March 2, 2023

New safer-sex dispensers installed in Memorial Union restrooms

Campus health organizations collaborate in effort to promote safer sex and better sex education on campus

BY RACHEL GAUER campus@theaggie.org

Earlier this quarter, the UCD Love Lab and ASUCD’s Student Health and Wellness Committee (SHAWC) installed safer-sex dispensers on campus as part of a collaborative project. The four dispensers, which are located in the men’s and women’s restrooms on the second floor of the Memorial Union (MU), contain condoms, dental dams and two varieties of lubricant.

Hibah Shafi, a fourth-year economics major and the current chairperson for SHAWC, spoke about the goals that drove this project and the general concept for the dispensers.

“We just wanted to distribute free safer-sex products and make [them] more accessible,” Shafi said. “We have a good variety of safer-sex products for students to choose from [...] and we wanted to make sure that we were as inclusive as we could be.”

The project began last school year when SHAWC received a donation from Planned Parenthood. Shafi explained how this donation led to the early stages of the project.

“We received a ton of safer-sex items from Planned

Parenthood and we thought, ‘What do we want to do with these?’” Shafi said. “We thought that maybe we could turn it into a bigger thing, [so] we bounced ideas back and forth and then we thought of [putting] them in dispensers.”

Third-year political science major

Sergio Bocardo-Aguilar, a former ASUCD senator and current member of SHAWC, noted that free safer-sex products were available on campus even before this project, but the collaboration aimed to reach a wider variety of students.

“The intention was to make sure that these items are as accessible as possible,” Bocardo-Aguilar said. “We have free items for students who go to the Love Lab in the Student Health and Wellness Center, but not a lot of students know about that, so we wanted to make it more public.”

The team initially wanted to install the dispensers in the gender-inclusive bathrooms on the first floor of the MU, which they believed would be more heavily trafficked. However, the dispensers were ultimately installed on the second floor due to physical barriers that prohibited the installation.

“It was an issue with the tile in the bathrooms,” Bocardo-Aguilar said. “On the first floor, they would have to break the tile to install them, compared to the [drywall] on the second floor[...] where we could just attach them to the wall.”

Blake Flaugher, who oversees the Love Lab and serves as the well-being

health promotion specialist at Student Health and Counseling Services, explained how the teams were able to obtain the dispensers.

“Capital City AIDS Fund in Sacramento graciously donated the dispensers as part of their mission to increase access to safer sex products throughout Northern California,” Flaugher said via email.

Flaugher also noted the educational aspect of the dispensers.

“One important piece [of the project] was linking students to sexual health resources through QR codes on the dispensers because we know that sexual health is about more than condoms and dental dams,” Flaugher said. “It is about STI/HIV testing, consent and healthy communication, reproductive health, harm reduction, health equity and so much more.”

On each of the dispensers, there are two QR codes: one leads to additional sexual health resources and the other to a feedback survey for students to recommend any changes or advice for the project. Shafi explained the sexual health guide that students can access by scanning the code.

“We made a safer-sex guide for campus, which is a whole map [showing] where you can access free safer-sex products around campus,” Shafi said. “That guide has become an official campus resource for [...] where you can access sexual health resources.”

Though the dispensers were just installed earlier this quarter, they have

Picnic Day Board announces 109th parade marshal

This year’s marshal is Cecelia Maikai-Beard, a Cuarto Dining Commons staff member who has worked at UC Davis for over a decade

Love Lab promoting safer sex for a safer-place. (Jersain Medina /

quickly grown in popularity. BocardoAguilar talked about this unexpected popularity and about the steps the teams hope to take in the future to expand the project.

“Our supply is going out really quick, faster than we expected,” Bocardo-Aguilar said. “Within two days, it’s all gone. I think something we need to focus on next year is getting a lot of funding for this project to be able to consistently stock the dispenser.”

With a larger budget, Shafi said the teams would expand the dispensers to other highly trafficked locations on

campus, such as the Silo or student residence halls. Flaugher said that students who want the expansion of the project to succeed can become involved with sexual health organizations on campus.

“Students can make things happen — get involved,” Flaugher said. “We are recruiting a new team of sexual wellbeing Student coordinators in the spring. You can follow @ ucdlovelab on Instagram for the latest info.”

UC Davis Police receives bike and pedestrian safety grant

The grant from the Office of Traffic Safety will fund new and current safety programs on campus

BY SYDNEY AMESTOY campus@theaggie.org

The UC Davis Police Department (UCDPD) has received a $71,250 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to be used to enhance bike and pedestrian safety on campus, according to a recent press release.

UCDPD applied for the grant through the OTS last year, according to one of the department’s lieutenants, Joanne Zekany.

“With so many people using bicycles and other personal vehicles on campus, we want to make sure people can get around campus efficiently and safely,” Zekany said via email.

BY KAYA DO-KHANH

The 109th Picnic Day will be held on April 15, and the Board of Directors announced on Feb. 3 that this year’s parade marshal will be Cecelia MaikaiBeard, a Cuarto Dining Commons staff

member. Maikai-Beard has worked at UC Davis for 13 years, according to a recent press release, and during that time, she has become beloved by students.

As the parade marshal, MaikaiBeard will address the opening ceremonies of the university’s annual open house and take part in the parade as it travels through downtown Davis and campus. She said she is looking forward to judging the parade floats and connecting with students, parents, staff and faculty members.

“I’m over the moon honored to be nominated by the committee of students to be Parade Marshal for Picnic Day,” Maikai-Beard said via email.

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Third-year economics major and Picnic Day Chair Jesse Goodman said that the Picnic Day Board of Directors, which is made up of 15 students, wanted the parade marshal to be someone who represented the Davis community and the theme for 2023: “Ignite our Moment.” He said that in past years, professors have been chosen as the parade marshal after connecting with students in a certain major. However, Maikai-Beard’s role in the dining commons has allowed her to connect with a variety of students, beyond the scope of a single major or even college.

“One thing that surprised us was that we all have interacted with and have been lucky enough to talk with Cecelia and interact with her on a daily basis when we visited the dining commons, so that was something we were able to all come together and realize — that Cecelia is someone who represents this Davis community,” Goodman said.

Maikai-Beard said that since the announcement, she has been congratulated by the students she meets in the Cuarto Dining Commons every day.

“The most favorite part of my job is connecting with the students,” MaikaiBeard said. “Because of all the students, I can truly say I come to work with a smile and I leave with a smile.”

Second-year psychology major and Picnic Day Vice Chair Bradford Martin said that Maikai-Beard brings positivity to students on campus and brings out the best in them, allowing them to “ignite their moment.”

“‘Ignite our Moment’ represents taking hold of the endless opportunities life has to offer,” Martin said via email. “UC Davis provides so many resources for us to utilize. We want to showcase and encourage all students, alumni, faculty, and community members to take hold of the amazing opportunities around us.”

Martin said that the board is looking forward to planning this year’s Picnic Day, which will feature a combination of old and new events. The full schedule of events for this year will come out in April, but a few historically popular events that are here to stay include the Doxie Derby and the Chemistry Magic Show. Goodman said that, for this Picnic Day, he wants people to explore the smaller events that are not as well-known.

“Every time I’m reading through our events, I’m genuinely amazed by the creativity and the passion that these organizations have to come up with something so unique that only Davis has to offer,” Goodman said.

According to the OTS, the purpose of the grant is to reduce the increasing number of pedestrian and bicyclist accidents and deaths, especially among the younger population. The grant will allow UCDPD to provide bike and pedestrian safety training for students, as well as fund initiatives to give out helmets and other safety equipment, according to the release. The grant program will also help fund current bike safety initiatives and programs on campus.

While the grant was addressed to UCDPD, it will be used in collaboration with UC Davis Transportation Services (TAPS), according to Zekany, to create these training opportunities and safety

equipment handouts.

UCDPD has worked with TAPS on bike and pedestrian safety programs in the past. According to Zekany, UCDPD previously collaborated with TAPS’ Bicycle Education and Enforcement Program (BEEP) before its dissolution in 2016.

Jeffrey Bruchez, the bicycle program coordinator for TAPS, said that BEEP included a citation system for bicyclists, which TAPS has no intention of reinstating. Instead, it is now focused on building other transportation programs and initiatives, as well as “[promoting] the available education on campus.”

Some of these available sources of education include the “CyclingSavvy” and “Helmet Hair Don’t Care” programs, according to Bruchez. A new program called “Lit not Hit” is also in development, which will provide free bike lights to bicyclists on campus.

TAPS has also applied for the OTS grant for the next grant cycle, independently of their collaboration with UCDPD, according to Bruchez.

“We [also] worked together to update the grant applicability for the next cycle, with hopes that if we are awarded, we can launch some really radical new programming,” Bruchez said via email.

Students bike and scooter at the bike circle in front of Peter Rock Hall. (Shanna Punzalan / Aggie)

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Graduating senior class plans to install mental health awareness mural

The mural will serve as an opportunity for the class of 2023 to leave their mark on campus and to encourage mental health advocacy

BY LILY FREEMAN campus@theaggie.org

Aggies Helping Aggies — also known as the UC Davis Student Foundation — in partnership with Aggie Mental Health, has challenged members of the class of 2023 to make a donation of $20.23 to fund their “Murals for Mental Health” project. According to the initiative’s Crowdfund website, Murals for Mental Health is this year’s opportunity for the UC Davis graduating class to leave a lasting mark on campus through the installation of a public art mural that promotes mental health awareness.

Barry Nguyen, a fourth-year biochemistry and molecular biology double major and the president of Aggies Helping Aggies, described the project.

“Every year, we launch a senior class challenge, where we challenge the graduating class to donate to a cause that they are passionate about,” Nguyen said. “This year, we are partnering with Aggie Mental Health to tackle the issue of poor mental health.”

According to Nguyen, the mural is set to be painted on the Sprocket bike and pedestrian tunnel, located near the intersection of the ARC and the University Credit Union Center, which thousands of students pass through daily.

Chelan Tolentino, a third-year economics major and the finance and allocation chair of Aggies Helping Aggies, talked about her passion for mental health awareness.

“I’ve seen how the COVID[-19] pandemic affected students,” Tolentino said. “Like many of my peers, my mental health declined drastically due to the pandemic. Mental health is super important, as it affects our overall health greatly.”

Davis Fire Department to continue training at former Hibbert Lumber

site

Davis Fire Department asks nearby residents to be aware of ongoing

training

The Hibbert Lumber site is where the Davis Fire Department will be doing their trainings. (Alexis Perez / Aggie)

BY ANTHONY W. ZAMMIKIEL city@theaggie.org

On Feb. 14, the Davis Fire Department (DFD) began conducting training exercises at the former Hibbert Lumber site located at 500 G St. in downtown Davis. The training exercises will continue until Mar. 17.

“The Davis Fire Department will be training at the old Hibbert Lumber site and simulating various fire situations to improve service delivery and effectiveness,” according to an announcement released by the city. “As a result, you may see fire trucks, firefighters, fire hoses or theatrical smoke around this area. Please know that this is only training and that the property owners have given the Fire Department approval to use this site for non-destructive exercises.”

The DFD asks that nearby residents refrain from contacting the Fire Department dispatch if they notice the presence of DFD vehicles or if smoke is seen coming out from the location.

Tim Jackson, a nearby resident, said that he appreciates how the DFD is dedicating time and resources towards these training activities.

“It makes me feel much more safe and much better about how the fire department is really listening to the community and doing everything they can to always improve themselves,” Jackson said. “I really appreciate everything they do for the community, and I really commend them for always wanting to go out and make sure that people can get the best service possible.”

Debra Johnson, another Davis resident, said that she appreciates how involved the DFD is in the Davis community, and that she appreciates how responsive the DFD is in emergency situations.

“I know that they are going out and making sure that they can do all these good things for the city in the future,”

Johnson said “I’m hoping that the fire department gets all the funding from the city that they need to make sure they can keep doing as good a job as they’ve been doing.”

Hibbert Lumber formerly occupied the building located at 500 G St., on the corner of G St. and Fifth St. The historic location was opened by Jack and Carol Hibbert in 1947 at I St. and Third St., before moving to the location on G St. and Fifth St. Hibbert Lumber closed during the summer of 2019, but the Hibbert family still operates the Door Shop, which is located at 517 Rowe Plaza.

In a statement, Mayor Will Arnold expressed his appreciation for the DFD, as well as for the Davis community for respecting the training activities being done despite possible inconveniences.

“We appreciate the preparedness of the Davis Fire Department as they train for various fire situations at the old Hibbert Lumber site this month,” Mayor Arnold commented. “Thank you to the public for its understanding as these exercises take place downtown, and we value and respect our Davis firefighters’ service to the community.”

The DFD is headquartered at 530 Fifth St., and members of the public are encouraged to contact the department with any questions or concerns. The DFD can be contacted through the non-emergency dispatch number at (530) 747-5400, and emergency calls should be directed to the emergency number at (530) 756-3400 or 911.

Further information about the DFD can be found online on the Davis city website. The department is also active online on various social media applications, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, where members of the Davis public can find DFD updates.

Tolentino went on to explain why working on the Murals for Mental Health project has been important to her.

“With this project, I’d like to raise awareness on mental health and how it makes such a difference in someone’s life,” Tolentino said. “Personally, art helps draw me into a part of my mind that sort of allows me to forget about the stressors in my life. It’s relaxing in some way. Through this mural, I want students to receive the message that we’re all in this together and that they’ll be able to find support and comfort.”

Shannon Yi, a third-year food science major and the marketing and stewardship committee chair of Aggies Helping Aggies, shared similar thoughts.

“To me personally, the Murals for Mental Health project represents the acknowledgment and initiative to support the mental well-being of our UC Davis community and beyond,” Yi said. “Similar to how taking in my surroundings gives me a breath of fresh air from stress and pressure, taking in the beauty of this public art mural would also be a calming presence.”

According to the Crowdfund website, Aggies Helping Aggies has worked to raise $3,500 for the creation of the mural. Senior class donations are being accepted through Feb. 28, after which Aggies Helping Aggies will begin to take the next steps toward the final design process and painting of the mural. As of February 26, the initiative had raised $1,096. Nguyen concluded with his final thoughts on the impact he hopes that the mural will have on students.

“We hope this mural will serve as a therapeutic instrument for students going through poor mental health and normalize mental health discussions,” Nguyen said. “It will bring awareness to such a prevalent matter plaguing not only UC Davis students, but students nationwide.”

The Davis community weighs in on new Woodstock’s Pizza location

Woodstock’s Pizza, a downtown Davis staple, re-opened in new location last December

BY ALEX UPTON city@theaggie.org

In December 2022, Woodstock’s Pizza opened a new location at 238 G Street, just down the block from their previous storefront at 219 G Street. Woodstock’s is a popular location for Davis locals and students alike but the new location has been met with mixed reviews.

Brooke Douma, a third-year political science major, said that she prefers the new location because it has more space, which means there’s less overcrowding and more available seating.

“I’ve had amazing times with my friends there,” Douma said. “I’m going to go to [the new] location more because it feels less crowded.”

The new location has two levels as well as outdoor seating. Outside there are electric heaters and inside there is

a small electric fire at one of the larger tables. Douma appreciates the seating options at Woodstock’s as well as the exposed ceilings.

Some Davis locals had different reactions to the new location. Korinne Labourdette, program specialist for development and alumni relations at UC Davis, grew up in Davis and shared that while she likes the new location, she still feels nostalgic for the original spot.

“I love it,” Labourdette said. “I think it’s really great, but also as a ‘Davisite,’ Woodstock’s in its original place was kind of like a staple in the town.”

The change in location is an spacial upgrade from the smaller old location.

Loud music plays in the background while customers enter the restaurant and a large mural of Davis spans one of the walls, combining elements of the city

and of the university’s campus. Woodstock’s attracts a variety of customers, from students to families and Davis. The restaraunt hosts a variety of weekly events, including karaoke, “bingo and brews,” trivia night every Thursday at 9 p.m. and live music featuring local bands.

On Feb. 21, Woodstock’s hosted their first live music event since the reopening. “The Moon Howlers,” featuring Hattie Craven and Jessica Malone, performed. Craven grew up in the area and loved going to Woodstock’s as a kid.

“We were so honored to be the first live music at the new location,” Craven said. “We can’t wait to see what comes next.”

Downtown Davis mural located behind Bizarro World. (Smithsuvan / Aggie)

Downtown Davis mural located behind Honey D Cafe. (Smithsuvan / Aggie)

Popular Davis pizza joint Woodstock’s Pizza at its new location, 238 G Street. (Christine Minarik / Aggie)

UC Davis students organize community and mutual aid event

BY DANIELA DULA MEJIA features@theaggie.org

Editor’s note: The names of two sources in this article have been changed or removed at their request to protect their safety and privacy.

On Thursday, Feb. 16, a coalition of local groups gathered for the “No Fash Fest’’ event on the campus quad. One of the community attendees, who goes by the name DJ Odette on UC Davis’s radio station KDVS 90.3, said these groups were gathered “in solidarity with approaching antifascism together.”

It was an enthusiastic event with free screen printing, a cookoutstyle potluck, energetic music and numerous free educational and mutual aid resources.

Third-year international agricultural development major Gaia Bouyssou said No Fash Fest’s presence on campus is important because of a recent Turning Point USA event that ended in a violent altercation.

On Oct. 25 of last year, Turning Point USA (TPUSA), a national conservative political group, hosted an event in which they invited speaker Stephen Davis, also known as “MAGA Hulk,” to campus. The talk was canceled when protests outside turned violent after a group wearing Proud Boys attire allegedly pepper

Student picks: Inside scoop on the

best restaurants in town

UC Davis students give insight into the best places to eat in Davis

BY FAITH DEMEULENAERE features@theaggie.org

Some students may be tempted to flock to the chain restaurants they recognize from their hometowns, but the locally owned restaurants of Davis are the ones that really capture the attention of adventurous foodies. If you’re new to town, or just want to try something new, UC Davis students can give you some top-tier recommendations. From hole-in-thewall cafes to under-the-radar eateries, get ready to explore the food scene of this bustling college town.

sprayed students.

“The Proud Boys are an openly fascistic group who have been on our campus [before],” Bouyssou said.

“Even without a direct connection to [the Proud Boys], the hate that is happening from these speakers and from TPUSA may not be overtly fascistic and may just be very rightwing and hateful, but it leads towards fascistic tendencies.”

The intention of “No Fash Fest” was to create space for UC Davis community members to come together and show the power of mutual aid support, according to Bouyssou. She said attendees also wanted to raise awareness about TPUSA’s upcoming speaker event. The Davis TPUSA chapter posted on its Instagram page that there will be another talk on campus on March 16 at 6 p.m. featuring the group’s founder and conservative radio show host Charlie Kirk.

Both on- and off-campus groups showed support for No Fash Fest by participating in the event. Bouyssou was one of the tabling participants was the Davis chapter of United Students Against Sweatshops Local 143 (USAS).

Other groups in attendance that day included UC Davis Cops off Campus, Decarcerate Sacramento, Sacramento

Jordan Rouleau, a third-year English and art history double major, said there are a few places in Davis with unbeatable charm. “A place that I really like that isn’t talked about enough is Four Seasons Gourmet Chinese Restaurant,” Rouleau said. “Their food is some of the best I’ve had anywhere. Their prices are super worth it for the portion sizes. I definitely recommend giving it a try.”

Liam Swenson, a second-year physics major who lived in Davis even before attending college, said some spots in town have “become staples” for him. He emphasized one of his favorite places for a morning pick-me-up.

“A really great coffee shop in town is Pachamama,” Swenson said. “They have really great coffee that is completely organic, sustainable and 100% farmerowned.”

Swenson said his favorite restaurant in Davis is Open Rice Kitchen. “They have incredible food and boba with unique daily specials,”

Swenson said. “They are one of the most affordable places in Davis.”

As more and more people turn toward plant-based diets, the demand for vegan restaurants is on the rise.

Lauren Toyne, a third-year wildlife, fish and conservation biology major, said her favorite vegan food place in Davis is the Three Ladies Cafe.

“It is a super cute restaurant with a cool staff and amazing vegan options,” Toyne said. “I would highly recommend the lavender lemonade.”

Some may find that dining options on campus get repetitive after a while, including fourth-year communication major Emma Brockman, who has developed a few favorite locales for a delicious and unique meal experience.

“My favorite go-to spot in Davis at the moment is Red 88,” Brockman said. “They have great noodles and things such as loaded fries that you can’t necessarily find anywhere else in town. I am also a new fan of the Cloud Forest Cafe for breakfast and brunch on the weekends. It has a really nice ambiance and super friendly employees.”

With so many hidden gem eateries to choose from, Davis is bursting with delicious and diverse options. Whether you’re a student on the hunt for a tasty and affordable meal between classes or a visitor wanting to explore the local culinary scene, these recommendations from college students might lead to some of the best eats in town.

Pickleball is a big ‘dill’ at UC Davis

How the beloved, beginner-friendly sport captured the hearts of students and community members in Davis

BY REBEKA ZELJKO features@theaggie.org

Pickleball’s appeal has reached Davis, and it’s here to stay. This sport has grown in popularity both on and off campus and shows no signs of slowing down.

According to the USA Pickleball website, pickleball is a sport that “combines many elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong” and is played “both indoors or outdoors on a badminton-sized court and a slightly modified tennis net.”

Ed Ju, a UC Davis Class of 2016 alumnus and social media manager for @davispickleball, said that pickleball is a sport for everyone.

“When people start a new sport, you usually suck at it,” Ju said. “It’s frustrating, even if you practice a sport for years, and it’s still hard. But with pickleball, you try for your first time, you hit the ball around with some friends, and you’re like, ‘Wait a minute. I can actually be pretty good at this sport.’ I think that’s the real charm.”

Davis at the start of winter quarter, which has quickly popularized the sport.

“Young people love the casual competitiveness,” Glick said. “If you want to go crazy, you can, but you don’t have to. It’s also nice because people who aren’t traditionally super good at sports can still have a lot of fun, score points and win games. You can still be really good at it.”

Glick said the welcoming nature of the sport is one of its main selling points. Anyone of any age and physical ability can enjoy it.

“It’s great because you can have a group of people who meet through a common interest and also get some new people out there,” Glick said. “I think the idea that it’s more casual attracts a lot of people because they can be comfortable on the court, and they can be comfortable making mistakes. The inclusivity of the whole deal is a lot of fun.”

Valley Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and numerous local artists. These groups came together because they wanted to help educate and empower students about the importance of creating an anti-fascist presence on campus, according to DJ Odette.

Bouyssou said she thinks students should care about events like these on campus in part because of speakers like Davis and Kirk, who she said: “deny systemic racism and have generally hateful views.”

“[No Fash Fest] is a public demonstration and a form of counterprotest that is less physically dangerous,” Bouyssou said. “It allows for networking, connection, communication, visibility and also [is] a fun, beautiful, welcoming space that is an alternative to the […] things happening on the other end.”

At 11:45 a.m., before the event began, two people arrived with a camera and microphone. An event attendee who saw them arrive, but requested to remain anonymous for safety reasons, said that “they told students they were part of an independent podcast and began trying to interview students repeatedly despite lack of interest.” The source said that students consistently asked the two not to film them.

The attendee asked them to respect people’s space, to which the men allegedly started to yell, “Are you trying

to take away our right to roam in any given area?”

The attendee said that they felt that the men were “asking questions in bad faith […] The tone, you could tell, [was] disingenuous.”

“Eventually [they] changed their narrative and told the mic ‘This is how Antifa thinks of free speech, and this is all funded by George Soros,’” the anonymous source said.

The agitators allegedly left the scene after saying ‘so much for the tolerant left.’ The event eventually ended and no physical altercations occurred.

Bouyssou said that she doesn’t feel like conservative political views don’t have a lot of “traction” in Davis and not a lot of people seem interested in the campus’s TPUSA chapter, “but they exist, so this [event] is to show how popular, fun and welcoming the progressive and proud left-leaning side of campus is.”

This will likely not be the last event thrown by this coalition of students. They expressed that so long as there continue to be ‘hateful opinions’ on campus, they will continue to work against those hateful forces at events like this one.

“There is a really beautiful community of people who won’t stand for [fascism] at UC Davis,” Bouyssou said.

Ju was introduced to pickleball by his friends, and he instantly fell in love with it.

“I found a community center near me that had open play at the courts every morning,” Ju said. “I showed up just to see a bunch of older people, and I thought it would be an easy win. I got my butt kicked by a bunch of 70-yearolds. Ever since then, I’ve committed my time to learning strategies and practicing whenever I can.”

After finding pickleball a few years ago, Ju was able to combine his profession and passion into spearheading pickleball in the Davis community.

“I moved back to Davis, and I noticed there weren’t a lot of young people playing,” Ju said. “So I wanted to grow that aspect and get UC Davis involved, and now it’s my full-time job. Every month, we do tournaments; we do weekly classes; we are getting involved in the senior center. I love the pickleball community here at Davis.”

Even more recently, there has been a surge of involvement on campus. Sam Glick, a third-year managerial economics and statistics double major, founded the Pickleball Club at UC

The club quickly caught the attention of many students, including Melanie Albert, a fourth-year evolution ecology and biodiversity major.

“I feel like the pickleball club is first and foremost a great way to meet new people,” Albert said. “I’ve met so many through this club, and I wouldn’t have had that opportunity otherwise. It’s also a great way to exercise and get off the schoolwork grind.”

Albert said that the appeal to college students is the range of people who can partake in the sport and find a place in the club.

“Everyone is definitely encouraged to get involved, especially those who have never played,” Albert said. “I know it can be scary to get out there and try new things, but it’s so easy and fun to play despite experience or skill level.”

The club is also a great way to up your pickleball game, Albert said.

“Another thing to look forward to is every now and then, we have a professional pickleball coach out there on the court with us,” Albert said. “It helps us grow our skills, strategies and become stronger players.”

These perks are just the beginning of what the pickleball club hopes to offer. The future of pickleball in Davis

is actively being grown, according to Glick.

“I have a lot of big ideas for the club,” Glick said. “I want to do more socials, tournaments and have more practices. We also want to register next year as a club sport, do more drills and, the biggest goal of all, get a pickleball court on campus.”

Glick said a campus pickleball court would be the next, most impactful step to solidifying the sport’s presence on campus.

“It’s such a great sport for college kids, and we don’t have anywhere to play on campus,” Glick said. “We have 12 tennis courts but not a single pickleball court, so my goal is to talk to the NCAA [National Collegiate Athletic Association] tennis coordinators and get one of the tennis courts converted to four pickleball courts.”

Glick shares these ambitions with Ju, who said he wants to continue pickleball’s presence and growth in Davis, especially among younger people.

“One of my big visions is collegiate pickleball,” Ju said. “We are starting to see this sprout up around the country, where teams can compete with other colleges. And so that’s one of my goals is to grow the community here.”

Ju said there are many ways that pickleball has successfully been popularized to younger demographics.

“I think word of mouth and social media really spread the word,” Ju said. “I mean, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Tom Brady all bought pickleball teams. And so it’s starting to catch on that it’s not just a fad, but it’s an actual legitimate sport that is not only really great at the recreational level but also at the professional level.”

The Pickleball Club at UC Davis meets Tuesday nights from 8 to 10 p.m., and Saturdays at 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Redwood Park. You can follow the club on Instagram @pickleballatucd — or almost certainly count on finding a Davis pickleball member at the courts as well.

“The club grows every week,” Albert said, “and we look forward to getting people involved.”

“No Fash Fest”

The event is a direct counterprotest to the Proud Boys’ appearance on campus in recent months

JOANNE SUN / AGGIE

No Fash Fest was hosted in the Quad to “wipe out hate” from campus. (Kayla Bruckman / Aggie)

No Fash Fest was hosted in the Quad to “wipe out hate” from campus. (Kayla Bruckman / Aggie)

Letter from the editor

Dear readers,

I’ve always loved the idea of speaking another language — learning the nuance and subtlety of different words and recognizing how language can change the way we think and see the world.

I began my study of Spanish as a freshman in high school, which, if you ask any language expert, is a bit late to become fluent. However, I’ve continued to seek out opportunities to practice the language over the past eight years, from studying abroad in Spain to minoring in Spanish here at UC Davis. While I am still not a fluent speaker and am always looking for ways to improve, I have finally reached a point where I can read, speak and listen to others in Spanish, and I have come to appreciate

Sincerely, Sophie Dewees

Editor-in-Chief

what a beautiful language it is. As editor-in-chief of The Aggie this year, one of my primary goals was to do more than maintain regular operations and contribute something new to the paper that would, hopefully, last for years to come. It seemed only natural to me to combine my love for language with my passion for journalism. And thus, the idea to translate articles into Spanish was born. Each week, The Aggie will publish a translation of an important news or features article on our website at theaggie.org/category/espanol/.

Articles currently available include a city news piece on the Davis community expressing support for transgender children after a local author event and a

features article on the campus initiative Taller Arte del Nuevo Amanecer which fosters Chicanx/Latinx community empowerment through artistic expression. Beyond my personal interest in the link between studying languages and journalism, providing translations of articles into Spanish, to me, seems somewhat logical. UC Davis is an incredibly diverse campus; in 2021, it was ranked highest in inclusiveness, diversity and internationalization among U.S. universities. Further, among the undergraduate population alone, 24% of students identify as Hispanic/Latinx as of 2021. In a community with such a large population of individuals who may be Spanish speakers, and given my

If you are interested in translating articles into Spanish, please contact me at editor@theaggie.org.

Carta de la editora

Cariños lectores,

experience with the language, it seemed natural that we should begin translating articles into Spanish. These articles will allow The Aggie to widen our audience to those who may prefer to read articles in Spanish or those who have stronger language skills in Spanish than English.

The Aggie is also not the first to publish articles in Spanish. CalMatters, a publication focusing on California politics and policy, offers translations into Spanish for many of their important news pieces. UC Berkeley’s studentrun newspaper, The Daily Californian, also recently came out with a Latine/ Hispanic Heritage Month issue with one article written in Spanish. We are, to my knowledge, however, the first UC student-run publication to offer article

translations in the language. I am so excited to continue to work on this project, and I would like to specifically thank José Hernandez, César Hoyos Álvarez and Agustina Carando, who have made this possible. Additionally, as I will only be serving as editor-in-chief until June, I plan to introduce the position of “Translation Director” to our managing staff next year to ensure that this project continues.

If you are a Spanish speaker hoping to read more about local news and campus developments in Spanish, I encourage you to check out the articles available. I hope they bring you as much joy to read as they did for me to edit.

Siempre he amado la idea de hablar otro idioma — aprendiendo el matiz y la sutileza de palabras diferentes y reconociendo cómo el lenguaje puede cambiar el modo de que vemos el mundo.

Empecé mi estudio del español en mi primer año de la escuela secundaria, lo cual si preguntas a cualquier experto del lenguaje es un poco tarde para llegar a ser fluida. Sin embargo, he continuado buscando oportunidades para practicar el idioma en los últimos ocho años, de estudiar en España a especializarse en español aquí en UC Davis. Mientras no hablo español con fluidez y siempre estoy buscando maneras de mejorar, he llegado al punto donde puedo leer, hablar y escuchar a otros en español, y he venido a agradecer qué hermoso

idioma es. Como editora de The Aggie este año, uno de mis goles principales fue hacer más que mantener operaciones regulares y contribuir algo nuevo que, con suerte, duraría los próximos años. Me pareció natural combinar mi amor por el lenguaje con mi pasión por el periodismo. Y por lo tanto, la idea de traducir artículos en español fue nacido.

Cada semana, The Aggie va a publicar una traducción de un artículo periodístico o de características en nuestro sitio web en theaggie.org/ category/espanol/. Artículos actualmente disponible incluyen un artículo de la noticia de la ciudad sobre la comunidad de Davis expresando apoyo para los niñxs transgéneros después del evento de autor local y un artículo de características

sobre la iniciativa del campus Taller Arte del Nuevo Amanecer que fomenta empoderamiento de la comunidad chicanx/latinx a través de expresión artística. Además de mi interés personal en la conexión entre estudiar idiomas y el periodismo, proviniendo traducciones en español, a mí me parece algo lógico. UC Davis es un campus increíblemente diverso; en 2021, fue clasificado el mejor en inclusión, diversidad e internacionalización entre las universidades estadounidenses. Además, solo entre la población de pregrado, 24% de los estudiantes se identifican como hispanx/latinx desde 2021. En una comunidad con tan grande población de individuales que pueden ser hispanohablantes, y dada Sinceramente, Sophie Dewees Editora en jefe

Si estás interesado en traduciendo artículos en español, por favor contactarme a editor@theaggie.org.

After a year of war, helping Ukraine should remain a top priority

Why a Ukrainian victory is necessary for the security of freedom around the globe

BY MAYA KORNYEYEVA mkornyeyeva@ucdavis.edu

Feb. 24, 2022, 5:55 a.m. Before the sun was even up, people all over Ukraine awoke to the sounds of missiles raining down on their cities, airports consumed by flames and rapid evacuation measures taking place. No one knew if the next hour would be their last.

In the months prior, many politicians warned of the possibility of such an event, yet it seems no one actually believed Russian President Vladimir Putin would go through with his plans for a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine. However, practically overnight, world leaders and citizens were faced with the bitter truth that a potentially long and destructive war was upon them.

That fateful morning, the news of a massive Russian military offensive spread throughout the world. My parents, who are first-generation Ukrainian immigrants, received frantic phone calls from dozens of friends and relatives — listening to their fearful accounts and predictions, I felt my heart drop to the very pit of my stomach, and I became consumed by helplessness and worry.

As the head of an autocratic regime, Vladimir Putin has worked for the past two decades to re-establish rule over the neighboring country of Ukraine, wishing to erase and assimilate Ukrainian culture and prevent a possible Ukraine-NATO alliance. These efforts resulted in the annexation of Crimea, along with ongoing pro-Russian separatist movements in Donbas.

As the first few days of the war progressed, hundreds of deaths were reported, and millions of people packed up and headed to the train stations with only the belongings they could carry, in hopes of escaping the oncoming storm of tanks, planes and troops. Eligible men joined the front lines, while still others volunteered to pack and ship supplies, transport citizens out of the country and launch a military response.

Ukraine was not going down without a fight. Resolved to protect their freedom, democracy and livelihoods — not to mention culture and language — the entire country mobilized with such determination that it seemed as though every person was unified behind the blue and yellow flag.

A year after the start of the war, much of the world is still backing a Ukrainian victory. After 12 months fraught with economic and environmental devastation, electrical

grid failures, daily bombings and an immense loss of life, the overwhelming unity of the Ukrainian people has, so far, challenged the Russian military. Despite fading from the frontlines of global news platforms, the war in Ukraine is still the largest current humanitarian crisis. Since the start of the war, close to 180,000 Russian soldiers have been killed, roughly 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians killed or wounded, and 14 million Ukrainians displaced. Many people underestimate the full scale of the conflict or have simply gotten used to the state of war ravaging Eastern Europe. We cannot let this complacency continue: enough is enough. We need to hold Russia accountable for the numerous war crimes its soldiers have committed during the last several months and the displacement of millions of Ukrainian citizens. Now more than ever is the time to donate to organizations that deliver medical supplies and basic necessities to Ukrainians still enduring a life torn by war. Some of these organizations include Razom for Ukraine, Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund and the Ukrainian Red Cross.

Educating ourselves on the state of the conflict is another top priority.

Russian media excels at hiding and manipulating information to justify going to war against Ukraine, arguing that Ukrainians are welcoming Russian soldiers with open arms, desiring to be free of a so-called “Nazi regime.” Of course, this could not be further from the truth. Even so, many are still

being fed misinformation, and it is in everyone’s best interest to make sure only the truth about the conflict is heard.

Finally, a quicker victory for Ukraine can be boosted by stronger economic sanctions against Russia and a continued boycott of Russian exports. Additionally, petitioning your local government to advocate for greater military and informational aid to Ukraine is a crucial step that can secure a quicker democratic victory.

The end goal that we should all continue to strive for is a peaceful resolution that protects Ukrainian sovereignty. Repercussions of the loss of Ukraine’s independence would be felt across the globe; not only would an entire country be erased off the map, but Europe’s largest nuclear power plant and grain export chain would indefinitely be under Russian control.

With the arrival of the one-year anniversary of the war, check in on those you know with connections to Ukraine and see what you can do to help. Every Ukrainian — including myself — whether still residing in Ukraine or not feels the massive burden of fear for the sake of their family and the future of their country.

Any action, no matter how small, can make a big difference in ensuring the continuation of a free Ukraine.

Disclaimer:

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

mi experiencia con el idioma, pareció sólo natural que deberíamos empezar a traducir artículos en español. Estos artículos van a permitir a The Aggie expandir nuestra audiencia a los que pueden preferir leer artículos en español o los que tienen habilidades más fuertes en español que inglés.

También, The Aggie no es el primero para publicar artículos en español. CalMatters, una publicación enfocando en las políticas californianas, ofrece traducciones en español para muchos de sus artículos periodísticos importantes.

The Daily Californian, el periódico estudiantil de UC Berkeley, también recientemente publicó una edición para el mes latinx/hispanx con un artículo en español. Nosotros somos, a mi conocimiento, sin embargo, la primera

publicación estudiantil del sistema UC para ofrecer traducciones de artículos en el idioma.

Estoy tan emocionada por continuar trabajando en este proyecto, y quería agradecer específicamente a José Hernandez, César Hoyos Álvarez y Agustina Carando, quienes han hecho esto posible. Además, ya que solo serviré como editora hasta junio, planeo introducir la posición de “Director de Traducciones” a nuestro personal gerente para asegurar que este proyecto continúe.

Si estás un hispanohablante esperando leer más sobre las noticias locales y los desarrollos del campus en español, te animo a leer los artículos disponibles. Ojalá que te traiga tanta alegría leer como lo hicieron por mí editar.

Recent censorship bills passed in Florida should serve as a reminder to combat policies, even if they don’t directly affect us

BY MICHELLE MENDOZA mimendoza@ucdavis.edu

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read the headline “Why Florida is getting rid of books in their libraries” in my morning newsfeed. Some videos included in the article featured shelves and shelves in a school’s library, usually full of books, all completely empty. However, upon further research, I learned that the books weren’t even the biggest issue at hand.

The governor of Florida, Rob DeSantis, passed House Bill (HB) 1467 last July to make purchased instructional material available to students and transparent to the public. The bill itself is designed to give more power to officials who are looking to ban books and other instructional materials containing “objectionable” content deemed harmful to minors. But what exactly is harmful to minors? Many conservatives seem to think that any material related to LGBTQ+ identities, sexuality, diversity or racism falls under that category.

Recently, Florida has mounted other efforts to take control of education. One example is HB 1557, dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which prohibits instruction that discusses sexual orientation or gender identity for students from kindergarten to third grade. HB 7, a sister bill to HB 1557, called the “Stop W.O.K.E.” Act, was also passed last year and prohibits educational institutions from teaching students anything that would cause them psychological distress due to their race or other identities.

These bills have played a large part in the many restrictions on books. According to ABC News, more than one million books in Duval County, Florida are under review because they potentially violate one or more of these bills. The process of reviewing books can take a long time, and they must

be covered or removed while under review, which can completely alter an instructor’s lesson plans. For now, teachers and students have no choice but to comply.

The bills together form a trifecta of censorship — and the politicians who passed them know it. Ron DeSantis, a Yale alumnus, graduated with a degree in history Magna Cum Laude, all while working and playing baseball. He knows the inside and outs of policy, and how to write it effectively.

Francine Prose put it best in The Guardian, “[DeSantis] learned what a good education is, what it means to be taught to think — and that is precisely what he is denying students who are less privileged than he and his Yale classmates.” If you don’t want people to question the institutions in place for them, then you don’t teach people to think critically about them.

Why is this especially important? DeSantis is currently gearing up to run for president in 2024.

Additionally, while Florida lawmakers have made successful attempts at controlling curricula, it’s not just happening in red states. As blue or progressive as California may seem, school districts in Southern California like Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified and Temecula Valley placed bans on teaching critical race theory last year.

But DeSantis’s campaign has met resistance, as have these Southern California towns. Young students see through this agenda, and it is clear that taking away books does not erase their stories or identity. It is important for us, as well, to be aware of the laws that may not affect us directly. If we aren’t it could lead to us ending up with another president who tries to undo progress.

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

We should stay ‘W.O.K.E.’ about our future

MAYA KORNYEYEVA / AGGIE

Consider scrolling less this finals season

Limiting your social media usage can be beneficial to your academics and mental health

As we head into the last few weeks of the quarter, many students’ study habits fall apart as their motivation and energy levels drop. At the same time, with finals on the horizon, stress levels begin to rise and their mental health suffers.

During this stage of the quarter, students may look for a distraction, and many turn to social media. Apps such as TikTok and Instagram are entertaining sites where students lose track of time mindlessly scrolling through viral videos and photos, neglecting their academic obligations. This is completely understandable

SEE ONLINE

Scan to read our editorial about the benefits of harsher feedback in education.

as 10 grueling weeks at a prestigious university can take a toll on your mental health. However, spending too much time on these apps, even though it might feel like a break from schoolwork, can be detrimental. In fact, it is proven that social media is associated with heightened anxiety and depression.

Further, students who use these apps might experience FOMO (the fear of missing out) which refers to the perception of others living better lives or having better experiences, and can ultimately affect self-esteem. We live in a world where everything is digitally documented; everyone seems to be looking for every viral moment to post in hopes of gaining traction to their social media account, or even just to impress their friends. Constantly seeing the highlights of other peoples’ lives can make your own feel underwhelming.

While it’s impossible to expect everyone to stop using social media, you can limit how much time you spend scrolling, especially when finals are nearing. Turning off your notifications is an effective way to limit your time scrolling on TikTok or Instagram. This will eliminate the need to pick up your phone and respond to notifications from these apps.

Another way to decrease mindless time spent on social media is to set a screen time limit on particular apps.

It’s easy to spend many hours on social media throughout the week without even noticing. For example, one

When will it stop?

member of the Editorial Board wasted an hour and a half on social media apps each day last week. Limiting your screen time will allow you to do other activities that will leave you feeling rejuvenated rather than drained, like going on walks or reading books.

Even taking a few days off of social media can benefit your mind by allowing you to live in the moment. Without the distraction of your device, you can be more present while hanging out with friends or even just strike up a conversation while waiting in line. These are actually the things people used to do before smartphones were invented (we’re as shocked as you are).

Spending less time on social media at this point in the quarter allows you to reset your brain and shift your focus to what lies ahead: finals. As we get closer to the circled dates on our calendars that mark deadlines for long research projects or exams, we must be prepared for the most stressful stretch of the quarter.

While the loss of sleep, long hours of studying and treacherous 10-page papers are inevitable, decreasing your time spent doom scrolling can help you feel less overwhelmed during finals. During spring break, we can indulge in activities that we enjoy most (even if that means spending long hours on social media).

WRITTEN BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD

The constant fear of school shootings haunts an entire generation

BY CLAIRE SCHAD cfschad@ucdavis.edu

AARON POTTER

My experience with food allergies

Adult allergies are more common than you think

BY JENA TUFAIL jjtufail@ucdavis.edu

I never really knew what food allergies were. Growing up in an ethnic household, saying you were allergic to something was seen as a myth. To be fair, I understand why that is; where my parents and grandparents grew up, there was no such thing as “allergy tests” — or even doctors unless it was an emergency.

downsides to being allergic to so many foods. It was always hard to go out with friends and family and having to hope there was something on the menu I could eat. Coming up with on-thego meals was also hard, especially as a student.

Content warning: this article contains discussions of gun violence that some readers might find disturbing.

I was in fifth grade when I heard about 26 people being killed at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. I remember watching my parents as then President Barack Obama gave a teary address on national television. I had been doing lockdown drills at school for many years, but I hadn’t really understood what we were hiding from — Sandy Hook made it clear.

I was a sophomore when a gunman shot and killed 17 people at a high school in Parkland, Florida. I remember getting in the car after softball practice and listening to the news on the radio as tears filled my mom’s eyes. This time it was a high school; those killed were my age. This could happen to me, I thought.

The fear among students at my high school was painfully apparent in the weeks and months following the shooting in Parkland. One morning, the fire alarm was pulled, and instead of evacuating to the football field, we all rushed to the nearest classroom and our teachers frantically locked their doors. We were scared the fire alarm was being used to lure us outside; we had heard that the fire alarm went off as the shooting unfolded in Parkland. Although no one was harmed, it was traumatic, and many students went home early because they felt unsafe.

A few months later, we were ushered into an assembly where we were taught

about the “run, hide, fight” philosophy. We were shown videos depicting a staged active shooter event and told what to do. To the backdrop of daunting music you would find in a horror movie, we were told where we should run and how we should fight: act aggressively, throw textbooks and improvise weapons, the videos instructed us. The lessons we were taught in elementary school about hiding and staying quiet were no longer good enough. Now, we had to be prepared to fight too.

Mid-February, three students were killed and five were wounded by an active shooter at Michigan State University (MSU). Again, we were reminded that our campuses are no longer safe.

As the event unfolded at MSU, students were sent a campus alert instructing them to “run, hide, fight.”

Many people were shocked that this was the message being sent to students going through an active shooter situation. However, the instructions given to MSU students and the concepts I learned during an assembly my sophomore year are part of a larger framework created by the Department of Homeland Security and promoted by other federal groups.

The problem is being acknowledged — students are being taught to fight back. And yet, the shootings continue. When will the root of the problem be addressed? Damage control is understandable, but not without real action being taken to eliminate the constant threat.

Of the students who went through

the trauma at MSU, there were multiple for whom it wasn’t their first school shooting. Some had been students at Oxford High School, just 80 miles east, where four students were killed 14 months earlier. Another student was in sixth grade at Sandy Hook when the deadly shooting occurred in 2012. We have gotten to a point where children are going through multiple school shootings before they have had the chance to graduate college. When will this stop?

We are the generation constantly looking for places to hide and exit routes out of our classrooms. As we sit through our lectures some of us think about what we would do if a person with a gun came in. We have sat in classrooms shoulderto-shoulder with our peers, unsure if it’s just a drill or the “real deal.” We send our loved ones texts that we are on lockdown and tell them we love them. This is what life is like for the schoolshooting generation.

We have watched these horrific events increase in frequency over the course of our lifetimes. Sandy Hook, Michigan State, Parkland, Uvalde, Oxford, University of Virginia. I could keep going, but the list would take multiple pages. How many more have to happen for real and effective change to be made? When will it stop?

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

But in my junior year of high school, I started having some problems. After a few years of random symptoms, my doctor advised me to visit an allergist, and to my surprise, I tested positive for over 30 food allergies. My diagnosis meant I would have to change my diet in every form, including cutting out all the foods I loved and grew up with.

I am not alone with my late-onset allergies. Around 26 million people, or 10% of the U.S. population, have adult allergies.

Instead of slowly eliminating the foods I’m allergic to from my diet, I stopped eating them all together within a week. During the pandemic, this transition, although difficult, was made easier by the lack of temptations. I began to notice many improvements after cutting out foods such as wheat, rice, tree nuts and more. My allergies had always caused me problems, from rashes to brain fog, and I started feeling healthier than I ever had before.

My mother was very supportive throughout the entire process of changing my diet and adapting to the foods I was allergic to. We brainstormed meal ideas, found snacks I could eat and did anything that would make it easier for me throughout my college experience. For years, it almost seemed easy.

However, there were many

In the past year, however, I felt like cutting out my allergies started to do nothing for me. Having issues be eliminated for years, only for them to come back in different forms, was disheartening. This year, I decided to go back to an allergist and found out I only tested positive for tree nuts and shellfish allergies.

I had never known that some allergies have the ability to go away completely after a period of time. For years, I believed I would have had to continue living with my new lifestyle. Considering the advice of my allergist this year, I’ve slowly started reintroducing foods into my diet again that I haven’t eaten in years. It has been quite an interesting experience, and I have (thankfully) not begun reacting again.

I am very fortunate that my food allergies disappeared after some time, and I recognize that many do not have this same experience. My family and I now know the importance and the difficulties of having food allergies and how very real they are. I wish the best for others who are going through the same experience.

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

NATALIE CHENG / AGGIE

ARTS & CULTURE

Celebrations for Holi are a colorful way to welcome the spring season

The Hindu tradition is a way for everyone who celebrates to spread love

BY RUMA POUDELL arts@theaggie.org

Winter quarter finals are just around the corner, we’ve already begun registering for next quarter’s classes and the gloomy days of winter will soon be in the past — clearly, spring is approaching.

The beginning of spring, while technically marked by a specific date on the calendar, is also signified by different environmental markers which vary across cultures.

The Western, or Gregorian, calendar marks the start of spring based on when the hours of daylight in a given day surpasses the number of hours of darkness, a phenomenon called the vernal equinox.

In contrast, the Hindu calendar marks the start of the seasons by the full moons of the year. It recognizes the start of spring on the last day of Phalguna Purnima — Purnima meaning “full moon” and Phalguna being the name of a month on the Hindu calendar.

“Whatever quality you establish on a full moon, in our culture, it’s believed that [specific] quality becomes enhanced,” Keshav Sharma, an engineer in the Sacramento community, said.

Holi is a festival that marks the start of spring according to the Hindu calendar. This year, Holi, which features many rich traditions that are revisited this time each year, will be on March 8.

On the auspicious holiday, you will find community members chasing each other as they try to throw gulal, or colored powder, and light jets of water at each other. This is a part of Holi called Rangwali Holi. A fun way to highlight the colors of the festival and all of the colors that get on you as you participate in Rangwali Holi is to wear white clothes while this occurs. Throughout the celebration, bonfires are also lit, traditional folk songs are sung and people come together to dance and eat yummy sweets.

“It’s a holiday that feels like a game,” Smarika Neupane, a first-year student at American River College, said. “Everyone gets together, you’re throwing water balloons and it’s almost scary how intense it gets. In Nepal, the corridors would be filled with everyone running at each other.”

Religiously, these traditions hold significant weight as well. For example, the chaos of throwing gulal represents how love is like war. In the Vrindavan, the deities Radha and Krishna take opposing sides on this topic — despite being partners — to see whose love will ultimately conquer. The essence of Bhakti and Hinduism is just that — surrendering to love. Seeing devotees celebrate this tradition as they show love to each other is an offering to Krishna himself, as it spreads this message.

“Krishna used to play the flute and have everyone dance on Holi and the full moon because the experience is

Review: ‘The Glory’ is an unnerving depiction of revenge and resurfacing trauma

enhanced and carried throughout the season,” Keshav said.

Holi is predominantly celebrated in the South Asian countries of Nepal and India. However, you don’t need to be of South Asian descent or practice Hinduism to celebrate. According to Vir Khanna, a second-year computer science major at UC Davis, the festival is a celebration of love, regardless of where you are from.

“For me, Holi has been some of the most fun parts of my childhood looking back — and if anyone wants to join in on that and have a lot of fun, they should be allowed to,” Khanna said.

If you want to join in on the fun, there is a Holi celebration happening here in Davis courtesy of Project Rishi and the campus’s Indian Student Association. Join your friends on the Hutchinson Intermural Field on March 4 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for food, dancing and more.

BY VIVI KIM arts@theaggie.org

Content warning: this article contains discussions of violence that some readers may find disturbing.

One of Netflix’s latest K-dramas, “The Glory,” is a thrilling revenge story that depicts the uncensored horrors of school violence and trauma. Set to release as a two-part series, the first half of the show was released last December, leaving viewers anticipating the second half’s release in March.

Actress Song Hye-kyo delivers a praise-worthy performance with her subtle and intimidating portrayal of the show’s main character, Moon Dongeun. The protagonist and narrator is a teacher who was a victim of violence during her high school years. Growing up poor with an absent mother and no one to turn to for help, Dong-eun drops out of high school and dedicates the next 17 years of her life to plotting revenge against her classmates. The show wastes no time revealing this character’s tragic backstory, as the audience sees several flashbacks of brutal bullying

scenes from the very first episode. One aspect of the show that made it especially interesting was how it dropped subtle cues to portray the protagonist’s disturbing past, instead of telling the full story right from the exposition. The narration is from Dongeun’s perspective, as she reads letters that she has written about her life. In an interview with Netflix, Kim Eun-sook, the writer of the series, explained that the letters were a way for Dong-eun’s character to keep a record of her life and remember her plans to seek revenge. In the same interview, director Ahn Gil-ho discussed the design choice for Dong-eun’s room, which features a single mattress, no bed frame and barely any props. The only decor that stands out is a picture collage of Dong-eun’s bullies taped all across her walls and window. It was designed to look as lonely as possible, in order to show that she had been living only for revenge.

THEGLORY on 8

Part one of Netflix’s new K-drama sets the stage for an action-packed part two Release

NATALIE CHENG / AGGIE

Commentary: Is contemporary fashion evolving or deteriorating?

21st-century fashion designs might be on a downward trajectory

BY SARAH HAN arts@theaggie.org

Fashion is viewed through a subjective lens: some people might view one design as revolutionary while others simply do not understand it. However, beyond subjectivity, recent fashion designs seem to overwhelmingly garner the latter opinion, and the following examples are a reflection of these unfavorable sentiments.

An example of some of the most impractical designs is Viktor & Rolf’s Fall 2007 Ready-to-Wear collection. Most of the models in the show wore clothing attached to lighting rigs, making it difficult to balance and walk. Although I’m all here for artistic originality, these designs left me wondering about the designers’ intent and concerned for the models’ safety. Rather than amplifying ordinary clothing by incorporating a personal spin, I feel like the designers are competing to obtain the “most original” or “most eccentric” title.

Indeed, creating extraordinary designs is one goal of the fashion industry. However, I feel like some current designs are only prioritizing this aspect over others, like practicality. There is a fine line between what’s original and what’s too much, and unfortunately, many contemporary fashionistas do not seem to care if they cross it.

Another example is the beloved 2017 Commes des Garcons designs. This brand became popular from its collaboration with Converse, which was a huge hit: the well-known heart decals added a quirky spin to the classic sneakers. However, on the runway, the brand’s designs did not resemble clothes:

they looked like casts that were molded into wavy blobs, and the shoes looked like bedazzled ankle stabilizers. Maybe these fashion designers are not thinking about practicality at all — I mean, it would be unfathomable to categorize these designs as clothes you could wear to brunch or the grocery store. I don’t think many of these looks would even be appropriate for formal events aside from those that clearly establish that practicality is out of the picture, like, for example, the Met Gala.

Though it is a fundraising event, one of the central aspects of the gala is to showcase creative and unusual designs that are not meant to be worn in everyday life; in fact, the Met’s chairwoman, Anna Wintour, announces a unique theme before the annual gala each year. Events like these are specifically designed to celebrate outside-of-the-box fashion, and even at these, I feel like many of the designs are more wearable than ones we often see on runways. Despite this trend, many contemporary fashion designs do still value practicality in addition to originality. Recent Ralph Lauren, Versace and other collections all incorporate the designers’ unique tastes to ultimately amplify the garments themselves.

While the fashion industry champions artistic freedom and creativity, designers seem to push the boundaries solely to obtain attention and clout. However, it’s up to the designers if they want to continue creating impractical designs or make their clothing more wearable.

The Arts Desk’s weekly picks for music, movies and more

BY ANA BACH arts@theaggie.org

Song: “Chronic Sunshine” by Cosmo Pyke (2017)

With a fusion of melodic blues flare, a multi-instrumentalist sound and a hint of reggae, Cosmo Pyke’s “Chronic Sunshine” leaves you overstimulated with noise in the best way possible. The British-bred singer-songwriter makes his accent a part of his musical persona, putting an emphasis on his lyrics with his own curated sound. This unique style creates an orchestra of melody and rhythm that culminates in the most beautiful musical experience. As it’s a stellar mood booster, study tune or even background noise to simulate a main character complex, I wouldn’t be surprised if this song is on the leaderboard for my next Spotify Wrapped.

Book: “Just Kids” by Patti Smith (2010)

In her lustful memoir of the epochal days set in the late 60s and 70s New York City, American artist Patti Smith recounts her extraordinary relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Smith writes what feels like her own personal diary, sharing her experiences with the public. She reminisces on her days at the Chelsea hotel, her Catholic upbringing, meeting Mapplethorpe at Brentano’s bookstore and even Mapplethorpe receiving his AIDS diagnosis while at the height of his career in 1986. After reading, all I wanted to do was experience this era. The authenticity and the rawness behind Smith’s writing leave readers feeling like they too have shared in the same experiences. “Just Kids” is one of my favorite memoirs, perfectly capturing the essence of the era and setting the bar extremely high for friendships.

TV Show: “Fleabag” (2016)

Phoebe Waller-Bridge is one of my favorite television personas. Her witty disposition, lack of filter and effortless use of humor to cope with trauma are truly gifts. The one-woman show sitcom stars Waller-Bridge as the titular character, Fleabag, who navigates her sex and love life after experiencing a tragedy. Waller-Bridge frequently breaks the fourth wall, where most of her dialogue comes from interacting with the audience. Season two has to be my favorite, especially when the “Hot Priest” is introduced. The two couldn’t be more opposite, but as Fleabag and the priest grow closer, they come to recognize that they resonate with each other’s insecurities. The format of the dialogue is extremely transparent and the viewers act as an outlet for Fleabag to express her internal monologue. The show is extremely relatable to a wide audience and manages to carry so much weight in such a short amount of time, with each episode being just 20 minutes long. An easy rewatch and one that I always circle back to.

Movie: “Booksmart” dir. by Olivia Wilde (2019)

It’s safe to say that Olivia Wilde has created a true cinematic masterpiece. Two academic overachievers, Amy and Molly, thought that if they buried their noses in books all of high school, they would have tremendous success over their party-loving peers. The night before their graduation, they realize that they haven’t had the quintessential “high school experience,” so they attempt to fit it all into one night. What some have dubbed as the “female ‘Superbad’” will leave you peeing your pants during one moment and sobbing the next, The cinematography, soundtrack, casting and dialogue are simply unmatched. I watch this movie at least once a month and never have heard anything less than great reviews from people that I recommend it to. “Booksmart” is a must-see and a timeless representation of our generation. I want to live inside this movie.

Upcoming events in March

Find time to enjoy the art scene here in Davis as spring comes around

BY ADHITHI ANJALI arts@theaggie.org

Women of Northern California:

Making Meaning for Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow (The Natsoulas Gallery, March 4)

The John Natsoulas Gallery will be featuring women artists across Northern California and highlighting the particularities of feminist experience and politics of the region this March. The exhibit will be open from March 1 to April 2, but on Saturday, March 4, the gallery will hold a public opening reception from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Refreshments will be provided, and Allison Fall, a featured artist in the exhibition, will perform.

“REFUGE — an immersive theatrical installation” (Wright Hall, March 2-6 and 9-10)

Created from the autobiographical experiences of Victoria (Vita) Tzykun as a Ukrainian refugee, “REFUGE” follows the displacement of a family and the reforming of identity and belonging.

Co-created with David Adam Moore, “REFUGE” is an immersive walkthrough experience that intends to reveal how we carry the history of land in all that we do, despite displacement and removal. The installment will be presented in Wright Hall. Ticket prices and more information is available at the UC Davis Department of Theatre and Dance’s website.

Platform: An Evening of Student Voice (Manetti Shrem Museum, March 2) From 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., the Manetti Shrem Museum will be hosting a showcase of student art

with Taller Arte del Nuevo Amanecer (TANA) and music by KDVS DJ Oliver Lucky Maes. Head over to see student zines, screenprinting and the current exhibition on display at the museum — “Mike Henderson: Before the Fire, 1965-1985.”

Ballet Preljocaj: “Swan Lake” (Mondavi Center, March 4-5 at 2:00 p.m.) Angelin Preljocaj’s ballet company

returns to the Mondavi Center with the iconic “Swan Lake,” merging the classical and contemporary to reimagine the well-known original story with modern themes of familial conflict. See the Mondavi’s website for more details and ticket prices.

Artist Lecture: Rina Banerjee (Manetti Shrem Museum, March 9) The Manetti Shrem Museum will host visual artist Rina Banerjee to give

a talk about her focus on diasporic experiences of immigrants. Banerjee has been recognized internationally, participating in 14 international biennials such as the 57th Venice Biennial, Yokohama Triennale and Kochi Biennial. The Artist Lecture will be held from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Art History Lecture Series: Dr. Mya Dosch (March 11 over Zoom) Dr. Dosch joins us over Zoom to

discuss images of protests from Mexico City in the 1970s. Dr. Dosch is currently working as an assistant professor of art history at California State University, Sacramento. To register for this event, please visit the Pence Gallery’s website.

Bike Collective Workshop: Mechanic Series (4th and L St., March 16)

If you’re interested in developing some hands-on technical skills and learning about the mechanics of your bike, join the Davis Bike Collective during their Mechanic Series. They will focus on one area of the bike and teach you its functions and more. It will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the courtyard at the corner of Fourth St. and L St.

Tap Dance Rehearsals in the Park (Central Park, March 19 at 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.)

After you’re done perusing the Craft and Vintage Fair over in Central Park, join choreographer Ann Dragich during her public rehearsals. Learn about choreography and have some fun dancing in the park.

Meow Meow (Mondavi Center, March 31 at 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.)

The Mondavi Center will end March with cabaret performer Meow Meow dazzling the stage. With a signature mixture of comedy and insecurity, the performance — complete with physicality and sonorous singing — will surely enchant the audience. For more information, see the Mondavi’s website.

A women walks down the runway at the Dina JSR fashion show. (Courtesy of Ahmad Ardity / Creative Commons, CC BY 1.0)

Quick! Aliens in Davis: Encounters UFO Xperience offers pop-up museum exhibit and dance club

An inside scoop on the new family-friendly supernatural attraction in Davis

BY KACEY CHAN features@theaggie.org

There has been renewed interest in UFOs, or Unidentified Flying Objects, in the news due to the U.S. Department of Defense shooting down three such phenomena earlier this month. Davis, however, was ahead of the UFO game with the arrival of a new attraction located in the University Mall. The normally quiet shopping center recently saw the opening of “Encounters UFO Xperience” — a new immersive exhibit and museum encouraging its visitors to “enter the world of aliens, UFOs and the Paranormal right next to UC Davis,” according to their page on Eventbrite.

The man behind the unique attraction is Michael Sawicky. The 73-year-old Brooklyn native and U.S. Air Force veteran has believed in aliens all his life.

“I’ve seen a couple of UFOs in my lifetime,” Sawicky said. “I saw one in Thailand in the service and then again in an oval-saucer shape in New Jersey 20 years later.”

He worked in marketing in the entertainment industry throughout most of his career before settling in Vallejo, CA. Sawicky came up with the idea for the attraction after having seen another alien exhibit 10 years ago. While that exhibit was strictly focused on proving the existence of aliens, UFO Xperience takes a different approach.

“I wanted to make it familyfriendly,” Sawicky said. “I don’t want some kid coming in here only to be terrified by voice recordings or photos of alien abductions.”

Sawicky said that there have been challenges of opening an attraction like this in Davis.

“It’s a college town, so it can be tough during school breaks, and the University Mall isn’t a particularly popular site,” Sawicky said.

However, he said he is optimistic about the exhibit’s stay anyway, citing the proximity to Trader Joe’s as a plus, along with the exhibit’s weekly EDM rave nights on Fridays and Saturdays.

In the curation of the museum, Sawicky’s idea was to create an intersection between UFO and scifi pop culture. Visitors entering the museum will see this choice through displays of extra-terrestrial life alongside movie props from popular science

fiction movies such as “The Terminator” and “E.T.”

A unique display at the UFO Xperience is a giant, saucer-shaped UFO in the middle of the museum which visitors can climb into and take photos in. According to Sawicky, the UFO was actually a commission from a friend of his, who acquired a grant to have middle schools make the display by hand. These students also helped make other exhibits in the museum, including two amazingly large robot models located next to “The Terminator” weapons. The interactive UFO is a central part of the museum and is a nod to Sawicky’s allages approach.

Another eye-catching display at the

museum is one where visitors can stick their hand into an alien body’s abdomen to feel its “guts.” In reality, there is only a squishy toy at the bottom, but reaching into the dark hole provides a realisticly slimy sensation.

Sawicky understands the fanatical reputation alien culture has, but he said that he wants to remedy this through UFO Xperience by simply trying to encourage visitors to “broaden their minds.”

“Would I want visitors to be convinced of UFOs after this exhibit?

Yes, of course,” Sawicky said. “Sure, if the skeptics are convinced, that’s great, but I want to make people think about the plausibility of aliens and question

what they know.”

The UFO Xperience may also help bring out intrigue and curiosity amongst visitors — even if it doesn’t convince them that aliens exist.

“While I wouldn’t say I believe in aliens now, I loved being able to learn something new, and the exhibit is certainly something I have never seen before,” said Annanya Jain, a secondyear biomedical engineering major.

Initially planning to stay until February, UFO Xperience recently extended their contract until April 30. Until its closure, the museum has many events planned, such as a competition to earn a trip to Roswell, New Mexico, a city with a history of supernatural and

alien activity. Tickets to enter the UFO Xperience are currently $15 a piece, but if fortunate enough, Davis residents can catch Sawicky standing outside the museum handing out “Buy one, get one free” deals on occasion.

Referencing the 1951 sciencefiction film “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” Sawicky said he ultimately hopes for a benevolent encounter with aliens where they actually help human civilization work out their issues. “I think they’re there,” Sawicky said. “I think soon enough there will be a presence.”

Senate discusses university policy on unit control of websites, e-commerce at Feb. 12 meeting

They also considered compensation for Entertainment Council members working at Senate-hosted events

BY SONORA SLATER campus@theaggie.org

The Senate meeting on Thursday, Feb. 12, was called to order at 6:12 p.m. Senate Recorder Rose Kazempoor called roll, and Vice President JT Eden read the UC Davis Land Acknowledgement.

First on the agenda was the confirmation of new members to the External Affairs Commission (EAC). Second-year political science major and EAC Chairperson Daniel Mojica recommended all eight candidates for confirmation, and the floor was then opened to questions and comments.

After each member introduced themselves, why they wanted to join the committee and some ideas they had for the team, President Radhika Gawde moved to confirm all nominees.

With no objections, second-year political science major Joshua Smith, third-year sociology major Greta Foehr, first-year political science major Naomi Ramirez, second-year political science and economics double major Rafay Waqar, first-year undeclared major Rishikesh Kalyan, first-year political science major Jonathan Ng and thirdyear sociology and communication double major Rowan Lai were confirmed as members, while first-year data science major Freddie Kiessling was confirmed as an alternate.

Next, the Senate table moved into the confirmation of second-year English major Cindy Nguyen to the Gender and Sexuality Commission. Nguyen noted that should she be confirmed, she wants to use the position to help promote awareness of sexual assault issues on campus. She was confirmed with no objections.

KDVS General Manager Cate Hatcher then gave the student-run radio station’s quarterly report. Hatcher spent the majority of the report discussing continued issues with the station’s website, which ASUCD Creative Media has been unable to help them resolve. They requested freedom to create their own website, independent of typical ASUCD restrictions. SB #56, which would’ve allowed them some degree of this freedom, was vetoed in the week prior.

Senator Shrey Gupta apologized for their website issues and said that he would work with the unit director of IT to address issues from that side.

“I have a short list of student coders who can create a fully functioning website that can do everything Creative Media apparently can’t do,” Hatcher said. Hatcher went on to mention issues

with Creative Media Director Alex Park, saying that they don’t feel comfortable around him. Previously, a Senate Resolution of No Confidence in Park was passed unanimously.

“If this body does care about the [sexual harassment] issues they just confirmed someone to GASC for, they would want to do something about this,” Hatcher said.

Fujimoto expressed a desire to speak further with Hatcher about Park’s behavior and move toward action, saying that “behavior that makes employees uncomfortable is completely unacceptable.”

Hatcher also noted that KDVS’s annual music festival, Operation Restore Maximum Freedom, will take place on April 29.

After the KDVS report, third-year neurobiology, physiology and biology major and SAAAC chairperson Rashita Chauhan gave the quarterly report for the Sexual Assault Awareness Advocacy Committee (SAAAC).

According to Chauhan, their current and upcoming projects include working with the Student Health and Wellness Committee to dispense safersex products in the Memorial Union bathrooms, collaborating with Ashley Chan and Emma Tolliver to propose stricter Title IX sanctions for survivor safety and collaborating with Senator Priya Talreja and student organization Girl Up to offer more self-defense classes in recognition of sexual assault awareness month in April.

Next up was third-year psychology major Julianna Christofi, the chairperson of the Entertainment Council (EC), to give the council’s quarterly report. She first gave a recap of recent events, including open mic nights, a vinyl painting event and the February “Brain Freeze” concert featuring singer Raveena, before mentioning challenges that they’re facing currently.

While the EC generally charges units like Picnic Day or the World Earth Festival for equipment rentals, they don’t typically make a profit from attending or assisting with Senate events, according to Christofi. She asked if it would be possible to increase their budget or create a “uniform mutual understanding” of the general policy on when and how much the EC is paid for events like these.

Fujimoto offered the possibility of introducing a spending bill that would use money from Senate reserves to compensate the EC for the recent

student-worker listening session that he organized, which used equipment from the council. Other senators also expressed support for EC members receiving compensation for their work.

Controller Derek Neyer explained that, technically, all money within ASUCD belongs to the Senate and is lent to other units. He said that he believes the best solution would not be for one unit to pay another, but rather for the Senate to discuss increasing the EC budget, with a new line item allocated to running sound for Senate events. The Senate table then heard the quarterly report for the Office of the Transfer Student Representative (OTSR), presented by TSR Logan Ueno. OTSR’s recent outreach has been toward student parents, re-entry students and veteran students, according to Ueno. This has included work on a student-parent priority registration initiative to help them build their schedules around childcare.

The Senate table then took a break. The meeting was called back to order at 8:32 p.m., at which time they moved into elected officer reports.

Eden said that during the past week, he hosted the volunteer scholarship award ceremony and champagne awards, meant to recognize the work of volunteers within ASUCD. He also noted that plans to hold this year’s undergraduate commencement ceremonies at the Golden One Center in June are on track, except for the potential concern of an interruption if the Sacramento Kings make it to the NBA finals.

The Senate then moved into the consideration of old legislation, at which point some senators asked for clarification on why Gawde vetoed SB #56.

According to Gawde, the bill went against university policy by allowing people access to running e-commerce sales, or links to e-commerce sales through a website, without requiring these people to complete a certain type of training that the university requires anyone involved in credit card transactions tied to the university to complete. She went on to say that she would support the bill if it were reintroduced with modifications to make it more clear that the bill would be subject to campus policy.

“I need us to take a high-level approach to this and realize that

everything we do affects the services and resources we can provide to students,” Gawde said. “Everything we do has very real consequences.”

Some senators expressed a desire for the policy to be made more clear and more easily available. Neyer acknowledged that “it’s something [they] can push for more clarity on,” but that in the meantime, he believed that they should simply reintroduce the legislation with the disclaimer previously discussed.

“They’re who validates our compliance, so there’s a legitimate

THEGLORY FROM PAGE 6

The burn marks covering Dongeun from head to toe serve as a visual reminder to both herself and the audience of the irreparable pain and physical torture inflicted on her by her bullies. Dong-eun scratches these scars constantly throughout the show — there is even a scene where she collapses in panic after hearing the sound of grilling meat, showing just how deep her trauma runs, despite the confident and almost fearless adult version of Dongeun that is shown up until this point.

Another significant part of the show, both with respect to the plot and as a stand-alone symbol, is the game of Go, an old Chinese board game where two players compete to possess more territory than their opponent. Dongeun is determined to learn this game, as it serves as an important part of her

threat to our ecommerce credit and acceptance,” Neyer said. “I don’t think it’s a big lift [and] I think that in our bylaws it’s important that we make it clear to units that operate more independently what the restrictions are.”

The motion to override the veto failed, with a 2-5-5 vote. SB #60 was withdrawn, and SB #53 automatically failed under the bylaws, moving the Senate out of consideration of legislation, and into approving past meeting minutes and then open forum.

Eden adjourned the meeting at 10:53 p.m.

grand revenge scheme.

Not long after the first episode begins, Dong-eun meets a character named Joo Yeo-jeong, an aspiring doctor who claims to be an expert at the game of Go. After agreeing to teach her, Yeo-jeong explains the rules: “While building your own territories, you destroy your opponent’s, tightening the boundary slowly.” He describes the game as “a battle fought fiercely, in silence.” This small but impactful line describes Dong-eun’s entire story and character motivation. Enduring 17 years of isolation, poverty and strenuous work for the sake of revenge represents her own silent battle.

The unsettling visual imagery depicted alongside elements of action, thriller and mystery make this series worth watching so far. Everything that happened in the first half of the show seems to be a subtle buildup for more heightened action scenes to come in part two, when Dong-eun’s plan for revenge might finally comes to fruition.

Encounters UFO Xperience features UFO experience displays as well as Club UFO on weekends. (Kayla Bruckman / Aggie)

CHRISTINA LIU / 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.

Crossword

How to watch sports as a person who hates sports

Picking the team with the prettiest colors ain’t gonna cut it

BY CARMEL RAVIV craviv@ucdavis.edu

We may have thought we were free from the clutches of football the day after the Rihanna concert, but I have bad news for the non-sports fans out there.

Basketball. Soccer. Hockey.

Formula 1. March Madness. Cricket.

Competitive bass fishing. The torture doesn’t end. We have to pretend to be engaged with this incessant ball play for the sake of the sports lovers in our lives for who knows how long. That is why I put together a list of tips and tricks on how to seem interested in sports, in order to help you fit in at your weird uncle’s super bowl party. . Soon, you’ll be able to bet two-game parlays and debate who’s the ‘GOAT’ of whatever sport faster than you can say, “Ice Spice is the mother of modern philosophy.”

1. Memorize at least five players’ names and their position from the current team, and then do so for five random players from 10 years ago. Everyone will be LIVING for your ball knowledge.

2. Instead of jerseys, show team spirit through t-shirts to not seem too obvious. You have to be sneaky and subtle with your fan allegiance, plus they’re way cuter.

3. Have these following phrases on hand to yell out throughout the game:

If your team is flopping:

“The other team definitely paid the ref.”

“This game is rigged.”

“My grandma can play better than that!”

“Next season is our comeback era.”

“It’s okay, we have good draft picks next season.”

“Thank god I didn’t bet on this game.”

If your team is slaying:

“Oh my god he scored again? That’s why he’s the GOAT.”

“We’re smoking that <other team’s name> pack tonight.”

“I used to pray for times like these.”

“<player that is doing well> IS HIM!”

“I’m so glad I bet on this game.”

4. Search up the team name on Twitter for random stats to bring up in conversations. It’s giving informed girlboss.

5. Don’t mention how hot the players are.

6. Don’t bring up women’s sports. TAs at UC Davis probably make more than them.

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

BY VERONICA THEN vjthen@ucdavis.edu

Campus tour

BY SANDHYA PFILE lvshcherbasbpfile@ucdavis.edu

JOANNE SUN / AGGIE

UC Davis Health discovers new compound for treatment of resistant prostate cancer

LX-1 molecule targets two different mechanisms of prostate cancer progression

BY LILLY ACKERMAN science@theaggie.org

Researchers at UC Davis Health are studying a new compound that has the potential to target two known sources of prostate cancer, showing promise for treatment of the disease.

Dr. Allen Gao, director of Urology Research at UC Davis Health, says that prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in males, and it is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in this population.

The main mechanism for prostatecancer development is via androgens, or male sex hormones. Androgens bind to androgen receptors in prostate cells, which, in turn, stimulate the growth of more prostate cells. However, this cell growth can become uncontrolled, leading to a tumor.

Current treatment for prostate cancer targets the androgen pathway by blocking androgen signaling and tumor cell proliferation.

“[The androgen pathway is] usually responsive initially because […] [it] is a major driving force of prostate cancer progression,” Gao said. “If you block this pathway, you’ll block cell proliferation and then tumor growth, and patients will be much, much better.”

However, improvements in treatment are still needed; according

to Gao, androgen blockers are usually only effective for one-and-a-half to three years before the tumor becomes resistant.

Resistance can arise from mutant

androgens that can still bind receptors even when blocked or from androgen receptors that mutate to become constitutively active (always active without needing to bind an androgen

at all).

“They gradually become resistant and the treatment fails so the patient will progress very fast,” Gao said.

This resistance is why a new

compound, LX-1, is being researched as a solution. LX-1 has the ability to target two different mechanisms of prostate cancer progression.

“There are two major pathways,” Gao said. “One is the androgen receptor variant; another one is AKR1C3, and this one is involved in androgen synthesis. And currently, there is no drug to target AKR1C3.”

Targeting the androgen-receptor pathway and androgen synthesis in the first place both show promise as possible ways to prevent tumor cell proliferation.

“We test[ed] in vitro and then test[ed] in animal models, and it seems to work by blocking these two pathways,” Gao said. “It can inhibit resistant tumor growth, and it can also synergize — it already has — [with the] current anti-androgen drug.”

Combining LX-1 with the current anti-androgen drug improves response and appears to slow tumors’ ability to develop resistance.

“We hope, by our work — we don’t know how long it will take — but hopefully we can develop some oral compound and test in animals, do some other future tests in clinical [settings] and see if we can treat advanced prostate cancer,” Gao said.

UC Davis doctoral student researches the science behind

large earthquakes

Alba Rodríguez Padilla studies the physics and geology of earthquakes, focusing on off-fault deformations and earthquake gates

BY KATIE HELLMAN science@theaggie.org

Alba Rodríguez Padilla, a doctoral student in UC Davis’s Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, has studied earthquakes in the lab of Geology Professor Michael Oskin for the past five years.

“In the lab, we do data analysis, [... and] data collection in the field; we will map things, we will excavate for samples, we will measure how things have been deformed, and sometimes we’ll dig quite extensive excavations across faults to understand their history,” Oskin said.

Under Oskin’s mentorship, Rodríguez Padilla has worked on multiple projects involving the physics and geology of earthquakes. These include a project about offfault deformations that focuses on the cracks that build up in the Earth with each new earthquake, as well as another project concerning zones of geometrical complexity along faults called earthquake gates.

“The first [direction of research] is trying to understand what causes earthquakes to stop,” Rodríguez Padilla said. “So how the shape of a fault helps or doesn’t help an earthquake. The other line of work that I pursue is looking at how much of the deformation during an earthquake is accommodated over really, really large volumes of the crust of the Earth, like how far cracks extend from a fault during an earthquake.”

Rodríguez Padilla utilizes remote sensing technology and geological records, funded by a $90,000 fellowship from NASA’s Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) program, to generate probabilistic models. These models predict whether an earthquake will be stopped by analyzing the geometric complexity of faults. Her research is utilized in multiple career fields, from policymakers creating earthquake insurance policies to engineers developing safer infrastructure.

During her time earning a bachelor of arts in human ecology at Maine’s College of the Atlantic, Rodríguez

Padilla studied under the mentorship of Earth Science Professor Sarah Hall.

“We were looking a lot at fractures and faults, so we’d go out in the field with a compass and GPS and use tools for mapping,” Hall said. “My Ph.D. research and work that [Rodríguez Padilla] was a part of was in the Andes and mostly in coastal Peru where there are active faults. In that work, we were using a lot of surveying equipment to make high-resolution maps of surface features that were offset, and we could measure how much offset there was along a fault during an earthquake.”

During that time, Rodríguez Padilla explored geological landforms like glaciers and volcanoes and realized that she was passionate about the physics driving these natural processes. She decided to come to UC Davis after graduation, in part because its location in California provided her the opportunity to study in the U.S. state that has historically had the most earthquake damage, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Aside from doing her own research, Rodríguez Padilla is a mentor for the Southern California Earthquake Center, a research organization funded by the National Science Foundation and the USGS. Rodríguez Padilla has also participated in UC Davis’s GEL 199, an advanced research course for undergraduates, as a mentor to students in the same way that she was supported by her own mentors and other geologists. Looking forward, Rodríguez Padilla hopes to focus her research on the warning signs of future earthquakes.

“We’re realizing that the time in between earthquakes is not a time of silence,” Rodríguez Padilla said. “Faults are doing things during that time, so I want to start looking at really, really subtle signals of faults during the period leading up to earthquakes. There may be information there that helps us understand a little bit better how faults get ready for a big earthquake.”

JOANNE SUN / AGGIE

UC Davis doctoral student Alba Rodríguez Padilla looks at a section of the San Andreas fault line north of San Francisco. (Alba Rodríguez Padilla / Courtesy)

SPORTS

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

UC Davis women’s beach volleyball dominates against USF

The Aggies sweep San Francisco 5-0 in season-opening doubleheader

BY EVA MACHADO sports@theaggie.org

UC Davis women’s beach volleyball opened the 2023 season with a doubleheader against the University of San Francisco on Feb. 25. The Aggies started the season strong once again, with a season opener reminiscent of their 2022 match-up against the San Francisco Dons, winning both matches overall.

The Aggies opened the morning with a scrimmage against Monterey Peninsula College before moving into the double-header with USF at the UC Davis Beach Volleyball Courts.

Both contests consisted of five matches, each featuring different pairs. Each match was won by winning two of three sets. In the first contest, the Aggies shut out the San Francisco Dons, winning five matches to none. All five pairs also won in straight sets, with the lineup of Aggies’ pairs consistently holding the lead over the Dons’ pairs. Throughout the sets, scores remained close, but UC Davis was able to gain the necessary 21 points first every time.

Third-year Colleen McGuire

and second-year Kylie Miller fought especially hard to maintain their lead during their two sets in the first match. San Francisco’s opposing pair held up strong; however, McGuire and Miller’s powerful and consistent opposition ultimately led them to victory. During their first set, both teams played strong offense, trading the lead back and forth, until McGuire and Miller ended the set on top, winning 21-19.

With a close win, the second set was full of anticipation from the crowd, as McGuire and Miller took the lead early. The Aggies held a powerful leading position throughout, and McGuire ended the set with a punishing spike indicative of the set’s energy. The Aggie fans’ presence was also apparent throughout the morning. As the match carried on, support for the home team amplified alongside the Aggies’ domination over the Dons. The crowd’s energy was focused yet ecstatic —reflecting that of the players. Opening the season with an overall win against the Dons, the UC

Davis women’s beach volleyball team has a strong entrance into an exciting season. On March 1, the Aggies will face the Pacific Tigers and the

Sacramento State Hornets, their first Big West opponents of the season, on the UC Davis Beach Volleyball Courts at 2 p.m and 4 p.m. respectively.

With a powerful start to the 2023 season, one can only anticipate the power these pairs and the entire team will possess.

BASEBALL

World Baseball Classic preview

After a six-year hiatus, which country will win the 2023 title?

BY CAROLYN (CARI) FENN sports@theaggie.org

For the first time since 2017, baseball stars will be given the chance to represent their countries and attempt to lead their teams to the World Baseball Classic title. In the last World Baseball Classic, Team USA was crowned champion, and with a team full of MLB stars, Team USA is looking to defend that title this year. However, with a six-year hiatus and many other teams full of MLB talent, is a repeat victory achievable?

The three teams predicted to have the best chances of winning the title are the Dominican Republic, the United States and Japan. Each team is headed by MLB all-stars and each has won a title in previous years, so their chances to win it are looking somewhat even between the three teams. Here’s a breakdown of how their rosters stack up.

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is favored by many to win the World Baseball Classic in 2023. After winning the title back in 2013 and then getting knocked out in the second round in the 2017 tournament, they are motivated to have a major comeback this time around.

And with a team full of MLB stars, their chances are looking pretty strong. Just in the 2022 season alone, their MLB stars racked up a Cy Young, Home Run Derby and Rookie of the Year award, as well as an MVP runnerup title.

Taking a look at the roster, it is clear just the amount of talent they have wearing the Dominican uniform. Some of the major stars they have in the infield include Houston Astros’ Jeremy Peña, San Diego Padres’ Manny Machado and Toronto Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. With some of the best names in baseball in their infield, they will be difficult to defeat.

And their outfield is no different, with stars including San Diego Padres’ Juan Soto and Seattle Mariners’ Julio Rodríguez. While Rodríguez is not as seasoned as some of his veteran teammates, he won American League (AL) Rookie of the Year in 2022, proving his strong talent coming into

the Dominican team.

Meanwhile, up on the mound, the Dominican Republic has a plethora of talent, with 20 pitchers currently on their roster. Some of the talents include Houston Astros’ Cristian Javier and Florida Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara who won the National League (NL) Cy Young Award in 2022.

On the offensive side, the team also has a ton of skill and talent that will be hard for any opposing pitcher to go up against. With 2022 Home Run Derby winner Soto and runnerup Rodríguez, the team is bound to hit at least a few home runs against their opponents.

With so much talent on one team, they are going to be tough competition for the other countries vying for the title.

United States

With a lineup that is not-soshockingly full of many MLB stars, it makes sense why Team USA is another favorite to win the World Baseball title for the second time in a row.

This star-studded lineup for Team USA includes 21 all-stars, four MVPs, 11 Silver Slugger Award recipients, three Rookies of the Year, one Cy Young Winner and four Gold Glove

Winners, making this roster the most star-studded in World Baseball Classic history. With Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout leading Team USA as team captain, it is clear that the team is going to be tough to beat.

The infield of Team USA includes New York Mets’ Pete Alonso, Chicago White Sox’s Tim Anderson, Philadelphia Phillies’ Trea Turner and Boston Red Sox’s Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt. Arenado and Goldschmidt were a part of Team USA back in 2017 when the team first won the World Baseball Classic title.

The outfield is just as strong, if not stronger than the infield. With Dodgers’ Mookie Betts, Angels’ Mike Trout and Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber, there are plenty of powerful players in the backfield. Trout and Betts are two of the biggest stars in baseball at the moment, and Schwarber is coming out of this past season the NL home run champion, so there is not much that can top these star-studded outfielders.

Team USA also features the best group of catchers in the tournament, with three-time all-star and two-time Gold Glove winner J.T. Realmuto leading the way.

While the team’s pitching lineup does not have an absolute advantage

over the other teams, they are still looking strong. Star pitchers Clayton Kershaw and Nestor Cortes had to drop off of the roster, but their rotation is still full of many MLB stars, including Padres’ Nick Martinez, White Sox’s Lance Lynn, Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright and Pirates’ David Bednar. With hall-of-famer and 13-time all-star Ken Griffey Jr. as the hitting coach for Team USA, they will be a danger at the plate. Griffey Jr. will have a ton of talent to work with, including two-time Home Run Derby winner Pete Alonso, Trea Turner, Mookie Betts and Mike Trout. Team USA is sure to be a threat to their competition on both the offensive and defensive sides of the field.

Japan Rounding out the teams with the best chances to win the World Baseball Classic is Japan. With two championships already under their belt — back-to-back in 2006 and 2009 — it’s no surprise that they are another favorite to win the title.

While Japan does not have the same amount of MLB all-stars as the Dominican Republic or the United States, they do have one player that

these two teams don’t have: Shohei Ohtani.

The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani is the current best two-way player in the MLB — and possibly one of the best of all time. With strong power both hitting and on the mound, he will be a challenge to all the countries Japan competes against.

Other MLB Stars joining Team Japan include Padres’ Yu Darvish, Cardinals’ Lars Nootbaar, Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki and soon-to-be Red Sox’s Masataka Yoshida. The majority of the MLB talent for Japan is in the outfield with Nootbaar, Suzuki and Yoshida.

Most of Japan’s talent comes from the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization (NPB), which is the highest level of baseball in Japan.

Japan’s infield features NPB player Munetaka Murakami. At only 23 years old, he is one of the best hitters in Japan, shattering Sadaharu Oh’s single-season NPB record for most home runs by a Japanese-born player. Some players to keep an eye on are Sosuke Genda and Kazuma Okamoto.

Japan’s biggest threat to other teams vying for the World Baseball Classic title is their pitching. While they have Darvish from the MLB, they also have NPB players Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki. With Yamamoto’s status as the best pitcher in Japan and young Sasaki’s 100-milesper-hour fastball, it will be hard for any team to face off against this pitching trio — in addition to Ohtani.

With so many powerful rosters, it is hard to predict who will win the 2023 World Baseball Classic. While many think that the Dominican Republic has the best odds of winning the tournament, there is a ton of talent and skill on all three of these teams — and many others competing in the tournament.

Will the Dominican Republic, United States or Japan win the World Baseball Classic title? Or will another country snag the title from one of these top contenders? On March 7, the battle for the title will begin, and on March 21, the new reigning champion of the World Baseball Classic will be declared.

Junior, Colleen McGuire flies high generating a powerful spike against the University of San Francisco. (Maia Zhu / Aggie)

Sophomore, Julia Bodor and the Aggie Beach Volleyball team swept San Francisco in their back to back matches. (Maia Zhu / Aggie)