caliber can play in a Power Five conference. His list of accolades back

that up, as this past season he was selected to the first team All-Big West Conference First Team. In 2020 and 2021, he got the nod for All-Big West Conference Second Team and he was selected for Freshmen of the Year award in the Big West Conference in the 2019-20 season.

The Aggies lost another key player, senior forward Fuller. He graduated and continued his playing career through graduate school joining Montana State in the Big Sky Conference. Fuller spent four years playing under Les in Davis and was a key contributor for the Aggies.

Other players worth mentioning that left entered the transfer portal are Caleb McGill, Aaron Murphy and Cameron Niles.

With Manjon and Fuller being two key players that were significant pieces to Les’ system gone from the roster the team was left with question marks regarding the future of the program. Many were left to wonder about the uncertainty of the direction of the team.

However, Les and his staff wasted no time in recruiting new talent that provided some ease to those who follow the team. They recruited three talented transfers: Second-year guard Ty Johnson, third-year guard Robby Beasely III and third-year forward DeAndre Henry.

Johnson, who transferred from Loyola Chicago, is a defensive specialist, an area where the Aggies needed help last season. Johnson appeared in 13 games for Loyola Chicago last season, his team was 11-2 in that span and 3-0 when he started.

UCDBASKETBALL on 7

FAN GUIDE TO PICKING A NEW PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TEAM There are multiple ways to pick your favorite team in sports, from picking a local team to rooting for your favorite player

BY PATRICK FIGUEROA sports@theaggie.org Being a fan shines in professional sports.

When you think of a professional team, one of the first things that comes to mind is the fanbase.

For instance, when you think about the Las Vegas Raiders, the first thing you will think about is their fans raving in The Black Hole wearing silver and black. How about the time that the Seattle Seahawks’ fans reached sound levels so loud they caused a minor earthquake?

Now, one might wonder how they can become a fan of a professional team in any sport.

There are multiple ways to do so. However, this is under the assumption that someone wants to watch sports, and has already found a sport that they enjoy watching. They just need to find a team to root for. Here are the suggestions: 1. Root, root, root for the home team The most simple and common way for someone to find their favorite team is by rooting for the local team or the team with the nearest proximity to them. This makes sense as they can watch most of the games on cable television, or they can drive to the stadium to watch them play in-person. Because this is the most common way for someone to pick their favorite team, there are also lots of fans nearby so it is easy to build community and find other people to watch games with.

One potential issue with this approach is that there may be multiple teams nearby. For instance, before the Raiders moved to Las Vegas, Northern California residents would have to

choose between the Oakland Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers. This issue is present in other states as well, however, instead of seeing this as a problem, the potential fan could view this as having more autonomy to pick a team that they find more entertaining. Another issue is that someone could be stuck with a team that does not play well consistently, and they will begin to lose interest in the sport. Despite this possibility, rooting for the home team is a great way to find a community of like-minded sports fans and, when the team is good, the surrounding atmosphere is electric.

2. Root for the team with your favorite player(s) This is another simple option, where someone picks the team that has a player, or players, that they really enjoy watching. This is under the assumption that a fan has watched a sport for quite some time, and has compiled a list of players that they enjoy watching. From here, they pick the team that either has their favorite player, or has an assortment of their favorite players. In this scenario, a fan can watch their favorite player or players every week, while also developing a liking for other players. More often than not, fans will stick with this team even after the player leaves or retires.

A potential limitation with this approach is that player turnover in professional sports is high, especially in contact sports like football. There are possibilities in which players’ careers are cut short and a fan is not able to become fully attached to the team, leaving them to find another team.

Still, this is a good approach to picking a favorite

Fans cheer on UC Davis Football vs Sacramento State on Nov. 20, 2021. (Quinn Spooner / Aggie) team because it almost guarantees interest and consistent engagement with the team as long as someone’s favorite player is playing.

3. The Come Up In this scenario, fans will choose a team that has potential to be good soon. Think of the Los Angeles Chargers in the NFL, the Seattle Mariners in MLB or the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA. All of these teams have young, exciting rosters that are expected to get better with time.

They all just missed the playoffs in the previous season, but there are reasons to be optimistic about them going forward. A potential fan does not have to worry about the bandwagon accusation if they hop on before they are good.

One potential limitation in this approach is that there is the possibility for disappointment.

While the teams have potential to be good, sometimes they cannot reach this potential.

The buzz and hype surrounding this team leads to higher expectations that cannot be fulfilled immediately. Thus, it may leave the fan disappointed in their choice. An example of this would be the 2021 San Diego Padres, who were projected to be a World Series caliber team, but instead finished with a winning percentage below .500. To account for this, it might be best to lower your expectations in year one as a fan and be willing to stick with the team for more than a couple of years.

FANGUIDE on 7

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2022 | 9

Congratulations class of 2022! You did it.

As you graduate from UC Davis, it is a time to celebrate your accomplishments, especially in light of having spent more than two formative years existing in a pandemic. We know it’s overstated, and everyone is tired of hearing about how unprecedented, draining and overwhelming things have been. But that remains true, as does the fact that it is a feat to be here, obtaining a degree from this institution. With all the losses and hardships experienced over these past two years, it’s important to invest time and energy to commemorate your growth and achievement, while still taking the space to cope as well. As you approach the completion of your undergraduate studies, now may be a good time to look back on your time at UC Davis, be present for the many lasts you have and feel excited for the future, wherever you are headed next. But whether it’s another trip to the Tercero cows or giving Bookhead a tap on your way to a midnight study session at Shields, there is plenty of time to partake in a few more Davis traditions before graduation.

This special issue of The Aggie is a chance for our graduating seniors to reflect on their time at UC Davis. To our readers who are graduating: Thank you for engaging with our content all these years, and we wish you the best for your future endeavors. To those of you who aren’t: We’ll be back in the fall. See you then!

10 | THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2022

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

WHERE’D ALL THE TIME GO? This column is sponsored by Mishka’s, “Surfing with the Alien” and the urge to say “thank you” rather than “goodbye”

BY ANJINI VENUGOPAL Four years, three cracked screen protectors, two majors, one minor and an (ongoing) pandemic later, I still remember my first venture to The California Aggie on a fateful Friday in October 2018. I made my way over for my staff writer interview after having finished a math midterm in Giedt. The whopping four-minute bike ride took a little longer because my floral pants got caught in my bike gears. I reached 25 Lower Freeborn 20 minutes early, and once I was called in for my interview, I shared what I’m sure were ever-so-insightful answers about prior journalism experience and why I wanted to work at The Aggie. Less than 24 hours later, I got an email entitled: “Welcome to The Aggie!” and thus began the chaos.

Actually, I guess the chaos began much earlier — I won’t bore you with details about being a sportswriter at my high school’s newsmagazine, but just know that I knew almost everything there was to know about field hockey. By the time I graduated high school, I had settled into being a student journalist. I even wrote a senior column about words — it was a love affair with words, my 17-year-old self gushed, and it was no surprise that my need to be enveloped by words led me to the magazine. I pretty much knew I wanted to write for a college newspaper wherever I ended up.

The past four years have taught me a lot — notably, journalism really isn’t only about words. It’s about nuance, respecting your sources, investigating and holding institutions accountable. It’s about knowing the privilege that comes with being a journalist and realizing the trust that is placed in us.

In my first year at The Aggie, I learned an immense amount from Friday editing sessions and observations of potentially biohazardous bagels with the most incredible editor (and fellow Gemini). By my second year, I saw Lower Freeborn as more than a workplace — it housed history and was a beloved spot for seasoned Aggie editors. As I started to spend more time there, I took on more tasks, met new people and tried to solidify who I was within and outside the walls of that structurally unsound basement. And then it was March 2020, short months after which I was selected to lead The Aggie for the next year.

Over the pandemic, we’ve all faced loss in so many different, substantial ways. Those losses, still being processed, are so significant. But in this time fraught with grief, The Aggie has provided a space to heal and grow and has given me so much.

I could write all about the articles I’ve written, the hiring interviews I’ve conducted, the emails I’ve fielded or the Senate meetings I’ve cried after.

But I’d much rather tell you about the pickleball games I’ve almost won, the book about beavers I

recommend to everyone, the most absurd jokes we’ve shared at layout and the people who have become some of my closest friends.

Someone I don’t know too well once criticized me and The Aggie, claiming the Editorial Board

BENJAMIN CHENG / AGGIE

“

Here I am 12 quarters later, just a little obsessed with this cow town; it’s in no small part due to the people and places The Aggie has led me toward. consisted of a bunch of friends who blindly supported each other and didn’t care to produce “quality journalism.” I never worked on a news desk, but I’ll break it to you — that could not be further from the truth.

Existing in a pandemic, especially in a completely remote year, was hard on everyone, and in spite of that, the staff at The Aggie tackled tough stories with integrity and grit. When contentious topics came up, we had meaningful discussions with a fair share of disagreements, as we aimed to hold others and ourselves accountable. We care a lot about quality journalism. Becoming friends along the way — through meeting daily on and off Zoom, leaving comments on shared Google Docs and preparing questions to ask the chancellor and other leaders — was, frankly, an unexpected bonus. My fondness for pickleball and Aggie inside jokes isn’t to say that I don’t value my work as a student journalist, but that the work is simply impossible without the people behind it.

Of course, I knew that previous Editorial Boards had become close, but I joined the Editorial Board in 2020 and things were unprecedented. How was I to expect that the people I saw over Zoom (and two extremely socially-distanced picnics) would become some of my closest friends? In any case, I am so, so grateful that I have had the opportunity to be among this fiercely intelligent, incredibly kind and generally chaotic group. Finally moving to our new home on A St. and having 120 Editorial Board meetings this year (in addition to the 120 meetings last year, trips to Sophia’s and other assorted shenanigans) probably means I’ve spent more than enough time with them, but as I write this, it’s hard to comprehend that this chapter is about to end. To the greddest board of all: Thank

you for the games of fidget toss and pickleball, for late night library runs, midday pho breaks and Warriors game margaritas, for your commitment to The Aggie and for fostering an empowering environment for us and future generations here at UC Davis. There’s no group I’ve been more proud to be a part of.

To everyone else I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the past four years, thank you as well. Your contributions have made me a more thoughtful writer, editor and person. To my professors and instructors, thank you for broadening my perspective and preparing me to challenge lines of thinking I disagree with. To my incredible friends and housemates, thank you for all the advice and for putting up with my lengthy monologues. And to my family, thank you most of all.

Honestly, I did not expect to fall in love with Davis when I wound up here. I prefer walking to biking, it can be unpleasantly hot for a lot of the year and there are far too many squirrels for my liking. But here I am 12 quarters later, just a little obsessed with this cow town; it’s in no small

part due to the people and places The Aggie has led me toward.

I’ve been incredibly lucky to exist, learn and find some of my best friends in this wonderful place, and all of that has prepared me to graduate. That said, I am still somewhat terrified to leave behind the best Egghead (Stargazer), the best patch of grass to take a nap on (I’ll keep that to myself ) and the cat we’ve deemed Newspaper (though it certainly already has a name and owner). But Calvin from “Calvin and Hobbes” is right. It is a magical world, and I’m ready to go exploring.

Anjini Venugopal is The California Aggie’s current editor-in-chief. She joined The Aggie in fall 2018 as a features staff writer. In spring 2019, she took on the role of assistant features editor, serving in that role until becoming editor-in-chief in July 2020.

She is graduating with honors with a bachelor’s degree in linguistics and cognitive science with a computational emphasis and a minor in computer science.

AN ODE TO SNAILS, SNAKES AND STORYTELLING A farewell to four years of nerding out at The Aggie

Swimmers), BBQs at home, sneaking into the Arboretum on my horse Nina and way too many more favorites to list.

It’s true what they say about UC Davis: the nicest people you’ll ever meet go to school here. I’d say that I’ve picked some of the greatest as my friends. Kylie, you get me like almost nobody else.

Thank you to the student housing gods for placing us in the same dorm room, and somehow four years later, I still absolutely love living together. You’re an incredible writer and plant biologist, and

“

From the friendships I’ve made to the pickleball games I’ve lost, The Aggie made me fall in love with this cowtown so much more than any club I tried out, class I took or professor I nervously chatted up during office hours.

BENJAMIN CHENG / AGGIE

BY MARGO ROSENBAUM I’ve always loved stories. I spent much of my free time growing up at the library with my nose tucked into a nonfiction book — of course, when I wasn’t doing my other favorite things like poking starfish in tide pools, hiking with my dogs in the woods, pulling snails off sidewalks, nerding out over nature documentaries, making mud pies full of worms and riding any horse in need of exercise.

It was this love of storytelling (especially about animals) that brought me to the world of journalism. After much encouragement from my mom (shoutout to Pam, the strongest, coolest woman ever), I joined my high school paper. She was right: I was a natural storyteller and needed a place to share my writing. In the words of one of her favorite artists, the great Brandi Carlile, “... these stories don’t mean anything / when you’ve got no one to tell them to.”

After discovering journalism, my reality exploded: I could talk to anyone, write their story and share it with the world. I could do exactly what I saw in my favorite National Geographic books so many years before: write nonfiction! I soon realized how easy it was for me to articulate my thoughts in a clear, thoughtful and concise (well, I’m still working on that one) manner through writing. I’m quite ebullient with the friends I’m closest to, but struggle with shyness and communicating with new people. With writing, everything flowed easily.

As my love for journalism grew, I knew I’d want to write for the paper when I got to college. When I visited UC Davis on Decision Day in 2018, I stopped by The Aggie’s booth and was encouraged to apply by the smiling faces of the student journalists who worked there (including the talented Hannah Holzer who would later train me as managing editor).

Ultimately, I picked UC Davis for a few reasons: It was a public school in California, not too far from home, had a student barn for my horse and lastly, because of The Aggie. As soon as staff writer vacancies opened up in the fall, I applied right away and settled into my work on the features desk. I loved the flexibility of the section and the many random animal stories I soon became known for writing. The desk also introduced me to Anjini, whom I biked past on the way to every desk meeting that year, and would later lead The Aggie with for two years. She’s one of the smartest people I have ever met and shares my affirmation for storytelling, student

journalism, Stargazer (the Egghead) and dinosaurs (but sadly, not birds or lizards).

My time on the features desk was glorious, but short lived.

After one dinosaur course and a marine biology class, I got hooked on the sciences at UC Davis and decided to add a second major related to biology. Many of my features articles also started swaying toward research, so I switched to the science and technology desk during the summer before my second year. As the only science writer on the desk at the time, I worked with the editor Cecilia and learned how to cover science in an exciting, digestible manner.

Suddenly, everything just clicked: I learned I could combine my compassion for animals, fascination with research, zeal for saving the environment and love for storytelling. Writing about science in a clear, jargon-free manner felt like my contribution to combating misinformation and protecting the Earth.

After one year on the science desk as a staff writer and assistant editor, I made the gigantic leap to becoming managing editor.

While yes, there were many overwhelming, chaotic moments, I could not be happier to have worked in this role for the past two years. I came to love my cozy Sunday editing nights, spending hours reading all the content coming out that week. My editing and reporting skills improved tremendously by reading so many stories by The Aggie’s many talented writers. As managing editor, I also continued reporting and assigned myself multiple challenging articles that took weeks to write. I investigated barriers to voting in Davis, UC health care coverage, agricultural research in Davis and so much more.

I can easily proclaim these past years with The Aggie as the best four years of my life. I’m extremely grateful and lucky to have worked with one incredible editor-in-chief, two talented Editorial Boards and managing staffs as well as too many staffers to count.

I’m humbled by the impressive reporting of all the great friends I’ve made at The Aggie.

From the friendships I’ve made to the pickleball games I’ve lost, The Aggie made me fall in love with this cow town so much more than any club I tried out, class I took or professor I nervously chatted up during office hours. Despite this, I’ll still miss banding baby Western Bluebirds and Tree Swallows, eating out way too often in Downtown Davis, catching snakes and lizards at Lake Berryessa, chaotic tubing adventures along Putah Creek, late night study sessions at Shields Library (sponsored by Scandinavian

I’m so excited to see all the places you go. Alana, thank you for cooking me the most gourmet meals and for nerding out about Star Wars with me. Thank you to everyone on the Editorial Board for the past two years — I appreciate all of the shenanigans, the stories, the support and the snorts of laughter.

Ben, while you’re not a UC Davis student, it almost feels like you are. Thank you for being such an integral part of my college career: waking up with me at 6 a.m. on Picnic Day, performing at Whole Earth Festival, taking care of Nina and helping me write this senior column every time I got too sad and overwhelmed to finish. I’m so grateful to enter this next part of life with you.

Thank you to my family for their nonstop support throughout my life. Mom, thank you for pushing me to become a journalist so many years ago (and for birthing me) — I literally wouldn’t be here without you. Dad, thank you for imparting your love of adventure and will to do it all onto me. You’ve made me a dreamer and helped me realize that I can achieve anything. Laurel, thank you for being my role model and a very cool older sister. I hope to be half as successful as you one day. Nina, thank you for having the squishiest nose and for being my emotional support horse all throughout college.

As my time at UC Davis comes to a close, The Aggie will surely be the hardest goodbye I have to make. I’m sorry to say goodbye to editing on Sunday evenings, Editorial Board meetings, Tuesday layout sessions with JJAM, the many stacks of old papers, the coziness of Lower Freeborn, my dark (but lovely) corner desk at 116 A Street, all of our wall quotes, my many beautiful Doodle Polls, all of my wonderful colleagues/friends and so, so, so much more. It’s bittersweet to move on, but I’m so glad to see The Aggie left in such proficient hands.

My journey into the world of storytelling is far from over.

Whatever my next job in life ends up being, I know I’ll never stop writing and loving every minute of it. Stay tuned for loads more weird, nerdy (but interesting!!) science content I plan to write. As I bid farewell to my incredibly fond days of student journalism, I give a delighted hello to my professional science writing career.

Margo Rosenbaum is The California Aggie’s current managing editor.

She joined The Aggie in fall 2018 as a features staff writer and in the summer of 2019, she switched to writing for the science and technology desk. In January 2020, she began working as the assistant science and technology editor, which she continued until June 2020 when she became managing editor. She is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in evolution, ecology & biodiversity and communication, with a mass communication emphasis, as well as a minor in professional writing.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2022 | 11

FROM SCIENCE TO CITY, THANK YOU, THE AGGIE, FOR EVERYTHING “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.” — Garrison Keillor

BY MADELEINE PAYNE

BENJAMIN CHENG / AGGIE

Reflecting on these past three years, it’s hard to put into words how much The Aggie has given me. When I walked into my first city news desk meeting as a nervous English major in October 2019, I remember eagerly taking in all the details of Lower Freeborn Hall: the walls decorated with the names of current and past editors, the stacks of newspapers being prepared for distribution and the sheer number of people working together to get a newspaper published every week — everything seemed so professional and official to sophomore me. I was intimidated yet excited at the thought of covering real events and being published in a newspaper, but never did I imagine that I would be walking into an organization where I would meet some of the most incredible and life-changing people, ones I have the pleasure of calling my best friends.

That day, I met the first person at The Aggie that had an impact on me: the city news editor at the time, Stella Tran. Through editing sessions and Slack messages, Stella taught me about what it meant to be a journalist and instilled confidence in me about my writing. Without her as a mentor, I would have never been able to apply to the Editorial Board the following year, eventually entering her role as the city news editor — thank you, Stella!

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This community is the one I dreamed to find as a freshman, and I’m so lucky that my favorite college memories have been surrounded by the people I used to call coworkers, but now call best friends.

One quarter later, I was given the opportunity through The Aggie to cover a breaking news story on the first case of COVID-19 in the country. I remember feeling intimidated as a 19-year-old standing at a news conference next to reporters from national organizations like CNN and Politico, but it was invigorating knowing I was reporting on something critical to the Davis community and the world. This experience inspired my interest in science journalism, eventually leading me to change my major and follow a career path in science communication and public health.

So much has changed since that school year, not only for me, but also for The Aggie. The wall-quote covered walls of Lower Freeborn have turned into the wall-quote covered walls of 116 A St., both us and the paper have transitioned to and from a virtual setting while surviving a pandemic and I’ve been lucky enough to serve two years on the Editorial Board as the science editor and city news editor, the best opportunity I’ve been given as a college student.

We used to joke that it’s not often you get to work with some of your best friends, but as we enter the last few days of our spring quarter, those words have never rung more true. This experience of serving on the Editorial Board — spending countless hours editing, writing and interviewing every week — has flown by because spending time with you all just doesn’t feel like work.

From weekly pho dates to backpacking trips in Point Reyes, from attending Aggie formal to tournaments on the pickleball courts,

I’m grateful for every second that we’ve shared together, whether it was at the office or out and about in Davis; this community is the one I dreamed to find as a freshman, and I’m so lucky that my favorite college memories have been surrounded by the people I used to call coworkers, but now call best friends.

To Omar, Allie, Anjini, Margo and Michelle, thank you for not only pushing me to be a better writer and editor, but also a kinder, stronger and more thoughtful person and friend. I have loved learning with you and from you in all our experiences together, and I can’t wait to see where the next chapter of life takes us. To Eden, thank you for being there for me for the entirety of our Aggie journey. You’ve always been someone I can count on and I can’t wait to hear about everything, from your small business endeavors to gardening work, for years to come. To Katie and Sophie, I know you two will be excellent leaders next year and I look forward to seeing you flourish in your roles leading this organization — you got this! To Calvin and Sabrina, thank you for always being two

people I can look up to and showing us soon-to-be-graduates how to enter the world of post-grad so gracefully (we miss you). To Levi and Chris, thank you for being such excellent writers to work with and congratulations on your roles for next year; I know you both will make strong editors and leaders. To all the editors, writers and staff I’ve been able to work with at The Aggie, thank you, thank you, thank you for giving me this incredible experience — it’s one I will treasure for a lifetime. And for one final time, die in, go Ags and grED! Madeleine Payne is The California Aggie’s current city news editor. She joined The Aggie in fall 2019 as a staff writer on the city news desk. In winter 2020, she took on the role of assistant city news editor, serving in that role until becoming science desk editor in July 2020. She is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in psychology with a biological emphasis and a minor in public health sciences.

MY WORDS ARE WHO I AM On searching for myself, and finding I was there all along (with a little help from my friends) Language itself and the joys of writing for Arts have clearly been influential to my identity, but the impact of The Aggie as an organization and a community have been equally as pivotal in my college experience. In my first year, as a writer, Arts desk meetings were the highlight of my week: Up to ten of us would gather on the couches in Lower Freeborn to discuss all things arts and culture, from pop culture to new exhibitions to social issues. The friends I made inspired my writing, my interests and my love of The Aggie as a whole, and are a big reason why I pursued a position on the Editorial Board.

As I started dedicating more and more time to the newspaper, including being entrusted with the associate arts editor position, I realized how much more I wanted to do, and be, here.

Despite my first year on the Editorial Board being over Zoom, I wouldn’t have traded the experience for the world. The nine of us, all new to Ed Board, went through it all together: from day-long Zoom meetings to never ending pickleball matches, I’ve never seen a team work so well, and I’m so proud of what we accomplished together. This year’s Ed Board was no different; we came together to discuss and deliberate on

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I feel so fortunate to have found a job I loved doing as much as I loved the people I did it with.

BENJAMIN CHENG / AGGIE

BY ALLIE BAILEY Growing up, I was lucky enough to learn two languages in addition to English. I always loved learning new phrases and being able to communicate in new ways, but it took me until college to realize why this ability resonated with me so much. I didn’t know it at the time, but by being able to express myself in different languages, I was discovering parts of myself not present when I communicated in any other one.

Each language comes with its own history, culture and nuances, and connecting with and utilizing these differences, I was creating identities in each linguistic world, separate from who I was while speaking anything else.

Creating an identity was my top priority when I arrived at college — I was getting a new start, with new people, in a new place where I was a blank slate to decorate with the person I wanted to be. But unlike my linguistic identities, which arose without my intention (or knowledge), trying to reinvent who I was proved to be an impossible task. Enter The Aggie, where writing became a new language through which I found another version of myself I had yet to uncover.

Prior to joining this organization I now hold so dear, I was never particularly fond of writing; I

did it well enough, but I usually dreaded having to write anything of much substance. But writing for the Arts desk wasn’t like other writing (yes, that phrasing is a nod to my and fellow Arts desk alum Ilya Shrayber’s joint article on Sally Rooney’s “Normal People,” one of my favorite contributions to The Aggie). Throughout my academic experience, I was always told what to write, and how, but on Arts, I was able to explore my interests, express my ideas and experiment with my words. Just like the languages I spoke, I saw another person appearing in my stories.

Each article gave me the chance to share a part of myself through a topic I was passionate about, collectively forming the journalist and the writer I didn’t know I had in me.

This new identity quickly went from an extracurricular to the most defining component of my college experience. After a few quarters on the Arts desk and having taken some linguistics courses I adored, I finally registered why my love of language and newfound love of writing felt so central to who I was: language is identity, and the many iterations I saw within myself were a product of the innately, uniquely human capacity of using language to communicate who we are to the world. Whether spoken, written or signed, it’s impossible to do what we do and be who we are without it.

the most pressing issues of the moment, and supported each other through projects, ideas and the challenges of bringing this publication back to an in-person operation. Anjini and Margo, I will forever be in awe of how you ran this newspaper; it’s no small feat, and I am so proud of and grateful for you doing your jobs so well.

As important as the work we do here is, this organization wouldn’t be what it is without the friendships it creates. Meeting with this wonderful group of people, both this year and the year before, got me through the toughest days of the pandemic, pulled me out of a funk with a 100% success rate and brought me to tears with laughter more times than I can count. Each and every member of Ed Board I’ve had the pleasure of working with has made a direct impact on my life, and I feel so fortunate to have found a job I loved doing as much as I loved the people I did it with.

While I’m giving shoutouts, a few more are owed: I may have never found this family without Caroline Rutten, who encouraged me to apply in the first place, and whose friendship, mentorship and unwavering support not only made me a better writer, but a better person. Liz Jacobson, the best editor the Arts desk ever saw, taught me

what it takes to lead this special desk, and while I never felt I truly filled her shoes, having her as a role model was integral to any success I’ve had in this position. My pho girls, whether it was deciding which combination of broth and sauce tasted best or (not) doing work in the reading room, I am so appreciative of your ability to brighten my day without fail. And Farmhouse, you will always be my number ones for putting up with constant Aggie shenanigans and being the best friends (and girlfriend) I could ask for.

Lastly, to all the wonderful writers I’ve had the pleasure of working with: thank you. You allowed me to learn as I went, handled more than a couple hiccups along the way and gave me the opportunity to develop my skills as an editor, something I now know I love to do. I can only wish I had half as much of an impact on you all.

Looking back, deliberately deciding who I wanted to be was never going to work, but what I now know is that the person I was looking for was always within me, I just hadn’t recognized — or yet found — the many ways I could express myself through the words that make us who we are. My journey with language, writing and creating identity through these forms of self expression is far from over, but I can safely say I’d be lost without what The Aggie has given me throughout my run at Davis. It has been an honor to lead the Arts and Culture desk for the past two years, and I can’t wait to see what Clara and the rest of the Editorial Board does next. I hope it gives you everything it gave me and more.

Allie Bailey is currently The California Aggie’s arts and culture editor, a position she has held for the past two years. She joined The Aggie as an arts staff writer in the fall of 2019 before taking on the role of associate arts editor in winter 2020. She joined the Editorial Board as arts and culture editor in July 2020. She is graduating with honors with a Bachelor of Science in computational cognitive science and a minor in linguistics.

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THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

NO RAGRETS It’s all the experiences — the good, the bad and the ugly — that make it all worth it

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BY SIERRA JIMENEZ

Everything that happens to you, everything that you do, is a part of that experience of learning, of riding that wave.

“Where’d All the Time Go” by Dr. Dog rings through the chilled, air-conditioned car as I lounge in the backseat on the way to Shasta for the final time this glorious Memorial Day weekend.

I find it ironically humorous that I complete my very last article at The Aggie as a senior, on my phone and on my way to a weekend which holds surprises I itch to explore.

I was struggling to find a specific memory or a lesson that I’ve learned from my time in cow town, but this seems almost too perfect. Spontaneity. Adventure. A f*** it mindset. This is what college is all about.

The long barren roads of the outer Davis area make me nostalgic for my time in a small little town where everyone knows each other to a point where it can get annoying. When else in my life will I be in a town like this, having the experiences I’m having now? Never. And I wouldn’t change a thing.

I hate the word “mistake.” To be quite honest, I don’t believe in so-called “mistakes” — I call them experiences. Not to bring up the pandemic, but, bringing up the pandemic, I’ve learned you cannot plan every detail of your life, things change and sometimes (most of the time) you have to roll with the punches. Everything that happens to you, everything that you do, is a part of that experience of learning, of riding that wave.

Hence, here I am, last minute, writing my senior column on my phone, in a car, reminiscing and appreciating all the experiences I’ve had at Davis. I think this moment right now is a perfect embodiment of my senior year, of my perfectly hectic time in the lovely Davis, California.

Sierra Jimenez is an arts staff writer for The California Aggie. She joined The Aggie in fall of 2019 as an arts desk writer and loved it so much, she came back to the desk this year after taking a break from writing during asynchronous learning. She is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in international relations with a minor in communication.

SIERRA JIMENEZ / COURTESY

AN ENDLESS BOUNTY OF OPPORTUNITIES The Aggie showed me how expansive Davis really is

BY MAYA SHYDLOWSKI-BESMER

MAYA SHYDLOWSKI-BESMER / COURTESY As anyone who has attended UC Davis knows, there’s a magical charm about this bubble-like town. For my family and friends from home, Davis is a stop in for food on the way to Tahoe or a destination for a middle school soccer tournament. It amazes me to think about the Davis you would see from the outside while driving up I-80 and all the Davis you would miss.

Davis is a town of passionate, hard-working people who want to change the world. I saw that the second I stepped into the office at The Aggie in the fall of my senior year.

I’m regretful that it took me so long to find the little house on A Street, but I am all the happier to have found it at all. More than anything, working at The Aggie has given me the opportunity (or excuse) to talk to amazing people who are living inspirational lives or doing life-changing work — from Ukrainian refugees here in Davis to the geniuses behind the campus

sheep mowers (shoutout to Haven Kiers). I tell them I’m a student reporter for The Aggie, and no one questions why I want to know so much about their lives. It’s great.

I’m so honored to be able to add The Aggie to the list of organizations I’ve been involved with on campus. Davis filled up my resume just as much as it filled up my heart. I am grateful to the Arboretum, the Student Farm and my lab in the plant sciences department for the experiences that have shown me the beauty of Davis and introduced me to so many incredible people.

Nonetheless, I feel as if I did not get to spend enough time in this magical town — I transferred in as a sophomore and proceeded to spend half of my college career online. I’ve spent considerable time writing articles for the features desk this year, with the rest of my time trying my hand (or legs) at running with the cross country and track club.

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I’m regretful that it took me so long to find the little house on A Street, but I am all the happier to have found it at all.

Although I feel like I made the most of my disrupted time at Davis, writing for The Aggie only showed me how much more Davis has to offer that I didn’t even begin to dip my toes into.

I love the reactions people have when they hear that I write for The Aggie and am a plant sciences major. But that says more about how welcoming and dynamic The Aggie is than how strange my combination is. I was given the opportunity to use my voice (and my words) to grow as a person and as a writer. I’m sad to leave but excited to bring everything I have gained from this experience into the *real world* (eek!).

Maya Shydlowski is a staff writer for the features desk, which she has covered since fall of 2021 when she joined The Aggie. She is graduating with a B.S. in plant sciences and a minor in professional writing.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2022 | 13

FROM CHILDHOOD BOOKWORM TO UC DAVIS ALUMNA Straying from tradition and paving a new path for myself

BY JELENA LAPUZ

When I first began my undergraduate career at UC Davis as an English major, I felt extremely apprehensive about the future that lay before me. As the eldest daughter in an immigrant family, I did something rather unexpected: I strayed from a more traditional career path and decided to pursue a degree in the arts. My family and friends had initially expected me to pursue something in business or medicine, but I had been an avid reader and writer

English degree?” and “Do you want to be a teacher?” There was this notion — whether it was directly or indirectly stated — that pursuing a degree in English guaranteed limited career outcomes and poor financial prospects.

Oftentimes, I felt like others looked down on me for pursuing a degree in the humanities. There is a common misconception that people who major in the arts do so because they are not intelligent enough to pursue something in STEM, but my decision to pursue an English degree had less to do with my (perceived) intelligence level and more to do with my passion for writing.

Although I initially struggled with getting involved in writing-related endeavors on campus, the COVID-19 pandemic allowed me more time to write. In April 2020, I became a staff writer for The California Aggie. I wrote weekly articles for the city news desk for a little over a year, during which time I was able to interview and build supportive relationships with various industry professionals and Davis and Sacramento area residents of diverse backgrounds. By making a continuous effort to understand the people I interviewed, I was able to gain a better understanding of the needs of our community and write more well-rounded articles

as a result.

Throughout the pandemic, I had the opportunity to explore different types of writing. My position as staff writer for The Aggie allowed me to explore journalistic writing while I explored other genres of writing on the side. My blog post “Exploring and Expressing Creativity in Animal Crossing: New Horizons’’ was selected to be featured on the Mondavi Center website. In addition, some of my poems were featured in Third Iris Zine.

In June 2021, I became the outreach director for The California Aggie, and I stopped writing articles in order to focus on more communications-related writing. Although I realized towards the end of college that I wanted to pursue other styles of writing instead of journalism, that same love for stories that made me pursue an English degree never changed.

Jelena Lapuz joined The Aggie in spring 2020 as a staff writer on the city news desk and later became the first outreach director for The Aggie in June 2021. She is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English with a creative writing emphasis and a minor in professional writing.

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There is a common misconception that people who major in the arts do so because they are not intelligent enough to pursue something in STEM, but my decision to pursue an English degree had less to do with my (perceived) intelligence level and more to do with my passion for writing. since childhood and could not ignore my love for stories. I knew I wanted to pursue a career related to writing, but at the time, I did not know exactly what that would entail.

Although my family and friends came to support my decision, I started my undergraduate career feeling a bit insecure. Being the only English major in my graduating class at high school, I became accustomed to hearing questions like “What can you do with an

BENJAMIN CHENG / AGGIE

THE UNCANNY PURSUIT OF A DEGREE AND THE SURPRISES I ENCOUNTERED ALONG THE WAY Creating four years of college memories in two during the pandemic era BENJAMIN CHENG / AGGIE

texts with classmates who were just as interested as I was. Not every class was my favorite, but with that spark to motivate me, it became even more important to show up and work hard.

I knew I was a writer when I decided to reach out to one of my first English professors in college and ask for advice about my relationship with writing. She emphasized my ear for poetics and encouraged creative writing practice.

It was difficult explaining to friends and family why I made such a drastic change, but I knew that polishing my skills, I could take advantage of the many opportunities for writers at Davis.

Writing for The California Aggie I had been a reader of The California Aggie since my freshman year. In fact, I remember leafing through the pages of one when I toured.

The isolation of the pandemic motivated me to get more involved, and the result of connecting with organizations like The Aggie kept me informed when they were looking for new staff writers. During that time, I applied on a whim and ended up with a position writing for the campus news desk.

Working as a journalist, I have been able to meet and speak with campus leaders, advocates and representatives from different parts of the Davis community. Interviewing helped me gain a deeper understanding of the value of a large

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The future you have in mind will change, but always aim for something.

BY KRISTIN TRENT Few outcomes can be predicted in life, and the destination we land in is often achieved by unforeseen circumstances. No matter how much I had planned in high school for a future at UC Davis, I could have never predicted the trajectory of my college experience, and I know I’m among many. Walking to graduation with a degree is just about the only thing that stayed part of my original idea of college. But these unpredictabilities have been essential in creating a noteworthy future.

Changing my major Coming to UC Davis to pursue veterinary medicine, I could have never predicted that I would graduate with an English degree in hand.

Reaching this decision was the result of many late night conversations, a couple of grueling finals and a change of heart. No matter how much I had believed that my plan — four years of undergraduate work at UC Davis followed by an additional four years of vet school — could work out, I was struggling to excel with a scienceheavy workload.

The moment I started taking English classes, I found my love for learning again. It was refreshing to discuss and muse over interesting

community. I saw it as a goal to represent the different sides of Davis and their respective issues, publishing articles about discrimination against students with disabilities and period poverty.

Joining Greek life If you had asked me in high school, rushing a sorority would be my last thought when it came to college plans. Most of my non-Greek life friends still can’t believe I am in a sorority.

However, within a couple days of rushing, it became clear to me that the stereotypical depiction of the sorority girl was far from the reality at Davis. In fact, I found that my sorority

sisters came from diverse backgrounds and were involved all over campus as club leaders, athletes, dancers and more.

We all came here for the same reason, to join a found family. From family dinners to sports sisterhoods, each experience I have with my sisters brings us closer together. I know that after graduation, I can count on them for life. The connections I have with my sisters have helped me become more confident in myself and made me love this part of the Davis community.

Writing a creative honors thesis My application to the Creative Writing Honors Program started as a new year’s resolution: to get as many rejection letters as possible. If rejection was an inevitable step of submitting applications, it was easier to simply try. The day I heard that the project proposal was accepted, I called my partner and said “I can’t believe it, It feels like I’m dreaming, really!” The project is a poetry collection with the goal of capturing the community consciousness of Davis. I think of the classes and opportunities I’ve had at Davis as preparatory work for the cultivation of this longform creative project. I look forward to the time I’ll be spending at Shields next fall quarter researching and writing my project to life.

I am a strong believer that it is never too late to get involved. Writing for The Aggie, joining Greek life and writing a creative honor’s thesis are all opportunities I undertook during my last year (and a quarter) at Davis. Even though you cannot predict when a pandemic will hit or that you will hate chemistry, things can work out. The future you have in mind will change, but always aim for something.

I can be sure of my values when I walk off that graduation stage. Getting involved in different areas of UC Davis culture was the best thing I did (aside from getting my degree). Throwing myself into things and joining clubs I found interesting helped me cultivate my own interests and develop appreciation for community. It has been a privilege to say that I work for The California Aggie, and I will be taking the skills I’ve acquired forward into my future endeavors.

Loyally, Kristin Trent Kristin Trent is a staff writer for the campus news desk. She Joined The Aggie during her senior year, in winter 2021. She graduates in the fall as part of the Honors Creative Writing Program with a bachelor’s degree in English.

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THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

KATHERINE FRANKS / AGGIE Katherine Franks is The California Aggie’s design director. She started at The Aggie in her freshman year as a volunteer graphic designer and then worked her way up to a paid position. She has served as design director the last two years and is graduating with a degree in design with an emphasis on graphic design as well as minors in Spanish and communication.

DISCOVERING MYSELF In the wise words of Kacey Musgraves, “Everything is alright now, ‘cause the sky has finally opened”

BY JOELLE TAHTA I grew up as a somewhat domesticated version of a granola kid, never anticipating my first 18 years would lead me to a town similar to my upbringing. Fortunate to have spent much of it exploring the outdoors of my home state of Montana, my granola youth was juxtaposed with my interests in acrobatics and dance, studio art, graphic design and modern architecture. I felt like any other average white girl then.

However, the past four years have helped me see myself for who I truly am in all my unique glory. Davis showed me how different I actually was, and why I should appreciate all that I am — the good, the bad and the ugly. Who knew Davis would be the perfect blend of just enough yee yee, hippie bulls*** and modern tech to bring it out of me.

Discovering my true self came with some of my highest highs and lowest lows. I’ve lost touch with a lot of close friends from my first years. I’ve found that my anxiety and depression can get so much worse than I thought. I have explored new states and beautiful outdoor spaces. I’ve felt the worst loneliness in my entire life, poured my entire self into my schoolwork and extracurriculars and found those who truly appreciate me through doing what I love and

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Recognizing your roots will help you discover your true, genuine and unique self. trusting myself. I have all those I’ve interacted with to thank for my experience, for without them I may have remained lost. Even though I am leaving California knowing it wasn’t all I made it up to be (sorry y’all), the individuals I have spoken to over these years have given me all I need to succeed. I now know my worth, and I will never settle for anything less.

I am Joëlle. I am a hard-working, creative, goofy, efficient, outdoorsy, loyal, energetic, independent, honest and tenacious human being.

Being here through California’s worst wildfires, a shooting, a tornado (warning), a bear on campus, a machete man — and not to mention a global pandemic — has taught me to, above all else, rely on only myself to get through each day. I am my biggest supporter. (Okay you’re right, maybe my parents beat me to that one.)

Even though it wasn’t an easy ride, I have those who have stuck by my side through thick and thin to dedicate my experience to.

To my high school besties — you have stayed

alongside me during my greatest and lowest moments. Annie, Kate, Maeve, Molly, Gabri, I am so beyond proud of y’all, and you have no idea how much you have helped me through university. Coming home to you all (luckily more times than expected with the pandemic) will forever be one of my favorite feelings. Goodbyes were frequent and difficult, and now as we all move on to the next, please know I will be there for each of you every day as you were for me. I love you so much.

Thad — you saved me when I needed you the most (even though I was the one who reached out to you). Long distance has been one of the hardest things I’ve emotionally gone through, but I have kept peace in knowing you are my best friend, and we have finally gotten through it together. I love you so much and I am so proud of you (NAU Forestry Class of ‘22!).

To my parents — I would not still be here if it weren’t for you. You know when I am hurting before I even realize it myself. You have encouraged me to continue challenging myself, try new things, embrace the unexpected and advocate for what I believe in. I am so lucky to have you. I love you.

Mom — even though you call me asking me to do design work for you, expecting my classes to be going well and telling me to do things I probably should but won’t (like scheduling a dentist appointment, oops), you have given me advice that has gotten me through everything.

You have supported me every step of the way, even when you didn’t want to. You make me laugh when I’m low, and you know some chocolate or a good cocktail with you is always the perfect pick-me-up. You have done so much for me, and I can’t thank you enough for all of it.

Dad — you have pushed me to continue being my best. Even though you don’t say it, I have always anticipated you had high expectations for me, and I hope I have met them.

I have never had anyone else tell me how proud they are of me, and it means so much to me when you remind me that you’re always there for me.

Even though I know I should have called you more, I knew you were at home cheering me on each and every day. Even though you know I probably wouldn’t because my work ethic is too much like your own, I might have dropped out if it weren’t for you helping and encouraging me through each leg of school.

Stef — somehow you always see right through me. You probably could have predicted the way my relationships with everyone here panned out before I had even seen it coming. You have always been one of my biggest supporters no matter what, and you always prioritize my happiness and comfort. I really appreciate all you do for me, especially keeping Dad sane back at home. I know you, Maya and Koda will always be there to lift me up when I need it.

Special big thank you to Claire and Stephen (Mom and Dad) for funding this roller coaster

BENJAMIN CHENG / AGGIE ride I’ve been on. I hope I can make it up to you one day.

Lastly, to The Aggie — one of the only constants in my university experience. Not only did you provide me with some of the easiest, yet most stressful work, but you have given me something to look forward to each week.

Without a doubt, layout with Anjini, Margo and Janice every Tuesday (JJAM!) had me smiling by the end of it, no matter how I was feeling that day. It has given me an escape from the rest of the stressors in my life, and a community I will value forever. Even though my team and I might be the most overlooked desk (oop), we wouldn’t be able to publish each week without all my wonderful layout artists and I have all of them from over the last two years to thank! Chloe, Sophia, Gennifer, Emily, Shraesht, Abby, Ariana, Allison, Jolene, Cassidy and especially my Assistant Layout Director Janice. Thanks for dealing with my perfectionism and always implementing my edits. Y’all rock. I love you, The Aggie. Despite my lows, you were always a positive in my life and I’ll miss our crazy shenanigans. Wherever we all end up, we will always have this community and the good times we had on A St. (and Zoom!

Especially sitting on Stargazer’s face).

I leave you with a message to my 18-yearold self. You too, have these qualities within you, whether you know it or not. I know you can get through this, even if you feel like you can’t. Your hardest decisions will be the ones you make for the betterment of yourself, but if you can put yourself first, you will ultimately have no regrets. Embrace and love yourself (and your true supporters) because you are great, and you are capable of so much more than you think you are.

You will always be a Montana girl at heart, and recognizing your roots will help you discover your true, genuine and unique self. (This is probably only applicable to myself but you get me.)

If you know me well you’ll know I’m not usually able to put such a positive spin on an experience like I’ve had, but I guess that’s just a part of growing up and discovering yourself.

Joelle Tahta is The California Aggie’s layout director.

She joined The Aggie in winter 2020 as a graphic designer. In fall 2020, she took on the role of layout director, which she has been serving in since. She is graduating with honors with a B.A. in design with an emphasis in visual and graphic design and a minor in managerial economics.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2022 | 15

MY FAVORITE COLLEGE MOMENTS “Your best camera is the one on you”

BY BENJAMIN CHENG In the 1,344 days since my first day of school, so many life-altering events have collectively formed my college experience. Since starting, I’ve coughed my way through wildfire smoke, I’ve fought my way through hordes of ruthless turkeys, I’ve hidden from the rain — and a machete man and two wild bears — I’ve sought shelter from an uncaged tornado, I’ve evaded the tabling efforts of clubs at the MU, I’ve cried my way through a Chem 2A midterm and a Chem 2B midterm and ran out of tears for a Chem 2C midterm, I’ve escaped freshmen riding bicycles in the roundabouts, I’ve ruined my 20/20 vision from long hours of Zoom meetings, I’ve been injected with vaccines, I’ve voted for the first time, I’ve driven a double decker bus, I’ve broken a double decker bus (sorry Jeff Flynn), I’ve posted 216 photos of sunsets, sports, landscapes, drone work, musical artists and photography on my Instagram @ben.cheng, I’ve pet Cheeto, I’ve voted for a cow to end Gunrock’s reign as mascot… I’ve, I’ve, I’ve made so many lifelong memories on this campus, which I will cherish.

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I’ve, I’ve, I’ve made so many lifelong memories on this campus, which I will cherish.

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As the photo director for The California Aggie, one thing that I’ve learned from my predecessor Justin Han is that your best camera is the one on you. It is what allows you to document your memory and capture what a million words can’t describe, so I want to share some of my favorite and most cherished memories I’ve made throughout my college experience.

I thank The Aggie for being my family for the last few years, Justin Han for mentoring me in my photojournalism career, Kaelyn for being a role model, Sierra Jimenez for helping me hold down the fort when it was just us on the new media team, Anjini and Margo for listening to my complaints and Joelle for being patient with my recurring late photo submissions.

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Benjamin Cheng is the California Aggie’s current photo director. He joined The Aggie in fall of 2019 as a photographer. In summer 2020, he took on the position of social media manager, and he became the photo director in June 2021. He is graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in managerial economics with an emphasis in business economics and minors in statistics, technological management and professional writing.

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I say goodbye to my grandma the day I leave for UC Davis, not knowing that it would be the last time I would get to see her before her passing.

My freshman dorm, Sequoia 205, in Tercero.

A friend and I were distracted while walking and caused all of the bikes at the Bike Barn to fall over like dominoes.

One of my favorite Davis sunsets from the Hutch parking garage.

One of the wildfire days, during which smoke consumed the skies and our lungs.

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Image of the tornado that touched down in Davis, also my first photo featured in The Aggie.

7. During a football game, a dense fog descended over the stadium.

8. My favorite photo I took of the Golden Gate Bridge while on a day trip.

9. A goofy llama.

10. Hanging out with my friends Megan, Chris and Jerome for the last time.

11. I got licensed to drive a bus!

12. A photo I took with my drone coming back to Davis from LA after graduating from

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Zoom university and being promoted to in-person classes.

My favorite photo I took of a sunset in Palos Verdes while attending Zoom university.

My favorite drone photo I took in Davis.

I blame Jonathan for my boba addiction.

A retreat I went on with Davis Christian Fellowship in 2022.

I let my dog-loving friend Lea borrow my dog and let them run around in the Arboretum.

My friends Jerome and Ethan hanging out during the pandemic #snip (inside joke).

19. My friends Neil, Job, John, Judah, Jack, Nathan and Alcuin.

20. These are the individuals who grind each week to bring you the news occurring at UC Davis. They write and lead with passion and care about the UC Davis community.

They investigate, they advocate, they laugh, they cry, they love what they do with a burning passion.

PHOTO COLLAGE BY JANICE LEE

TAKING THE SCENIC ROUTE Thirteen years later than expected, but right on time

BY KATHLEEN QUINN As I walk across the stage to receive my undergraduate degree on June 12, I will be 34 years old. When I passed the California High School Proficiency Exam at 16, I thought I would be graduating from college a couple of years early, not 13 years late.

Life has a funny way of derailing your deeply-held expectations.

Though it took a while to return to school in full force, I managed to take a class at community college here and there, even while working full-time. I slowly accumulated general education requirements until I could take the time off to pursue my undergraduate degree as the main focus.

Before arriving at UC Davis, I worked in a role that was rewarding but all-consuming. As a project coordinator for the city of Los Angeles, I worked with neighborhood councils to build capacity and increase participation in the democratic process.

Through that work, I gained a deeper understanding of the barriers that exist for people trying to gain access to their representatives.

Often, some of the most impactful conversations in people’s everyday lives are happening at 10 p.m. in a high school gym with no air conditioning. All politics are local, but additionally, all politics are hidden in plain sight.

The stories of these communities are the same stories that make national news, but on a much smaller scale. Issues of housing insecurity, climate change, gun violence and racism were laid bare by people in folding chairs with name placards made of printing paper. As a public servant, there were many things that I couldn’t intervene in and couldn’t address head-on. For all the times I was able to make headway in helping a council advocate for their community, there were just as many opportunists using the system for personal gain.

Without a degree, I had limited options for where I could go. I had gone much farther than I would have expected, but

I had reached a ceiling on my potential. I come from a highlyeducated family, and the expectation had always been to get an undergraduate degree as a base, with a graduate degree or doctorate preferred. I felt I was letting them and myself down, and no amount of professional success was going to bridge that gap for me.

I was worried that going back to school would be awkward at best and a disaster at worst, but when I was accepted into UC Davis, I was ecstatic. I can’t explain exactly why, but something in me was overwhelmed by the prospect of going to a school that had cows on campus in a town overrun with bicycles. It was completely different from my life as a project coordinator in Los Angeles. The pace was different. I am so grateful, after all of this time, to say that I received a quality education at UC Davis. It was indeed the right place for me.

I want to use the knowledge I gained from my role with the city to be an ethical journalist. UC Davis has provided me with the knowledge and critical lens to do that effectively.

I’ll be going to graduate school at UC Berkeley. When I walk across the stage now, it won’t be when I expected to, but it will be the right time for me.

Kathleen Quinn is The California Aggie’s current new media manager.

She joined The Aggie in fall 2020 as a campus news staff writer. In winter 2021, she took on the role of assistant campus news editor, serving in that role until becoming new media manager in June 2021.

She is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in communication with an emphasis in media studies and continuing on to graduate school for journalism at UC Berkeley.

BENJAMIN CHENG / AGGIE

16 | THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2022

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

A JOURNALIST’S LOVE LETTER TO WRITING How The California Aggie allowed me to pursue my passions

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If you find something that you love, something that brings you joy, something that brings you towards the person you want to be, don’t let go of it.

BENJAMIN CHENG / AGGIE

BY MICHELLE WONG Throughout my time at The California Aggie, I’ve learned a multitude of lessons — how to stay composed when interviewing professors, how to meet deadlines, how to speed-write an article in an hour to meet said deadline, etc. But above all, what The Aggie has taught me is my unrelenting, inescapable love for writing.

My undergraduate career has been a whirlwind of assignments, midterms, research, extracurriculars, plans with friends and more.

There was always so much to do but not enough time. In this flurry of chaos, I have learned the art of letting go — that no matter how much I want

to experience, I can’t do everything I want to and I have to prioritize some things over others. The problem was always determining what was worth prioritizing, what was most important to me.

I joined The Aggie as a volunteer staff writer for the science and technology desk back in fall quarter of my freshman year of college, October 2018. The one regret I had about my time in journalism during high school was not starting sooner, so I was determined to get involved right away. With a newfound confidence and a determination to empower those whose voices have been ignored, I dove headfirst into the challenges college journalism brought — intimidating professors, new writing standards

and an unfamiliar campus.

Just in my freshman year, I learned so much about how to converse with various doctors and researchers, how to write professional emails and how to write science articles that could be understood by the general public. I felt my passion for journalism grow and was excited that I was producing content I could be proud of. Finally, I had found the perfect medium for combining my love for science with my passion for writing.

But I suppose all writers’ highs eventually ebb — despite the joy journalism gave me, as I was promoted to being a paid staff writer and I took on more and more outside of The Aggie, writing became more of a job than something I did for fun. Initially, writing was my escape from the STEM classes that consumed my time, a way to stay connected with the part of me that loved the arts and humanities. But as my mental and physical health deteriorated due to my inability to balance my schedule, I began to view my journalistic responsibilities as a hindrance to my academics and my goals of becoming a doctor.

Ultimately, I made the decision to take a break from The Aggie.

Looking back, although I regret taking this short hiatus, I suppose it was an occurrence that had to happen for me to realize how much I need — not want, but need — to write. No matter how busy my commitment to The Aggie made me, I was not content pursuing an education in science if I was not able to pursue my love for writing simultaneously.

My friends in the STEM field often comment on how different and far apart my interests of medicine and journalism are. But I beg to differ.

Both journalism and medicine have an ability to empower others, just in slightly different ways. To me, both professions involve listening and understanding someone’s story — their background, their pain, their joy — and serving as an advocate for them. Without my experience as a journalist, I am certain I would not be as

confident in becoming the kind of doctor I aspire to be. Journalism has taught me not only professionalism, but compassion, kindness and understanding towards people from all walks of life.

But back to the original plotline. My hiatus didn’t end up lasting for long — in fact, it was a few months at most. Despite “resigning” at the end of the school year, I offered to continue writing articles throughout the summer and ultimately reapplied in February 2020. Once again enveloped in the warm, welcoming environment that is The Aggie, I went on to become the assistant science and technology editor and ultimately joined the Editorial Board as the official science and technology editor where I have met some of the kindest, most inspirational people here at Davis.

Being a journalist has become a part of my identity now, a part of myself that I am actually proud of. UC Davis is full of insanely accomplished and intelligent people, and it is so easy to become discouraged and spiral in one’s insecurities — believe me, I still do. Not often do I feel fit to be among such people, and oftentimes I dislike myself for not being smarter or, for lack of a better word, better. But when all else fails, my love for writing and journalism is something that I do, and always will, like about myself.

My love for writing has shown me the part of myself that needs to create. It is not a sharp pull, but rather a constant longing to produce something that has the potential to move others and evoke change. It is hard to put into words and it is rather unexplainable, but I think everyone has found, or will find, something that produces this feeling.

If you find something that you love, something that brings you joy, something that brings you toward the person you want to be, don’t let go of it. Perhaps you don’t know what you’re passionate about yet or you’re scared to pursue it. Maybe you’re like me and you think it’s better to push it off, to concentrate on “logically” how you should be spending your time at college. But I’ve found there’s something funny about passions — they don’t really go away. So do yourself a favor, and even if it goes beyond all reason (well, maybe shoot for a little within reason), pursue it anyway.

Michelle Wong is The California Aggie’s current science and technology editor. She joined The Aggie in fall 2018 as a science and technology staff writer.

In summer 2020, she took on the role of assistant science and technology editor, serving in that role until becoming the science and technology editor in July 2021. She is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in neurobiology, physiology and behavior with a minor in psychology.

HOW DIFFERENT IT ALL COULD’VE BEEN

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A farewell to the place that allowed me to find myself

BY OMAR NAVARRO How do you say goodbye to something you’ll cherish forever? That’s kind of what I kept asking myself as I wrote this column. I’m terrible at goodbyes and for the longest time, I avoided doing this just because I don’t want to think about leaving. The Aggie holds a special place in my heart not only because I found myself here, but because it allowed an 18-year-old me to continue to do what I love — talking about sports.

I remember being in my senior year of high school, getting sad thinking about how once I went to college, I wouldn’t have the time to watch as many games and keep up with sports the way I did. Well, I was partially correct. It wasn’t the same — it was even more than I already did.

Coming into UC Davis I, like many others, had no idea what I wanted to do. I was just trying to find myself. It was easy to just hide behind everyone and just go through the motions, but I knew I needed to find something for myself.

Through luck, fate or whatever you want to call it, I found out about The Aggie while searching through the ASUCD vacancy site on a late night in December. The thought of writing never even came to mind, and I had absolutely no journalism experience at all, but this weird confidence came out of nowhere and I applied anyway.

Fast forward to three years later, and I can’t imagine what my life would’ve been like without The Aggie. I would probably be doing some career I didn’t like and feeling even worse about what’s next. From the countless interviews of players and coaches to the times I was up late trying to figure out what to write, I enjoyed every second of it. Even when life got in the way countless times, this always felt like an escape to do what I love.

I have met a lot of amazing people through The Aggie that I probably would’ve never talked to without it. I don’t know if I can put into words how much everything meant to me. When I say I couldn’t talk to people, I mean it, and I owe this publication for getting me out of my shell.

To Dominic, the editor of the sports desk when I joined in winter of 2019, thank you. I don’t know if I could’ve asked for a better editor.

You instilled the confidence in me that I could do this, and because of that, I kept going. I always had these doubts in my head when I started, but

If there’s anything being at The Aggie taught me, it’s that I have to trust myself.

I’m right where I need to be. your feedback and openness to questions meant more than I could ever put into words.

To the sports desk, thank you for the amazing things you all wrote throughout my time here.

I know sometimes I was probably all over the place, but you all stuck with me, even when we were all remote. I can’t explain how many times I felt like I wasn’t doing enough to help or doing a good job, but your engagement and eagerness to constantly improve is something that I don’t take for granted, and I can’t thank you all enough. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors because I know you will all do amazing things.

To the Editorial Board, I don’t even know where to start. Anjini, Margo, Sophie, Maddie, Eden, Katie, Allie and Michelle, I can’t thank you enough. Thank you for always being there for me and making me feel supported when life got in the way sometimes. Thank you for never failing to give me a laugh in our meetings on days when I couldn’t even crack a smile. Thank you for giving me all the confidence in the world (even if you didn’t realize it), even though sometimes I felt like I wasn’t doing enough. Thank you for always making me look forward to our meetings regardless of whether they were in person or on Zoom. I could go on forever with a list of things, but most of all, thank you for all for helping me find myself. It was a pleasure working with all of you and to be able to call you all friends.

And to the countless other people I’ve worked with over the years — Calvin, Sabrina, Carson and many more — thank you. You have all been a big part of my journey.

Was writing this column only hard because I’m scared of what’s next? I think that’s the conclusion I came to. It’s difficult to leave something you love doing and start a new

BENJAMIN CHENG / AGGIE journey, but now, I feel like I’m ready for it. If there’s anything being at The Aggie taught me, it’s that I have to trust myself. I’m right where I need to be.

I will be forever grateful for The Aggie. It is something that I will never forget no matter what direction life takes me. In more ways that I can explain, I would be lost without it and the wonderful people I’ve met. Like I said, I’m really bad at giving goodbyes, and this has been one of the hardest ones.

When I look back on my college experience in the future and someone asks me what the best part about it was, the answer will be easy.

Omar Navarro is The California Aggie’s current sports editor. He joined The Aggie in winter 2019 as a sports staff writer. In spring 2020, he took on the role of assistant sports editor, serving in that role until becoming sports editor in August 2020. He is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in communication and sociology.