April 19, 2018

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the California Aggie

SERVING THE UC DAVIS CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY SINCE 1915

THEAGGIE.ORG

VOLUME 136, ISSUE 23 | THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018

DIANA LI / AGGIE FILE

CAITLYN SAMPLEY / AGGIE

UC Davis hosts community processing event following shooting of Stephon Clark Student Housing hosts communal event for residents, student staff

A day where the sun shines April 21, 2018 marks the 104th year of UC Davis’ oldest tradition, Picnic Day. Picnic Day was kicked off by a cow’s pilgrimage from the UC Berkeley campus to the University Farm. Today, the University Farm is called UC Davis, and students and faculty showcase their interests and involvement at Picnic Day in various activities through performances and events. This year, the festivities consist of over 200 events, including crowd favorites such as Doxie Derby, a chemistry magic show, Battle of the Bands, liquid nitrogen sorbet and Davis Dance Revolution.

UC Davis was founded in 1908 as the University Farm, an agricultural extension of UC Berkeley. The following year, faculty members and students came together to celebrate and picnic at the campus Dairy Farm. In the subsequent years the university expanded, as have the number of events, exhibits and attendees.

Chelsea Falk, a second-year psychology major and the vice chair of Picnic Day, detailed the purpose and importance of Picnic Day to the Davis community.

“Picnic Day serves as our open house, but it

is also a lot more than that,” Falk said. “We have over 200 events, and it’s a chance for our students and faculty to show off what they are most passionate about and what makes Davis special to both the students and the community.”

When the first Picnic Day was held in 1909, there were about 2,000 attendees. Since then the number has grown substantially, to over 75,000 people reported. As the university grew in size and more buildings and programs were added to the school, the students and faculty were able to exhibit their interests through new events.

“It really started off as just a picnic, and there wasn’t a lot of events because the campus wasn’t as big as it is now,” Falk said. “In the following years, [Picnic Day] was showing off the new buildings and departments, and since then we have been adding more and more events to incorporate all the new aspects of the university.”

Nicole Deacon, a second-year applied statistics and psychology double major and the special events director, explained how Picnic Day remains such a unique aspect of the UC Davis experience.

It wasn’t until 1916 that Picnic Day became an entirely student-run event. Today it remains the largest student-run event in the nation. It is

Among patient care workers, average starting wages for black women are 23% (almost $16,000/year) lower than those of white men

Among service workers, black women earn 10% (almost $4,000/year) less to start on average than white men do

JAMIE CHEN / AGGIE

Growing income disparity in UC shown in recently released study

Percentage of black workers at UC declined from 19 percent in 1996 to 12 percent in 2015

BY AA RO N L I SS campus@theaggie.org

A study commissioned by AFSCME 3299, the UC’s largest employee union, which used previously unreleased UC employment data, “reveals growing income inequality, persistent patterns of racial and gender hierarchy, and steep declines in African American employment within the uni-

versity’s workforce.”

The study contended that the “the University of California must do more to combat inequality within its ranks” and that the state’s third largest employer needs to be doing more to bolster historically disadvantaged communities.

The study’s co-author Owen Li said in an AFSCME press release that “a taxpayer supported public university system is not the place where

INCOME INEQUITY on 13

STEPHON CLARK on 11

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supported by 16 directors, over 70 assistants and 200 volunteers. All the events and exhibits are also organized and run by Davis students.

“I think what sets Picnic Day apart from other open houses is that it is completely student-run, unlike other open houses that are usually run by administration,” Deacon said. “We feature all the different departments, student organizations and athletic departments, and then there is a parade that goes downtown that not many other schools have. It’s really cool to see everyone come together and support Davis as a community.”

However, Picnic Day also has a wilder side and is commonly regarded as Davis’ largest party. The event has a history of rowdy behavior, causing city police to patrol the event.

“I think students definitely know that there is another side to Picnic Day that happens offcampus, and I feel like a lot of students don’t really know what is happening on campus, which is something we are trying to change,” Deacon said.

“It’s unfortunate that some students have ruined its reputation a little bit, but the community continues to love Picnic Day because there are just so many cool things to see and experience.”

PICNIC DAY on 11

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we should expect to see exploding wage gaps.”

Li also said he sees the current UC employment model as an “opportunity ladder that seems to prize white males above all others.”

While preserving lowest-paid UC jobs as “ladders to the middle class for communities of color,” the UC still needs to focus on “career advancement and [stronger] protections against discrimination,” according to the study.

According to the analysis of UC’s employment data, contract or temporary workers need greater protections against “wide ranging inequities and abuses.” These inequities include an uneven platform of support and opportunity for people of color working for UC. In 1996, black workers comprised 19 percent of all UC service and patient care workers. In 2015, they comprised 12 percent.

The report states the UC utilized companies with a “history of labor abuse” to supply contract workers.

According to UC spokesperson Stephanie Beechem, AFSCME’s findings are inconclusive because “we do not know how the union arrived at its information.”

“UC can confirm neither the accuracy of the figures nor the conclusions contained in AFSCME’s report,” Beechem said.

The figures in the report are based off of a review of UC’s published employment data.

“We’ve provided full citations for our work in the report,” said AFSCME representative John de los Angeles. “I hope the sobering conclusions reached in the report trigger a period of self-reflection for UC. UC must be thoughtful about working with legislators, students and workers to

On April 4, Student Housing staff members and other administrative officials held a community processing event in Wall Hall in the Tercero dormitory area to acknowledge and provide a safe space for students and community members to process the recent shooting of Stephon Clark.

Clark, a 22-year-old African-American man, was shot and killed on March 18 in Sacramento by two Sacramento police officers. Clark was approached by the officers who were responding to a vandalism complaint in his South Sacramento neighborhood; within 10 minutes, the officers fired 20 shots at Clark, who was unarmed, killing him in his grandmother’s backyard. According to an autopsy performed by Dr. Bennet Omalu, Clark was struck, primarily in his back, eight times.

Clark’s case has received national attention and outrage.

In response to the traumatic and sudden nature of Clark’s death, Student Housing officials coordinated a processing event to create a safe space for students, including those within the residential halls and living off campus. The event allowed attendees to express their emotions and receive and give support.

UC Davis’ Director of Diversity Inclusion, Rich Shintaku, began the program by expressing how strongly his colleagues were affected by this traumatic event and their concern over the current condition of the nation. He briefly discussed the relationship the university had with Stephon Clark — a member of the community in Sacramento as well as in Davis. “[There is a] higher sense of emotion, of feeling,” Shintaku said. “Stephon Clark. I will say his name. [Clark] is a real human being, we have interacted with him here as part of UC Davis. [The shooting of ] Stephon Clark is really personal to us here.”

Shintaku referenced Chancellor Gary May’s recent email regarding the impact of Clark’s death, sent out to students and staff, as well as the work being done by the UC Davis Police Department. Joseph Farrow, the UC Davis Chief of Police, is currently prioritizing situational de-escalation. Shintaku also highlighted the current studies of the Firearm Violence Research Center within the Violence Prevention Research Program at UC Davis.

Residential Education Coordinator Vincent Cardenas and Conduct Coordinator Adam Dowrie began the next portion of the program by outlining the sequence of events and establishing some basic expectations for the space during the evening.

“The purpose of today’s event is to give people an opportunity to process the shooting of Stephon Clark and be able to share with one another, support one another and grieve with one another,” Dowrie said. “[It’s important] just that here at UC Davis there is a place for people to feel comfortable and experience the pain of what’s been going on,” Cardenas said. “This is a space to process, to talk, to listen, share and express feelings [and] emotions. There is no censoring in this space tonight.”

Both Dowrie and Cardenas acknowledged their reasoning for organizing the event.

“As a person of color, I felt like I really wanted to make sure that other people of color felt that they could have a conversation,” Cardenas said. “I think really pushing to make sure that could happen was sort of a personal goal.”

“As a white person, I thought it important to do something, and I thought this would be a great opportunity to show allyship to our students and also staff of color,” Dowrie said. “Vince and I decided that we wanted to take this on, and we were supported by our department in doing so.”

Students shine light on 104 years leading up to this year’s Picnic Day celebration

BY S NE HA RA M ACH ANDR A N features@theaggie.org

BY P R I YANKA SHR EEDAR campus@theaggie.org

2 | THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

LAST WEEK IN SENATE: Senator Jake Sedgley elected pro tempore

CAITLYN SAMPLEY / AGGIE

BY JACQUEL I NE M O O R E campus@theaggie.org

Vice President Shaniah Branson called the ASUCD Senate meeting to order on Thursday, April 5 at 6:10 p.m. Senator Atanas Spasov was absent, and Senator Alisha Hacker was late.

The meeting began with the election of Senator Jake Sedgley to the position of pro tempore. With no objections voiced, Sedgley was elected to the position.

The meeting was characterized by the confirmation of several students as committee leaders and interim committee leaders. Second-year environmental policy major Lois Kim was confirmed without objections as interim chair of

the Environmental Policy and Planning Commission. The changes that Kim intends to make as chair include making UC Davis a fair trade university, holding an environmental week to raise awareness about environmental sustainability and increasing leadership roles within the EPPC. “After going to other commission meetings, I saw they’re good at leading their own projects,” Kim said. “I’ll be increasing leadership within the commission so they feel more proud of the work.”

A new unit director for Housing Advising for Undergraduate Students was sworn in, and third-year international relations and economics double major Rina Singh was confirmed without ob-

jections as interim chair of the Ethnic and Cultural Affairs Commission. Singh stated that ECAC intends to continue organizing events for students in order to facilitate student-ASUCD relations.

“In week three, we’re having Pass the Plate, a great way to have many different communities and organizations get together and have conversations,” Singh said. “Other projects include the Tunnel of Resistance, which is supposed to happen the last week of May and first week of June.”

Fourth-year statistics and economics double major Damien Amzallag was confirmed without objections as the interim chair of the Business and Finance Commission. Amzallag noted that he will only hold the position of interim chair for a short period of time until a new chair is selected.

“I’m looking for someone responsible and accountable because we had an issue with that two chairs ago where they signed up to be chair and never showed up to meetings,” Amzallag said. “I want this person to have a record of showing up to things on time and to know what they’re doing.”

Second-year psychology major Rodney Tompkins was confirmed without objections as the interim chair of the Elections Committee. Prior to his con-

firmation, Tompkins accepted a suggestion from ASUCD President Michael Gofman regarding the improvement of student voting procedures.

“The physical polling station would probably have to be digital, but if you could create a way to swipe in with your card and then you’re done and leave, we can save people some time and attract more people,” Gofman said.

Academic Affairs Commission Chairperson Abigail Edwards, a third-year sustainable agriculture and food systems major, delivered the commission’s quarterly report. A range of changes were detailed which would benefit UC Davis and its faculty and students. These changes include creating a degree map, or a more user-friendly application for adjusting one’s schedule and making academic plans.

Also proposed in the quarterly report was a reallocation of unused empty courtyards as study spaces, a parking app that would better inform students of where they can park and advisor evaluations in the form of short surveys for students to fill out after appointments with academic counselors.

The Senate also discussed ASUCD Senate Resolution #11, which proposes the construction of 10 additional Blue Emergency Lights, and Bills #48 (alloca-

tion of additional funds to traffic paint and exterior floor paint), #49 (allocation of funds for storage totes) and #50 (allocation of additional funds for storage totes).

The Judicial Council Report was represented by Internal Affairs Commissioner Ryan Gardiner, a second-year political science major.

Three new bills were introduced — Senate Bill #57, which would create a Picnic Day restricted reserve, Senate Bill #55, which would authorize the Vice President to speak the oath of office to new Senators and Senate Bill #56, which would allocate funds to financially support a student delegation to the UC Irvine Mental Health Conference.

Justin Yap, a second-year biological sciences major, submitted a report to the Senate that included a range of proposals meant to improve ASUCD relations with students as well as student life. One of these proposals involved expanding the Pantry Project to include homeless members of the Davis community.

Public announcements were given, during which time Senator Sedgley announced that the quarterly ASUCD Town Hall would be scheduled for earlier in the quarter. Next were ex officio reports and elected officer reports. The meeting adjourned at 9:50 p.m.

VETERANS MEMORIAL CENTER CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS, WILL REOPEN IN AUGUST

POLICE LOGS

Project to update, modernize community space

That’s a lot of “subjects” April 3 “Front bedroom window, male subject looked into window through the cracked blinds. Subject saw reporting party look out and left on foot toward Rutgers.”

April 4 “Reporting party has some ammo to be destroyed.”

“Vehicle blocking reporting party’s mailbox and fire hydrant.”

“Reporting party received suspicious call from male who is on his way from West Sacramento wanting to purchase a phone but wants reporting party to have everything ready for him to quickly come in and leave. Reporting party concerned because she is alone and thinks it was suspicious.”

April 5 “50-plus subjects inside and outside.”

April 6 “In front of business, two subjects involved, throwing chairs around.”

April 8 “12-plus subjects playing ‘slosh ball.’ Amplified music.”

“Neighbor’s dogs broke the fence and fell in the pool, have been rescued but are running around in the backyard and appear aggressive. They continue to fall in the pool, dog owners are not home, reporting party wants them taken away.”

April 10 “Roommate prevented reporting party from leaving the kitchen area after reporting party sent her message saying she didn’t want to be friends anymore.”

KING HALL PANEL REMEMBERS 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF MLK’S DEATH

TREVOR GOODMAN / AGGIE

Dr. King’s memory celebrated amid new civil rights challenges

MEENA RUGH / AGGIE

BY H ANNAN WALIU LLAH city@theaggie.org

The Veterans Memorial Center started renovations on March 26. The renovations are mostly focused around modernizing the center’s interior. During construction, the neighboring Veterans Memorial Theater will remain open.

The VMC is a community space that hosts recreational classes, exercise classes and summer camps. Additionally, it serves as a rentable event venue for quinceaneras, birthday parties, Davis Joint Unified School District fundraisers and many other events.

The VMC building was originally constructed in 1972, and while there have been some small-scale renovations in the past, this is the first major rehaul of the center.

In 2012, City Council authorized a feasibility study to be completed to look at the general conditions of the facility — namely, expanded space for the programs in the recreation center.

“The renovations are critical — I mean we’re talking about an ancient building that needs upgrades and needs to be upgraded into this century in terms of infrastructure, so this was a longstanding need that we finally found resources to fix,” said Mayor

BY G E O RG E LIAO campus@theaggie.org

On April 3, 1968 at the Mason Temple, Church of God in Memphis, Tenn., Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a speech titled, “I’ve Been to The Mountaintop.” During the speech, King foreshadowed a threat on his life but said the work that he started must continue.

“And then I got to Memphis,” King’s speech read. “And some began to say the threats, or talk about the threats that were out. What would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers?

Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain.”

It was the last speech King gave before his death; he was assassinated the next day at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis.

The UC Davis School of Law, also known as King Hall, conducted a panel conversation on April 4 titled “50 Years Later: Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Civil Rights Legacy”

Robb Davis.

The study, conducted by Hibser Yamauchi Architects, was completed in 2013. The company recommended several different components and phases; however, the city did not have the funding necessary to complete the proposed project.

“The city did not have the full amount of funding to complete the project as it was proposed, and so the city explored some options with the [HY architects] to look at a reduced scope of work that was more in line with what the city budget had available,” said Christine Helwig, the assistant director of the Parks and Community Services Department.

In May 2016, a modified project was proposed, and HY architects were able to proceed with their modified plan. The majority of the funds were obtained when the former Teen Center near Central Park — currently the Bike Hall of Fame — was sold for $1.4 million. The renovations will cost approximately around $1.6 million. However, according to Helwig, this number is not final, as the final cost of the construction may be different.

The renovations will mainly be focused on updating the interior to make it more modern. While the neighboring theater is

to remember the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s death and to honor his legacy.

The panel started with emotional spokenword speeches by students from Sacramento Area Youth Speaks and then proceeded with introductory statements by King Hall panelists. The panel included UC Davis Law Professor Emerita Angela Harris, UC Davis Associate Executive Vice Chancellor for Campus Community Relations Rahim Reed and Kim Waldon, a third-year law student and president of the King Hall Law Students Association.

Harris began her introduction with a revelation on how King was not universally accepted at the time of his death, but instead was criticized for stances he had taken on civil rights. Harris discussed the threat to his life and said it was a time of turmoil and struggle which continues today. Harris also emphasized the importance of thinking critically about the purpose of education and searching for truth at the current moment.

Reed attributed his education as a recipient of the work King did and his continued legacy. He also spoke on the importance of the landmark Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education (1954), mentioning the recent death of Linda Brown, the daughter of the petitioner in the case.

still open during the renovations, there will be some additional storage that is being built on the outside of the building. “[They’re updating the] carpeted flooring, all the lighting to be more more environmentally friendly,” said Kristina McClellin, the supervisor of the City’s Park and Community Service Department.

“We’re getting rid of the old lighting and updating the carpet linoleum. Some of the kitchen fixtures will all be replaced, so it’s really just the interior parts of it. There’s also some additional storage being built on the exterior of the building.”

Additionally, the city is looking to provide more space for teen programs, as the former Teen Center was sold in order to fund this project. According to Helwig, there have been accomodations for classes that are usually held at the Community Center. During the renovation period, these classes will be relocated to nearby high schools, the VMC and the Davis Senior Center. Some summer camps and classes, however, will be cancelled.

The center is set to reopen in August 2018. By this time, the Parks and Community Services Department hopes to have updated all of the outdated infrastructure.

“The fundamental issue here — and I think this goes for a lot of our infrastructure — is we have this amenity that we paid for years and years ago and it’s heavily used and to continue [using] it requires needed upgrades so that we can continue to benefit from it for another 30 to 40 years,” Davis said. “This is the meat and potatoes of city government: making sure that the assets that we have are maintained in a way that allows their benefits to continue into the future. Building new structures, new centers — some people may think that [that] is the answer, but my own conviction is that we need to contain what we have. [The VMC] is an asset that’s worth maintaining.”

Reed spoke on the historical challenges that African Americans face when applying into law school. He also contrasted the difference in past courts sympathetic toward civil rights with today’s courts.

Waldon focused on King’s legacy and said the aims of his work are not complete and must continue. Waldon suggested that there is a need to be actively involved in the struggle for equality in education.

The panelists continued the conversation on the life of King and current challenges. The event also included a question-and-answer session where conversations about current challenges facing civil rights in the United States took place.

Carina Novell, a second-year student at the UC Davis Law School, gave her thoughts before the panel conversation began.

“Martin Luther King Jr. is a really big part of the culture here at King Hall,” Novell said.

“I thought it [would] be important to come and spend this lunch hour remembering him. It is the 50th anniversary of his death, and 1968 was a very tumultuous year, with a lot of civil rights leaders being assassinated.”

Novell said the anniversary of King’s death MLK on 11

THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018 | 3

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Annual OWN IT summit held at International Center Summit seeks to bridge gap between female leaders, students

BY CLA RA Z HAO campus@theaggie.org

The annual OWN It summit hosted by Davis Women in Business was held in the International Center on April 7.

OWN It is a women’s leadership and networking event featuring female leaders from various fields, including business, technology and entrepreneurship.

“We wanted to create OWN It to bridge the gap between women who we want to see and become and young students like ourselves,” said Nicole Garcia, a fourth-year communication major and the president of Davis Women in Business.

According to pamphlets distributed at the event, Davis was one of the first schools on the West Coast to have an OWN It summit.

The Davis OWN It summit was made possible through the efforts of DWIB founder Disha Bahl, a fourth-year genetics and genomics major, and DWIB members.

“I think what makes our OWN It event especially unique to UC Davis is that it’s an event geared toward empowering women and letting them know that they can reach places that they want to reach,” Bahl said. “There’s this typical idea of a glass ceiling, or that women can’t be in certain fields, and this event is geared toward breaking those types of barriers that women have in their brains.”

The event started off with a presentation from Diane Bryant, the COO of Google Cloud.

Bryant spoke about her own experiences as well as the importance of sponsorship, confidence and inclusion, noting that men often have more active sponsorship in their lives than women. She distinguished between the role of a sponsor and a mentor.

“It makes a very, very huge difference in your career when someone is actively pulling for you and willing to put their reputation on the line,” Bryant said in her speech. “[Rather] than someone standing on the sidelines telling you to do this and do that.”

Subsequent panels featured women from Facebook. The speakers covered a wide range of topics including the importance of mentorship, self-care and finding one’s voice.

TAY LOR L A POIN T / AGG IE

“Find where you feel you can help the world,” said Farhanna Mohammed, an operations manager at Facebook.

The last part of the summit consisted of breakout sessions where students had the opportunity to network with and ask questions to women from a variety of professions, including educational policy,

consulting and tech.

“This conference brings together leading business women with college women who are at the beginnings of their professional careers,” said first-year managerial economics major Aakanksha Gupta. “Listening to their stories was very inspirational for me.”

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor to speak at School of Law commencement Sotomayor will host interactive commencement experience for graduates

BY AL LY RUSSE L L campus@theaggie.org

G AG E SKIDMORE [CC BY- SA 2.0 ] / F L ICKR

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor will speak at UC Davis’ School of Law’s 2018 commencement on May 19. Instead of delivering a traditional commencement address, Sotomayor plans to engage the graduates in her remarks.

Sotomayor will format her address around the graduating class, fielding questions from audience members themselves.

Sotomayor is the third woman ever to serve on the Supreme Court and the first Latina. Throughout her career, she has been a pioneer for women of color in the legal field. After graduating from Yale Law School, she worked as assistant district attorney in the New York Court District Attorney’s Office. She was nominated as an associate justice for the Supreme Court in 2009.

Kevin R. Johnson, the UC Davis Law dean and Mabie-Apallas professor of public interest law and Chicana/o Studies, expressed excitement regarding Sotomayor’s upcoming appearance for the commencement speech.

“A pathbreaker, Justice Sotomayor is the first Latina on the U.S. Supreme Court,” Johnson said. “It is especially meaningful that she will visit UC Davis School of Law, known for its majority-minority faculty and commitment to excellence and diversity.”

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The Smart Farm Initiative: the future of precision agriculture UC Davis transforms technologies, provides STEM education to farming communities

BY G R AC E SI M M O NS features@theaggie.org

Technological innovation propels society forward in leaps and bounds, and one area that this is particularly true is in agriculture and farming. In the not-so distant future, highly advanced drones and tractors, as well as other technologies, will be running farms and putting food in the mouths of billions.

At UC Davis, a team of professors have kicked off the Smart Farm Initiative. Led by biological and agricultural engineering professor David Slaughter, the initiative strives to utilize and progress technology in agriculture to increase productivity and transform farm work to a STEM-based industry.

“We call it ‘smart farm,’ ... some people call it precision agriculture, and others call it ‘agriculture 4.0,’” said Ray Rodriguez, a professor of molecular and cellular biology at UC Davis. “And the reason I call it agriculture 4.0 is because people feel now we were in the fourth iteration of the industrial revolution.”

The third industrial revolution was defined by the pioneering of automation. What separates the fourth iteration is that not only is the technology automated, but it is also interconnected and has the capacity for machine learning and artificial intelligence.

“It’s a hot topic,” Rodriguez said. “It relates to the future, it’s very important, it’s going to impact

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Better broadband to come to Davis Broadband advisory task force researches new methods to bring better internet connections to community

BY STE L L A T RA N city@theaggie.org

The Davis City Council is currently looking into research to establish better broadband internet connections for the Davis community. The council has created a Broadband Advisory Task Force that will conduct research and propose different solutions to bring better broadband availability for the city.

Sarah Worley, the deputy innovation officer for the Broadband Advisory Task Force, explained this term in relation to how people can be better connected.

“People use the term ‘broadband’ in different ways,” Worley said. “When we’re talking about broadband, we’re talking about high-speed, high-capacity fiber networks that will provide better connections to the internet.”

Worley explained that there can be crucial benefits that come with better broadband internet connections in a cyber- and technological-focused world.

“Maintaining access to high-capacity fiber broadband internet connections for the community is essential to receive benefits with universal access, including economic benefits, safety benefits, ener-

A L LYS O N KO / AG G I E

society in many different ways. We’re working with David with what we call a transformation of the agricultural work force from stoop labor, low pay, what I called life-shortening employment, to more of rewarding employment such a STEM-based workers that supports precision agriculture.”

One key part to this new wave of technologically driven agriculture is the development of the cyber physical environment.

“We want to bring digital fluency to K-12 to community college, to four-year institutions like the state colleges and universities,” Rodriguez said. “We can introduce new avenues and give them digital fluency, which will allow them to work in this cyber physical environment.”

This cyber-physical environment consists of the connection between technologies and humans and how they work together. The technology, like the highly advanced tractor Slaughter has pioneered, will have the capacity to learn and grow in certain environments, which will greatly increase productivity and minimize costs.

Another key member of the Smart Farm Initiative team is Mary Lou de Leon Siantz, a professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing and the founding director of the Center for the Advancement of Multicultural Perspectives on Science. De Leon Siantz has dedicated much of her career and research to the well-being of the farmworker and agricultural community.

“I saw this as a tremendous opportunity for this population and the research I’ve done over time to strengthen the resilience of this population because they are working in rural parts of the United States, not just California, so this is going to have an impact across the country,” de Leon Siantz said. “I think the smart farm is a revolutionary concept that’s going to change how farm work is done permanently because we are using technology at a whole different level now.”

Though smart farm models consist of new technologies, displacing many manual labor jobs, the Smart Farm Initiative aims to prepare the communi-

ty currently working in agriculture through reskilling. The vast majority of these communities are of Mexican heritage and live well below the poverty line. Through partnerships with many community colleges and four-year state colleges, they are creating a pipeline of STEM focused education, beginning with K-12, to elevate the farm workforce.

“We are aiming to prepare these children to participate in this kind of workforce and help the parents support the education of the next generation,” de Leon Siantz said. “And for parents themselves to retool, the opportunity to have certification, degrees, pre-college preparation, pre-school preparation.”

The program strives to integrate STEM curriculum into the current farming communities to reskill and prepare them for this major technological shift in agriculture. This proactive approach will adapt overtime to the specific needs of the families for current and future generations.

“We would like to establish a platform that can eventually be utilized by the state in the long run because the state is responsible for providing communities with the ability to become resilient and successful as this transformation occurs in their industry,” said Linda Katehi, a UC Davis engineering professor and the principal investigator for the Smart Farm Initiative. “I think it is the responsibility of the state from the moment we develop that platform with curriculum and assessment tools to take it on and try to sustain it.”

The initiative is expected to have a huge impact due to the current lack of educational opportunities in the Central Valley. With multicultural, interdisciplinary and multigenerational focuses, this handson approach to the program creation aims to assure maximum effectiveness and retention.

“We also would like to have measurement methods, assessment methods for the curricula outcomes that are consistent so we can measure consistently from one step to another,” Katehi said. “Then we can gather data that is compatible so that we can

gy savings [and] climate preparedness,” Worley said. “[In addition,] there can be access to transportation and improvement to education and health to reduce the cost of medical services by using technology to bring communication.”

However, the task force only serves an advisory role.

“The task force would not be taking any formal actions,” Worley said. “They do research and make recommendations. Ultimately, the city council and the community can implement any major funding and approval of the projects.”

The task force has presented its research to the city council, outlining the possible changes and recommendations as a result of a broadband feasibility study.

“The city council accepted the report, approving the task force to continue their work and pursue the next steps recommended during the study,” Worley said. “It was an information exchange — the task force was given an assignment. These things need to be done so we can understand specifics better and decide if this is an undertaking the city wants to take.”

Currently, the goals are to expand and understand the attainability for a citywide network.

“Some of the next steps are to get a better understanding of how realistic and feasible it is for a citywide broadband network to actually have a sufficient number of the owners of multifamily units subscribed, since they vary in sizes and age with multiple property owners and managers,” Worley said.

Christopher Clements, the Broadband Advisory Task Force chair, outlined different areas in terms of the goals.

“There’s economic development — one of the problems today is the abilities for businesses to succeed, which depends on a for-profit need,” Clements

said. “The other one would be education. In this day and age, there’s a dependency for rich content and capable internet, which is now a requirement.

There is a significant portion of the environment where there is not adequate connection to the internet. Things like doing reports or projects becomes a problem for children who can’t connect to the internet at a decent speed.”

Furthermore, Clements notes that this can bridge any such inequalities through better broadband connections.

“If the municipality moves forward with this project, then every house has the same capability, regardless of economic diversity or fiscal geography — everyone will be equal in that regard,” Clements said. “More of a niche benefit will be telemedicine — the ability for people to go to a clinic to get treatment as they age gets difficult. Public transportation to appointments becomes a demand, and so one of the benefits here is that with the robust, reliable internet connection and secure device on the other end then people can have a virtual connection with doctors without the need to be on the road to be looked at.”

Steve McMahon, another member of the Broadband Advisory Task Force, also proposed equity within both homes and businesses with better broadband connection.

“The highest goal is to build competition ensuring that the town has some control,” McMahon said.

“The more concrete goal is to build a fiber network to connect every home and business to the internet.”

Nevertheless, the council has not moved forward with changes yet. Robb Davis, the mayor of Davis, emphasized that they are still in the process of needing more research.

“We haven’t made a determination to go forward

SMART FARM on 13

INTERNET on 13

Bridging the gap between Davis, Woodland New trees, landscaping to be installed

BY AHASH F RA N CIS city@theaggie.org

Tree Davis was founded in 1992, and has since worked with over 3,000 volunteers to plant over 9,000 new trees in and around the Davis area. The

Woodland Tree Foundation was founded shortly after, motivated by the efforts of Tree Davis, and has since planted 4,607 trees around the city. The two groups have been in close communication since the inception of the latter and have worked closely,

having joint tree-planting projects and working together to create a healthier environment.

Tree Davis and the Woodland Tree Foundation have since taken it upon themselves to populate trees along Highway 113, working northward and southward,

meeting at Road 29 in the middle.

“The tree-planting began a little after 1992 for us — for Tree Davis,” said David Robinson, the board president of Tree Davis. “As for today, both of us will grind on with the tree-planting. We will replace the ones that killed each year, get girdled by ground squirrels, get mowed over by CalTrans or die of drought. We plant them, we water them, we will get them filled in. But the interchange project will require landscaping, soil moving, soil amendment, maybe creation of birms. We’re drawing in Yolo County [...] everyone will have to get involved.”

There have been several challenges the two groups have had to face since undertaking the project.

In order to plant and grow trees around the highway, volunteers have had to apply for encroachment permits and pass collision

and sight safety requirements to plant trees from CalTrans, as the trees need to comply with their regulations. Small wildlife, such as ground squirrels, often dig up and eat the acorns and seeds, and cars and trucks can cruise over seedlings and destroy growing trees.

The biggest issue, however, lies in the soil. During construction, foreign soil was compacted and imported, losing much of its nutrients. This depleted soil makes trying to grow so many native trees difficult.

“The goal is to determine — with the help of experts — what the soil problems are within the area, so that volunteers can plant everything,” said David Wilkinson, the president of Woodland Tree Foundation. “The vision is to really create something more beautiful, more ecological out there that I think will reflect well

on the county. Hopefully, with both Tree Davis and Woodland Tree working together, we’ll be able to create a nice landscape out there.”

Robinson and Wilkinson have both reached out to the Yolo Resource Conservation District for assistance with the project and have since gotten in contact with Jeanette Wrysinski, its senior program manager. They hope that by bringing the YRCD, CalTrans and other related organizations into the conversation, they’ll be able to get more done with the soil issues and be able to refer to experts for more drained soil areas and more difficult plantings spots.

“I do think that having a complete tree corridor along Hwy 113 between Woodland and Davis is feasible and I don’t think there are LANDSCAPE on 13

THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018 | 5

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

MARINA OLNEY / AGGIE

JORDAN KNOWLES / AGGIE

More than tractor driving ABT 49 instructors, students weigh in on Davis’ most popular class

Soon-to-be graduates share excitement for final Spring Quarter Seniors reflect on time at UC Davis, how they hope to enjoy their last quarter

BY A LYSSA HADA features@theaggie.org

Spring Quarter tends to be the most anticipated quarter of the UC Davis school year for many students. The sunny weather and plethora of events contribute to students’ excitement. But for many graduating students, this is the last spring quarter they have the chance to experience at UC Davis. During this time, many seniors reflect on what they anticipate most and how their imminent graduation may change their outlook on the next few months.

Wesley Yu, a fourth-year managerial economics major, looks forward to using spring quarter as a last opportunity to take advantage of the tools that UC Davis offers soon-to-be graduates.

“I am looking forward to using campus resources to help bolster my resume,” Yu said. “I’m also looking forward to continue applying for jobs and hopefully hearing back from companies about job opportunities. I’m hoping to start fresh after graduation.”

While graduation implies leaving a college career and entering into an often unfamiliar experience in the workforce, it also offers students their last opportunity to take advantage of a freer schedule with less structure and fewer obligations. Yu noted his excitement regarding events exclusive to Spring Quarter.

“There are more activities to look forward to like Lawntopia and Picnic Day,” Yu said. “It’s even more

enjoyable because the weather is slowly getting nicer; the days are becoming more sunny and much longer. It honestly elevates the vibe and the mood of the quarter so much more. Being a senior also means having an easier schedule to enjoy all of the upcoming activities.”

Daniel Joo, a fifth-year design major, reflected on his stressful college experience. Upon finishing his collegiate obligations, he has the opportunity to relax and fully enjoy his time during his final quarter at UC Davis.

“I’m looking forward to spending my free time with people who don’t have free time — that’s the most fun,” Joo said. “Watching people stress out while you have nothing to worry about is the best feeling. I’m already done with all of my classes for both my major and my minor, and I already have a job offer lined up post-graduation.”

The last quarter for students also implies the opportunity to take GEs and other fun or filler classes while waiting for graduation day.

“This is the most relaxed quarter I’ve had out of my five years at UC Davis,” Joo said. “I’m taking an easy online class and another class pass/no pass, since I’ve finished all of my main classes for my major and minor. This really is the easiest quarter I’ve ever had at UC Davis.”

SENIORS on 13

SHEREEN LEE / AGGIE

Finding sustainable work-life balance Making time for school, extracurricular activities, self-care

BY EMI LY NG UYEN features@theaggie.org

It is not unusual for college students to seek out employment and participate in extracurricular activities during the course of their collegiate careers. In fact, it is quite common for full-time students to engage in non-school related activities, which can include clubs and organizations, internships, Greek life, jobs and research positions. With such a varying list of obligations to tend to, some students find it difficult to manage their time accordingly.

Bailey Boka, a third-year genetics and genomics major, an employee at the Segundo Services Center, a member of Delta Gamma sorority and an intern at the MIND Institute, said that college is a prime time for students to branch out and explore different interests.

Students thus have a desire to experiment with multiple extracurricular activities.

“I think that now is the time to find things that are interesting to you [to] see what you would want to do for your career,” Boka said.

“I got an internship at the MIND Institute because it seemed like something I’d be interested in and would possibly like to pursue.”

With the costs of attending college at an alltime high and still continuing to soar, many students also choose to work one or more jobs while engaging in their studies. Boka decided to get a job to help alleviate current college expenses as well as the future costs of living.

“I decided to get a job to help out financially,” Boka said. “The cost of college is really hard on my parents, and I also have a younger sister who’s going to be in college next year. I

BY MARLYS JEANE features@theaggie.org

Despite Jim Rumsey’s screams to put in the clutch, it was a little too late. With a tremendous splintering sound, the wooden barn doors to the shop were demolished as a tractor drove right on through, the student sitting on top in a state of panic. This was back in the 1980s, when Rumsey had recently resumed the position as the instructor of Davis’ classic tractor-driving course, ABT 49: Field Equipment Operation.

“In our safety talk, one of the first things we say [is], ‘If you panic, and you will, because there’s so much going on even though you’re going three miles an hour, if you want to stop, put the clutch in,’” Rumsey said. “So what I did, I took a big piece of plywood and I painted a bullseye on it, and that was my reminder and their reminder.”

Field Equipment Operation first began in 1952. Over time, the official title of ABT 49 has transformed into the popular misnomer “the tractor-driving class.” As Rumsey puts it, the class is sort of a rite of passage at UC Davis. It seems to represent the epitome of what an “ag school” should offer to its students, and to many it is also a lot of fun.

“I’ll tell you what, [...] sometimes we have to tell the student ‘We are done today.’” said Mir

knew that I really needed to start saving money to live off of after college.”

Other students seek out employment as a way to gain more work experience or just out of interest. Alix Mahon, a second-year human development major, a campus tour guide and member of Alzheimer’s Buddies, wanted to get a job to keep herself more actively involved on campus.

“I had a lot of gaps in between the day, and getting this job allowed me to fill in those gaps and make my day a little bit more structured,” Mahon said. “I liked the on-campus job because then I could work with my peers and get to know some more people on campus and make the community a little bit smaller.”

Trying to maintain adequate grades is difficult as is for some students, but having a job and actively participating in extracurricular activities can exacerbate the problem. Boka finds that trying to manage all of her different commitments can sometimes become too overwhelming.

“I would say that probably 25 to 30 hours out of the week [are dedicat-

Shafii, the current instructor of the class. “Really, we have to kick them out of there. That is how they are excited, especially for driving tractors.

They want to continue for as long as possible.”

The pass/no pass class is extremely difficult to get into due to its high demand. It’s split into a lecture and lab, and even though over 100 students can take the lecture component, lab sections are typically limited with 16 students per each of the six sections. Although students in the class are learning a wide array of field equipment applications, as the nickname of the class suggests, students are the most enthusiastic about driving tractors.

“I am only on week two of the class but I have already learned how to drive eight different makes and models of tractors,” said Marly Anderson, a fourth-year design major, in an email interview.

“I couldn’t believe we were out there driving them by ourselves in only our second field day and it was a blast.”

Despite the actual tractor-driving aspect of the class, ABT 49 students still have to learn complicated topics like calculating and calibrating different types of seed planters and broadcasting equipment, the basic systems of tractors such as power generation and hydraulics, and how to perform

ed to non-school-related activities],” Boka said. “It can definitely be difficult to balance out work and school because sometimes you have three midterms all in one week but you still have work and internships. It’s all a balancing act, and I feel like it can be hard to adjust to.”

In college, students often feel that time is only valuable if used efficiently. If students are not keeping themselves occupied every minute of every day, they are not maximizing productivity and are thus wasting precious time. This prompts students to take on heavier workloads, which sometimes prove to be more than they can actually handle.

Mahon believes that students can be productive without feeding into this mentality that, the busier they are, the more efficiently they are using up their time. According to Mahon, students can achieve balance between work and leisure by allocating a certain amount of time in the day for things that make them happy.

“I think you can also have productive free time,” Mahon said. “A lot of

TRACTOR on 12

productivity is measured by school work or actual work, but I think you also have to keep in mind that you need to be doing stuff for yourself.

You can be productive by setting a time boundary where you can do other things besides work.”

Elisa Gomez is a first-year cinema and digital media major, a Coho employee, an upcoming board member of the Mujeres Ayudando La Raza and a member of the Adventist Christian Fellowship and Davis Christian Fellowship. Gomez believes that amid all the stress that builds up from trying to balance out their hectic schedules, it is imperative for students to take care of their minds and bodies.

“I don’t think the stigma [regarding self-care] is healthy,” Gomez said.

“It’s always good to self-care, and I think that goes along with mental health as well. You need to make time for yourself, and sometimes that means just being alone or doing whatever you like instead of trying to do everything all at once. I like to keep myself grounded by making time to do stuff that I actually like to do.”

6 | THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Opinion editorial board

the California Aggie EDITORIAL BOARD

America’s drained educational budget

BRYAN SYKES Editor-in-Chief

Reinvest in public education, students’ futures

EMILY STACK Managing Editor HANNAH HOLZER Campus News Editor KAELYN TUERMER-LEE City News Editor TARYN DEOILERS Opinion Editor GILLIAN ALLEN Features Editor ALLY OVERBAY Arts & Culture Editor VERONICA VARGO Sports Editor HARNOOR GILL Science & Tech Editor

CHIARA ALVES New Media Manager BRIAN LANDRY Photo Director CHRISTIE NEO Design Director AMY YE Layout Director MAXINE MULVEY Copy Chief OLIVIA ROCKEMAN Copy Chief JAYASHRI PADMANABHAN Website Manager ALEX GUZMÁN Social Media Manager CARAJOY KLEINROCK Newsletter Manager LAURIE PEDERSON Business Development Manager

Each year, teachers have watched, petrified, as money is diverted from the education budget and students become desensitized to dwindling classroom supplies and textbooks that have been used 10 times too many. One art teacher in Tennessee recounted her experience using old markers to make watercolors. Another teacher from Oklahoma, making a meager $44,000 despite 20 years of experience and three degrees, detailed the damaged furniture and wasp-infested, cracked ceiling in her classroom. There are countless others in similar situations across the nation. Needless to say, they have all felt compelled to be “resourceful” and dip into their own bank accounts to keep classrooms functioning, According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, data collected from 2015 shows that California has experienced a 5.8 percent decrease in combined state and local education funding since 2008. In fact, education funding for most states is below what it was a decade ago.

Enough is enough. Teachers are taking a break from the classroom to chant an all-too-familiar refrain: Put more state money back into education. Walkouts and strikes have recently erupted in West Virginia, Oklahoma and other states as teachers resist heinous education budget cuts, demand higher wages and fight for increased funding. In January, rallies in Davis were held by the Davis Teachers Association. Parents and students joined educators to protest the below-state-average funding in the Davis Joint Unified

School District.

Funding education also means taking care of hardworking teachers so that they can provide a quality education.

The average salary of public school teachers for California was $77,179 in 2015-16. This amount is on average $10,000-15,000 higher than their counterparts in Arizona, which ranks last in state average teacher salaries. With many teachers living paycheck to paycheck and teacher shortages mounting, pursuing a career in teaching just doesn’t seem practical. The resulting higher teacher-to-student ratio means larger class sizes, less personal attention given to individual students and a mediocre learning experience at best.

Of course, not everyone in the education food chain is small prey. Christopher Hoffman, superintendent of the Elk Grove USD, is just one example of administrative bloat.

He earned $330,951 for the 2017-18 school year, not to mention generous perks and benefits. The Editorial Board demands to know why teachers aren’t getting the compensation that they deserve for their dedication to laying the foundation for learning in the classroom.

Legislators are compromising the integrity of American public education. We urge the public to vote for representatives in the November 2018 midterm elections who, instead of giving large corporations tax breaks, will reallocate funds into education. We need legislature that will realize the importance of investing in the future of our children, and it doesn’t take a K-12 education to see that.

A closer look at Zuckerberg’s testimony SOCIAL MEDIA ISN’T SIMPLY ABOUT CONNECTING WITH OTHERS

BY R EBE CC A BI H N-WAL L AC E rlbihnwallace@ucdavis.edu

Facebook C.E.O. Mark Zuckerberg testified in the United States Senate from April 11 to 12 on his company’s actions during the Cambridge Analytica data breach that took place more than a year ago.

Most controversially, both Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg, his chief financial officer, were aware that Cambridge Analytica was harvesting private voter data from users’ Facebook accounts as a source of information for the then-nascent Donald Trump and Brexit campaigns. After discovering this, Facebook requested that the Analytica team stop harvesting the information and considered the issue closed.

Now, their controversial choice not to delve deeper into Cambridge Analytica’s actions has come under fire in one of the most extensive Congressional testimonies of the digital age.

Social media, as we now know, has tremendous potential to affect the ways in which people vote and choose to view complex topics including racism, economic inequality and foreign policy. The influx of provocative advertisements and posts on Facebook from Russian troll farms during the Trump and Brexit campaigns speaks to the

fact that other governments have recognized the capability of these online tools to control elections and are, unsurprisingly, taking full advantage of it. In particular, Russia’s deteriorating relationship with the U.S. has been one of the driving forces behind the emergence of online groups seeking to create political divisions among social media users. The revelation of Russian involvement in these troll farms, coupled with the Cambridge Analytica scandal, has served to create an environment of mistrust and apprehension in the American public sphere that’s not likely to be assuaged in the near future.

Zuckerberg may fully grasp the situation at hand — his uncharacteristic public apology was well-received by most media outlets and his contrition has every appearance of being sincere. But the recent data breach is a turning point not only for his company but also for political campaigns to come. It’s nothing new to average Facebook users that what they post, while seemingly private, is actually public to most individuals. What they didn’t count on, however, is the fact that their posts may be useful political fodder and information for firms like Cambridge Analytica, which has been linked with the recent conservative movements in the West. The so-called openness and transparency of social media has thus backfired in more ways

than one: Individuals must face the fact that anything they write, post or “like” could potentially be of interest to people with a specific political agenda of undermining the democratic process. Naturally, no one wants to be associated with this particular misfortune, and Facebook’s typically indifferent attitude toward user privacy breaches has changed as a result.

While it’s unlikely that Cambridge Analytica would have stopped the data harvesting even if their actions had been made public — they were contracted out by two of the most controversial political campaigns in history — Facebook’s failure to warn users about it signifies a disturbing misstep on the company’s part. We can no longer believe that connecting with people — a recurring motif in Zuckerberg’s testimony — is the sole purpose of social media. Rather, social media has been exploited for uses that many either naively failed to grasp or ignored as it seemed too detrimental to the company’s ever-changing reputation. Zuckerberg and Sandberg’s admitted failure to pursue this line of reasoning is clear evidence of a naiveté and indifference that have long pervaded millennial tech culture and the American belief in the democratic process.

Our language about climate change isn’t helping anyone HEADLINES ABOUT “RECORD-BREAKING” TEMPERATURES DISSUADE READERS FROM ADDRESSING THE ISSUE PROPERLY

BY E RI N HA M I LTO N hajordan@ucdavis.edu

Once, my father and I took a walk around the edge of Lake Tahoe.

It was early April — the start of spring — but the weather was fair for that time of the year. Even the surrounding peaks were stark, devoid of the snow caps that would typically be present throughout April and into May. Waves lapped invitingly at the shore, pushing against small puddles of melting ice scattered sporadically along the beach.

“Did you know,” my father said as we kicked around the remaining slush that was tinged dirt-brown by the sand, “that this year was the hottest on record?”

We continued on in resigned silence, the words falling flatly in the dead air as I tried to wrap my head around the implication of my father’s statement.

Now, three years later, I still can’t fathom what exactly that phrase means to me. Understanding “record-high” is difficult when I’ve only experienced 20 other winters.

News’ greatest nemesis has always been science — littered with emotionless facts, nothing fails to grasp the attention of the public more than a bland scientific report. As such, news outlets have always struggled to put a human face to science. In some cases, though usually rare, attempts have been fruitful — look at Rachel Carson’s “A Silent Spring,” which eventually led to a nationwide ban on specific agricultural pesticides.

Now, however, we have found media’s true Achilles heel: climate change coverage.

It’s not my father’s fault for regurgitating some headline or another that he’d read earlier in the day, not when most articles contain flashy

headlines along the lines of “Arctic Sea Ice Missed a Record Low. Barely.” or “More of the Bay Area Could Be Underwater in 2100 Than Previously Expected.” In fact, this problem spans across all outlets, from the New York Times (re: the first two articles mentioned) to The Washington Post (“Unusual, record-breaking April cold to crash into eastern U.S. Friday through the weekend”) to USA Today (“Global warming is causing an Alaskan glacier to melt at the fastest pace in 400 years").

Such headlines are not attention-grabbing — but rather the opposite. Extraordinarily vague and containing at least one massive guilttrip, articles that fall into this category leave their readers less inclined to discuss global warming because nobody wants to invest their time in reading about grim issues. Instead of encouraging the necessary conversation that would inspire further introspection, these headlines leave little dent on the day-to-day lives of individual readers.

How many people care about what happens to an Alaskan glacier in 400 years when they have their own pressing personal troubles now?

What do I do when I hear that California’s annual fire season was two months longer despite record rainfall the previous winter? Like my father, I turn my back on the topic and refuse to listen to the damning information.

A worse consequence of writing about global warming in this manner, however, is the total public desensitization toward the subject.

Announcing 2016 as the hottest year on record — when the same was said for 2015 and 2014 — gradually loses impact on readers when we only expect the upward trend to continue the following year. Yes, this information is newsworthy at the time of its publication; yes, it’s also necessary that the public should have access to this

information. But, as with the topic of climate change as a whole, the media’s addiction to hyperbole and sensationalism distances the audience from the issue and only further strengthens our desire to remove ourselves from the problem.

While we are constantly discovering more about the rate and effects of global warming, our treatment of it in the news needs to evolve as well.

I cannot speak to how to incentivize public action. Instead, let me offer a solution that would capture my attention if I were perusing the subject: Global warming is at our doorstep, knocking. If we continue to treat it as a fearful thing, people will be inclined to hide and ignore the problem until it goes away. On the other hand, if we include personal success stories about individual or community attempts to slow climate change, readers might be more inclined to listen.

So, journalists take note: Records mean nothing if they exist only to be broken.

J EREMY DA N G / AG GIE

THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018 | 7

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

HUMOR

Student realizes that the cat she’s been caring for is just a regular cat, not her professor’s Animagus MITTENS HAS A LONG HISTORY OF GRIFTING STUDENTS FOR TREATS

BY JE SS D RI V E R phnevin@ucdavis.edu

Kimberly Upton, a second-year comparative literature major, was found by authorities last Tuesday in a fragile state with a feral tabby cat near the Voorhies fountain. The cat, identified by the alias “Mittens,” had been using Upton for treats in exchange for A’s since the beginning of the quarter. Upton admits that she was skeptical about the appropriateness of her relationship with Mittens, but she felt intimidated and afraid to seek help.

“On the first day of Spring Quarter, I followed one of my teachers from a distance and watched them turn behind the Voorhies building,” said Upton, whose voice was distorted through a vintage Talkboy, the electronic device made popular by the 1992 film “Home Alone.”

“But when I followed them around the corner, I only saw this cat. I made the only logical conclusion: This cat was my professor’s Animagus, their animal form.”

“You don’t have to use the voice changer,” I assured Upton. “Everybody knows your name.”

“Whatev,” said her voice in exaggerated slow motion through the Talkboy.

Upton explained how Mittens bribed her with good grades in exchange for an endless supply of catnip. She even abandoned her studies to tend to Mittens and resorted to panhan-

dling to earn money to support Mittens’ catnip habit. When Upton’s grades still didn’t improve, she started to worry. It was then that she tried to escape, but Mittens resorted to blackmailing, threatening to “detract 1,000 points from the comparative literature house.”

Upton was rescued by Officer Randy Weiner, who used forensic footprint analysis to track down the student in his minicar after she parked her scooter in a three-hour parking spot and outstayed her parking welcome by two full minutes.

“When I found the student, she appeared to be exhausted,” said Officer Weiner, who had to break the news to Upton gently that Mittens was in fact a regular cat and not a magical beast with origins in Hogwarts. “There were bits of chocolate chip banana cake in her hair and coffee stains down her blouse. She looked like she was held captive by the suspect for weeks.”

Mittens has been incarcerated on multiple occasions in the past by the Davis pound for grifting teachers and students.

“She lured me into a dark corner and forced me to give her scritches for 90 minutes,” said one student, who wished to remain anonymous.

Police have yet to locate Mittens’ current whereabouts. He is described as bookish and often wears an elbow-patch blazer. Suspiciouslooking tabbies should be reported.

Student to participate in school walkout whenever he gets bored ONE BOLD STUDENT STANDS UP TO LIE IN BED

BY PA RKE R N E V I N phnevin@ucdavis.edu

Brace yourself, advocates — the social justice movement has found itself a new hero in Bryce Daniels. Taking cues from important educational system protests of the past, Bryce is embarking on a crusade of his own against the evils of disinterest. Look out world, when Bryce Daniels feels the time is right he is unafraid to stand up — stand up, go home and play Fortnight, that is.

When The Aggie contacted Bryce, he was only available for comment over his Xbox headset. But when we found a matchmade Star Wars Battlefront game, he had this to say: “The East L.A. walkouts were a landmark in the protesting of low-quality education. If my teacher can’t make learning lists of o-chem reactions an experience I crave in the marrow of my bones, what is the quality of my education? I AM AN OPPRESSED MINORITY FROM EAST L.A. IN

1968 METAPHORICALLY!” Too long has Bryce shouldered the burdens of memorization. Too long has he listened to corny jokes and participated in group exercises.

The age of learning is over. The age of watching “Chopped” on Netflix is just beginning.

“Yeah, I know Bryce,” said a member of Bryce’s linear algebra class. “I’ve only seen him a couple of times, but he seems really committed. He’s disciplined in leaving class between 15 and 20 minutes into lecture every single time.”

But Bryce’s protests aren’t just limited to walkouts. He protests in other ways, as well.

Classmates have reported that, whenever Bryce feels it’s time to take a stand, he’s unafraid to yawn loudly, put his headphones in or play World of Tanks on his phone.

Bryce told The Aggie that he wishes to be called a hero for his advocacy, and also for his two Battle Royal wins in three days.

Terence Blanchard featuring the E-Collective

Mark O’Connor featuring the O’Connor Band

Socially conscious music rooted in the Black Lives Matter movement, the ensemble’s debut album is dedicated to Eric Garner.

In Blanchard’s words, Breathless captures how “music and art have the power to change hearts and souls.”

FRI, APR 13 • 8PM

FREE Corin Courtyard Concert 6:30PM: Alex Jenkins Trio

FRI, APR 20 • 8PM

Tomorrow!

An lively evening of bluegrass, country and indie folk with this fiddle legend and his family is the perfect way to rev up for Spring quarter!

RUSH IT!

The Boston Pops on Tour Lights, Camera, Music! Six Decades of John Williams

Experience live the soundtrack to Star Wars, Jaws, and all of your John Williams favorites. Need we say more?

THU, APR 19 • 8PM

Open Mic Nights@MC

Hosted by CoCo Blossom and DJ Lady Char.

Sign-ups 5:30PM | Open Mic 6PM

UC Davis students:

10

$

TUE, APR 24

STUDENT RUSH

Student Rush tickets available to every* Mondavi Center presents event!

*Subject to availability on the day of event starting at noon, in-person at the Mondavi Center Ticket office. Must bring a valid student ID. First come, first served basis.

FREE

Plus ...

• Your first ticket is FREE! • 50% off all tickets, everyday Restrictions apply. See mondaviarts.org/ uc-davis-students for details.

Aggie Run: APR 12, 2018 5.8125 x10.5

Production: Erin Kelley 530.754.5427

eekelley@ucdavis.edu

DISC L A I M ER: Th e vi ews a n d o p ini o ns ex p re ss e d by i nd i vidu al colu mn ists be lon g to th e colu mn ists alon e and do no t necessari l y i ndi cate the vi ews and o pi ni o ns hel d by Th e C a lifo r n ia Ag g i e. Le t te rs to t he e d i to r can be addre sse d to opin ion @ th e aggie.org.

ISSUE DESIGNED BY AMY YE | CHRISTIE NEO | CINDY CHEUNG |JONATHAN CHEN | PATTIE CHEN | SHEREEN NIKZAD | LILY LEAVESSEUR | GENESIA TING

8 | THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

SCIENCE+TECH KAILA MATTERA / AGGIE

Floating islands in Arboretum for cleaner waters Waterway project is seeking to enhance Arboretum through creative means in phase four

BY MAT T M A RC UR E science@theaggie.org

A project to enhance the waterway in the Arboretum is currently underway. It seeks to improve water-holding capacity and flow, to provide more wildlife habitat and to reduce the amount of algae buildup on the water’s surface.

“It is a big project,” said Nina Suzuki, the waterway steward at the Arboretum and a leader of the enhancement project.

Designed in four phases, the project is a massive undertaking that will take many years to complete.

Phase 1 began in June 2017 in the eastern end of the Arboretum and was recently finished, Suzuki explained. The phase brought new, more

CAITLYN SAMPLEY / AGGIE

accessible pathways along the waterway as well as many adjustments to the waterway itself. Sediment that accrued over the years at the bottom of the waterway was removed to increase water capacity. Native plants with strong root structures to hold soil together replaced broken rock gabions that were installed as erosion control measures many years ago.

Weirs, low dams built into a river to regulate its flow, were installed in addition to pumps to improve water flow and to increase the levels of dissolved oxygen in the water.

Suzuki explained that all of these adjustments will be present in each distinct phase of the project, with the phases representing sections of the Arboretum that will be addressed one at a time. The second phase will begin sometime in 2019 at Spafford Lake.

The enhancement of waterflow is a significant part of the project

as the Arboretum waterway is a static environment with little natural flow, explained Gregory Pasternack, a hydrologist at UC Davis. This allows for a lot of nutrient build-up, such as nitrogen, that also comes into the water from manure use on the surrounding grounds and waste from birds and other species in the Arboretum. There is no true water source, with the water only having a discharge point into the live Putah Creek, explained Suzuki.

“The waterway hasn’t been clean since it was cut off 80 years ago,” said Truman Young, a professor in the Plant Sciences Department who specializes in restoration.

Young referred to the historical relocation of the river channel due to recurrent flooding on campus and the damming of Lake Berryessa. This has turned what once was a natural river into a manmade one.

“As you see the waterway today, it's not a functional stream setting,” Pasternack said. “It's just an entirely artificial setting. That's not not to say that a lot of important ecological things don't happen there, but it's not a natural environmental setting.”

This presents unique challenges to the waterway enhancement project. One way the team is attempting to address this is in Phase 4, which is unique in the project for its creation of a wetland environment in the western end of the Arboretum near the Putah Creek Lodge. Within this phase, the team will install floating islands that will help with the nutrient buildup issues of the waterway.

“The floating island functions like a wetland, where plants take up nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus and use them to grow, which in turn means that there are less excess nutrients for undesirable algae to grow,” Suzuki said. “The shade provided by these plants and the floating island as a whole also reduces algae growth.”

The algae growth is notorious in the summer as a foul-smelling and sickly green covering on the waterway. It thrives in stagnant waters and is often found coupled in the Arboretum with duckweed, a California native plant that the project is also seeking to reduce with improved water flow and the floating islands.

“Duckweed has been a problem in the Waterway in the last few years because it can reproduce vegetatively very quickly,” Suzuki said.

“This very tiny plant with two leaves and two roots that floats on the water can quickly take over the entire surface of a stagnant pond.”

While serving beneficial functions for the health of the waterway, the floating islands will also bring more resting places for the native turtles and various birds that live in the Arboretum. They also serve a aesthetically oriented purpose, reinforcing the fact that the Arboretum is a park.

“All of our parks are probably playing the tension between wilderness and civilization,” Young said. “If we wanted just civilization, then we would have Times Square. What we have instead is our lawns and golf courses and our arboretums; they give us a little bit of both wilderness and civilization, and we find comfort and refreshness from that mix.”

New flights for old feathers Raptor center cured, released red-tailed hawk whose feathers were broken

BY RACH E L PAU L science@theaggie.org

Invisible Life of HIV Made Visible UC Davis researchers discover how to disrupt HIV latency

BY KR I T I VA RG HES E science@theaggie.org

By lying dormant, HIV can dodge the body’s immune system and hide from treatments. UC Davis researchers might have just found the way to bring HIV out of hiding once and for all.

“HIV latency is a unique state of HIV during its life cycle when the virus goes into hiding from the immune system,” said Guochun Jiang, a UC Davis associate project scientist. “Although the virus is present in the cells, it does not actively produce viral proteins or infectious viral particles.”

The researchers have been working on making the virus visible to the immune system so it can be targeted by immunotherapy.

“We were exploring the epigenetic mechanisms that could be exploited for disrupting HIV silence and target it for immune clearance,” said Satya Dandekar, a professor of microbiology and chair of the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology at UC Davis. “This led us to the identification of a new histone modification — histone crotonylation — by which HIV can be forced out of its latent state and out of hiding from the immune system. Histone crotonylation is a modification of the histone tails and occurs when crotonyl coA gets added to lysine amino acid in histones.”

Histone modifications open up the DNA, enabling transcription factors to initiate gene expression. Histone crotonylation in particular leads to the active gene expression of HIV, making it more visible to the immune system.

“The next step is to find out if reversal of HIV latency by histone crotonylation will help the immune system to eliminate infected cells,” said Dennis Hartigan-O’Connor, a UC Davis associate professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and and Immunology and the co-investigator of this project. “We need to know if reversal of latency can have a meaningful impact on the amount of HIV in the body.”

reduce. reuse. recycle.

The aggie

When a red-tailed hawk with six broken feathers was brought to the UC Davis-affiliated California Raptor Center, veterinarians knew they would need some old feathers and an old technique to heal the raptor. This method worked so well the hawk was able to be released back into the wild later that day.

Using old feathers that had been carefully stored and preserved, the center was able to imp the bird. Imping involves cutting away most of the broken feather on the bird, inserting a small wood rod in the hollow shaft of the feather, then attaching the preserved feather.

“Imping is actually a very old procedure. Historically it dates back, some would say, hundreds if not potentially thousands of years along with the sport of falconry,” said Julie Cotton, the volunteer and outreach coordinator at the Raptor Center. “There are references to it in falconry manuals from the 1200s. So it’s a known procedure. It’s primarily associated with raptors, but in modern times it has been used in avian medicine with seabirds, parrots and other species as well.”

The materials for this procedure have changed over time, from wire and vinegar to wooden rods and epoxy. Although the idea behind the process sounds simple, the actual procedure is more difficult and very time-intensive.

“To prepare the feathers you must carve a small piece of bamboo that fits firmly into the shaft of the broken feather on the bird and also into the feather to be implanted on the bird’s broken feather,” said Bret Stedman, the operations supervisor. “This takes time to be sure it fits without splitting the feather shafts. When you have six feathers to prepare, it does take a while to do it just right.

Stedman prepared the feathers himself. With the help of Michelle Hawkins, the director of the Raptor Center, Bill Ferrier, the former director, and veterinary residents, the feathers were attached to the raptor.

Even though birds molt their feathers, the imping procedure was deemed the best way to go. The rescuers wanted to get the raptor back into the wild as soon as possible, and molting can take a long time, which meant the hawk might have had to stay in captivity from a few months to a year. Over time, the bird will replace all of its feathers, including the imped ones. This means that one day someone might find a red-tailed hawk feather on the ground that has been glued together.

“That’s exactly the idea behind the imping: that you’re giving the bird this temporary fix for the problem that should hold until it can naturally molt out the base of that old feather and grow in the new one,” Cotton said.

Since the hawk was able to fly well after the procedure, it was released on the same day. This is beneficial for the hawk, as prolonged time in small spaces, such as carriers, increases the risk of the same feathers breaking again.

Imping is a known procedure, but not a very common one for the Raptor Center. Despite this, the Raptor Center holds onto feathers and stores them for the possibility of a future imping procedure.

JAYDEN WESTBROOK / CRC

“So we, at the Raptor Center, have a library of feathers from different raptors,” Cotton said. “And the feathers that are used in imping procedures very often come from [...] carcasses maybe that people find or birds that have passed away. Because when you imp a bird you need to match not only the species of the bird correctly, but you have to match the age of the bird, get the right-sized feathers, get the feathers from the correct wing or correct side of the tail. So it really does matter to have this library where everything is labeled, numbered and ordered.”

The Raptor Center rescues over 200 hawks each year. The goal of the volunteers is to be able to release the birds back into the wild after they have been healed. Birds that cannot be released often become a part of the center’s ambassador collection and are used to help teach others about raptors. Students can take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about raptors by visiting the Raptor Center. The center is open for most of the year, and visitors can see other red-tailed hawks that are a part of its ambassador collection.

Birds that can be released are banded with an identification number and a phone number. This is so if the bird is found again the success rates of the procedures the center has done on raptors can be tracked. Unfortunately, the data pool for this is small. According to Stedman, about four per 100 banded birds are ever found again.

With enough time, a pattern of success rates emerges. Stedman says he has a pretty good idea what works for the raptors the center rescues. Making sure the hawks live long lives after they are released again is crucial for they are a very important part of the natural order.

“Raptors are the birds that are highest on the food chain, and thus when their numbers decline it is very concerning that something quite devastating could be occurring in their environment to cause it,” Hawkins said. “They are environmental ambassadors in many ways, and by protecting them we protect the environment we all share. And they’re the world's best rodent control.”

THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018 | 9

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Chess

Sudoku

This week’s puzzle is a checkmate.

Enter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Every row, column and 3x3 square must contain one of each digit.

Each Sudoku has a unique solution that can be reached logically without guessing.

White to move, mate in 3 moves.

Hint: start with the double check to force the opponent.

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CHESS ANSWERS It is not often we have two minor pieces together for the mate but a knight and a bishop will suffice.

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3. Bf3#

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THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

10 | THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018

ARTS & Culture Bartending in a college town The Aggie sits down with Red 88 bartender and Davis alumnus C AITLY N SA M P L E Y / AGGI E

BY CARA JOY KL E I NR O C K arts@theaggie.org

Working at a bar is full of diverse experiences. Bartending in a college town is full of adventures. Ricky Lee, a server and bartender at Red 88 Noodle Bar, knows a lot when it comes to surviving the nightlife of Davis. Working there for the past year and a half, Lee has witnessed many 21st birthdays — and has some advice for being prepared to step into a Davis bar.

The California Aggie: What is it like bartending in a college town?

Lee: Bartending in a college town is a great experience. You see regulars that pop in every weekend and you also get some people’s friends that come and

Analyzing the world through art Podcast by UC Davis graduates discusses importance of visual analysis

NIC KI PA DA R / AG G I E FI LE

visit them from other colleges and want to see what the nightlife scene is like in Davis. One of the other things about being a bartender in a college town is that you see a lot of 21st birthdays, so you see a lot of people come to the bars for the first time ever.

TCA: What is the best bang for your buck?

Lee: When ordering drinks, I always recommend the daily specials or what’s on happy hour because they usually feature some of that establishment’s specialty cocktails or drinks. For Red 88 Noodle Bar, FMLs are $6 on Wednesdays, and we have beer tower specials on Sundays.

TCA: What should people be ordering?

Lee: I usually recommend drinks to people based on what they like to drink [type of alcohol] or if they’ve had something that I served them before that they liked. At Red 88, I feel like our Red Rocket doesn’t get as much attention as I think it should. It’s a cocktail with blueberry and raspberry vodka, citrus vodka, sweet and sour, sprite and a dash of grenadine. It’s garnished with a cherry and a lemon wedge, and it’s a nice refreshing cocktail and it’s also one of our happy hour offerings.

TCA: What gives someone away that it’s their first time in a bar?

Lee: I’ve noticed that a lot of people who are coming to a bar for the first time don’t know that they have options on the type of liquor they can have in their drinks. A good example would be when someone orders a Moscow mule and I ask them what vodka they want and they give me blank look. Another dead giveaway would be people who have their foreheads marked with a sharpie from another bar or if they’re wearing a sash that says “21st Birthday.”

So when I see that it’s their 21st birthday it’s always a safe bet that they’ve never been to a bar to order drinks, but they usually come with a group of friends that have been around the bars already to show them around.

TCA: What is the best advice you could give someone walking into the bar for the first time?

Lee: For anyone walking into a specific bar for the first time or going to one for the first time in general: try their signature cocktails and drinks.

Some bars have drinks that they’re known for that you won’t find being

BY ISAAC FLO RE S arts@theaggie.org

When was the last time you looked at the world around you critically? Have you ever stopped to wonder why our world looks the way it does? These are the questions confronted by art historians and students of art history on a daily basis.

In the academic sense, art history is defined as the academic study of art objects in the context of their historical and stylistic development.

In a more general sense, however, art history is a tool that can be used by anyone to process the vast amounts of visual information presented to us every day.

“The Art History Babes” is a podcast available for free to those interested in improving their capacity for visual analysis by listening to four women — Corrie, Natalie, Jennifer and Ginny — drink wine while discussing the shared visual culture of human beings.

“It started a fun side project to

help express our love for art in a non-academic setting,” said art history babe Natalie De La Torre. “The response we got was overwhelmingly supportive and now it’s become our primary focus.”

Knowing the artist’s theory behind that eye-catching painting at the Manetti Shrem Museum goes beyond simply being able to impress your peers. The visual and iconographic analysis employed by art historians has real implications for making sense of the past, present and future of human beings.

“It’s really important to understand non-verbal modes of communicating,” said Caroline Riley, an art history lecturer at UC Davis. “So much of our world is visual and art history is a method we can employ to better understand why our world looks the way it does.”

Given the fact that UC Davis’ art history major has less than 100 enrolled students, it is important that those familiar with the field introduce the public at large to the more critical methods of viewing

served anywhere else. Some examples would be bar-specific drinks like Red 88’s FML, Bistro 33’s Devastator, Cafe Bernardo’s Wiki Wacky Woo, etc. Another thing would be to find out which nights they have specials on drinks.

Some bars have theme nights, trivia nights and discounted drinks.

TCA: What do you personally enjoy about being a bartender?

Lee: I definitely enjoy the social aspect of being a bartender. In a college town like Davis, I run into people I lived in the dorms with, people from my lectures and discussions and getting to know new people that come out to the bars a lot. Over time, you start getting to know people pretty well just from them visiting your bar. It’s like talking with your favorite local barber and talking about the stuff going on in your life.

TCA: Can you tell me a funny anecdote from working at the bar?

Lee: Red 88 has a birthday wheel for people to spin on their birthdays, and when they can’t reach the wheel from the side of the counter, we offer them a chair to stand on to be able to reach and spin it. Not to long ago, a birthday girl thought it was the prime opportunity to dance on the chair while the wheel was spinning and her friends were recording and she lost her balance and fell. As much fun as she seemed to have, not to mention how much her friends enjoyed watching her drunkenly dance on the chair, I definitely discourage people from dancing on chairs, tables or any other elevated surfaces when you’re at the bars. Time has proven that gravity always gets the last laugh. the world that art history offers.

Discussing subjects ranging from “Black Panther” to fabergé eggs, Andy Warhol to portraits of President Obama, the group of Davis graduates from “The Art History Babes” aims to do precisely that.

The podcast, which is available on iTunes, discusses a wide array of subjects, many of which bear surprising ties. Who knew that there might be a connection between Oprah, hangovers, ornamental hermits and tarot cards? It turns out that your local art historians may have some answers.

“Art history isn’t isolated to what we study in the classroom. It encompasses all of the visual aspects of our lives — which is nearly everything,” said art history babe Jennifer Gutierrez. “We want to empower people to strengthen their visual literacy and make sense of the visual information that they are being bombarded by constantly.”

Tune in to the “Art History Babes” podcast for a entertaining, informative and critical look at the visual world around us.

Davis Swimming Five local swimming opportunities in light of UC Davis Rec Pool closure RAU L MORA L ES / AGG IE

BY R OWAN O’CONNELL-GATES arts@theaggie.org

As the northernmost school in the UC System, UC Davis is not exactly known for its beaches and surf culture. However, like much of the world, Davis students still need a place to throw on a bathing suit and hop in the water — regardless of their proximity to the ocean.

For years, the UC Davis Rec Pool has served as that outlet for the student body and Davis community. Unfortunately, any Spring Quarter Rec Pool plans anticipated by eager undergraduates were derailed this past year when students were informed of the renovation and subsequent closure of the Rec Pool, a project that will likely spill into the summer of 2019. As we enter into another beautiful Spring Quarter, the Davis community is understandably at a loss for where to spend its aquatic time. Not to worry; here are five local swimming areas that are sure to please.

Hickey Pool Many students may not even realize that a solution to the problem lies in the heart of campus. Nestled next to the Memorial Union, Hickey Pool is a seven-lane lap pool, complete with heated water and showers. It’s free for UC Davis students and is open all year long.

Lake Berryessa By now, most of us know about Lake Berryessa. The area serves as Davis’ most accessible area for hiking, camping and swimming. As the temperature rises over the next few weeks, Lake Berryessa’s cool waters become all the more enticing. Grab some friends, find a hike and, on the descent, make your way toward the lake. You won’t regret it.

Lake Solano Similar to Lake Berryessa but perhaps less utilized, Lake Solano lies in the city of Winters.

Much like Lake Berryessa, the area is perfect for camping, hiking and swimming. Unlike the other locations, Lake Solano offers kayak rentals, providing visitors with a brand-new way to get in the water.

Putah Creek Putah Creek, which cuts through the cities of Davis and Winters, offers opportunities to swim, kayak and hike. However, many Davis residents swear by the rope swing located in the Winters section of the creek. The swing offers a fun-filled day for those looking to fill the Rec Pool void.

Yuba River An hour north of Davis lies the Yuba River, which has many of the same qualities as the previously mentioned swimming spots. However, it is set apart by its plethora of swimming holes and jumping rocks. Students wishing for an adrenaline-filled day are sure to enjoy backflips and cannonballs off of the river’s towering rocks.

Mountain Made Life Northern California art collective supports environment, nonprofits

JOS H MOR R IS / COU RTESY

BY CAROL I N E RUT T E N arts@theaggie.org

Located in Marin, Calif., Mountain Made Life is more than a website that sells unique, nature-focused T-shirts. The art collective is an oasis for artistic expression of all forms that simultaneously supports the environment.

“When I first started Mountain Made Life, I was trying to develop a platform for my art, which then became a platform for others’ art,” said Josh Morris, the founder of Mountain Made Life. “The goal is to try and help people. It went from a place to sell prints to making shirts and giving back to the environment.”

Helping people comes in a variety of forms and destinations.The tees for sale on their website, for example, not only

kickstarted the company but also stand for a level of craftsmanship and care by each designer.

“In today’s age, with fashion, it is about cheap products that you get rid of immediately,” said Leo Cooperband, a designer for Mountain Made Life. “This is more about making fashion a sustainable industry and also making connections with artists. It is us hand-printing our shirts with our own personal designs.”

Mountain Made Life has expanded in the art that it hosts since its inception.

Now, there is music through Tiny-Desk– esque videos filmed in scenic locations, adventure blogs and photography to tie it all together.

“Everyone I know is artistic in different ways, and I wanted to create something

for everyone, not just me as a photographer and graphic designer,” Morris said.

The many mediums align in their dedication to the outdoors, its appreciation and its conservation.

“Through all the mediums that we use, it shows that nature is inspiration for any form of creation,” Cooperband said.

“Nature can be such an inspiring starting point and getting people outside to express themselves creatively.”

For Mountain Made Life, nature is at the center of art and expression.

“I designed the pinecone T-shirt and the patches,” Cooperband said. “I take inspiration from a certain biome or environment. Whatever gave me inspiration, I try to give back to the nonprofit that directly helps that biome — it just feels right.”

Each tee purchased from Mountain Made Life donates 5 percent of the proceeds to an environmental nonprofit of the designer’s choosing — usually the environment the product is based off of.

“I wanted to be more diverse and have more choice in where the money we donate is going to,” Morris said. “We wanted to see if we could give to another place and give people a reason to look at more shirts. If someone resonates with the desert, they could not only have a T-shirt with a desert scene but also give back to

the desert.”

This environmental, philanthropic mindset of the company does not only fiscally support conservation, but also hopes to help others develop a similar love for the outdoors.

“I think for the most part [the nonprofits] are focused on the environment, not just environmental issues,” Cooperband said. “One of the nonprofits we support is the Outdoor Alliance for Kids.

Their goal is to help get kids and families out in nature and get a sense of appreciation for it. That could help them get into some form of environmental protection, but it’s not the main goal. Our goal is to get people stoked on the outdoors, and I think we can use that to help protect the world.”

For Ricky Olivares, a photographer for Mountain Made Life, the larger purpose of the art collective is in the work he produces.

“If you can create images that pull people in, like the music and the clothing, those things can influence and give back,” Olivares said. “There is no better goal as a photographer [than] to make things better — to show things as they are but work toward making them better than they currently are.”

Mountain Made Life represents some-

thing greater, impacting not just those directly involved and those who buy and interact with the content. A community arises from the soul of the company.

“What makes Mountain Made Life different is that it’s not just photographing a person at a place,” Olivares said. “It’s a person you care about, or someone you just met and are having a good time with.

It is different from the average adventure photography that is often detached and the photographer just witnessing what is happening. For me, when I am photographing for Mountain Made Life, I feel connected more, and that makes for more intimate imagery.”

With goals, interactions and products so genuine, the future of Mountain Made Life appears promising.

“In the future we hope we can still get people stoked on the outdoors and art,” Morris said. “We’re excited to tell more stories and to expand to what it means to do art — whether it is painting or forms of physical expression. We are going to start something called ‘Mountain Made Movement,’ which is how people relate their actual physical movement to artistic expression. We’re excited to keep expanding on things we want to represent.”

Mountain Made Life products and more information can be found on its website.

THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018 | 11

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

PICNIC DAY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Despite student parties off campus, Picnic Day remains the community’s favorite family-friendly event. Aaron Garcia, a second-year psychology and communication double major and the publicity director of Picnic Day, shared his favorite part of the festivities.

“I really like seeing UC Davis students come out to Picnic Day especially because it is a Saturday,” Garcia said. “Seeing so many people come and go to the different exhibits and enjoy what they are seeing as well as having all the family-friendly and community members come in really is the cherry on top.”

This year’s Picnic Day has some exciting new changes, including an app for the event, new merchandise, and more events and food trucks. The app for the event is available on both Android and iOS and contains information and a schedule of

the events in alphabetical order, a map of the Picnic Day hotspots and safety information.

Additionally, there will be over 30 food trucks on campus in attempts to decrease lines and increase the variety of food choices. To get students ready for Picnic Day, the Board of Directors has planned pre-week events from April 16 to April 20. The events will be held from 12 to 1 p.m. on the Quad and will include visits from Davis sports teams, cultural groups, farm animals and Greek life.

Grace Gaither, a fourth-year English major and the Picnic Day chair, revealed the evolution and traditions of Picnic Day. “Picnic Day has changed a lot since 1909 and a lot of that has to do with safety reasons,” Gaither said. “We used to have mud pig-grabs where people would go in

the mud and try to grab pigs and we also had bodybuilding competitions as well as food-eating competitions. We have always had fraternities and sororities involved in the parade but in recent years we have also had lots of clubs participate as well, which is really cool for potential Aggies to come and see.”

It wasn’t until 1916 that Picnic Day earned its name and simultaneously became a student-run event. Each year since 1923, the Picnic Day Board also bestows a theme that highlights something important to the directors regarding Picnic Day and to Davis as a whole. This year’s theme is “Where the Sun Shines.”

“Picnic Day is for everyone just like the sun and that is where our theme came from,” Gaither said. “The warmth and brightness that the students show is the coolest part of the event.”

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Cardenas went on to detail his emotional connection to the shooting of Stephon Clark. With regard to the location of Clark’s shooting — in his own grandmother’s backyard — Cardenas acknowledged that spaces perceived as safe might not necessarily be so.

“I can’t guarantee that this is a safe space,” Cardenas said. “So let’s say it’s a brave space.”

Members of staff and faculty sat sideby-side, in couches and chairs in Wall Main and the conversations that ensued for the next two hours ranged from quiet whispers to freely flowing tears, to louder statements filled with political criticism, discussion of the media and the role of police in shootings of unarmed individuals.

FREE

One attendee asked what can be done to stop such shootings. During a discussion on the perceived role of police by the media and the general public, one student said “wearing a badge” makes someone “the judge, the jury and the executioner.”

“Everybody wants to be black, but they don’t really want to be black,” said another student, during a heated discussion on the appropriation of black American culture by mass media.

“It’s not a black issue, it’s a human rights issue,” said second-year political science major Yash Patel, receiving a chorus of snapping fingers from his group members.

During a group discussion, Branden Petitt, the director of the Office of Student Development, explained his take on the im-

**All Nights are 18 & Over portance of such processing events.

“I think it’s important for students toSlug: camel_op 805 RUSSELL BLVD | DAVIS, CA have that voice,” Petitt said. “To share withEdits: TD CH mm es Notes: each other and make sure that the UC Davis community is one where they can feel safeTitle: Cartoon and have that dialogue with each other.” Headline: Wednesdays Past As the evening came to a close, staff andLayercake: n/a faculty expressed their overall takeaways BY SEDONA PATTER SO-SMI TH By snpatterson@ucdavis.edu SEDONA PATTERSON-SMITH — ​snpatterson@ucdavis.edu from the event.

“There’s been some super good conversation in all of the groups,” Dowrie said. “It started off with one processing question, and I think each group has taken it in a different direction and been able to process however it is that they needed to, which is ultimately the goal of the program: for people to be able to engage in a way that is beneficial and meaningful to them.”

reflection of the UC Davis Law Students Association, the Black Law Students Association or any other organizations in which she held a leadership position in.

“Violence, as I see it, is any kind of peaceful resistance,” Waldon said. “When you are hindering a person’s ability to get home by marching on a highway, or when you are preventing a person from going to work by protesting in front of their building, that’s violent. But I think that type of action is called something else depending on who’s acting. When black people exercise their right to peaceful resistance, when they protest or march to show their unrest or disapproval of government systems, it becomes violent in the most negative sense [...] because society, as a whole, still doesn’t understand what we are resisting.”

Waldon offered a poignant remembrance of King’s legacy.

“To remember Dr. King’s legacy, I looked at the Letter from Birmingham Jail,” Waldon said. “I think that’s a quintessential reminder that Dr. King wasn’t the most beloved figure in his time. As a whole, I think people put a rose-colored cloth over his legacy not realizing he was a beautiful and necessary revolutionary that was also

troublesome. I don’t think we look enough to the type of challenge he brought to government structures and social structures.

Rereading the Letter from Birmingham Jail put me back in a place where I recognize the type of unwanted revolutionary he was in his time.”

Waldon spoke on the important work that law students can do to advance civil rights.

“Law students have the unique and privileged position to challenge laws that don’t make sense, and make ones that do,” Waldon said. “When the average person engages in civil unrest and challenges the laws, lawmakers and prosecutors have a tendency to silence their voices by saying, ‘You don’t know how the law works, you don’t understand.’ Law students do. They can be a part of protests and marches and other challenges, and [they] cannot be dismissed for their ignorance. They are confronted with the law every day and are in the best position to call out hypocrisy and fix discrepancies so that we can finally realize Dr. King’s dream.”

A full video transcript of the panel event can be accessed on the UC Davis Law School website.

Wednesdays Past

MLK CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

day is “a day of remembrance and looking back at Martin Luther King Jr’s effect on both the United States and on the world.”

Novell also said she was looking forward to the comments from the event’s panelists.

In an email interview conducted after the panel occured, Dana Scott, a second-year student at the UC Davis Law School, gave her impression of the event.

“The concept of implicit bias and understanding its connection to how far our society has come/still has to go was very compelling and left an impression on me,” Scott said. “It is something that we often know exists, but we don’t fully acknowledge its impact as much as we need to.”

Scott also gave her thoughts on the climate of civil liberty protection today and what lessons can be learned from King’s advocacy.

“The need for continued advocacy and work is extremely present,” Scott said. “As a society there is always something that we can all be doing, and we have to be active in finding our role to support others and better ourselves as a whole.”

In an email interview, Waldon shared her personal thoughts on the event. She stipulated that her responses were not a

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12 | THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

CREW CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

and harder, and I have to say it reshaped me physically and mentally.”

Huang admitted that there were “a lot of moments” when she felt like giving up on rowing, but was able to persevere thanks to the help of the friendships she forged.

In disciplining themselves to committing to such a harsh practice regimen, the men’s and women’s crew teams have become quite good at what they do. UC Davis rowing is in its 40th year of existence, and for the majority of those years each team has been completely student-run.

Both teams have also consistently competed in Georgia as national finalists in recent seasons, including a host of top-10 finishes and a first place finish by the women’s novice squad in 2016.

When not on the national stage, both teams compete in local and regional races throughout the year, with things really picking up during the months of spring. Around the same week as spring break each year, the team ventures south to compete in the San Diego Crew Classic, an event full of team bonding and fierce competition as nearly 700 teams consistently enter. Later in April, the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association holds its regional race just across the causeway in Sacramento. According to Gullett, this is the women’s team’s most competitive race because “every member of the team has a race at WIRA.” This high level of success has been sustained over the years due to the teams’ understanding of the importance of perfecting their craft as well as a passion for racing and developing strong bonds of friendship.

“One of my favorite things about rowing is that it is the ultimate team-building sport,” Sandhoefner said. “When you have eight rowers in a boat, it is essential that everyone is doing the exact same thing, at the exact same time, in the exact same way.”

Not only does each rower have

Protests

to remain in sync with the others in the boat, but also utilize a technique that adequately balances finesse with raw strength.

The members of the men’s team are considered smaller in terms of physical size than most programs, but the team has been able to remain competitive thanks to its adherence to rowing with proper form. Sandhoefner added that, in his opinion, “one of the best feelings in the world” is beating a team of larger athletes because it means that he and his teammates rowed better than their opponents.

This drive to compete as one unit and to out-row other teams naturally results in the formation of incredibly strong friendships.

“The trust in our teammates transfers off the water into our personal [and] academic lives as well,” Sandhoefner said. “We spend a lot of time with each other on campus because we’re like a big family, and in the past when I’ve been stressed out due to school or personal problems, my teammates are the first ones I turn to for support.”

Even outside of racing, Gullett believes that the student-run “club” aspect of the rowing program is what makes her participation in it so much more rewarding.

“Being a student-run organization is so amazing, you learn so many life skills,” Gullet said. “It’s being responsible for something that’s bigger than you and making sure you’re leaving your legacy. It made the campus smaller for me. So I really like having that core community and the people and the fact that we’re doing this for ourselves and no one else.”

The men’s and women’s teams are separate organizations. They have separate practice schedules, coaches and executive team members, but the program as a whole shares many aspects. The teams share a boat house where they both practice and they share certain equipment and travel costs.

The men’s and women’s teams also share something intangible

as well, and that’s passionate, dedicated leadership. An excellent illustration of the type of selflessness and devotion comes from the men’s team president, third-year economics and philosophy double major Stevie Benko.

“The part of my role that really makes me feel like I’m making a difference [...] is being able to set some sort of example to the team,” Benko said. He explained that last year he sustained an injury that kept him out of rowing for nearly 10 months.

“Every second of being on land while my friends were out on the water was awful,” Benko said.

“But I did my physical therapy, I waited for my injury to heal, and I showed up at the boathouse for practices I knew I could not participate in. I truly loved the sport enough to where just sitting there watching everyone else row could make my day; a vicarious experience. I hoped that people saw my determination to get better, that people saw my love for the sport and I hope that it helped some of my teammates see just how worth it the whole thing was.”

Gullet, a graduating senior who plans on pursuing a Ph.D. in organic chemistry at the University of Illinois, reflected on her past four years, explaining what her experience with the team has taught her.

“Mental strength and confidence.” Gullett said. “Confidence in my leadership skills, confidence in who I am as a person. I feel like I have learned so much about myself through this because when you’re out on the water and it’s cold and you’re tired and your coach is yelling at you because you don’t have good technique, you’re out there with all of these other strong women and you’re just like, ‘I can do this, I can do anything.’”

Led by exemplary student-athletes, UC Davis men’s and women’s club rowing is a shining example of how sacrifice and love for a craft leads to true success and lifelong friendship.

TRACTORS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

BY A RI E L HI LO ME N abhilomen@ucdavis.edu

safety checks, basic services and maintenance operations on different types of tractors.

“Learning the actual mechanics and parts behind the tractors has definitely been challenging,” said Pele Gianotti, a fourth-year political science major, in an email interview. “The first couple of lectures I was a little stressed just because I knew absolutely nothing. It is pretty enlightening to realize that you’ve been driving a car for years and yet know nothing about how it runs and how to do maintenance on it. That was definitely the most eye-opening thing about this experience so far.”

As Rumsey’s early experience teaching the class illustrates, one of the biggest challenges for students who enroll in this class is none other than learning how to use the clutch. Even though the tractors roll along at roughly three miles per hour, driving a tractor is often a new way of operating a vehicle for students — especially for those who take the class and don’t have a driver’s licenses. “[The biggest challenge for students is] using the clutch.” Shafii said. “All of the tractors now have clutch because clutch is a way of starting or right away stopping the tractor. That’s, using the clutch, what we call the ‘panic button.’ They really sometimes struggle with that one.”

Shafii pointed out that very rarely students will students try to fool around on the tractors, and whatever does happen mostly consists of them trying to race each other at three miles per hour.

Ultimately, over the years students have been impressively conscientious of all things safety when it comes to operating the field equipment. Safety is nailed into the curriculum, including extensive videos, instructions, walkthroughs, on-site personnel in the form of TAs and a safety coordinator — everything the students need to maintain a safe environment.

“From day one we talk safety, and I always try to put the fear of God in them,” Rumsey said.

“From a practical standpoint, day one, I say: ‘okay, everybody gets two warnings, and the warnings come if you’re screwing around.’ They want to go and hot rod my tractors and [...] we’ll give you one warning. If we do it twice then you’re out.”

In the nearly 70 years it’s been taught, ABT 49 has a spotless record. Rumsey and Shafii hope it stays this way so that students can continue taking the class for years to come. Its uniqueness and pop-

ularity are likely influential factors in why students take the class so seriously, as they’re eager to learn but also keep it around for future students to enjoy as well.

“I would definitely recommend others taking the class,” Gianotti said via email. “I feel like no matter what level of knowledge you have everyone can have fun and learn new things. I love how new it is and think it is a great class to explore different areas of knowledge that you might not have experienced before. Overall it has been really fun and I am ready to learn more.”

Neither Anderson nor Gianotti are agricultural majors or engineers, which is actually pretty typical of students who take the class today. Although Rumsey says the conception of the class was for agricultural students to receive hands-on training in farm machinery, it has evolved immensely over the years, not only to accommodate the diversity of students who seek out the class, but to adapt to other kinds of changes, too.

“What we teach probably hasn’t evolved a whole lot, although technology-wise, it has,” Rumsey said. “Tractors now have auto steer, GPS. It’s pretty phenomenal, to climb on board of a brand-new tractor. The students that we tracked has evolved [too]. I noticed we started getting students who wanted to farm, but had absolutely no farming background at all. So their needs were different than somebody like myself or Dr. Shafii, who at least had some exposure [to farming growing up].”

This is something Rumsey appreciates about teaching this hands-on course. Not only will the practical applications of the class be unforgettable, but he can also tailor his teachings to the needs of the students. His intention is that each student leaves the class with a valuable new piece of knowledge. To both Rumsey and Shafii, the field of work as well as the profession of education are the main reasons they love being a part of ABT 49.

“For me it’s all about loving to be a teacher and also loving the people who teach,” Shafii said. “And also teaching, especially when you teach practical courses, your students love to listen to you. They know that if they listen to you then they’ll do better in the labs, [and] you will enjoy it because you see their eyes, you see the silence in the class. Doing hands-on skills, you never get tired of that. We love to use our hands.”

THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018 | 13

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

SENIORS

SMART FARM

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

see exactly what is happening from this training and education and whether the programs we provide, we are able to see positive outcomes.”

UC Davis leads this initiative with about 20 partners, which include several California State Universities, community colleges, the Agricultural Natural Resources network and 4H. The 4H program teaches middle school and high school students about agriculture, rural and urban, through hands on experience.

“Our 4H program here at UC Davis has impacted almost 200,000 students in the last few years,” Katehi said. “Food is something so important and it’s something that people understand. Agriculture is not just about farming, it’s also about food processing, food transportation, food delivery. It’s such a huge industry and you don’t have to be a farmer to participate in it, and the whole industry is changing because of technology.”

As part of a collaborative process, Katehi hopes to integrate internship opportunities for students.

“Our goal is to go to foundations in the industry,” Katehi said. “In addition to the education and training and certificates, we want to have internship programs for the students. Experience is so important, if not more important than educating them.”

The goal is to be able to provide 50 internships by the end of the five-year program and use this to eventually grow a major internship center.

The future of precision agriculture through the Smart Farm Initiative aims to transform the manual agricultural labor to a high tech, STEM-based industry. Autonomous technologies and the educational programs proposed will provide opportunities for greater quality of life for these poverty stricken communities.

“This created the impetus motivation and the emotional buy in to connect smart farming and the transformation of the agricultural workforce,” Rodriguez said. “Putting these together is a winwin for everyone.”

LANDSCAPE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

any environmental risks,” Wrysinski said via email. “WTF addresses highway safety issues by coordinating with CalTrans for planting a safe distance from the roadway […] human encroachment since the mid-1800s has resulted in the removal of a vast number of oaks and other native trees.”

FRANKLY, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO YACK...

BY TERRY HUDSON arts@theaggie.org

I tried pushing my back against the door. At first, lightly, and then very aggressively as if the door was going to bend at my will. I wanted to be a mature college student in that instance, so I prioritized. I knew I needed to get back into my room at some point, but right then, I could feel myself needing to yack.

I crawled to the bathroom not caring who saw me (thankfully, no one did) with my head hanging inside the bowl of the handicapped toilet. I’m usually opposed to gun violence, but in this instance, I pulled the trigger. Frankly, it was

Leaders from the two tree-planting groups will meet with members of the Yolo Resource Conservation District on April 24 to discuss how to move forward with the project. Those looking to join or volunteer for Tree Davis or the Woodland Tree Foundation can visit their respective websites. difficult to yack because of my weak gag reflex.

I closed my eyes, but by the time I opened them, two hours had passed. There was also a giant red mark imprinted on my face from the toilet seat. My put-together self remembered that the RA lived on the other side of the hall. (I saw her moving in earlier that day). I cleaned myself up and propped my body rag-doll fashion against my RA’s door — and knocked.

When the door opened, her immediate facial expression read, “I didn’t sign up for this.” I smiled as widely as I could and said, “Hi, Gina!

Funny thing, I locked myself out of my room and my roommate isn’t home.” Luckily, she had a key (“for tonight only,” according to Gina). She opened the door for me and wished me a good night. I just smiled because my stomach hurt every time I spoke.

I collapsed on my bed, face planted into my phone, and promptly fell asleep. I awoke the next morning and, as I pulled away to allow my vision to come into focus, I found a text message on my phone: “I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU DID THAT.” Next week: The return

INTERNET CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

with community broadband yet,” Davis said. “We’re analyzing costs and structuring it as a business model. There are a lot of questions remaining about how we’re going to pay for it. We’re in the process of continuing analysis of the possibilities. We have made no decision to move forward on it yet.”

However, Davis suspects that change will come soon.

“The report that we received last week shows the potential and constraints,” Davis said. “We’re going to continue to analyze and provide greater coverage. We all have questions about other technological advances that we need to keep our eye on that use cellular technology for high-speed

transmission of data. We’re still in learning mode, but I expect we will collaborate with the university and serve the needs of both citizens and companies that want to relocate here. Change is coming. I just don’t know quite the form of what that change is going to be.”

While changes are not effective yet, there will be steps that lead to better broadband for the community.

“This will be a large undertaking for the community,” Worley said. “There’s a lot of incremental steps along the way. Ultimately, the council representing will be making decisions going forward and also solicit support from the community.”

INCOME INEQUITY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

fight growing inequality and ensure that taxpayer dollars provide opportunities not just for students, but for workers as well.”

Beechem said that the UC is attentive to issues of inequality.

“We take issues of fairness and equitable treatment seriously, have mechanisms in place to

respond to these types of issues, and follow appropriate Equal Employment Opportunity policies,” Beechem said via email. “We encourage any employee who believes he or she is being treated unfairly to bring their concerns to the attention of the proper UC office so that they may be addressed quickly.”

Daisha Paringit, a fourth-year design major, is prematurely nostalgic for her college years, and hopes to utilize her spring quarter to reflect on her time in college and appreciate her friendships she’s made during her time at UC Davis.

“I’m looking forward to all the fun events and spending time with my friends,” Paringit said. “I’m trying to enjoy every single second that I can while I’m still in college. I know this is my last quarter so I’m trying to live life to the fullest and go to every

event that I can. I’m really looking forward to hanging out with as many friends as I can before everyone goes their separate ways and I go down my own path.”

Paringit noted that after college, she and other soon-to-be graduates will lose opportunities to enjoy events and free time the way that they can as current students.

“I won’t have as much free time [after I graduate] and I’ll be working a lot and be more tired,” Paringit said. “I think my relationships with

people will definitely change but I’m going to try and keep the relationships that I have. It’s my last time doing certain things so I’m trying to enjoy it while I can.”

For seniors unsure of how to best spend their final quarter at UC Davis, events for the spring include Lawntopia, Picnic Day and Whole Earth Festival. Spring Quarter at Davis offers many opportunities for students to keep busy, have fun and spend time with their friends and peers before graduating.

ing logo both on and off the field.

Countless petitions and articles have been turned out throughout the years begging for not only a change of mascot, but a change of name and brand. However, the Indians do not appear ready to take further steps to distance themselves from the name and mascot, stating simply that “the team name Indi-

ans will not be changed.”

Though the controversies surrounding the Indians name and logo will continue for as long as they allow both to be used in any capacity, retiring it from the game is a significant step. However, until the name and logo are wiped away for good, more controversy can be expected from supporters and detractors alike.

APPROPRIATION CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

by continuing its presence on merchandise in our market. This will maintain the Indians’ ownership of the trademark as well, which we would risk losing to another organization if we ceased all use.”

To others, however, the wounds caused by the name will not be healed until the team officially does away with the mascot and offend-

14 | THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

PICNICS FROM DAYS PAST

AARON KEOKHAM

BRIANA NGO

DEBPARNA PRATIHER

CIERA PASTUREL

VENOOS MOSHAYEDI

BRIANA NGO

LUCY KNOWLES

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THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018 | 15

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

SPORTS

WOMEN’S TENNIS DISMANTLES SONOMA STATE Aggies confident for upcoming Big West Championship tournament

BY BOBBY JOHN sports@theaggie.org

UC Davis women’s tennis steamrolled Sonoma State 7-0 at Marya Welch Tennis Center on April 14, the first match in a two-match weekend. This decisive win followed a 5-2 loss to San Jose State one week before on April 7 in which UC Davis was not at full strength due to injuries.

“It’s nice to get back in the winning column,” said Head Coach Bill Maze. “We feel like we are back now, we’re excited, we feel like this was a great match to get us ready for a big one at Long Beach State.”

The women started by winning all three doubles matches to grab the doubles point without much pushback from Sonoma State.

With momentum, the Aggies continued with the same energy into singles play without losing a single set to the Seawolves.

The official win for UC Davis was secured by junior Isabelle Von Ebbe’s nearly perfect performance, 6-0, 6-1. However, both teams agreed to play out the remainder of the matches. In total, the women only lost three games in singles play before locking in the win.

In the number-one spot, senior Kristy Jorgensen got off to a quick start in the first set. After both players won a game a piece, Sonoma State’s Christina Colling lost two consecutive points and then double faulted her way to 40-love. After a short rally, Jorgenson stepped into

D E N A LI C H E N / CO URTESY

INSIDE UC DAVIS CREW Rowing’s dedicated leaders explain one of campus’ most unique club sports

BY D O M I N I C FA RI A sports@theaggie.org

There is a wide variety of club sports programs offered at UC Davis. With nearly 40 student-run organizations affiliated with the university, there’s a club sport that fits practically every type of recreational and athletic preference. While each organization is unique in its own way, the men’s and women’s club crew teams are particularly fascinating.

For starters, the vast majority of crew athletes have no experience with rowing prior to coming to UC Davis. This is common among both the members of the women’s and men’s teams. Rather than acting as a barrier to success, the team enjoys a roster that possesses a diverse array of athletic skill sets. According to fourth-year chemistry major and president of the women’s rowing team Kelly Gullett, this is what makes rowing so special.

“The novice squad is all people who have never rowed before, and so you get to learn a brand new sport together. Everybody is on the same pace,” Gullett said. “We have people of very different athletic abilities who will come in with either playing soccer or volleyball or basketball in high school and then try a new sport or people who have never played a sport before coming out and learning to row.”

Third-year cognitive science major and men’s rowing vice president Aidan Sandhoefner agreed and mentioned that only one member of the men’s team this year had experience with rowing before college.

“This leads to an interesting dynamic,” Sandhoefner said. “Since there are generally no superstars who have been rowing for years to outshine their less-experienced teammates –– everyone starts with a blank slate and learns the sport together. I joined the team after talking to some current rowers at the ‘How Do U Rec’ event at orientation, and they really sold the sport and made me realize

the court and stung a backhand down the line to break Colling’s serve, making it 2-1.

Jorgensen proceeded to secure the set with a forceful inside-out forehand, taking advantage of Colling’s second serve on a break-point to take the set 6-3.

The second set was smooth sailing for Jorgensen, securing it 6-1.

“This win will help us out at [Long Beach], which will help us at Indian Wells,” Jorgensen said.

For the sophomore in the number-two spot, Kristina Breisacher, the match was not as seamless. After exchanging top-spin heavy balls with her opponent, Jenna DeTurk, this match turned out to produce longer and safer rallies and was the longest match of the day. Each player waited for the other to commit the error rather than pushing forward to cut off the court to their opponent.

“Her opponent was playing pretty darn well,” Maze said. “Kristina wasn’t hitting the ball as well as she can.”

The tide turned at 5-5 in her first set when DeTurk lost two consecutive points on her serve and then double faulted to make it love40 in favor of Breisacher, who broke her opponent’s serve to make it 6-5.

Breisacher’s first set did not come easily — DeTurk was on the verge on answering back and rallied to make the score 15-40 in favor of Sonoma State. Breisacher’s determination was apparent as she focused and carefully placed her shots, rallying her way to deuce.

On deuce, Breisacher and DeTurk traded heavy shots, each player waiting for the other to commit an error. Breisacher was a little quicker getting to the ball, and DeTurk eventually missed wide on the backhand side, giving the set to UC Davis, 7-5.

This long set appeared to have broken DeTurk’s focus, and Breisacher easily won the next three games, and eventually the set, 6-2.

“I knew that Kristina would come through because she never says die,” Maze said.

Maze and the Aggies are excited for the rest of their regular season

that I’d rather try something new and unique instead of playing baseball like I did in high school.”

The concept of the sport of rowing is not all that complicated –– the athletes pack themselves into a very skinny boat and row in unison in a straight line toward the finish line. At the collegiate level, teams can race in a boat made up of eight, four or two athletes at a time. Races are typically 2,000meter sprints, and a “good” finishing time is just under seven minutes. The eight-man and fourman boats are also led by a coxswain, an athlete who sits at the end of the boat and leads the rowers as they race.

While the concept of rowing is not hard to understand, the real difficulty comes in perfecting the rowing technique and balance required to be competitive. Regardless of athletic background, each new member is not only charged with the task of learning the sport, but also with getting used to a remarkably grueling practice schedule — which sets sets it apart from most other recreational clubs.

Athletes must consistently wake up well before sunrise and travel 25 minutes to the Sacramento River, forgoing sleep for an intense workout in the cold, wet early morning darkness until the sun finally peeks over the horizon.

It might be difficult for non-rowers to imagine voluntarily doing such a thing even once, but the members of both the women’s and the men’s teams follow this exhausting routine nearly every morning during the spring season. For Sandhoefner, this is his one of his favorite aspects about the sport.

“It feels fantastic to know that I get my workout in before most people are even awake — it’s the ultimate feeling of productivity,” Sandhoefner said.

Having such an early practice time enables members to have the entire rest of the day to focus on academics, as opposed to following the normal pattern of other student-athletes who must switch in and out of the “athlete” mode when practices are scheduled in the middle of the school day. Sandhoefner also explained that most people “don’t realize how quickly our bodies adjust to changes in our sleep schedule.”

For others, particularly newer members, the process of getting themselves acclimated to the intense schedule is more of a struggle. As a new member of the women’s novice squad, first-year food science major Rita Huang admitted that adjusting to the rowing schedule and waking up at 4:30 a.m. was difficult in the beginning. Just when she felt used to her new schedule, the intensity of the practices picked up.

“At first rowing was not that physically challenging for me since the track practice in high school was more harsh than that,” Huang wrote. “But as the season went through, practices became harder CREW on 12

CLEVELAND INDIANS RETIRE CHIEF WAHOO — SORT OF

Controversial mascot will no longer be on in-game gear, will remain on merchandise

BY BRADLEY GEISER sports@theaggie.org

After years of controversy regarding the use of Chief Wahoo, a Native American caricature which has drawn the ire of baseball fans and members of the indigenous community, the Cleveland Indians have decided to retire their controversial mascot. Chief Wahoo, whose blood-red grin face has slowly become less prevalent on the team’s on-field gear, will officially go away at the start of the 2019 MLB season.

The appropriation of indigenous imagery and culture is nothing new to the world of sports. It is an issue which affects not only the world of professional sports, but schools across the nation. Up until 2011, Colusa High School, located an hour north of Sacramento, bore the controversial Redskins name and mascot, while the NFL team of the same name continues to draw criticism for refusing to change its name. Of the four major American sports, only the NBA is void of teams who use indigenous iconography. In college sports, the NCAA has tried cracking

MACL EA N HA RT FORD / AG GIE

and are staying focused for their remaining games.

“We also have a couple tough matches next weekend. It’s kind of nice to keep grinding away before the tournament so we don’t get into a lull,” said senior Lani-Rae Green. “We’re definitely working at it every single day. So we’re excited.”

In the Big West, UC Davis is currently number one at 6-2. UC Davis’ women’s tennis program has never won a championship, and for the past two years UC Santa Barbara has won the year-ending tournament.

The women will travel to Reno to face University of Nevada, Reno on April 20 before coming back to face Sacramento State for their last home game. That will cap off regular season play, and the women will head into the Big West Conference championship tournament at Indian Wells starting April 26.

This year the team thinks they are in a good position to take a Big West title.

“We’ve had some good teams in the past years, but this is definitely the best team we played on, our best chance to win the conference at Indian Wells,” Jorgensen said. “We couldn’t be any more excited or amped up. We’re ready to go.”

Unitrans 2018-2019 Service Change Proposals Unitrans is seeking input on fare and service change proposals to increase revenue, reduce costs, and reinvest resources on lines with high ridership and poor reliability (see pamphlet on buses or website for full proposals).

FARE & PASS PRICE INCREASE • Cash Fare: $1 to $1.25 • Davis Community Transit (Regular): $2 to $2.50 • Pass prices increasing by 20% • Student fees are NOT increasing

ROUTE CHANGES B Line Extended & C Line Discontinued T Line Changes

• Modified to serve North and East Davis to provide more service to Holmes Jr. HS

Proposed DHS/Holmes West Davis Line:

• Proposed new line to provide more service in West Davis (neighborhoods adjacent to Shasta Dr. and North Davis) via Anderson Drive to DHS and Holmes Jr. HS

SERVICE CHANGES Amtrak Shuttle Discontinuation On Sunday Evenings Weekday Midday Service Reduction

• D/G/J/W/V lines reduced to twice per hour between 10am and 3pm GIANTS on 12

Public Open Houses & Hearings: April 9, 2018 | 11:30 AM - 2:00 PM Davis Senior Center, 646 A St. April 10, 2018 | 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM Memorial Union, 2nd Floor, Garrison Room April 19, 2018 | 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM City Hall Chambers, 23 Russell Blvd.

Comment by calling (530)752-2877 or email comments@unitrans.com *If approved, changes would be effective in July 2018

UNITRANS AS UC D

down on imagery which could be viewed as offensive. The Florida State Seminoles are in an unusual situation as compared to other NCAA teams with controversial mascots because they have the blessings of the tribe from which their name derives.

Though the Cleveland Indians are not alone in flaunting a controversial Native American mascot, the controversy has followed the team for many years, specifically during their World Series run in 2017, where the team fell short. For some, retiring the logo from the all in-game gear is a small but significant step in the right direction to some, while others see it as needless censorship. To appease the latter, the Cleveland Indians maintained that not only will the logo be allowed inside the stadium, but the team will also continue selling merchandise whichbears Chief

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OF

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KEITH ALLISON / FLICKR

Wahoo prominently.

“While we agreed with MLB to remove the logo from our on-field uniforms,” the Indians said in a statement on their website, “we understand the connection many in the Cleveland community have with Chief Wahoo, and we will support that relationship APPROPRIATION on 13

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Please note that this product cannot be delivered on campus Please note that this product cannot on campus as UC Davisbeis delivered a smoke- and tobacco-free environment. as UC Davis is a smoke and tobacco free environment.

Please note that this product cannot be delivered on campus

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