May 4, 2017 by The California Aggie

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VOLUME 135, ISSUE 25 | THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2017

UC Davis celebrates its first Mental Health Awareness Month in May

JORDAN KNOWLES / AGGIE

NICKI PADAR / AGGIE

Student leaders hope to engage students with mental health dialogue BY JAYASHRI PA DMANAB H A N campus@theaggie.org

For the first time, UC Davis is hosting Mental Health Awareness Month this May as a component of the UC Davis Mental Health Initiative. The month was organized by ASUCD Senator Samantha Chiang, a third-year English and psychology double major, who also successfully planned the first-ever UC Davis Mental Health Conference in February. Chiang started planning the awareness month shortly after the Mental Health Conference. She had a large team of volunteers and board members to assist her in planning the initiative. According to the UC Davis Mental Health Initiative Facebook page, the initiative “aims to engage students in destigmatization and education efforts, prompt attendees to organize around mental health issues and offer them the opportunity for self-reflection and healing through mental health discourse.” In the future, Chiang hopes to start planning earlier for Mental Health Awareness Month so that the preparations for the conference and awareness month can overlap. Funding for the initiative this year came from ASUCD, UC Davis Student Affairs, UC Davis Campus Stores and Acacia Counseling & Wellness. The initiative is comprised

of 53 events throughout the month. “Every day we have multiple events hosted with different departments, student organizations and centers on campus,” Chiang said. “We’re working with four out of five centers housed within the Student Community Center, [...] Student Health and Counseling Services, specifically Health Education and Promotion, Office of Advocacy and Student Representation, Intercollegiate Athletics, as well as all of the mental health organizations on campus — Active Minds, Students Against Suicide and National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).” Chiang is excited about the “Affirmation in the Dorms” event, in which volunteers will table at various dining commons and encourage students to write positive affirmations to themselves or to other students. “There’s so much psychological research that shows the good outcomes of writing yourself affirmations as well as writing other folks gratitude letters,” Chiang said. The keynote speaker from the Mental Health Conference, Monica Porter, an attorney for Disability Rights Advocates, will be returning to Davis to host a Know Your Rights seminar about how mental health fits into the frameworks of disability rights advocacy and legally-entitled disability accommodations.

Proposed California law would allow cyclists to roll past stop signs “Idaho Stop” in Davis: Beneficial to cyclists, threat to bike safety BY BI ANCA ANTUNEZ city@theaggie.org

For as long as anyone can remember, all road vehicles — whether bicycles or automobiles — followed a “same road, same rights, same rules” philosophy. Yet, some cyclists claim that the new proposed California law, the “Idaho stop,” would make roads safer for bicycles in particular. The law also brings up a number of concerns. As part of the proposed law, bicyclists will still have to stop at traffic lights but will be allowed to roll through stop signs after they determine it is safe to proceed. Some people worry this could create a grey area in the law, since that determination is left up to the discretion of the cyclist themselves. It may also create an additional risk to children bikers who often lack a firm grasp on road safety. “[The proposed ‘Idaho stop’] will end up being an enforcement thing,” said Bob Bowen, the U.S. Bicycle Hall of Fame president. “I see both sides of the issue. There are bicyclists who are in favor of that ROLLING CYCLISTS on 8

MENTAL HEALTH on 8

Former California Aggie editor-inchief wins Pulitzer Prize

JANE TYSKA / BAY AREA NEWS GROUP

Matthias Gafni wins prize for work at The East Bay Times BY KAE LYN T UE RM E R - L E E ci ty@th ea ggi e .o r g

What started off as a dream to play football morphed into the beginnings of a journalism career that took off and landed on a Pulitzer Prize. Matthias Gafni, a 1998 UC Davis alumnus, hoped to play football his freshman year, but ended up pursuing journalism after realizing that football was not the right fit. After seeing an ad in The California Aggie stating that sports writers were needed, Gafni applied and got a position. His first assignment on the sports desk was a feature on a men’s soccer player. Gafni continued with the paper as a sports writer for his first two years, Assistant sports editor his third year, sports editor in the fourth year and editor-in-chief in the fifth year. “I owe a ton of my journalism career to the CA Aggie,” Gafni said. “That’s how I learned to become a reporter.” Upon graduating from UC Davis, Gafni had big aspirations to further his journalism career, applying to several big newspapers. “I applied to The New York Times, The Washington Post and all the big newspapers, thinking, who wouldn’t want this former EIC of The California Aggie on their staff,” Gafni said. “I don’t think I got a single response from any one of those. The only one I heard back from was Donrey Media Group, and I don’t even know if they still exist to be honest. I got a call from some woman in Arkansas, which was their headquarters, saying they were interested in hiring me to one of their papers.”

After landing a copy editing position there, Gafni moved his way up to become a reporter and eventually ended up at The East Bay Times, where he wrote his article on the Ghost Ship fire investigation in Oakland. Gafni had taken the early Saturday morning shift for the paper, and received a call from one of his colleagues saying there was a really serious fire that his editor wanted him to cover. Gafni recounted rushing out to the scene, standing across the street at a Wendy’s parking lot amongst the fire chief and a couple other reporters. Following the incident, Gafni and a few of his colleagues kept pursuing the topic, trying to find out more about what had started the fire, getting statements and official documents from the Oakland Fire Department and the City Attorney’s Office. In addition, the news team also went to several press conferences and talked to victims and family members that were at the scene. “Interviewing is obviously an important part about [journalism]. Making a source comfortably is really important. As an investigative reporter, you find a lot of sources who don’t want to talk to you,” Gafni said. “For me, what I love about journalism is the chase. I’m an investigative reporter and I get a rush from investigating things and tracking things down and making changes for the good and write stories that have an impact and shine a light on the darkness and bring it out.” Since Gafni was able to get to the scene almost immediately, The East Bay Times ran the story in a very timely fashion, much earlier than other news companies. This story, along with other articles pub-

lished, was what helped The East Bay Times to win a Pulitzer Prize. Of course, staff members all recognize Gafni for his tremendous work and effort. “[Gafni] is awesome; he’s such a good reporter,” said Angela Ruggiero, a Bay Area News Group reporter and also a former Aggie staff member. “[He] and the other team, as investigative reporters, are still working to this day on the Ghost Ship fire investigation, and are still covering things left and right. You know that they’re working on something important and big. And of course, it’s a plus that he’s a fellow former Aggie.” Cecily Burt, deputy metro editor of The East Bay Times, shared a similar sentiment. “[Gafni] is our go-to reporter whenever there’s any kind of a big breaking story,” Burt said. “[He] is always one of the first, if not the first, to know about things, whether he’s seen it on a tweet or email or google alerts. He finds out about these things that

are happening, often times before the editors do. He’s always one of the first to volunteer to cover big stories. In addition to always being one of the first, he is always really good at digging up odd stories or obscure stories that turn out to be really fantastic reads for our subscribers [...] he is a really amazing person in that way.” Although having received much praise for helping The East Bay Times receive a Pulitzer, Gafni still describes the process as a team effort. As for his journalism career, he attributes it to The California Aggie, which was the basis for his newfound love in a difficult, yet rewarding field. “[I have] so many good memories at The Aggie [...] My best memories are the people I worked with––they become like a second family,” Gafni said. “You hang out together, you go on trips together and you work together, and it’s just such a fun experience and really was the highlight of my career at Davis.”

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Long-distance relationships, far away from worries Students share what makes their long-distance relationships work BY M ARLYS JEANE features@theaggie.org

It was her junior year at Davis High School when Jenna Farboud and her current partner had chemistry — that is, AP Chemistry. “Actually when we were really young we went to preschool together, apparently,” Farboud said. “But I didn’t really know him so that doesn’t count as when we first met.” Junior year rolled into senior year and Farboud and her boyfriend received acceptance letters from the colleges of their choice. He flew off to Montana while Farboud stayed

in Davis where she is now a fourth-year neurobiology, physiology and behavior major, but that didn’t stop the two from staying in a relationship. “We weren’t going to base our decisions on ‘Oh, I’m going to follow you.’ We wanted to do what was best for ourselves and our majors,” Farboud said. “The summer went really well and we decided ‘let’s give it a try,’ but the first year was definitely really hard.” Despite the distance, Farboud and her boyfriend celebrated their five year anniversary in April. The toughest challenge they face now is deciding what they want to do after college.

Police Logs:

VENOOS MOSHAYEDI / AGGIE FILE NIKKI PADAR / AGGIE

Live from Davis, California BY SAM SOLOMO N ci ty@ th e a ggi e .o r g

April 23 “Loud party with subjects urinating in RP’s backyard.” April 24 “Female stealing recyclables from the complex.” April 25 “RP’s housemate locked RP out of the apt and keeps threatening him with pepper spray every time he tries to come back inside.” April 26 “Large geyser of water near the #11 hole.” April 27 “Group of [...] male 50-60 year-olds wearing suit blazers aggressively handing out bibles.” April 29 “Male [...] was refusing to leave, got upset and threw cup of ice on vehicle and threw trash.” “Unknown subject sitting in front lawn.”

Davis celebrates bike month in MAY Events held to encourage biking

Vice President Adilla Jamaludin called the April 20 ASUCD Senate meeting to order at 6:10 p.m. at the Memorial Union. All 12 senators were present. The meeting began with the introduction of Jin Zhang, a third-year economics and international relations double major, who was recommended by President Josh Dalavai to fill the open controller position. Although Zhang has not worked with ASUCD before, she had an impressive resume, according to Dalavai. She has worked with the Treasury Department in Washington, D.C. and invest-

Finding the time to do anything between schoolwork, jobs and internships can be challenging in college, especially on the quarter system. Vanderbos sees her partner roughly once every six weeks, but to fill the time they spend apart they often communicate via classic Skype calls, daily text messages and, more thoughtfully, through mail. “We decided on sending each other letters a lot,” Vanderbos said. “I don’t think either of us went into it thinking it would be super challenging because I think if you just go into it with excitement that you can feel close to someone without being physically next to them, it can totally work out.” Vanderbos and her girlfriend try to call each other when they have random breaks in their days, and they don’t have any particular structure to the amount of time they talk to each other. This works for some in long-distance relationships, but for others, it’s easier to manage time with partners through scheduled one-on-one time. Monica Doyle, a fourth-year statistics major, met her partner in high school and faced a situation similar to Farboud. While she came to Davis, her boyfriend went to UC Santa Barbara. Although at first she was nervous coupling a first-time move away from home with a first-time long-distance relationship, she has since decided that long-distance relationships are definitely doable. “You can’t see them all the time, [...] it takes a toll on you because their support is not directly there,” Doyle said. “But I think as long as you set aside time to talk to each

BY YVONNE LEONG c ampus@t he aggie . org

and Aggies Ride shirts will be available and funded through Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS). “We are hoping to get a large gathering of the campus community wearing bike helmets to show that bike safety is a community wide effort,” said Shantille Connolly, a UC Davis wellness educator and creator of HHDC, via email. Connolly started the HHDC campaign last fall in order to increase bike helmet access at UC Davis. HHDC allows students to receive a free helmet from the Bike Barn if they sign a pledge to wear a helmet while biking. “Student Health and Counseling Services began focusing on bike helmets, because

This May is bike month in the Sacramento region. Bike month is when transit agencies and air quality organizations encourage people to ride their bikes and keep on riding throughout the year. UC Davis will be partaking in bike month as “the bike capital of America,” according to The Guardian. UC Davis has many bike related events lined up for the month of May. One event is the Helmet Hair Don’t Care (HHDC) Bike Helmets and Bagels, which will take place on May 23 at 10 a.m. in the Bike Barn. This event is recruiting students, staff and faculty for a photo to be used as part of the 20172018 HHDC campaign material. Free bagels

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UC Davis Coffee Center, Specialty Coffee Association sign two-year research partnership Research to rewrite guidelines of coffee industry BY ALLY RU SS E LL ca m pus @thea g g ie.org

The UC Davis Coffee Center is pairing up with the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) in a twoyear partnership to reevaluate the foundation and standards of the coffee brewing industry through new research projects. Though coffee remains a staple in the lives of individuals across the globe, research efforts have been lacking in the industry since MIT Professor Earl E. Lockhart’s research was published back in the 1950s. “The coffee community is thrilled to engage

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BY ALLY RUSSEL L c a mpu s @ th ea ggi e .o r g

“I’m planning on taking some more classes in the summer and he’s going to be working here [...], but after that I’m planning on applying to nursing school, and he’s thinking about going to paramedic school,” Farboud said. “We’re trying to make that work, but it’s hard to plan. We’ve definitely talked about how it’s like Grey’s Anatomy, he’s the paramedic and I’m the nurse.” Farboud said taking their long-distance relationship one step at a time, alongside trust, is the glue that keeps their relationship strong. “I think the most important thing about a long-distance relationship is being able to trust each other because if you’re not feeling very confident about the strength of your relationship, that can make it really stressful,” Farboud said. Trust is a vital component to most relationships, but especially ones where opportunities to see one’s partner in person are few and far between. Savannah Vandenbos, a third-year nutrition science major, said that she’s learned a lot about trust since starting her long-distance relationship with her girlfriend who lives in Santa Cruz. “What I hear from a lot of people is that they’re afraid to be in a long-distance relationship because they’re not sure what the other person would be doing or thinking,” Vandenbos said. “[Since] I’ve started out in a long distance relationship, [...] I don’t have the worry that anything is going to happen or that [anything] isn’t going to be communicated or transparent between us. I think you need a higher level of willingness to trust when it comes to long distance.”

ment firms in Sacramento. Zhang was confirmed with no objections. Next, Daniel Feinberg, a third-year environmental policy major, and Daniel Graves, a first-year genetics major, were confirmed as Environmental Policy and Planning Commissioners with no objections. Dalavai gave a short speech commending the previous Controller Joseph DeAngelo, a fourth-year economics and political science major, for his exemplary work in the Senate. Dalavi announced the status of legislation previously passed by Senate. Everything was signed except for Senate Bill #76, which does not require the

AARON KEOKHAM / AGGIE

with UC Davis on this important work,” said Peter Guiliano, the chief research officer for the SCA, in an announcement made about the partnership. “We’re excited to see what surprises are in store for us.” The SCA is a nonprofit organization that represents coffee producers and employees around the world. Members of the SCA make up a community of more than 5,000 coffee professionals and businesses, all dedicated to advancing the techniques, knowledge, process and sustainability of specialty coffee’s future. Research to be conducted at UC Davis has the

American flag to be in the room during Senate meetings, which Dalavai said will be seen next week. Senate discussed Bill #81, which would amend the bylaws to specify when ASUCD unit directors are hired. The amendment’s purpose is to clarify the specific time of year unit directors are hired. The bill will set the precedent of hiring ASUCD unit directors (except that of Picnic Day, Office of Advocacy and Student Representation and Whole Earth Festival) no later than the fifth week of Winter Quarter. Senator Daniel Nagey called the bill into question. The bill was passed with no objections. The Senate voted on Senate Bill #82 ,which would amend sections 705 A and B of ASUCD’s bylaws. The amendments will ensure there will be Senate representation in the interviewing committees for ASUCD representatives at Academic Senate and Administrative Advisory Committees. Currently, senators are not regularly assigned to committees. This amendment will increase Senate representation and eliminate potential time conflicts between senators and committee schedules. The bill passed with no objections. Next, voting took place on whether to allocate $1,638.48 of Senate reserves for UC Mental Health Awareness Month

potential to revolutionize the foundational ways roasters, growers and even baristas approach coffee — from harvesting beans to delivering coffee into the mugs of coffee lovers everywhere. Research efforts will be co-led by two UC Davis professors, William Ristenpart and Jean-Xavier Guinard. Ristenpart is a chemical engineer and the founder of ECM 1 — The Design of Coffee class. Ristenpart has been an avid coffee drinker since high school, but didn’t develop a taste for the more

stickers and programs. This May will be the first time ASUCD is coordinating efforts to commemorate Mental Health Awareness Month, championed by Senator Samantha Chiang, who organized UC Davis’ first Mental Health Conference last Winter Quarter. The bill originally allotted $449 for 2,000 3” x 3” stickers and the remaining $1,189.48 to cover 5” x 8.5” programs. Chiang’s request would remove 20 percent of the remaining Senate reserves. After questions regarding the necessity of so many pamphlets and the potential to find a more reasonably priced supplier, Chiang admitted to not having the time or energy to thoroughly look into other suppliers. Chiang urged the senators to make a decision tonight so pamphlets and stickers could be ordered promptly. After a lengthy discussion, the bill was amended to cover only 700 programs and the amended bill passed with no objections. Students representing Environmental Justice for Underrepresented Communities (EJUC) gathered and implored senators to pass their resolution, which demands the topic of environmental justice become a required part of the environmental policy and planning major curriculum at UC Davis. Their resolution demanded short-term actions to make

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environmental justice classes more accessible to students and to develop an environmental justice track within the major. Additionally, the EJUC highlighted its long-term goal of establishing an environmental justice major at UC Davis. “I don’t think I want to learn how to derive economically efficient ways to quantify people and the environment without critical discussion on who profits from doing so, which communities will be most affected by these equations and discussions and without recognizing the historic and continued marginalization and oppression of certain groups of people in the U.S. and abroad,” said Evan Steele, a fourth-year environmental planning and policy major and treasurer of EJUC. The resolution was passed with a vote of 9-0-3. Rosy Martinez, a third-year human development major, was confirmed as the Pantry unit director with no objections. During public discussion, Mayor Robb Davis came to speak to senators about their successful turnout at the Davis city council meeting regarding the housing crisis and difficulty for lower income students to secure housing. Davis applauded senators for bringing the issue to the council and expressed confidence in the city’s relationship with the Senate.

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Walker Hall: rich past, exciting future

Historic building to become new home for graduate, professional students BY HANNAH HOLZER fea tures @th e a ggi e .o r g

On the “UC Davis Memes for Edgey Teens” Facebook group, Carter Johnson, a second-year applied math graduate student, posted a well-known meme template: “what we really want” listing the much-anticipated opening of the Memorial Union’s Games Area, and “what administrators think students want” listing a sketch of the design for the Walker Hall redevelopment. Scheduled to open in 2019, Walker Hall will soon be home to the Graduate and Professional Student Center, which Johnson said he is genuinely excited for. “I’ve been wondering when they were going to do something about the most dilapidated central building on campus,” Johnson said. “If anything, I wish it had been prioritized sooner. In my opinion, the school needs to focus more on the needs of the students it already has before trying to attract a larger population.” Housing the Graduate and Professional Student Center will be the third repurposing of Walker Hall. Originally built in 1927 for the Agricultural Engineering Department, the building last housed Design and Landscape Architecture facilities. Walker Hall has been closed since 2011 due to insufficient seismic preparedness.

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City to hold public hearings on styrofoam ban ordinance Davis would be 100th municipality in California to enact ban BY ANYA REHON ci ty@th ea ggi e .o r g

The City of Davis plans to hold a series of public hearings regarding enactment of a proposed ban on polystyrene foam, or styrofoam. The ban would be applicable

According to the 2012 proposal for UC Davis’ now-approved Graduate and Professional Student Center presented to then-Chancellor Linda Katehi, a push for such a center began in 2003. However, Carlos Ruvalcaba, the chair of the Graduate Student Association (GSA) and a fourth-year in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Ph.D. program, said support for such a center stems from as early back as 1992. “Other campuses actually already have graduate student centers,” Ruvalcaba said. “Their rationale is [...] if graduate students are more aware of their resources and have space that is outside their lab, then, in theory, they should be more effective educators.” Currently, there is no designated physical space specifically for graduate students or postdoctoral scholars. Marjannie Eloi Akintunde, the Senior Career Advisor for Career Services for Graduate and Postdoctoral Scholars at the Internship and Career Center who received her Ph.D. in immunology from UC Davis, had access to a lab and a professor while she worked on completing her degree. However, she said there was no designated working space while her husband worked on his Ph.D. in geography. “A lot of grad students don’t have a home or a place [on campus],” Eloi Akintunde said. “Grad students end up floating around. Especially with all of the social science and humanities grad students, after they pass their

qualifying exam, they don’t come back to campus sometimes [...] so they’ll lose that community. A lot of them start to feel isolated and that can develop into [...losing] your motivation.” Michael Lairmore, the dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine who works with mostly graduate and professional students, said the center will serve as an important space to promote both social and work-based networking. “We pride ourselves on interdisciplinary graduate programs at UC Davis [and] one way to promote that [...] is to have a space and environment that encourages [the] cross-hybridization of ideas,” Lair-

more said. “They really are the workforce that drives the research part of the mission of the university. I think it’s important to show them the respect that they need.” Presently, overgrown trees have partially hidden the “Engineering” lettering at the front entrance to Walker Hall — named after H.B. Walker, a former chair of the Agricultural Engineering Department — and cobwebs cover the sloping door handles at the front entrance. Amanda Steidlmayer, the strategic initiatives coordinator for Graduate Studies who also serves on the

to all businesses and restaurants that serve food and beverages, following a City Council meeting held on the evening of April 25. “This ordinance basically requests restaurants to use compostable or recyclable utensils or containers,” said Richard Tsai, the environmental resources manager for the Public Works Department of the City of Davis. “[This ordinance] is a very educational piece and important piece for our environmental program.” It is not the first time that this ordinance has been considered by the City Council of the City of Davis. The ordinance was first proposed back in 2011 when the Council passed the Zero Waste Resolution Program, requesting staff to develop zero waste programs and was discussed again in 2013 in connection with the city’s updated Integrated Waste Management Plan. Tsai argued that passage of the styrofoam ordinance would not have been prudent until an organics program was implemented, like the one in 2016, which made composting certain food and beverage containers possible. “Right now, there is 70 percent compliance voluntarily by restaurants in Davis that are already using non expanded polystyrene containers,” Tsai said. Community members and local groups like the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) in Davis

have pressed City Council for passage of the ban for years. Those who are pro-ban are supportive of the environmental benefits from using alternative types of food packaging products. “I’m delighted to see this item finally coming before council,” said Alan Pryor, a member of the NRC and Zero Waste Sub-Committee within Davis, but who spoke only as a private citizen. “Since then, however, we have heard every possible excuse given to us as to why this could not be moved forward.” Pryor argued that it was the implementation of the plastic bag ban and compost programs, overextended staff members and CEQA law issues that pushed the ban on styrofoam back from the time a draft was introduced to the city by the NRC in 2011. Throughout the state, many municipalities have already implemented bans on polystyrene because of the amount of waste generation that ends up in landfills and because of the environmental damage caused, which has negatively impacted oceans and marine life. “According to the staff report, [we’ll be] the 100th jurisdiction in California to enact such an ordinance, so we are certainly not alone. [...] There’s strong public support, not only in our community, but in many places in California for this same policy,” said Lucas Frerichs, a Davis councilmember.

During council deliberations, Frerichs defended the staff for their tireless work on other critical environmental projects implemented in the city, such as the plastic bag ban and integrated waste management plan. “Yes, it’s taken a bit of time for the staff to bring this item forward to us, but it’s not for a lack of working on other priorities identified by this body, as well as previous city councils,” Frerichs said. Nearing the end of discussion on the issue, two motions were made and passed unanimously by all council members. The first motion was to put the polystyrene ban item out for public hearing and to accept the negative declaration, while additionally altering the effective start date of the ordinance from July 1 to Sept. 1of this year. The second motion was made by council member Rochelle Swanson, requesting that an amendment to the ordinance be made, providing that restaurant owners shall not provide single use straws except upon request by the customer, with exemption to drive through and to go orders. “500 million straws end up in the ocean all the time; it’s the number one piece of litter that’s picked up on beaches, so that’s why I specifically wanted to bring it up as part of this ordinance and part of our entire educational piece,” Swanson said.

igibility for the program. “A lot of low-income students have difficulty accessing anti-hunger programs because of unclearly written policies,” Weber said in a statement. “This bill is aimed at clarifying those policies and to streamline student access to programs that would help them alleviate food insecurity.” AB 453, authored by Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara), would require the California State University (CSU) Trustees and the California Community Colleges (CCC) Board of Governors, and would encourage the University of California (UC) Regents, to designate their campuses as “hunger free.” Each campus that does so will receive funding incentives. A hunger free campus would require a food pantry, a campus employee hired to help students enroll in CalFresh and a meal sharing program through which students can donate their unused meal plan credits to students in need. Christopher Nellum, a policy director for Young Invincibles, a group which focuses on issues surrounding higher education, healthcare and financial security, said that the current policy proposals to curb student hunger in California have come after a culminating effort to bring attention to the issue. “There’s been a lot of good work that people have done to raise awareness about the issue of food insecurity,” Nellum said. “College hunger is often an invisible experience, so people are having the experience but other people may not know, so I think it’s coming up now because we have a better sense of its

prevalence.” In 2015, the UC found that 42 percent of its students did not have access to adequate food or nutrition, while the CSU found that roughly a quarter of its students were food insecure. Daniel Nagey, a second-year managerial economics and psychology double major and an ASUCD senator who campaigned on food insecurity, said that streamlining the application process for CalFresh is important because the process can be difficult. “The application process for CalFresh is really complicated and really complex,” Nagey said. “You have to go through like an interview process and it’s stressful and nobody really knows how to do it. There’s no guide, it’s kind of like all the other things we have to do like taxes, where nobody really teaches you, but unfortunately you know, with something like CalFresh, you either are eating or not.” Nagey, who adopted The Pantry as a unit, also helped plan this year’s Aggie Food Connection Fair on May 17, which will showcase a variety of healthy food resources available to students. “I think it takes a lot to admit that you’re food insecure because it also has a lot of stigma that comes with it,” Nagey said. “Saying you’re food insecure means that you’re low income. It means that you’re probably battling a lot of other financial hardships, especially on a college campus where the majority of people are middle class and don’t really have that problem.”

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California assemblymembers introduce bills to address student hunger AB 214, AB 543 aim to help California college students BY IVAN VALENZUELA ca mpu s @ th e a ggi e .o r g

Two new bills were introduced this year in the California State Assembly, both of which aim to alleviate the issue of food insecurity on California college cam-

puses. Assembly Bill (AB) 214, authored by Assemblymember Shirley N. Weber (D-San Diego), would help simplify the administrative process for college students applying for CalFresh as well as require the California Student Aid Commission to notify students of their el-

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WALKER on 12

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MORGA N T IEU / AG GIE

Join Davis in celebrating all things bike this May Cyclists unite for National Bike Month BY BIANCA ANTUNEZ city@theaggie.org

The event that keeps cyclists waiting all year long is finally rolling around the corner — National Bike Month! Started by the League of American Bicyclists in 1956, the annual event encourages people to give cycling a try and educate the public about bike culture and the benefits of biking. While Davis has approximately 20,000 cyclists, there are still many residents who choose not to ride for various reasons, some being that they may not know how to ride, where to go or how to bike safely around town. In May, all of those folks are in luck. Both the City of Davis and the university are holding various classes and events regarding bike safety and cycling culture, covering topics such as how to fix a bike, finding others to ride with or learning the various bike paths across town. “We teach all the bike basics, many of the same things you need to learn as a motorist,” said Tim Bustos, UC Davis Bicycle Program coordinator. “We teach people how to fix a flat on their bikes because most people have never been taught that. There’s a whole cross section of events oriented towards May being National Bike Month.” The hope is that National Bike Month will increase awareness about biking and, in turn, increase the number of cyclists who attend these events and various bike programs. For example, the Bike Campaign, which works closely with city governments, schools and other organizations to encourage cycling, has implemented Bike Buddies. This program connects new bikers with someone who can cycle with them, teach them tips and tricks and encourage them along the way. “We also produce the City of Davis/UC Davis joint bike map for those who aren’t familiar with how to get around town,” Bustos said. “Having the bike maps available lists some of the key points in the city and lists where all the bikes shops are if they need to get their bike tuned up for Bike to Work day, for example.” In addition to the annual National Bike Month, Davis is celebrating a plethora of events this year, like the 100 year

More students, less housing results in overcrowding Davis’ municipal codes limit students’ housing options

BY M AD I SON LYZN I C K city@theaggie.org

With more people and less space, can the City of Davis continue to handle the growing expansion of incoming students?

anniversary of the incorporation of Davis and the 200th anniversary of the invention of the bicycle. In addition, the city will also celebrate the induction of the very first official bike lane in Davis (and the entire nation) on May 12th. It all started in 1966 when two city councilmen, Maynard Skinner and Norman Woodbury, and the Davis mayor at the time, Ken Gill, joined forces to conduct the first study on bicycle lanes in Davis for the public works department to study. “Nobody had ever figured out the width or how they would transition or how people would turn at corners with vehicles and bicycles,” said Bob Bowen, U.S. Bicycle Hall of Fame president. “Woodbury and others drafted some bills that were eventually passed by the state assembly and the state senate, and they were signed by the then California Governor, Ronald Reagan. In 1967, the city was able to put sections of the first official bike lanes in 3rd street downtown, on Sycamore Lane, on W. 8th St. and on L St.; it was the start of a bicycle lane system.” These specifications and drafts were eventually adopted by the entire United States. However, while bike lanes are convenient and important to the incorporation of cycling infrastructure, they are sometimes viewed as outdated and even potentially dangerous. “Celebrating it is great, but we also need to keep in mind that it’s not the safest infrastructure for bicyclists,” said Trish Price, the president of Bike Davis. “We would like to make sure that people are aware of that. We advocate for more separation from motor vehicles so that would make cyclists safer.” In addition to advocating for road safety for cyclists and educating the public on cycling, Bike Davis also participates in the annual May is Bike Month competition. New or experienced cyclists can sign up to log bicycle miles ridden, participate in teams and win prizes. Greek organizations, clubs or even groups of friends can join together and participate, and Bike Davis is always accepting new cyclists to join their group for the contest. To find out more about May is Bike Month and its various events around town, please visit the City of Davis website. The root of this space problem comes from Davis’ municipal codes, limiting the amount of living available for those seeking to change residency to Davis. Heights of buildings are stunted in multiple addendums. For example, municipal code 40.04A.050 states: “No principal building shall exceed two stories or thirty feet in height […] No accessory building shall exceed fifteen feet in height, unless the accessory building is located in Old East Davis or on a lot on the east side of “F” Street, and the planning commission has approved a discretionary design

The grading curve: redefining the standard Students discuss their experiences with curving grades BY ELIZABETH MARIN features@theaggie.org

A 40 percent under “Grades” on UC Davis Canvas typically wouldn’t elicit a positive response. However, for students who are graded on a curve, it might end up being a passing grade. “The average for the [Economics Department] has to be a B-, a 2.75 gpa,” said Thomas Smith, a fourth-year economics major and a teaching assistant in the Economics Department. “So as long as [the professor is] within that standard, it doesn’t matter how many A’s and B’s or C’s or D’s or F’s [they] give as long as the average is a B-.” The Economics Department uses a bell curve to average the scores of a class, in which each student’s letter grade depends on their performance relative to the rest of the students in that class. Once the class average is found it typically becomes a B- and the rest of the grades are assigned depending on the width of the distribution of scores. The professor can give out more A’s and F’s and fewer middle grades, or have a wide B range and few A’s and F’s for top and bottom-scoring students, just as long as the class average remains at a B-. Not every department at UC Davis grades on a curve as each one has a different grading policy. Some departments adhere to a strict curve, while others are at liberty to give out grades based on a preset scale, regardless of what the class average becomes. Tommy Schultz, a third-year material science and engineering major, finds most of his classes have been graded on a curve. “I think [professors curve grades] to challenge people and see who actually knows the

YES TO HOUSING on 12

BY SAHITI VEMULA features@theaggie.org

The Bike Barn: Gears, Tires and True Friends Behind the scenes of Bike Barn culture

DIA N A LI / AGGIE

The ASUCD Bike Barn is located between the Silo and Rock Hall, its entrance hidden by a fleet of bikes. Upon entering the Bike Barn, one is greeted by a friendly face or two, usually someone working the register and another mechanic evaluating a client’s bike. But what — or rather, who — is hidden behind that wall lined with bike accessories? It seems that there is an eclectic group of bike experts working hard amid the background sounds of Spotify playlists, saws and bike chains. Hustling about, the Bike Barn crew includes people from multiple backgrounds that all share a love for bikes and working with their hands. John Hancock, a third-year political science major and music minor, has found fulfillment in working at the barn. “Right there I can create something — fix something — and see what I did with my own hands,” Hancock said. “When I come

[...] hard material,” Schultz said. According to Schultz, engineering professors set the curve depending on how the class is responding to the material. “One class, the average was a 40 percent overall,” Schultz said. “So [the professor] set that at a B-, so an A became a 53 percent.” While students in these departments depend heavily on this grading scale, other subjects rarely grade on a curve. Stephanie Whitworth, a third-year English major, has only experienced one of her major classes curve the grades. “For my English class where they curved the final, they took the highest score which was a 95 percent and made that 100 percent,” Whitworth said. “So basically everyone got five extra points. I’d say this is a fair way of grading.” The curve tends to be used more in classes where grades depend on students’ test performance. Classes that are not test-based but value a process, like in a University Writing Program course, tend to grade without a curve. Some students like Ann Ogihara, a thirdyear economics and international relations double major, appreciate when professors grade on a curve. “I think [the curve] is really helpful because economics classes can be really hard,” Ogihara said. “If the professor isn’t really good — if they don’t grade [the class] on a curve — then everyone’s going to get a bad grade and that’s not fair, so I think the curve really helps to have fair grading.” Like Ogihara, Schultz also believes grading on a curve is helpful because he feels it pushes students to study harder. “I feel like the curve is a good thing,” Schultz said. “It kind of evens out everything CURVE on 12

home at the end of the day after a day’s work, it’s cool [that] I [...] helped someone fix something. Amid social science majors, art majors and science majors, a common ground seems hard to find, but the employees don’t let that stop them. Many of them mentioned that music is something that has helped connect them together, even though each person seems to have very different taste. “We all like listening to music while working,” said Joseph Gondreau, a second-year electrical engineering major. “It’s weird because we all have really different tastes. Sometimes a guy will play East Bay rap music, then someone will put on Taylor Swift, and then someone will put on Brad Paisley. It’s [strange], but we all just enjoy each other’s music.” Jacob Wagner, a second-year managerial economics major, added that “angsty music” brings the entire crew together. The barn members also spend time hanging out and getting to know each other BIKE BARN on 12

Joel Sandoval Community Health Care Worker SRJC Graduate Read my story: stories.santarosa.edu

This Summer, Save $$, Take Classes At SRJC May 8 Open registration – online and in person June 19 Classes Start! Plan and enroll today: www.santarosa.edu/start Summer Session – 6 and 8 weeks Earn lower division credits – only $46 per unit Santa Rosa, Petaluma, online and countywide Instant Admission Saturday Services, May 13 – Free Assessment, Counseling, Financial Aid The Sonoma County Junior College District does not discriminate on the basis of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, ethnic group identification, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic condition, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information or sexual orientation in any of its policies, procedures or practices; nor does the District discriminate against any employees or applicants for employment on the basis of their age. This non-discrimination policy covers admission, access and treatment in District programs and activities, including but not limited to academic admissions, financial aid, educational services and athletics, and application for District employment. C17x.DAVIS.11.625x5.375 APR27.2017.indd 1

IFORNIA AGGIE - DAVIS Art due: 4/27

4/27/17 3:40 PM

6 | THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2017

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Opinion editorial board

the California Aggie

Vaccinating the UC

EDITORIAL BOARD

SCOTT DRESSER Editor in Chief

New vaccination policy should help insure a healthy student population

ELLIE DIERKING Managing Editor ALYSSA VANDENBERG Campus News Editor SAMANTHA SOLOMON City News Editor ELI FLESCH Opinion Editor EMILIE DEFAZIO Features Editor AMANDA ONG Arts & Culture Editor BRYAN SYKES Sports Editor ARIEL ROBBINS Science & Tech Editor

CHIARA ALVES New Media Manager JAY GELVEZON Photo Director HANNAH LEE Design Director EMILY STACK Copy Chief OLIVIA ROCKEMAN Copy Chief VERONICA VARGO Website Manager ALEX GUZMÁN Social Media Mangager MADELINE ONG Newsletter Manager LAURIE PEDERSON Business Development Manager

The University of California (UC) is instituting a new policy that will require incoming students to be vaccinated, starting fall 2017. This new policy follows in the footsteps of the 2015 California Senate Bill 277 (SB 277), which removed a number of exemptions to vaccine requirements for public and private elementary and secondary educational institutions. SB 277 was followed by an outpouring of dissent, but 95.6 percent of kindergartners in California completed vaccinations for the 20162017 school year. The change in vaccine requirements has caused controversy, as opponents of vaccines believe that the new policy infringes on constitutional law. However, the UC system has made it clear that the impact of this new policy will mean a safer, healthier campus. The UC system has had multiple cases of infectious diseases every year, including a case of meningitis at UC Davis in February of 2015. For those who cannot receive vaccines for health reasons, such as an allergy to the vaccine or a congenital condition leading to an impaired immune system, the new policy will offer “Herd Immunity” from life-threatening diseases. The Editorial Board supports the new UC policy in the light of the potential for a campus-wide outbreak. The illnesses mentioned above have been largely eradicated due to vaccines. Vaccines work, and they protect those who are susceptible to illness but who cannot receive vaccines for medical reasons. In the interest of protecting every student on campus, it is imperative that exemptions to vaccines for non-medical reasons are denied. However, we recognize that there are hurdles to jump in order to get full participation UC-wide. How much more work

will have to be done on the administrative level in order to ensure that all students are up-to-date on their vaccinations? What if a student cannot afford to get vaccinated? Luckily, the UC system has been phasing in vaccine requirements for the last three years. As of 2016, all incoming UC students were expected to have the required vaccines and campuses have been working to make students aware of the upcoming requirement. On the Health-e-Messaging system for UC Davis, the home page states the following message: “All entering UC Davis students are required to complete a Tuberculosis Risk Screening Questionnaire and provide Proof of Vaccination against: Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR), Varicella, Tdap, Meningitis (under age 22 only).” The Affordable Care Act has made vaccination much more accessible. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Health Services website, if a student is uninsured, the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program may also be able to help. VFC is eligible for those under 19 years of age and provides vaccines at no cost. "Underinsured" individuals, or those who have health insurance that does not cover vaccinations, can receive VFC vaccines through Federally Qualified Health Centers or Rural Health Centers. This editorial board hopes these measures will help spread awareness on the importance of getting vaccinated, and we encourage those who are not up-to-date on their vaccines to head over to the Student Health and Wellness Center or a private physician. Find more information on vaccination exemptions and requirements from the University of California Immunization Exemption Policy document.

How Captain America: Civil War plays out the ﬁght between the far right and the establishment THE DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN CAPTAIN AMERICA AND IRON MAN ECHOES THE CURRENT POLITICAL CLIMATE BY NOAH PF LUE G E R - P E T E R S napfluegerpeters@ucdavis.edu

No franchise has worked harder to bring science fiction to popular prominence than the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One of its latest entries, Captain America: Civil War, was one of the biggest blockbusters of 2016. Looking back on it in the context of the year that’s past, it’s hard to ignore the implications of the film’s central conflict between Captain America and Iron Man over how best to bring justice to the world. The disagreement echoes the debates dominating the Western political world, as the revitalization of nationalism and the far right challenges the liberal, bureaucratic philosophies that have governed the world for 70 years. After the events of the last Avengers movie that resulted in the demolition of a small Eastern European town, the UN proposes a new bill to limit the Avengers’ unauthorized activity. While this is going on, Captain America and his friend Bucky Barnes find out about a plan to unleash an army of mind-controlled supersoldiers on the world. While Captain America knows the truth and what needs to be done to stop the plan, he doesn’t have enough evidence to convince Iron Man and some of the other Avengers. They refuse to act — or to let him act — until the UN approves the use of force under the new legislation. Iron Man argues that the best way to keep the world safe is through laws and bureaucracy and supports the UN legislation. Captain America, however, supports acting on principles and doing what’s right no matter the costs. Because he’s the title character, and also because his story is more

interesting, the movie follows and makes us sympathize with Captain America and his team. The film shows us why the team should act as quickly as possible to neutralize the evil, even if it means going rogue, ignoring the bureaucracy and fighting Iron Man and company. In the end, Captain’s right. After an epic battle, they stop the bad guys just in time. Whether or not you agree, it’s hard to ignore the fact that Captain America’s side is much more exciting, and this might help us understand the political shift to the right in 2016. The far right paints itself as new and exciting and promises swift, effective action instead of the competent, carefully thought-out bureaucratic method favored by the establishment. Many who voted for Donald Trump, Marine Le Pen and Brexit are fed up with this philosophy. Whether it be calls to close borders, leave the European Union, “drain the swamp” of the Washington elite or dismantle regulations, many feel that the bureaucratic systems currently in place are ineffective and hurt their countries in the long term. In the context of the film, these far-right nationalist voters are Captain America, while the establishment of Hillary Clinton, Emmanuel Macron and the “Remain” campaign are Iron Man. In the movie and in real life, they’re set up as opposing views that are necessarily in conflict with one another — even if they both have legitimate arguments. This is especially relevant to American politics. Being a super American (literally and figuratively), Captain America is all about doing what he thinks is right, even if no one else around him seems to agree. While the movie seems to endorse this view as heroic and

brave, this ideology has gotten America into trouble in the past — namely with the Iraq War. The Trump administration seems to be adopting a similar attitude toward Syria and North Korea as well, and there’s no reason to be particularly optimistic about either situation for the same reasons. Still, it’s an ideology that has empowered a lot of right-wing voters, who see themselves as the righteous rebels against an “unthinking” liberal society of Iron Man. It’s one that’s been running through America’s cultural veins for most of its existence. The film does make a case for Iron Man’s argument, but it seems to endorse Captain America’s view at the end — that going rogue is the one way to act effectively. Iron Man’s method is shown as too slow, deliberate and ultimately destructive in comparison to Captain’s swift, righteous action. It’s not outlandish to say the film supports Trump’s views more, especially considering that Marvel CEO Ike Perlmutter donated $1 million to the Trump campaign and has been considered for an advising role in the administration. As in real life, the two ideologies in the film compete and Captain America’s comes out the eventual victor, just like with Trump and Brexit. However, the end of the film shows Iron Man and Cap beginning to patch things up after they defeat the bad guys, offering a hopeful note that eventually the two sides can come together again. This hasn’t happened in the real world yet and these tensions may resurface in the next Avengers movie. Despite the divide, however, there still may be hope for reunification under a common cause. Let’s just hope the real world doesn’t need an Infinity War to do it.

Healing with the creativity of our minds DAVIS PROMOTES ART THERAPY AS METHOD OF EXPRESSION BY MARI SOL BE AS mbeas@ucdavis.edu

Our minds’ creativity is sensational and oftentimes expressed with a paintbrush to paper, with hands to clay or even with a pencil to a printed mandala, which has basically become the adult version of a coloring book. In a moment of expression, our creativity takes hold of our full attention — all the while serving a therapeutic purpose. Mara Newbart, a clinical social worker and psychotherapist in Davis who works on a variety of mental issues, incorporates art therapy as a form of expression. She utilizes it mostly with children but says that adults benefit as well. “Sometimes you just don’t have the words to express what is going on,” Newbart said. “[Art therapy] gets emotions out that you don’t even know you have.” As a form of treatment, Newbart uses art therapy to help people reach emotions stored in parts of the brain that are verbally unaccessible. She has witnessed how people, through art therapy, have an outlet to express their feelings of pain. It’s important for students to find a space in which they can ex-

press themselves, like Newbart’s office, where issues are dealt with in a creative and healing way. Newbart notes the importance of “having someone to guide you” in a therapy setting, especially when dealing with bigger issues. Students should reach out and seek professional help if they are facing hard times. People like Newbart are here to help. Art outside of therapy can also have the same effect. Research has shown that “art can make a contribution to promoting positive mental health,” as well as serve as a form of empowerment and liberation. The study, published in the Disability and Society journal, stated that when art was conducted in a group setting, the interaction caused an increased sense of freedom. Participants in this study additionally saw an improvement in their general quality of life and emotional well-being. It positively affected their emotions and caused higher states of relaxation — found to be “an antidote to depression, anxiety, and fatigue.” Students should participate and have the opportunity to engage in similar group settings. There are various art related activities that are promoted through UC Davis. Art is supported through organizations like the Cross Cultural Center, the Women's Resource Center

and other centers at the Student Community Center. These centers do not only spark the imagination, but also incorporate strong cultural and political meaning to their work. Here on campus, students can also obtain the benefits of art therapy in a more private setting through Student Health and Counseling Services. These services are free to all students with or without insurance. Martha E. Zamudio, a psychology postdoctoral intern at UC Davis, uses art therapy on campus “as a way to engage the creativity of people's minds,” as well as to deal with culturally sensitive art. She has created a group, the Mendalamented, to engage students in an impactful way. In the group you will find talks of mental health where media like clay work, painting, drawing and filling in mandalas are utilized as alternative ways to help students express their feelings. The group is confidential and held at North Hall, but is accessible to all students through the Student Health and Counseling Service center. This form of group art, as well as many others, have helped students bond and, as Zamudio said, “Fill in a part of a person's experience that they might have not been able to express.”

THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2017 | 7

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Soul food: epidemic vs. epicurean practice AS SOUL FOOD EVOLVES, SO DOES ITS ESSENCE BY C AMI LL E C H A R G O I S cachargois@ucdavis.edu

I made my very first pot of gumbo with an abridged set of ingredients in my boyfriend’s kitchen here in Davis, miles away from the family kitchens and recipes I grew up with. I compensated for the lack of okra, fresh seafood and other essentials I couldn’t find — it was rather disheartening just how little selection there was in three whole stores — with love. The key ingredient of love fueled by nostalgia and heritage was even more essential in this particular pot than it would be at cookouts back home because it was so different from what I am accustomed to. My spirit needed this nourishment to get through my first winter away from home, but what I didn’t anticipate after eating and conversing with the friends I fed was that my soul needed a little searching too. It made me really think about what soul food has traditionally meant, what it’s evolving to be in the advent of new social changes and how the two will coincide to define the future of soul food. In reflecting upon my particular relationship with soul food, I started thinking about the already established opinions of it that polarize the discussion around soul food as either an epidemic or epicurean practice. Soul food is something I and many African Americans and Southerners have grown up with in their households, folklore and media.

It’s a ritual that preserves family history while passing it on to the next generation — a bond through food that transcends time. It’s so damn good, yet so damn life-threatening. The juxtaposition between the delicacies and dangers of soul food influences the conversation around it as society and culture change. Some argue that continuing to eat such rich and fatty food is hurting the community’s health, while others raise the point that, if soul food is abandoned, then so is the tradition that accompanies it. This discourse is nothing new, yet in a strange sense it feels like the conversation has only begun. This is mainly because it’s a personal subject rooted in pains and pleasures kept secret out of either shame or half-knowledge about the consequences associated with eating unhealthily. Is soul food an inherently destructive aspect of the culture or an irreplaceable component of it? For many it’s something existing simultaneously between both of these realities. This, along with the representations of soul food and the people who eat it, are dynamic ideas that are not new but are continually being presented in new ways. Analyzing past and present manifestations of soul food will define how we will come to know it in the future, whether by the same traditional means or by new, healthier alternatives. Soul food consumption is a house divided in a struggle between communion and congestive heart failure. Vegan soul food is an option that over the years has started to

gain traction as a viable alternative. This is especially true in the case of Stuff I Eat, a vegan soul food restaurant in Inglewood established in 2008 by Babette Davis, known as Chef B. Her restaurant was featured in a BuzzFeed video two years ago which described her as someone “inspiring the community to understand food they love in a broader context” by providing healthy but familiar dishes. Her food is uniquely hers with a touch of tradition. On top of that, Chef B continues to serve her community with healthy foods that otherwise would not be readily accessible in the neighborhood. Establishments like these, along with “neo-soul food” cook books, are the future of soul food. New ideas should constantly be created to help further the progress already accomplished. Davis is big on sustainability and health consciousness, yet it seems that these initiatives take a back seat to efficiency. For all the vegan restaurants in Davis, not one specializes in vegan soul food. This is a huge market being missed out on by restaurateurs and one that can help maintain tradition in innovative ways for the Davis community, just as Chef B did for Inglewood. As UC Davis Professor Kimberly D. Nettles-Barcelon concluded in her article “Saving Soul Food,” “We must begin to work collectively to bring about changes in the food system that will enable us to reclaim our food cultures in ways that honor our roots. Only in this way can we feed both body and soul without causing harm.”

HUMOR Loser student forgets to silence phone for exam, but nobody notices because it doesn’t go off A STUDENT’S LACK OF DISTRACTION BECOMES A MAJOR DISTRACTION FOR CLASSMATES, WORLD BY BRI AN L AND RY bjlandry@ucdavis.edu

It’s always annoying when you’re really in the zone taking an exam and a phone goes off and ruins your concentration. Luckily for students in Marcus Raferty’s class, that wasn’t a problem because he’s a massive loser. “I realized after the exam was over that my phone wasn’t on silent as I thought,” said Raferty, a fourth-year psychology major and major loser. “But I didn’t get a single notification during the midterm so nobody knew. I guess it’s a good thing, but I kind of wish I had gotten something to make me feel important. Even a text from my

uncle would’ve been fine even though he’s dead. The only notification I got was that some random person I don’t know posted in Free and For Sale. Why would I care that Joanne is trying to sell her own leg? Really, Joanne? Again?” This troubling incident didn't go over very well with Raferty’s classmates, either. “I was so distracted after learning that Marcus’ phone wasn’t on silent during our exam,” said Taylor Reed, a third-year psychology major and human outlet. “Just the thought of how much I could’ve been distracted angered me to my core. And if I did badly on this exam, I’m just going to absolutely lose it. The only way I could’ve done badly is because of a potential distraction that never actually

happened. It has nothing to do with the fact that I went to Coachella the weekend before my Monday exam. Don’t be stupid.” Student Judicial Affairs (SJA) is considering expelling Raferty over the incident. “What Marcus Raferty did during his exam is absolutely criminal,” a spokesperson for SJA told The California Aggie. “His classmates should not have had to sit there taking an exam with somebody who is such an absolute loser. Who gets no texts during a 50-minute period? I have to stop talking about this now because it honestly makes me sick to my stomach. Also I should go find my son.” Raferty has hopefully learned an important lesson from this incident: Stop being such a loser.

Professor who still uses Smartsite asks everyone to add her on MySpace PROFESSOR IS EITHER OUT OF THE LOOP OR A HIPSTER, IRRITATES STUDENTS ENDLESSLY BY OL I VI A LUC H I N I ocluchini@ucdavis.edu

The syllabi rolled out and everyone thought it was a cute joke, but alas it is true: One professor is still shamelessly using Smartsite. An eruption of courtesy laughs then turned into groans when Professor Ahdarn proceeded to give a lengthy talk on all the “cool” features of Smartsite. “There’s a chat room!” Ahdarn said. “It’s like a room where you can all talk to each other, but none of you have to go anywhere! Crazy!” A few students sought out a camera to glare into like they were a character on some prank show or The Office, but it was all too real.

At the end of the syllabus, Ahdarn had left her email, her office hours and the link to her MySpace account. “It’s this hip new website that’s all the rage!” she said, giving the students the hot gossip. “Whoever gets the highest grade in the class is going to be added to my top eight! It’s going to be radical.” Many students think that Ahdarn has absolutely no clue what any technology is, as she walked up the the projector and tried to turn it on with voice command. Or maybe she just had really high expectations? No, we’re fairly confident she has no idea, since she also asked where the keypad was on one student’s iPhone. “I mean, the Smartsite thing is already irritating because all three of my other classes are on Canvas,” one student said. “But it’s even weirder because she’ll post announcements that I think are just, like,

Google questions. Like there was one yesterday that said, ‘When do mushrooms expire?’ But this is an English class.” Ahdarn walks into class every day wearing her favorite outfit: a colonial woman’s dress with a matching bonnet and some freshchurned butter. She locks her horse and buggy to a bike rack out front. “She’s been telling us that this harvest ought to be bountiful or else we will have to sell the farm,” said third-year Michael Jackson. “Perhaps it’s a play on our agricultural school? I hope so.” Students are hopeful that Ahdarn will soon get a clue. For now, they’re just praying that Smartsite doesn’t decide that it doesn’t feel like cooperating for the entire month before finals again. And also that the harvest will be bountiful.

MAY IS BIKE MONTH Instagram Giveaway

Show us your path!

To enter for your chance to win, post a photo on Instagram of where you and your bike have traveled and tag @nuggetmarkets, #nuggetmarkets and #mayisbikemonth. (Make sure your Instagram account is public or we can’t see your entry!) One winner will be chosen each week in May, starting May 9, so get cycling! See official contest rules at nuggetmarket.com/contests.

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 . Letters to the editor can be addressed to opinion@theaggie.org.

8 | THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2017

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

MENTAL HEALTH

BIKE MONTH

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Another event Chiang is looking forward to is having State Assemblymember Kevin McCarty, author of legislation AB 2017, come to campus. â&#x20AC;&#x153;AB 2017 proposed a $40 million grant [...] to go towards mental health in the UC, CSU and community college systems,â&#x20AC;? Chiang said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Unfortunately this was vetoed by Governor Jerry Brown but Assemblymember McCarty is working on reintroducing this in the budget for this year. Hopefully weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be able to see some very tangible outcomes in terms of funding allocated for UC direct mental health services.â&#x20AC;? Many events during the awareness month are collaborations with departments on campus. The bookstore will hold a display with sales of Mental Health Awareness Month shirts and a 25 percent discount will be given on books concerning mental health on the first Friday of May. The Coffee Houseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drink of the month will be strawberry basil lemonade because the drinkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s colors are similar to the Mental Health Awareness Month logo. Jacklyn Leonardo, a fourth-year neurobiology, physiology and behavior major and NAMI president, got involved after feeling the need to help raise awareness which will in turn allow students to help themselves and others. Leonardo believes that while it is not possible to completely break the negative stigma against mental health in such a short duration, the Mental Health Awareness Month can educate the students on available support and allows people to learn more about

mental health clubs on campus. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mental health isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t something that people know how to talk about, and if we have a whole month dedicated to it, it gives everyone space and time to slowly learn the dialogue,â&#x20AC;? Leonardo said via email. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been so shunned that many donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even know what the stigma actually is and if they have it at all.â&#x20AC;? Emily Prieto-Tseregounis, the assistant vice chancellor and chief of staff to the vice chancellor of student affairs, met Chiang on The Council on Student Affairs on Fees (COSAF) and is also involved with the mental health initiative. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are funding a pretty big portion of the mental health awareness month,â&#x20AC;? Prieto-Tseregounis said. Prieto-Tseregounis explained that it is a priority of the Division of Student Affairs to increase mental health awareness and resources for students. Prieto-Tseregounis explained that there will be a new executive director of health and wellness starting July 1. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She has been charged with making this an absolute top priority to address the overall physical and mental health of the students,â&#x20AC;? Prieto-Tseregounis said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She will be looking [to make sure] we have the leadership in place, the resources and support to be in the best place to support our students.â&#x20AC;? Each weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s events for the Mental Health Awareness Month are available on the event page and there will be tabling every day from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m at the Memorial Union.

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other you can still stay connected. For me personally, I like to Skype, so we make sure to set aside one day the week that we would always skype and have something regular to stay connected.â&#x20AC;? After quickly discovering how easy it can be to become distracted with schoolwork and other responsibilities during casual Skype calls, Jill Marzolino, a fourth-year plant biology and English double major, likes to schedule phone calls and Skype calls with her long-distance girlfriend too. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really easy to be like â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;yeah Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m talking to you but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m reading this article, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m taking a quiz, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m working on my paper,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? Marzolino said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the beginning [of our relationship] we would be talking to each other [via Skype], but after awhile weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d just be working next to each other â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which is great â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but when one person is trying to talk and one person is trying to work, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s real bad.â&#x20AC;? With long distance comes the understanding that each person in the relationship is going to be busy and has their own lives to worry about. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think if you can handle juggling a lot of things, you can be better at a long-distance relationship,â&#x20AC;? Marzolino said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you have a full life of your own, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always really good, but also you either have to already be really solid [with your partner] or you have to figure it the f--- out.â&#x20AC;? Marzolinoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s girlfriend lives in Berkeley, and the shuttle that runs between her school and UC Davis is a great way for the two of them to visit

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who say, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Why should we stop if nobody is around?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; On the other side, there will be people that...blow through the stop sign even when traffic is coming. So, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the grey area that remains to be seen. We just want people to be safe.â&#x20AC;? For towns without a heavy bicycle presence, this may not be a very disputed issue, but for Davis, a town with approximately 20,000 bikers, residents have become increasingly concerned. Tim Bustos, the UCD Bicycle Program Coordinator, said road safety may be at stake in Davis if the law passes. However, as a lifelong cyclist and full-time bicycle commuter, Bustos also sees the potential convenience of the law. â&#x20AC;&#x153;A lot of bicyclists have concerns about stopping at every traffic light,â&#x20AC;? Bustos said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You know a cyclist isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t going to seriously injure someone in a car because their bike accidentally hits them. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not as much of a threat, and the other thing from a standpoint of bike-commuting and riding and traffic: weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re actually safer road users because we have better visibility in a bike than we do in a car.â&#x20AC;? However, much like other Davis citizens, Bustos realizes the potential for crashes in Davis is much higher due to the high volume of bikes in town and on campus. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The flip side is that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a pretty high crash rate in regards to bicycles in Davis and many communities,â&#x20AC;? Bustos said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You take 20,000 or so bicyclists and you place them on fairly small streets, and many of them have very little training, if at all. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a real

each other. Although theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve each forged their own lives with their own communities and friends, time together back home in southern California is invaluable. Whether that means running around on a fun adventure in a big city or cooking a meal and watching TV on the couch, Marzolino doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take a moment for granted. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m home for vacation thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always that feeling that you need to do everything, that it has to be perfect and you have to have fun every single second youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re together, [but] itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good to have normal time,â&#x20AC;? Marzolino said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It can still be a little special and a little normal. [When we] just sit together and chill, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m always like â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;oh no but we need to be doing something epic right now!â&#x20AC;&#x2122; but then taking a deep breath and being like â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;no we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, this is good, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just be happy.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going off to college for the first time, going into the real world or just going back home for the summer many miles away, long-distance relationships donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be scary. Instead, with the right attitude, they can be exciting and fun. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would say [approach a long-distance relationship] with the idea that it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be sad,â&#x20AC;? Vanderbos said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think it can be super fun and The donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t California super cute, even though you get toAggie see the 1/4 page BW person on a daily or weekly â&#x20AC;&#x201D; or sometimes even 10.75â&#x20AC;? 5 or monthly â&#x20AC;&#x201D; basis. You can5.8125â&#x20AC;? still be xspontaneous fun and have a good time even if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re long disRun Date: tance.â&#x20AC;? 3`bX[ Íš 2017

Production: Morissa Rubin mrrubin@ucdavis.edu 530-752-0999 concern that there are going to be an inordinate num-

ber of bicycle crashes.â&#x20AC;? Bustos often sees cyclists with no hands on the handlebars looking down at the ground and at their handheld devices to check their emails while theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re riding at high speeds, particularly on the university campus, which would cause a true safety concern with the addition of the Idaho stop. However, for those who are experienced cyclists, much like those in Bike Davis, a nonprofit group in Davis that promotes bicycling through advocacy, education, encouragement and design, the rolling stop law proposition increases their safety while cycling. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As an organization, Bike Davis does support the Idaho stop, largely because they believe it increases safety among bicyclists at four-way-stop-intersections, mostly because it is safer to be moving on a bicycle than it is to be stopped,â&#x20AC;? said Trish Price, the president of Bike Davis. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Starting and stopping is really the most vulnerable time to be on a bicycle. So, if you stop less, you generally have better control and that makes you safer.â&#x20AC;? The loss of momentum when cyclists stop causes them to linger in the intersection longer, increasing the likelihood that they may be hit by oncoming automobiles or other bikers. Bike Davis also recognizes that there must be an educational component as part of the proposed law so that people fully understand the law and its yielding principles.

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our ACHA-NCHA data from Spring 2015 showed that only 7.9% of students usually or always wear bike helmets,â&#x20AC;? Connolly said via email. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The national average for college campuses is around 39%.This huge gap represented a need for bike helmet promotion at UC Davis. Given the number of bikes on our campus on a daily basis, bike helmets are essential for unintentional injury prevention. Students are here to learn and expand their knowledge, but one bad accident can have deleterious effects to their academic success.â&#x20AC;? The HHDC is also hosting a Bike Helmet Crafternoon at the LGBTQIA Resource Center on May 5 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. There will be glow in the dark puff paint, glow in the dark stars, decals and reflective tape available for decorating purposes. Students can receive a free helmet at Crafternoon. One of two annual UC Davis bike auctions will be held on May 6 in the UC Davis Pavilion Parking Structure. The bicycles can be viewed from 7:30 to 9 a.m. with bidding beginning at 9 a.m. until all bikes are sold. TAPS disposes of abandoned, unclaimed bicycles at these publicly-held bike auctions. Over 400 bikes will be available for sale to the highest bidder. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The auctions provide a way for Transportation Services (TAPS) to return abandoned, unclaimed bicycles to the community,â&#x20AC;? said Leslie Mancebo, the TAPS transportation demand and marketing coordinator, via email. â&#x20AC;&#x153;285 bidders participated in the Fall 2016 auction where we sold 422 bicycles. The average price per bike was $43.44.â&#x20AC;?

Jamien Bergstrom, a third-year mechanical engineering major and a Bike Barn manager, recommends that student bikers wear helmets. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know many donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t consider it fashionable but it could mean the difference between having just a dented helmet or traumatic brain injury,â&#x20AC;? Bergstrom said via email. Bergstrom included additional tips, encouraging riders to use front and rear lights, ride predictably, signal when turning and avoid cell phone use while biking. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[Not signaling] is the number 1 cause of crashes on campus,â&#x20AC;? Bergstrom said via email. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve watched a group of friends take each other out in a bike circle because each one was trying to go in a different direction [...] I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stress this enough, no one likes the [unpredictable] person that thinks itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good idea to make a sudden left turn from the far right hand side of the bike path during rush hour.â&#x20AC;? Additional events during bike month are the Bike to Work Day Block Party and the Bike Party Davis. The Bike to Work Day Block Party will take place on May 9 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The first 100 people who show that they signed up for the bike commuter challenge will receive a free lunch at 3rd Street from UC Davis to University Avenue. The Bike Party Davis event will be on May 26 at 8 p.m. at the Kenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bike-Ski-Board in downtown Davis. People can decorate their bike with lights, and the route and theme will be posted on the Bike Party Davis Facebook page.

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artisanal quality of coffee until 2012, which led him to design a class around this budding interest. Students who first took The Design of Coffee seminar in 2013 were able to learn more about the fundamentals of roasting and brewing coffee as Ristenpart further refined his interest in the subject. What began as a seminar is now the most popular non-required elective course at UC Davis, according to the Ristenpart Research Group website. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We hope to modernize and greatly expand something known as the Coffee Brewing Control Chart, which was originally developed in the 1950s, before even the invention of drip coffee machines, and hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been reexamined since then,â&#x20AC;? Ristenpart said via email. While Ristenpartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research focuses on the physical and chemical aspects of coffee and how that relates to coffee drinkersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experiences of dif-

ferent flavors, Guinard is focused on the sensory aspects of coffee research. Guinard, along with his work in coffee research, has been involved in studies that have revolutionized both the wine and beer industries. Furthermore, Guinard aided in designing the Coffee Tasterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Flavor Wheel and is a professor and sensory scientist at UC Davis. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This will be a unique multidisciplinary piece of research that will explore the effects of the brewing method on brewing physics and coffee sensory quality,â&#x20AC;? Guinard said in an SCA press release. This partnership will mark the first large-scale research efforts coordinated by UC Davisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Coffee Center. Both professors and their teams of research assistants look forward to the next two years and learning more about the caffeinated beverage enjoyed by so many.

UC Davis Human Rights Lecture Series

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Killing Doctors in the War on Syriaâ&#x20AC;?

Susannah Sirkin, Physicians for Human Rights

MAY 4, 7 P.M.

Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

human-rights.ucdavis.edu College of Letters and Science

THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2017 | 9

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

SCIENCE+TECH CHRISTINE NORDAHL / COURTESY

Introns are “in” right now UC Davis scientists discover expanded role of introns BY HARNOOR GILL s cience@thea g g ie.org

MRIs successful without sedation in children with autism Applied behavioral analysis eliminates need for sedation in high quality brain scans, advances understanding of the disorder BY SHIVANI KAMAL s ci ence @ th e a ggi e .o r g

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) occurs in about 1 in 68 children, affecting all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups. The prevalence of this developmental disability prompts both researchers and impacted families to seek a better understanding of ASD. Christine Nordahl, a UC Davis MIND Institute faculty member and an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, published a study on obtaining high quality Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) brain scans in children with severe autism without using sedation. Board-certified behavioral analysts worked with the children to provide a safe and comforting environment in order to achieve a successful scan. “The MRI studies are critical for understanding differences in the brains of people with ASD, which will provide clues about the causes of the condition and eventually potential biological treatments to optimize outcomes for affected people,” said Leonard Abbeduto, the director of the MIND Institute and a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. MRI scans provide information about the organs and structural components that cannot be seen with an X-ray or computed tomography (CT) scan. The goal of the study was to understand the neural basis of autism. Before finding a treatment for the disorder, scientists must first understand what is going on in the brain. The study aimed to gain high quality structural MRI images in children with ASD, aged 9 to 13, without using anesthesia or sedation. “Much of the previous research using MRI has been limited to higher-functioning individuals with ASD who can understand verbal instructions and can remain still in the scanner for long periods of time independently,” Abbeduto said. The lack of MRI scans of more severely impaired individuals with ASD seriously limits the understanding and ability to develop treatments for them. “This means that much of what we know about the brain may only be applicable to a subset of individuals with ASD,” Abbeduto said. Previously, applied behavioral analysis (ABA) has been used to prepare children with ASD or other intellectual disabilities for clinical visits to the dentist or other medical appointments. ABA therapy is a technique centered upon bringing positive change in behavior, often paired with social or tangible reinforcement

for completion of a certain task or supportive measure. “Essentially, we are combining the expertise of the behavioral analysts and research to get successful MRI scans,” Nordahl said. Some of the behavioral strategies the analysts utilized were peer modeling and increasing the sense of control and motivation with the aid of positive reinforcers. In addition, children were prompted with verbal reminders, visual timers and countdowns to help create a relaxed environment throughout the scan. The requirements of an MRI scan include being able to lie still for thirty minutes in a confined space while being able to withstand loud banging noises from the machine. “For a child with severe deficit or intellectual disability, this is hard for them [because] they need extra guidance and familiarization to get them through the scan,” Nordahl said. A technique used sometimes to achieve successful MRI scans of children with ASD is the use of sedation, specifically general anesthesia. Although general anesthesia poses minimal risk, many families prefer not to have their children sedated and choose not to participate in the imaging process. This causes a lack of valuable MRI scans that could be used to study the disorder in more detail. “There are few previous studies about analyzing MRI scans of children with severe ASD, but in those cases, those children were all sedated,” Nordahl said. “We wanted to take that [sedation] risk out.” The researchers of the study aim to share their improved and safer methods for obtaining high-quality images in a broader spectrum of children with ASD. The ABA therapy provided by behavioral analysts was performed in a mock MRI setting to adequately prepare the child as much as possible for a successful scan. A critical component of the researchers’ success was open communication with the families of the participants. Interaction with families is absolutely integral for obtaining successful scans and keeping the child comfortable throughout the process. For example, the child was allowed to pick their favorite movie to watch during the imaging process. Other questions directed to the parents included how sensitive their child was to sound, and if they were able to wear headphones to perhaps block out sound or listen to music. Through open communication with families, researchers were able to achieve a 94 percent

BY EMMA ASKEA s ci en c e@ th e a ggi e .o r g

The changing environment that engulfs the lives of tilapia fish have given researchers in the UC Department of Animal Science the key to a new world of genetic expression for species. Dietmar Kueltz, a UC Davis professor of physiological genomics, has been working on this research since he was an undergraduate in Germany. The study focuses on how tilapia fish produce proteins that help them adapt to the increased salinity in their environment. The gene sequence for salt tolerance was already known, but Kuar was researching how that gene is produced in the body of the fish. “We get pretty comprehensive knowledge on which genes are being regulated and which proteins are changing and are presumably

Dr. Alan Rose of the College of Biological Sciences, and Jenna Gallegos, graduate student in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, have gleaming evidence that defies long-standing beliefs about the purpose of introns, as well as sheds light on their newfound function in gene expression. Introns are noncoding pieces of genes that are promptly removed from the genetic sequence during the messenger RNA-building stage in protein production. Students who have taken a general biology course may be under the impression that introns, also known as “junk DNA,” are futile and don’t serve any significant purpose in gene expression. “In Intro to Bio, we’re taught that promoters control gene expression, and introns are really only important because they increase genetic diversity,” Gallegos said. “We now know that introns can play essential roles in the initiation of gene expression. Fine-tuning gene activity is important for everything from protecting plants from drought to producing affordable pharmaceuticals.” In the Rose Lab, the scientists experimented with a gene called “GUS,” which makes a conspicuous blue pigment when turned on. They fused the GUS gene to a plant gene and then proceeded to delete the promoter. The promoter is essential since it controls gene expression by initiating or preventing transcription of mRNA, or messenger RNA. After deleting the promoter, the scientists expected that gene expression would halt and the blue pigment would no longer be created. To their surprise, the blue pigment continued to be produced as long as the introns remained intact. “What we found was that the part of a gene thought to control gene expression, the promoter, could be removed with no effect if the gene contained an intron,” Rose said. “This would be like finding that you could

take the engine out of a car and it still went just as fast as usual if it had the spare tire in the trunk. Remove the spare tire and the car would not go even if it had an engine.“ These findings about the role that introns play in gene expression can have revolutionary effects in the biotechnology industry. Because biotechnology generally depends on optimal production of desired proteins, introns can help amplify the production of these proteins and create profound change in real world crises. “This work could benefit humanity by providing a way to boost the productivity of a specific gene in plants and other organisms,” Rose said. “For example, introns could be used to increase the level of vitamin A in golden rice to reduce the blindness and deaths caused by vitamin A deficiency in third world countries, to boost the levels of vaccine proteins in edible vaccines or to increase plant-based production of pharmaceuticals such as the Zmapp antibodies that were used to treat victims of the recent Ebola outbreak.” How can researchers then obtain the maximum effect from an intron? The most significant factors are the specific sequence of the intron and its location within the gene. Researchers, being led by Ian Korf, a UC Davis associate professor of molecular and cellular biology at the Genome Center, have collaborated with the Rose Lab to develop a program that predicts the degree to which any intron will affect gene expression. Though more research is necessary in order to gain knowledge of the mysterious process of intron-mediated enhancement, this is definitely a step in the right direction. “This study really advances our understanding of how introns work and present a new model,” said Judy Callis, a UC Davis professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology who has also conducted similar research. “It suggests that they have an important role in transcription, which is not what was hypothesized previously.”

BEHAVIOR on 12

involved with adaptation, but we don’t really know how they are regulated and why they are regulated,” Kueltz said. This is the problem that Kueltz has been researching, narrowing down when and how the tilapia fish were able to adapt to increased salinity in their environment. The basis of the research examined two genes that were already known to affect salinity response and more specifically, the enhancers on the strain of DNA that the gene is on. Using a research method that combines all the information that is already known about the genes Kueltz used — essentially an enhancer trap to gather the DNA sequences on the gene strain where transcription occurs — the coding of the gene begins. “We were looking at all this upstream [gene] sequence to find this very small element that actually is responsible for binding the transcription factor that induces the expression of this gene during salinity stress,” Kueltz said. It took years to gather all this data that can finally be combined to discover how this fish species regulates its salt tolerance gene that can now offer real world solutions. An example that Kueltz discussed is in the selective process of aquaculture, which could benefit from a discovery like this because this area requires certain features from the fish they grow. A different angle to this new discovery could be helping prevent species extinction, but Kueltz noted the different political and social applications this would require in application. Kueltz is joined by other researchers at UC Davis in this work that is becomingly increasing pressing with the changing climate of our world. Andrew Whitehead, a UC Davis professor of environmental toxicology, studies the molecular biology that allows species to regulate their bodies when there is a big change in salinity in their environment. Whitehead studies a smaller fish, but his research is closely related to the work that Kueltz is doing with a similar emphasis on TILAPIA on 12

reduce. reuse. recycle.

The aggie

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

10 | THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2017

ARTS & Culture G E NE S I A T I N G / AG G I E

N ICKI PA DA R / AGG IE

MAY MAY EVENT EVENT CALENDAR CALENDAR What to look forward to this month

P R O M O T E S P R O B L E M AT I C N A R R AT I V E ARTS & CULTURE REPORTER ABIGAIL WANG GIVES HER TAKE ON POPULAR TV SHOW BY AB I G A I L WA N G arts@theaggie.org

13 Reasons Why. I know everyone and their mother is talking about it. Except me. I will never watch 13 episodes of a show that promotes a problematic narrative, and here’s why. I have struggled with depression and anxiety my entire life, and I know I could never watch the show. Most of the information I utilize in this article about plot points I found online or overheard in my friends’ conversations. I could never watch it because the content is far too triggering. And the show often goes without content warnings for subjects such as depression, rape and bullying — all facets of each episode. Furthermore, in the final scene, the main character, Hannah Baker, commits suicide via self-harm — another extremely triggering subject. This is ironic since the show explores mental health, yet is problematic for those who actually suffer from these disorders because it does not provide trigger warnings and shows extremely graphic content. This means that many vulnerable viewers may be caught off-guard by the show’s content. Additionally, the way that Hannah commits suicide is glorified, romanticized and almost glamourous. The blood they show and the way it is done in a bathtub is a trope that has been utilized in the entertainment industry to depict mental health with a very broad and often inaccurate paintbrush. It seems like it’s been done since the beginning, with Romeo and Juliet, who both take their lives for love. So maybe 13 Reasons Why is simply following that narrative: that depression can only end in graphic tragedy. The show’s target audience is teenagers and young adults who are most vulnerable to mental health struggles. This show leaves a message that is not positive; when Hannah seeks advice from the school counselor, even detailing her suicidal idealization, the school counselor tells Hannah he can’t do anything unless Hannah gives him the name of the classmate who raped her hypothetical friend, and that she should try and move on. From a realistic standpoint, this would never and should never happen. Realistically, the counselor would have referred Hannah to

therapy, even hospitalizing her if her suicidal thoughts were deemed severe enough. Being able to confide in trusted adults — especially licensed ones — is necessary. It is important for the audience to know that they should get help if they experience symptoms of depression and anxiety. Therapy is a great resource that I continue to utilize, and no one should be discouraged from that. The fact that Hannah even records tapes to those who wronged her and sends them out before her death romanticizes suicide. It depicts her death as the perfect revenge, and that those who bullied her will live in a lifetime of guilt. In all actuality, when someone is considering suicide they would never stage it in the framework of revenge, but more because the emotional pain they endure is too much. With mental health already facing so many barriers due to stigma, romanticization of it only adds fuel to the fire. Many of my friends have watched the show, so I’ve overheard their conversations about it. But what frustrates me is they have never talked to me as openly about my mental health as they do about Hannah’s. The argument that the show opens doors to conversations about mental health is inaccurate because no one since watching that show has approached me to even ask for my opinion on it. So, I’m far from satisfied about the dramatized perspective 13 Reasons Why gives. It is, however, a good conversation starter to ask more from the entertainment industry. But should our mental health even be considered entertainment? According to The Jason Foundation’s website, there are an average of 5,240 suicide attempts per day by people in middle school and high school. And suicide is the second leading cause of death for those ages 10 to 24. How’s that for an accurate portrayal of mental health in the U.S.? There are other ways to use your time than binge-watching a problematic Netflix show. How about donating to The Trevor Project, which works on suicide prevention with LGBTQIA youth? Or talking to those closest to you about their struggles with mental health? Who knows, you might even learn about a real narrative surrounding mental health, and one that doesn’t need 13 reasons why.

SCIENCE AND ART: Design serves WORLDS THAT Sustainable as liaison between the DON’T COLLIDE science and art worlds BY ALLY OV E RBAY arts@theaggie.org

Art and its defining characteristics have been long contended. Is art defined by its creators, by its viewers, or is it “in the eye of the beholder?” Such ambiguities are a blessing: art is anywhere one chooses to see it. The built environment is no exception; landscape, architecture and sustainable design are brushstrokes on a three-dimensional canvas. Steve Wheeler, a professor and the master advisor for the sustainable environmental design major, sees art and design in a similarly broad context. “To me, a lot of activities in the world are ‘art’ or ‘design,’ whether we call them that or not,” Wheeler said. “Anytime there’s a creative arrangement of forms, words, processes or interactions, I see that as design.” As a professor of urban planning, design and sustainable development, creative thinking is vital in Wheeler’s field. He also writes and researches on a multitude of topics, including sustainable cities, social ecology and climate change planning. “We’re interested in designing the world around us, especially to deal with the urgent challenges of our century, rather than producing works that will go on someone’s wall or in a museum,” Wheeler said. Radiance Hardiman, a fourth-year landscape architecture major, epitomizes this culmination of art, science and social planning. In addition to her studies, Hardiman is a multimedia artist. Her work includes

acrylic painting, woodwork, jewelry, sewing and ceramics, among other mediums. Similar to her art, Hardiman enjoys working in the multi-disciplinary field of design and landscape. “[Landscape] is definitely art,” Hardiman said. “And the reason for that is even though I’m a really science person, and you have to be able to understand why that plant is good for this area, understanding how things look nice together — like how a leaf is very linear next to a very fluffy, cloudy plant, next to a tree that is very drapey — understanding how textures and colors interact with each other, that can make the difference [...] And so it is art in that you create a scene through your landscaping.” Landscape and architecture are so commonplace in our daily lives that their significance often goes unnoticed. Texture, color and structure are visible characteristics of a landscape, but sustainable design is less apparent. The science behind such designs are rarely acknowledged by onlookers. “The one thing about art that I love is that you can just go in, and you can just start [...] Whereas with landscape architecture and sustainable environmental design, you really have to do a ton of research ahead of time,” Hardiman said. “But I think it creates a really great depth of the art, because even though people only see that beautiful landscape, they don’t necessarily see all the math and science behind it. But it’s still there. And then when people ask you about it, and you tell them, they’re like ‘Oh that’s really cool, I didn’t know

that this was a bee garden.’ And that’s always really exciting.” For Antonia Bartz, a first-year human development and sustainable environmental design major, this “hidden” art of sustainable design is what drew her to the field. “I think [landscape] is something that we encounter all the time, but you don’t necessarily think about it,” Bartz said. “So in that sense, it’s maybe harder to get people to see the artistic side behind it, but at the same time it’s more subtle. People could see it and not consider it art, but maybe one day they’ll see something like a sculpture within a park and they’ll see how the design as a park of the whole reflects the sculpture. I think it builds.” Like Hardiman, it was a combined passion for science and design that brought Bartz to this field of study. The artistic medium may alternate, but the creative process behind painting and designing a landscape are ultimately the same. “I mainly chose SED for the sustainability aspect, kind of hoping to do something against climate change, or something along those lines,” Bartz said. “But I was also always interested in drawing and I like drawing buildings. But then I always drew maps when I was younger, so that drew me to design as a whole — kind of environmental design going into urban planning.” For these students, the canvas may have evolved, but their creative mindset prevails. “As far as difficulty goes, [landscape architecture is] not so much more difficult, but it’s a different way of thinking,” Hardiman said. “This way of thinking in a more linear, methodical way in the beginning, and then using those methods to create. It’s always harder for me to be creative when I’ve already decided exactly what plants I need and exactly where I need to place them. So I think that’s where it’s hard: where you get the science and the art to mesh.”

BY SYDNEY ODMAN arts@theaggie.org

Relay For Life, Sat. May 6 Sun. May 7 Where? Russell Field When? 10 a.m - 10 a.m What is it? Support an amazing cause by participating in Relay For Life, a 24-hour long event dedicated to fundraising for the American Cancer Society. Throughout the event, participants from each team take turns continuously walking around the track. Meanwhile, each team hosts various games, food, activities and more at their campsites. Don’t miss this opportunity to get involved and make a difference! Join a team at https://secure.acsevents.org/ site/SPageServer/?pagename=relay. Whole Earth Festival, Fri. May 12 - Sun. May 14 Where? UC Davis Quad When? Noon - 10 p.m What is it? Celebrate UC Davis’ 48th annual Whole Earth Festival this Mother’s Day weekend for a day filled with live music, dance performances, artwork, workshops and fun! The entire event emphasizes eco-friendliness and sustainability in order to celebrate the preservation of our beautiful planet. 3rd Thursdays at the Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, May 18 Where? Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Museum of Art When? 5 - 9 p.m

English Professor Tobias Menely’s favorite reads

What is it? Enjoy a night of fascinating art exhibitions, live performances, craft events and more on every third Thursday of the month at UC Davis’ very own on-campus art museum. Experience new exhibitions by artists Sadie Barnett, Marc Johnson and more. Davis Pride Festival and Run for Equality, Sun. May 21 Where? Central Park, Davis When? 9 a.m What is it? The Davis Phoenix Coalition invites all members of the community to participate in the Davis Pride 5K/10K run/walk to raise awareness in regard to the prevalence of hate crimes against the LGBTQIA+ community. Davis Pride strives to promote a safer, more inclusive space for all. Register at http://davispride.org/. St. Lucia, Sat. May 27 Where? Opera House Ballroom at Margrit Mondavi Theatre When? 10 p.m What is it? Take a trip to the beautiful Napa Valley to see what is sure to be a breathtaking performance by St. Lucia for a night of indie-electronic sounds. The South Africa-born musician will most likely be featuring his newest album, Matter, which was released last year. St. Lucia’s unique synthpop style is catchy and even a bit nostalgic, with the use of booming drums, keyboards and electronic beats throughout.

EN G L ISH DEPA RT MEN T / COU RT ESY

Get new recommendations for fiction, poetry BY PAR I SAGAFI arts@theaggie.org

The Aggie sat down with English professor Tobias Menely to discuss his favorite books, genres and poetry. He is currently teaching “Introduction to Modern Literacy & Critical Theory” and “18th Century Literature,” and will be teaching “Milton and Blake” in Fall of 2017. Check out the interview below for some new book recommendations and more. The Aggie: Is there a particular genre that you like to read? Professor Menely: I’ve been reading a lot of science fiction. The Aggie: Are there any specific authors that you like? Professor Menely: I’ve been reading a lot of novels by a local Davis sci-fi writer, Stanley Robinson. He’s considered one of the greatest sci-fi writers. His most famous novels are the Mars trilogy (Red Mars, Blue Mars and Green Mars) and they tell the story of the colonization of Mars. It’s just really interesting because it’s about these colonists are not only thinking about the implications of creating an atmosphere and biosphere for Mars, but they’re

also thinking about new systems of political economy, new kinds of government and the economic systems. It’s basically all about revolution, and the possibility of revolution. There’s this suggestion that Earth (in Stan’s books) in the future is still defined by conflict and capitalism, and nothing’s really changed — it all gets worse. So the colonization of Mars becomes this occasion to re-think the basis of society. The Aggie: How do you recommend that students find out about other genres and writers? How do you find things that you like to read? Professor Menely: I read the London Review of Books, The New Yorker, The New York Times, The LARB. I think one of the things that they [undergraduates] can do is to read the journals and magazines like [these] which present them with new literature, new art and the world of ideas. The Aggie: Is there a book you’re currently reading/recently read that you are enjoying? Professor Menely: The Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante are really good; she’s just one... continued on theaggie.org

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DIVE INTO THE DEEP SIDE

V E N OOS M OS H AY E D I / AGGI E

MFA’s “Field Notes” exhibition showcases eight firstyear students’ artwork BY AKAYL A H E L L I S O N arts@theaggie.org

The eight first-year students pursuing a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree whose work will be featured in the upcoming “Field Notes” exhibition were brave enough to indulge their talents and pursue a post-graduate education in studio art. While the first year of their two-year degree is coming to an end, they say that they have learned so much about their craft and simultaneously learned about themselves. “I was working several years in marketing, and I came to [the] realization that that’s not what I want to do for the rest of my life,” said Ryan Meyer, a first-year student in the MFA program. “This other curiosity had to manifest itself.” As he engaged more in his art and education, Meyer found himself “always bouncing from one idea to the next [because] there’s so much beauty in life and curious things that happen all day long, all around us — I can’t imagine sticking to just one thing.” The program’s first year also impacted K E L S E Y G R E G G E / AG GI E

Doug Loree, a first-year MFA student, who started out painting but, because UC Davis’ MFA program is interdisciplinary, was able to shift gears and try something new. He is very excited by the way the program encourages students to be artists without monetizing their work. Loree is also grateful to be a part of a program which allows him to view his art without exchange value and focus on the exploration of his heart. “We’re not making art as product,” Loree said. “We are allowed to be experimental with our work. We do what we feel is true to ourselves.” For Tavarus Blackmon, post-graduate education was always on his mind. Coming from a family in which his mother has a doctorate in education, he knew that he wanted to get a terminal degree. Blackmon believes that it melds the practical with his passion. “MFA education provides the opportunity to establish myself as a professional in the field,” Blackmon said. “I’ve had a lot of jobs, but having a studio practice is the only time when I want to go to work every day.” These artists have very different relation-

Reduce. reuse. recycle THE AGGIE.

ships with their art, but all of them try to attend to the human perspective. Meyer “[tries] to get a better understanding of the world through the aesthetic.” Loree’s art explores the digital age, and his current project is to identify the relationship between the online life and real life. He is looking to explore the concept of control in the context of our very digital time, and he wants to know how much power is given to the online parts of life. When asked where he draws his inspiration from, Blackmon responded, “the world: sunshine, flowers, beautiful people, sadness, elation, curiosity — I would say a lot of curiosity because if I knew what I was doing or what it’s supposed to be, I probably wouldn’t even do it.” And Blackmon’s advice for potential MFA students? “Make it, do it, be it, live.” The UC Davis first-year Master of Fine Arts students will exhibit their work at the “Field Notes” exhibition, held from May 5 to May 25 at Beatnik Studios in Sacramento. For more information, please visit the UC Davis art studio website.

BIRTHDAY BAR FUN The California Aggie 1/4 page BW 5.8125” x 10.75”

ALBERINI FAMILY SPEAKER SERIES IN DESIGN

Stop by these places on your 21st

BY C A RA JOY KL EI NR O C K arts@theaggie.org

Once a year, everyone gets to act like they’re the center of the universe, especially if that person is turning 21. Here in Davis, birthday gifts even come from strangers — better known as bartenders. Wiki Tiki Bar, 234 D St. At the Wiki Tiki bar attached to Cafe Bernardo, “For any birthday, as long as you can prove it actually is your birthday, you get a free t-shirt,” said Cory, the bartender. University of Beer, 615 3rd St. At University of Beer (UoB), anyone over the age of 21 can get a free beer shot on their birthday. “For birthdays we do a baby moonie, which is mixture of two beers and the bottom portion fram-

Run Date: May ͹ 2017 boise raspberry lambic,” said Chris, a bartender at UoB. “If you drink it like a shot it’s a nice mixture and tastes like aProduction: chocolate raspberry cake.” Morissa Since it is a layered Rubin drink, drinking this free mrrubin@ucdavis.edu beverage like a shot is advised. Because, if not, you 530-752-0999 will have to go through each layer one at a time. Red 88, 223 G St. At Red 88, you don’t have to be 21 to partake in birthday fun. Anyone can get a free dessert with their meal on their birthday. “On any birthday after 21st you get to spin the birthday wheel and you get that drink for free as long as one person in your party group buys anything,” said bartender Jesse. Davis Beer Shoppe, 211 G St. At Davis Beer Shoppe, expect snobbery and BIRTHDAY on 12

Wednesday May 10, 2017 “The Power of Strategy, Design and Brand Transformation” Networking Reception: 6 p.m. Lecture: 7 p.m. Vanderhoef Studio Theatre, Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts

Sponsored by: The Department of Design The College of Letters and Science The Graduate School of Managment

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YES TO HOUSING WALKER

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review application. Other codes allow for slightly taller buildings, like in municipal code 40.20A.050, which states that “No building in a P-SP district shall exceed three stories or fifty feet in height, except as provided in Section 40.27.030.” While these codes are in place to protect the City of Davis from becoming a compacted city like San Francisco, they do create difficulties for students leaving the dorms in their second year of schooling. The City of Davis was well aware of this increase in population seven years ago, and has been attempting to make housing more affordable for the influx of people, particularly after the last city census. The City of Davis website reported back in 2010 an 8.8 percent increase in population size, and the city was expecting more increases in the amount of residents. The most recent census report and housing plans show that this has slowed to only a 1.4 percent increase allowing at least a breathing period for the housing market to catch up to the population size. The report states that “the City’s population has increased slightly during this decade to a population of 67,666 in 2015. The latest housing allocation for the City of Davis covers the nearly eight-year period from 2013 through 2021 and consists of 1,066 units […] The City is not required to make development occur.” This change in development does not seem to be able to keep up with the ever growing addition of incoming freshmen each year, though. On campus and in dorm residencies, students have witnessed the new housing that has resulted in continued construction throughout the course of the last school year. In the last two years alone, Davis has increased admission, partially due to the need to increase

project’s advisory committee, has the blueprints and early sketches of the planned Walker Hall exterior thumbtacked to the walls of her cubicle. According to Steidlmayer, the front side of the building, which faces Hart Hall, will be retained while a wood facade with additional lighting will be added to the back side, which faces Everson Hall. “The idea is to keep the historic front,” Steidlmayer said. “Inside, it is getting gutted — just because it’s had so many lives. As you’re going by from the Silo to the library you’ll be able to come in and there’s going to be a big courtyard and a walking path.” According to Steidlmayer, the center will eventually include features such as large classrooms, a multipurpose room, a childcare room and a lactation room. Resources on campus such as the Office of Graduate Studies and the GSA will be relocated to the center. “We have three graduate preparatory programs — the McNair Scholars Program, the Guardian Professions Program and UC LEADS,” said Elizabeth Lambert, the marketing and communications manager for Graduate Studies. “Right now, they’re all dispersed through different areas on campus, but we’re going to centralize them within the Graduate and Professional Student Center. It’s not just giving the students a home, it’s giving these programs a home too.” Both Eloi Akintunde and Ruvalcaba managed to stay socially active during their time as graduate students. However, both said they feel that graduate students at UC Davis struggle to find a community. “Having a graduate center specifically designated to grad students can really help some of the students who don’t have a home place,” Eloi Akintunde said. “It would really help students feel like they have a sense of community and, in turn, I think it will help students enjoy their Ph.D. experience more.”

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outside of their work, including at barbeques and dinners. “We go to music concerts together,” Hancock said. “Everyone gets along pretty well. [They are] a cool little friend group that I have outside of my normal one […] and [some are] even [...] in my friend group.” Many of the crew members began working at the Bike Barn because of a long history of bike fanaticism and passion for active work. Wagner had been doing mechanical work since his childhood and Gondreau, having worked as a mechanic in construction, wanted to continue engaging that part of his interests. Gondreau found active work to be a necessary change from his routine especially when spending so much time bent over textbook pages. “When I moved up here, with all the book work, I decided I needed kind of an escape and to work with my hands,” Gondreau said. “I ended up working here, and in my spare time I just do some projects, work on my cars. Working with stuff, building things […] that’s my jam.” Jamie Birgstron, a third-year neurobiology, physiology and behavior major is currently one of the Bike Barn’s managers and head mechanics. Birgstron grew up loving bikes and couldn’t help dreaming about attending one of the largest bike-friendly campuses in the nation. “I moved into the dorms, and the same day, I started working here,” Birgstron said. “I wanted to work [at the barn] before I started school here. The summer before [college], I drove down for an interview and drove all the way back home.” One would’ve expected mechanical experience or a strong knowledge of bikes to be one of the prerequisites to work at the Bike Barn, but their hiring process focuses mostly on a candidate’s ability to work in a team and get along with the other members. Experience with mechanics and bikes becomes a decorative attribute to their resumes. “The biggest thing, I say, is whether [applicants] work well with us,” Birgstron said. “You don’t have to be the best mechanic ever [... and] you don’t have to be the most social person, but you need to work well in a team. Experience is very helpful — but it’s not necessary.” The passion and dedication each person in the crew brings to work at the Bike Barn creates a truly unique space, where the members have turned the workplace into a home base. Oftentimes barn members will drop in between classes to hang out by the break table and greet their friends. After all, home isn’t about a place — it’s about the people. “Everyone’s working to better the shop,” Wagner said. “Everything you doing is for a positive influence. It’s not the kind of job where you just put your head down and do your thing. You’re always asking questions. You are always involved with other people. [And] even though you’re working on your own bike, if you have a question, there is someone there to help you right away.” The way each person exhibits an obvious desire to be there has served, as Wagner mentioned, to blur the lines between work and play. “There aren’t really any lolly-gaggers,” Wagner said. “That’s not the culture that’s here. I think what brings us all together is that we’re all really hard-working, problem-solving type of people. [We] are [all] willing to help each other.”

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locating gene sequences. “Our focus is on the how the environment influences major biological processes of migration, reproduction, molt, stress and survival,” said Marilyn Ramenofsky, a professor in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, in an email interview. “So the global interests in climate issues are paramount to our work. While Ramenofsky works with a different animal — the white-crowned sparrow — she is still concerned with the external environment and how it relates to the animal helping us understand the world and the creatures in it. UC Davis researchers like Kueltz, Ramenofsky and Whitehead are leading the way to discoveries regarding groundbreaking information about our planet and the intricacies of life on earth. “The environmental change is happening very, very quickly compared to other kinds of environmental change in the past,” Whitehead said. “So here the key question is: what species can keep up with that environmental change and that should help inform our conservation is being able to predict the winners and losers” Whitehead says, “Life is resilient, but we are responsible for this environmental change so we need to take it upon ourselves to manage the consequences as best as we can.”

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success rate of high quality MRI scans. In regards to the scientific field studying any disorder, it is important to study as many cases as possible. These new methods combining ABA to achieve successful MRI scans has provided significant information to researchers about understanding ASD that was previously lacking. “After seeing their child successfully complete the MRI scan, many families leave feeling very proud of their child and can’t believe their child completed it,” said Melissa Mello, a board certified behavior analyst at the MIND Center. “I think doing this successfully proves just how much children with autism are capable of.” The authors of this study hope their methods can be used by other scientists to gather critical information about the disorder.

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present itself, fees for entering large-scale tournaments. Having just opened its doors in September of 2016, the club is still working out everything that goes into bringing eSports at the UC Davis campus to the next level, with hopes to one day reach a Division I status, the highest competitive level in the e-sport community. E-sports are still rather new, but the popularity behind the phenomenon continues to grow year after year. It takes people like Opon, Chan and Gossai to get the ball rolling. Future generations of collegiate gamers will have people like Opon, Chan, Gossai and many more to thank for its inclusion in the world of UC Davis competition. The blueprint is there, and as eSports continue to flourish, so should the team itself.

the amounts of California residents into universities. The UC Davis website reports that: “The campus estimat[ed] it will enroll […] an increase of about 700 from fall 2015.” The site goes on to update the numbers for this year. “California residents account for 18,589, or 64.2 percent, of admitted freshmen. This represents an increase of 2,753, or 17.4 percent, over last year’s 15,836,” the website stated. For students seeking other residencies as they conclude their freshmen year, though, the lack of housing has been an ongoing problem. Audrey Waddle, a first-year biomedical engineering student, has run into this issue as the quarter has progressed, only just recently finding an apartment. “I know a group that is housing five people in two bedrooms with hardly any space. For me it’s just hard to commit with people you don’t know very well and during the process of finding somewhere to live, especially if that is a small place where it’s easy to have disagreements with roommates [...].” Waddle said. “On top of it, I was in this weird waiting period because the regular places weren’t releasing what spaces there was, which were in some cases not even available until late March early April so there was nothing we could do for a while.” While there are new options, such as the U-Apartments, students are still struggling to find homes in time for the next coming school year. Another alternative could be packing more people into the same amount of space, thus learning to live with more roommates in order to accommodate the population increase.

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and lets you know where you stand in the class [...] so I like it, it lets you pass the class while still being challenged.” Schultz and Ogihara believe that the curve allows professors to test students on more difficult material while still giving students a fair chance to succeed in the class. “I definitely want [professors] to give harder tests and grade on a curve,” Ogihara said. “Because I don’t think the teachers always know what’s easy. The professor might think the test [they are] making is easy but I don’t think [they] really know what the student considers easy.” Unlike Ogihara and Schultz, Smith does not believe grading on a curve is a fair way to grade students. “I’ve always been an avid objector of the curve because it creates a disincentive,” Smith said. “If a majority of the class doesn’t do well then they get curved to a passing grade. So it’s almost dissensentivising to study hard because [...] if a part of the class does poorly then [they] can get curved to [...] a very decent grade.” Smith finds that even at times he does well in a class, the curve has brought his grade down because of how the grades were distributed. “So when you are at the top of the distribution you have to raw score an A to get the A,” Smith said. “If

you’re at a 93 or a 92 [...] you usually get an A- even with the curve but the people you were beating by 15 to 20 points end up getting a B or B+.” According to Smith, the curve can be unfair as it does not always accurately reflect a student’s individual academic performance but does so relative to their peers’. “It’s like my grade is supposed to represent my knowledge,” Smith said. “It’s almost being dampened because the people that scored really lower are getting boosted up and I’m not getting boosted up. It’s kind of like an unfair distribution if you’re at the top of the curve, which sucks.” Smith has also found that students are more competitive with each other in classes that are graded on a curve. “If you try to study with one of the top students they don’t want to study [with you] because your grade depends on how well they do and vice versa,” Smith said. “They don’t want to help you achieve anything.” From Smith’s experience, students are less willing to help each other understand the material, which can ultimately hurt the learning environment. “When there’s no curve you’re up to your own devises and it doesn’t really matter what the other [students score],” Smith said.

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pretentious ale drinkers — but at least you get a free pint on your birthday. Froggy’s Bar and Grill, 726 2nd St. At Froggy’s Bar and Grill on 2nd St., you can even get a Blowjob shot completely free — but only if its your 21st

birthday. “Come into the bar, show your ID, get something written on your forehead, take a Blowjob shot,” said Adam, a Froggy’s bartender. “But nobody can drink alone on your birthday, so one your friends has to drink with you, but it doesn’t have to be the same drink.”

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finishes, but 11th in the nation is not so bad a place to be, especially considering the fact that there are over 100 teams competing. On the individual level, Showa and Nesbit were again the stars of the team in Alabama. Nesbit finished 10th in the nation among all female athletes and Showa finished 28th among all male participants. Even more remarkable was that UC Davis battled larger teams like Cal, which brought over three times as many athletes. “For us, we always bring 16 people,” Federici said. “There’s four scorers, four displacers [in each gender]. It’s not necessarily predetermined who is what, but you kind of know. Other schools – like Cal brings 54 people. We don’t do that just because travel logistics are insane even for 16 people, so 54 people – we don’t even want to go there. But [schools that bring more athletes] do have an advantage because they have way more people displacing.” The club’s continued success on the national level is even more impressive, considering how the team is formed. What makes the triathlon club so unique is that it draws athletes from diverse sporting backgrounds, the majority of whom are not experienced triathletes. New members can be swimmers, like Nesbit, or cross country and track athletes, like Federici, who was introduced to triathlon by one of her high school coaches. There are only a few members, like Brooks, who have competed in triathlons prior to attending UC Davis. “Here’s the thing with triathlon: everyone comes in with different skill sets,” Federici said. “I am not a swimmer, so in a triathlon, I’m not very good at the [whole] triathlon, but I can bike and run pretty well. So each type of workout that we do will bring out people’s skill sets.” On top of the varying athletic skill sets, there is also a wide range in terms of the level of involvement in the club. During the regular season, which begins in September and lasts until March, the team holds one-hour swim workouts every weekday, coupled with two-hour runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On the weekends, the team does what are called “brick” workouts, a combination of biking and running, that last nearly half of the day. “We cater to people of all different levels,” Federici said. “We have people who pay dues but we never see, or maybe they’ll come to a swim practice or two or a

track practice or get on the bike once — all the way up to people who are trying to go pro. You get out what you put in. We have lots of practices — you can come to all of them, you can come to none of them.” Flexibility is a key element of the club, and members can train as hard or as often as they would like. The team has no set diet or meal plan, either, although the athletes tend to enjoy one meal in particular when it comes to fueling up before a race. “Half our team eats chicken, potatoes and broccoli,” Nesbit said. “It’s so weird.” Triathlons are quite lengthy, so maintaining a high level of energy during competition can be challenging for the athletes. In order to keep energy running high during the races, the team harbors a strong preference for eating Gu – packages of sugary energy gel. Sharing similar tastes in cuisine is just one aspect that binds the team together. The triathletes also possess a deep love for racing and for each other. “I went to the first campus run-around and I met like eight other freshman girls that wanted to join too,” Federici recalled. “A lot of us came from running backgrounds and we just had no idea what we were doing. Sometimes I still feel like I don’t know what I’m doing. But I liked it, and I just started doing it and then you start buying all the equipment and then you get invested, and then you love it. I joined right away and I’ve never looked back.” Brooks also shares Federici’s affinity for racing. “You do one race and you just fall in love with it, which is pretty universal across the team, I think,” Brooks said. “You do that first race and you’re like ‘Okay, let’s see how this goes,’ and then you’re like ‘Okay, I wanna do another one. When’s the next one?’” For Nesbit, her interest was sparked by a lot more than just the racing; it is the people she has met and the friendships she has made that really drew her in. “I definitely was not going to join the swim team here, but I grew up swimming so I didn’t want it all to go to waste,” smiled Nesbit. “I met Simone and all my really close friends on literally the first day of school, so I haven’t really branched out much. We’re a really tight-knit team.” The races are just the centerpiece around which the members of the UC Davis triathlon team have built a solid community of friendship, as well as a talented core group of athletes.

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BACKSTOP TRIATHLON TRIUMPH

UC DAVIS TRIATHLON TEAM / COURTESY

UC Davis club triathlon team places 11th at nationals BY DOM I NI C FARI A sports@theaggie.org

The men and women of the UC Davis triathlon team are pretty talented at what they do, and what they do is a continuous race that consists of a half-mile swim, a 12-mile bike ride and a 5,000-kilometer run — this being considered the shorter race. Not surprisingly, constant training and stamina-building are essential to running these triathlons which, depending on the athlete, can take upwards of three and a half to four hours to complete. The triathlon team is one of the many successful UC Davis club sports programs and one that arguably requires the highest level of raw endurance. On April 21 and 22, 16 of its members traveled to Tuscaloosa, Ala. to compete in the national championships, where the team placed 11th overall. “[Nationals] were awesome,” said Simone Federici, team president and a fourth-year communication major. “We got second at regionals, and we are known to have the strongest conference out here on the west coast. So second [place] was a big deal for us–” “–Second by two points!” interjected Michael Brooks, third-year biomedical engineering major. The team indeed nearly placed first in the West Coast Collegiate Triathlon Conference (WCCTC) in the race at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo back in late March. Two fourth-year neurobiology, physiology and behavior majors led the way for UC Davis: Meghan Nesbit and Jeremie Showa. For the women, Nesbit finished in sixth place with a time of 2:16:21, and Showa placed 14th overall with a time of 1:58:55 for the C AT TAY LO R / AG G I E

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men. Showa and Nesbit’s performances in the Olympic-distance events — 1500-meter swim, 25-mile bike, 10-kilometer run — were combined with points from the three next-best finishers in each gender, placing UC Davis second overall. “[At nationals] our girls team got sixth and our boys team got 14th, so it averaged out to 11th, which is the same place that we got last year,” Federici said. “We’ve been consistently moving up as our team evolves, so we were really hoping for top 10 [this year]. I don’t think we are that far off but as we’re developing as a team, other teams are also developing, so we’re happy with 11th.” It’s the goal of any team to continue to improve upon past TRI TEAM on 12 CAT TAYLOR / AGGIE

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Women’s water polo places fourth in Big West Conference Tournament Hawai’i edges out UC Davis in last seconds of match, wins 10-9

BY L IZ JACOBSON sports@theaggie.org

Coming off a 14-2 loss in the semi-finals against UC Irvine, the UC Davis women’s water polo team finished its season with a loss to the University of Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine on Sunday, April 30. Hawai’i beat UC Davis 10-9 in the third-place game of the Big West Conference Tournament. The Aggies left the Schaal Aquatics Center ranked 11th nationally and ended their season with a record of 16-18. The first quarter was a defensive battle that began with UC Davis winning the sprint. Senior goalkeeper Avery Dotterer didn’t let anything past her, blocking every attempt. Junior attacker Sammy Preston skipped in a lone goal in the final five seconds of the quarter. The second quarter saw each team step up their offense. Hawai’i managed two goals in the first two minutes of the quarter, taking a 2-1 lead. That lead didn’t last long against a goal by junior utility Paige Virgil. Hawai’i responded with another two goals, but once again, that lead didn’t last. Sophomore utility Annie Kutt scored for UC Davis, followed by another Aggie goal from Preston. Junior center Greta Kohlmoos gracefully lobbed a goal in, evening out the score after another Hawai’i point. In response to Hawai’i’s sophomore attacker, Irene Gonzalez’s second goal of the quarter, Preston barred in another point, ending the quarter tied at 6-6.

“This was the best we’ve played in a while,” Kutt said. “Hawai’i wasn’t expecting that from us.” The Aggies and the Wahine each racked up two more goals in the third quarter, with junior center Jill Bushman and Kutt each scoring once. The Rainbow Wahine came back in full force during the second half of the quarter, scoring twice. The fourth quarter was truly the deciding quarter of the game. At the top of the quarter, the Aggies and the Wahine were tied at 8-8 and remained neck and neck until the last minute. After a power play goal, Hawai’i took the lead. Virgil scored a tying point in response. Despite Dotterer’s aggressive defense at the cage, where she had four saves following the most recent Hawai’i point, the Rainbow Wahine managed a winning goal and brought the final score to 10-9. “It was an exciting game, obviously,” said head coach Jamey Wright. “It’s always a little more fun to win those exciting games than to lose them, but really we played such a poor game [Saturday], I was glad that the energy was so much better, the effort was better, the execution was better. It was really more reflective of how good of a team we are. It was just a super effort. It was a good way to send the seniors out. We want to finish on something that’s memorable.” Following the tournament, the Aggies are already looking ahead to next season. “I think we need to just keep doing the things that work well for us,” Wright said. “We were able to swim with [Hawai’i], our fitness level is good. I think we need to improve our shooters. We had a lot of opportunities, especially yesterday, that we didn’t finish off. A lot of shooting, a lot of offense, and maybe a little more legs. Getting ready for next year, legs are a big thing.”

eSports on the UC Davis campus Aggie Gaming club provides community for competitive online gaming

BY BRADLEY GEISER sports@theaggie.org

In the world of college sports, staples such as football, baseball, basketball and soccer tend to dominate the headlines. However, over the past few years, a new sport has swept college sports. It isn’t played on a field or in a gym but instead in front of a computer or television screen. eSports are some of the fastest growing enterprises in the sports and entertainment industries, and is the focus of Aggie Gaming, the UC Davis gaming collective founded by fourth-year computer science major Michael Chan. “Aggie Gaming at UC Davis was founded under the premise of fostering a gaming community at UC Davis,” Chan said. “We see a lot of gaming organizations at other campuses across the UC system and the greater collegiate scene throughout the United States, and we wanted something that replicated that.” It started with the League of Legends (LoL) club. A strategic combat game, LoL is one of the most popular games on the eSports scene due to its team-based structure and online following. Raphael Opon, a fifth-year international relations and sociology double major, serves as the vice president of the LoL Club, an extension of Aggie Gaming. He has been hooked ever since he first picked up the popular game three years ago. “League of Legends is a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena where you get to work with your teammates,” Opon said. “You get to be frustrated, but at the end of the day, win or lose, you leave with a smile on your face.” While games such as LoL have a governing body called the CSL (Collegiate Starleague), other games are still gaining prominence within the competitive gaming world. Super Smash Bros. 4, a fighting game, does not have a governing body at the collegiate level. Amos Gossai, a first-year religious studies and philosophy double major, is trying to bring Super Smash Bros. to a bigger competitive stage during his time at UC Davis. While applying to schools, Gossai wanted to go where he could help establish a gaming culture where one may not yet exist. To him, Northern California was the idea place. “I thought, ‘How about I just go to NorCal for schools and bring the eSports up?’” Gossai said. “Create an organization, or get involved up there. Get to know the players and the community after having been a competitive player for so many years, myself. UC Davis was the only school I applied to up here, and I decided to come up for eSports.” Through Aggie Gaming, games like Smash Bros. and LoL (as well as other titles such as DoTA and Overwatch) have found a home at UC Davis. Students — and alumni, in the case of Smash Bros. — can compete with other schools that sprawl across the entire country. According to Chan and Opon, there are upwards of 120 schools across the country, with UC Irvine leading the pack in terms of gaming innovation. They hope to bring UC Davis up in the world of competitive gaming. The teams have a vetting process just like any sport, but they try to make a space for those who are willing and dedicated to put in the required work. “Our collegiate team is looking for members,” Opon said. “There are no rank restrictions. As long as you keep an optimistic attitude and you are coachable, there is a place for you in our team.” As a club organization, Aggie Gaming gets some base financial support from the school, but is entirely student-run. Should any of its different teams need extra funding, it is up to them to pay for transportation to events or, should the opportunity E-SPORTS on 12

UC Davis softball TEAm bounces back from extra inning defeat Freshman pitcher shuts out Mustangs en route to 1-0 victory BY R OWAN O’CON N E L L- G AT E S sports@theaggie.org

The UC Davis softball team concluded its weekend series on Sunday against Cal Poly with a 1-0 win. On Saturday, the Aggies and Mustangs played two of the three games in the series in doubleheader fashion. In the first game, the Aggies were up against the Big West conference’s all-time strikeout leader, right handed pitcher Sierra Hyland. Hyland mowed down the Aggies on her way to a complete game shutout and an 8-0 Mustang win. Game two was much more competitive, as the two teams combined to break the Aggies’ Division I record for longest home game, at 13 innings. The Mustangs walked away with a grueling 8-7 victory. On Sunday, the Aggies came out determined to salvage the series and delivered a dominant pitching performance and a 1-0 victory. Freshman right handed pitcher Katie Kibby started for the Aggies, while another Cal Poly heavyweight right handed pitcher took the mound in the form of Lindsey Chalmers. Both pitchers battled back and forth for the first four innings, with Kibby throwing three and two thirds perfect innings and Chalmers matching her with three innings of two-hit softball. “Personally, I get very [competitive]. If [Chalmers is]

going to do that, then I’m going to do it better,” Kibby said. “With Sierra Hyland, [when] she’s hitting, I even want to dig in more and have an ‘I’m going to get you out’ [mentality].” In the bottom of the fourth, the Aggies’ bats came alive, and freshman left fielder Marissa Jauregui turned on the first pitch of the inning for a massive solo shot over the left field wall. “We talk a lot about being aggressive and attacking our pitch, so going [to the plate] I knew that I was going to take my best swing on the best pitch that I got,” Jauregui said. Freshman center fielder and third baseman Isabella Leon followed suit with a line drive triple that flew just over the Cal Poly right fielder’s outstretched glove. However, the Aggies were unable to score Leon and left her stranded on third base. In the top of the fifth, Cal Poly began a furious rally with a leadoff single and a walk. The Aggies were able to work themselves out of the jam with great defense, but ultimately made it out of the inning thanks to a Cal Poly baserunning miscue by Cal Poly’s Hyland, who forgot to tag up on her way to home plate. One run turned out to be plenty for Kibby, as she finished out the game with a complete game shutout, her third of the year.

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“I just had the mindset of doing better than we did yesterday, and then I just took it inning by inning,” Kibby said. “I know my defense has my back and they made great plays today.” The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Aggies. The bounce back from Saturday’s extra-inning loss set the tone for a positive end to the season. “On a day like yesterday, we have to have a short memory, we have to do whatever we can overnight to recover our bodies,” said head coach Erin Thorpe. “We basically played three games yesterday, [we need] to go out and get our minds and our bodies recovered and do

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whatever we can to show up the next day.” The Aggies head south next weekend for a series against UC Santa Barbara before returning for their final homestand from May 12 to 13 against Cal State University, Northridge. “We’re not really looking at our opponents as any specific opponents, we’re looking at them as opportunities to continue to grow as a team,” Thorpe said. “[Even] our seniors are still working to get more consistent, come out here every game and compete, and our young ones are looking at it as another game to gain more experience.”

14 | THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2017

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