April 30 2020

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VOLUME 138, ISSUE 25 | THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2020

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UC DAVIS PROFESSORS SPEAK TO ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS BROUGHT AND WILL BRING Though COVID-19 has presented environmental upticks, many caution against celebration KIYOMI WATSON / AGG IE

YOLO COUNTY AND PARTNERS HELP UNEMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS, STRUGGLING NONPROFITS AS ECONOMIC CRISIS CONTINUES Technical assistance, advice

provided to those who are unemployed, cash grants available for essential nonprofits

BY EDEN WI NNI FOR D city@theaggie.org

The Plant and Environmental Sciences building at UC Davis. (Photo by Quinn Spooner / Aggie)

BY KAT I E D EBE N E DE T T I features@theaggie.org One lens the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic has been analyzed through is that of the environmental side effects resulting from lockdown measures across the globe in attempts to contain and prevent the spread of the virus.

There was a 50% reduction in nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide in China due to the closing of industries and factories, according to Scott Collis, an atmospheric scientist at Argonne National Laboratory. In the U.S., some regions are seeing nitrogen dioxide levels lower by as much as 30% compared to the levels before lockdown.

In Rome, the air pollution was 49% lower between mid-March and mid-April this year than in 2019.

These improvements, however, are very much temporary — given that they are simply the direct results of economies the world over largely shut down. The United Nations and scholars around the world, however, are arguing that the pandemic should act as a “wake-up call” and serve as an opportunity to make permanent changes to the global economy in support of the environment.

UC Davis’ Frances Moore, a professor from the Department of Environmental Science and Policy, agrees with this idea, saying these environmental shifts are not evidence of sustained environmental progress, but instead pose a potential threat to the climate as the world moves forward.

“We shouldn’t mistake what’s going on now with environmental progress,” Moore said. “It’s temporary, and associated with extremely bad things for many people. I think the bigger environmental issue is that when societies are stressed

[...] that is not an environment in which you make advances on public good issues like climate change, like biodiversity issues.”

As countries continue to navigate the pandemic and the subsequent economic downturn, Moore warns that climate change progress has the potential to be pushed to the sidelines. She said, however, that this could be an opportunity for progress to be made toward protecting the climate and biodiversity if the government turns its attention to green policies.

“In very, very bad economic downturns, historically, the government has done a lot of investing,” Moore said. “[That] potential could be directed toward green infrastructure and the kind of big projects that we need to improve our grid, our transportation infrastructure, improve our housing stock to make it compatible with a low-carbon economy. I think that’s where you see potential. You have to have political will and interest in doing that and directing the funds in that way.”

Another important change moving forward which would support the environment is the scaling back of developmental activities. UC Davis Professor and Chair of the Department of Environmental Science and Policy Edwin Grosholz noted that, amid the pandemic, development and the need for developmental activities have dramatically decreased, which contributes to the positive changes seen in air and water quality.

Grosholz hopes that some of this positive change will be maintained, but said it will be difficult.

“It’s going to be hard for humans to kind of hold back from entering into wilder areas,” Grosholz said. “Our continual movement into wild areas will continue to push the development of

diseases like this” Moving further into animal habitats inherently raises the risk of crossover between animal and human communities, according to Groscholz.

This is thought to be how COVID-19 originally began spreading — it is also a primary way other viruses have spread. A decrease in the speed at which humans race to develop and expand, however, will leave more of the natural environments, especially at the coast, less affected, which helps protect the biodiversity in those areas.

The pandemic has also exposed the ways transportation can be adjusted to be more environmentally friendly. One of the biggest reasons for the cleaner air and water currently seen around the world is due to the decrease in car, train and bus travel, as a majority of the world works from home.

Dr. Susan Handy, another UC Davis professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy, noted that it is a distinct possibility that as shelter-in-place orders are lifted, people may still be hesitant to return to public transportation, given the close quarters associated with this type of travel. Resistance to public transportation could mean more car travel — or, as she says she hopes, an uptick in bike commuting.

“Biking had a lot more potential than we’ve taken advantage of,” Handy said. “Especially if cities are making conditions more comfortable for biking by widening bike lanes [and] putting in bike lanes, I think people are going to feel a lot more comfortable doing it.”

ENVIRONMENTAL on 11

ASUCD COULD LOSE $1.1 MILLION AS A RESULT OF COVID-19

Millions from emergency reserves, government acts, Basic Needs and Services Referendum to offset losses

MU at UC Davis. (Photo by Quinn Spooner / Aggie)

BY GRASC HE L L E FA R IÑAS H IPO L I TO campus@theaggie.org ASUCD is projected to face $1.1 million in losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic if the campus does not reopen for Fall Quarter 2020, according to ASUCD Controller Kevin Rotenkolber.

ASUCD Business Manager Greg Ortiz and Rotenkolber, who is responsible for securing the financial stability and solvency of the association for the future, have suspended each unit’s access to its budget line items until further notice — unless exempted by Rotenkolber or Ortiz —in order to mitigate losses until they are able to determine the exact financial impact of the pandemic. Once the exact amount of financial loss is determined, the ASUCD management team will

decide how to cover it, pending Senate approval.

“As far as putting a number to the financial impact, it is still too early to know for sure what the impact will be,” Rotenkolber said. “After consulting with [Associate Vice Chancellor for Health, Wellness and Divisional Resources] Cory Vu and Budget Manager Luci Schmidl, we came to a preliminary estimate for the financial impact on ASUCD’s bottom line: approximately $1.1 million dollars. This number may change depending on the duration of the campus’ switch to remote instruction and the shelter-in-place Order, as well as spending decisions made between now and then.”

Rotenkolber said the $1.1 million estimate is the result of ASUCD planning for the worst while hoping for the best. The UC Davis administration has not yet made a decision on whether Fall Quarter 2020 will take place remotely. A few universities, including Cal State Fullerton, have

already announced plans to hold fall instruction online.

Rotenkolber explained that since most ASUCD units are service- or advocacy-based, even business operations such as the CoHo and the Bike Barn are near break-even operations.

Virtually all aspects of ASUCD — especially the CoHo, the Bike Barn, Picnic Day and Whole Earth Festival — have been financially impacted

by COVID-19.

“In the case of the Bike Barn, until the shelter-in-place order went out and we suspended their operations, they were on track to meet or exceed their income expectations,” Rotenkolber said. “[They] are now projected to fall approximately $105,000 short of pre-COVID-19 expectations. Units like KDVS, Picnic Day and Whole Earth Festival, which all have big events in the Spring that generate almost all of their income in Spring, are more or less projected to bring in almost no income.”

Additionally, the CoHo and its satellite locations, BioBrew and CoHo South, are profitable only four months per year in a normal year, with the two most profitable months being April and May. The high profit made in those four months offsets the cost of the other eight months of the year and allows for the CoHo to serve students year-round. Without income from the CoHo, Rotenkolber expects a significant loss in ASUCD funds.

Ortiz, however, explained that ASUCD has a significant amount of reserves in place to offset financial losses during situations like this, similar to the California wildfires in 2018 that shutdown the campus for over a week. ASUCD lost a significant amount of revenue at that time, as well.

Rotenkolber confirmed that ASUCD has about $2.3 million between three main reserves.

ASUCDBUDGET on 11

In the wake of the economic fallout caused

by COVID-19, Yolo County and its partners have stepped up to provide financial resources to struggling individuals and nonprofits.

The Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency created an advice hotline for people financially strained during the crisis.

Executive Director of the Workforce Innovation Board Elaine Lytle described how hotline operators connect callers with unemployment benefits and other government programs.

“We have started a hotline where we have staff manning the phone lines,” Lytle said. “It’s for individuals calling for information about unemployment, and then also for any other resources. We want to make sure they’re getting other resources that they may need, such as Medi-Cal, CalFresh and CalWORKS.” Medi-Cal is California’s medical insurance program serving low-income individuals, and CalFresh provides nutritious foods and financial means to buy food to low-income individuals and families. CalWORKs gives “cash aid and services to eligible needy Californian families,” according to its website.

Data collected by the California Employment Development Department records that Yolo County Unemployment Insurance claims rose from 112 on Jan. 4, 2020 to 3,014 on April 4, 2020. The unemployment rate in Yolo County is 5.9% as of April 17.

Confronted with these numbers, Lytle explained that the hotline workers also fill an important role as empathetic listeners who help stave off hopelessness in callers.

“What I told the team when they first started is that people are calling because they want to talk to somebody,” Lytle said. “Sometimes they just need someone to hear them — they might have just lost their job and the kids are coming home from school. For a lot of the calls we received, it was listening and assessing what they were really asking for.”

Executive Director of the Yolo Community Foundation Jessica Hubbard listed the ways local nonprofits are being helped during the crisis, which includes a campaign to ramp up donations.

“We are partnering with Yolo County on what we’re calling the Yolo COVID-19 Nonprofit Relief Initiative,” Hubbard said. “We’re working on a donor education campaign that’s designed to encourage local community members to give directly to local nonprofits.”

The Yolo Community Foundation website describes the goal of the COVID-19 Relief Initiative seeks to aid struggling nonprofits that provide essential services.

“The new COVID-19 Relief Initiative provides resources to help the essential work of Yolo nonprofits during this unprecedented crisis” the website reads. “Yolo County’s nonprofits care for the most vulnerable in the community and enrich the fabric of the Yolo community through a wide range of programs that support, teach, and connect.”

Hubbard explained that most of its funds will be given to essential nonprofits, and the remainder will be granted to nonprofits negatively impacted by the crisis.

“We are accepting grants in two categories,” Hubbard said. “One is organizations that are frontline responders to the crisis — so organizations addressing problems that have been created or exacerbated by COVID-19 and the economic condition. We’re also accepting grants from nonprofits seeing revenue drop or a loss of volunteers due to the crisis.”

As of April 17, the initiative raised $325,000 from Yolo County, Davis and Woodland. Winters and West Sacramento were also considering donating to the fund.

Because of the economic strain caused by COVID-19, Hubbard said she understood that many people would be unable to donate.

For those in a better financial position, however, donating is especially important at this time.

“A lot of us are worried about our jobs or our income or have already seen job loss and income drop,” Hubbard said. “But for those of us who can, it’s really important to do what we’re able to in order to support local nonprofits.”

NEWJOBS on 11

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

2 | THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2020

AGGIE EXPERIENCE LIVE! REPLACES ANNUAL DECISION UC DAVIS COVID-19 prompts university to host a series online sessions, webinars for admitted students, their families

A UC Davis campus tour guide leads a group of visitors. (Courtesy Photo of UC Davis)

BY AA RYA G U P TA

campus@theaggie.org Aggie Experience Live!, a virtual open house, was created in response to shelter-in-place directives addressing the COVID-19 pandemic that prevented admitted students and families from going to campus to attend the annual Decision UC Davis.

“While you’re staying close to home to flatten the COVID-19 curve, we’re still working hard to plan your enrollment here,” said Chancellor Gary May in a video prefacing Aggie Experience Live! “We’re going to try to give you everything you need to make the right decision, and we hope that decision is to come to UC Davis and be an Aggie. Everyone associated with the university has a bond, and we want to make that bond one of the mechanisms that we use to get through this difficult time.”

Spanning across two weeks, from April 6 to April 10 and April 13 to April 20, admitted students and their families were given the opportunity to attend interactive, online sessions and

webinars covering an array of topics pertaining to UC Davis.

“The purpose of Aggie Experience Live! is to help admitted students and their families get to know the campus and what it offers,” said Ebony Lewis, the executive director of Undergraduate Admissions, via email. “Many people made Aggie Experience Live! happen because they care so much about helping students get the wonderful education that UC Davis offers.”

Lewis added that the virtual event offered participants the opportunity to ask questions to advisers, “hear from staff, faculty, and current students” and “take a virtual tour.”

“Special sessions provided opportunities to explore campus communities, learn about financial aid and scholarships, tour residence halls, and all other things incoming students and their families want to learn about,” Lewis said.

Alumna Katerina Kountouris, from the class of 2014, was the host of Aggie Experience Live!.

On April 6, Kountouris virtually introduced viewers to the campus, students and representatives from groups at UC Davis, followed by

PICNIC DAY GOES DIGITAL

How the time-honored UC Davis tradition adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic

a session covering financial aid and support for undocumented students on April 7.

“We understand that families’ financial circumstances may have changed or may change in the future,” Lewis said. “UC Davis will consider revisions to financial aid where there have been significant changes to financial conditions due to things like job loss, loss of a family member of medical expenses.”

On April 8, Aggie Experience Live! touched on living in the residence halls and the dining options available to students. The 25 Division I athletics programs on campus as well as the club sports, intramural programs and wellness services were showcased in the session on April 9.

“Thousands of admitted students and family members have participated in Aggie Experience Live! And there’s a lot of excitement,” Lewis said.

The week closed with an introduction to the four academic colleges: the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the College of Biological Sciences, the College of Engineering and the College of Letters and Sciences. There was also an introduction to majors, programs for first-year students and research opportunities.

“Aggies — including students, faculty and staff — offered their insights on the academic colleges, how to get involved in undergraduate research and much more,” Lewis said.

The videos were presented at 3:30 p.m. each day and were made available through Facebook or Zoom. Students who missed the sessions or who would like to review the information can view the recordings of the videos.

“These are challenging times, especially for our young people and their families making important decisions for their future,” Lewis said.

“We want to do all we can to help. We focused on creating an event that would help [prospective students] experience the UC Davis campus as much as possible, short of actually being here.”

Incoming first-year student Renee Wang, from Sunnyvale, California, plans to major in communication and committed to UC Davis after receiving her acceptance.

“I committed to UC Davis because I real-

ly appreciate what a well-rounded school it is,” Wang said. “A really common thing I’ve heard about Davis is how nice everyone is and how there is not so much a competitive culture in terms of academics, but more of a collaborative one. I also like the more unique aspects like what a big biking community is and how there are animals on campus.”

In addition to attending a few sessions and webinars through Aggie Experience Live!, Wang watched YouTube videos filmed by UC Davis students.

“A big influence on my decision are the current students at UC Davis who make YouTube videos about campus life,” Wang said. “I liked that they portrayed the campus in an intimate and honest way, and the videos really helped me to imagine myself at Davis, although I did not get a chance to visit due to COVID-19. In all honesty, compared to the other schools I was considering, I could not find a disadvantage in attending Davis.”

Overall, Wang appreciated how the moderators directly answered her questions and the information she received from attending.

“Because we are in a pandemic, how prospective students visit and explore a school is limited to the internet, as we are unable to visit the campus in person,” Wang said. “As such, I think it is important for schools to keep an open line of communication to prospective students and really utilize the internet during this time.”

For the freshman class for fall 2019, 5,982 first-years and 3,101 transfer students have enrolled, according to the UC Davis website. This year, however, due to external factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lewis said “we won’t know for months how fall enrollment will be affected.”

If students have additional questions, Lewis encourages students to contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

“Most of all, we want to encourage students to remain committed to their future and why they’ve chosen to pursue higher education,” Lewis said.

ANNOUNCEMENT THAT PANTRY SERVED 15,000 DURING MONTH OF FEBRUARY AT APRIL 16 ASUCD SENATE MEETING Senate re-does its pro-tempore election

BY A L E X W E I N ST E IN campus@theaggie.org In its over 100-year history, Picnic Day has never been held virtually — that was the case, however, up until Saturday, April 18, when Picnic Day celebrations went digital for the first time ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With events like a virtual “Doxie Derby,” and a celebration of previous Picnic Days, this virtual take on the quintessential UC Davis tradition was far from traditional. Picnic Day Chair Nicole Deacon discussed the event.

“You don’t need to be on campus to be together,” she said, reflecting on this year’s virtual Picnic Day. This year’s virtual celebration had 5,400 unique attendees, according to Deacon, and they sold 345 shirts — with proceeds going to the UC Davis Medical Center.

“I think the importance of flexibility and being able to think of new solutions is really important,” she said.

Many groups on campus celebrate their achievements through Picnic Day demonstrations. This year, there was not enough time for these groups to transition to online mediums.

“We actually did reach out to [groups] that had submitted applications and were going to be on Picnic Day, but people weren’t going to be

able to [prepare] unless they got together, and we canceled everything during the major prep time for participants,” Deacon said.

Some organizations and alumni were able to put events together, nonetheless. The groups were told that participating in this year’s virtual event was encouraged, but optional.

“There was really only one interactive virtual experience,” said Rosalina Burton, a third-year transfer student, who attended the virtual events.

“Given the circumstances, it’s understandable.”

This year, rather than showcasing different campus groups, the virtual celebrations were more of a reflection on previous Picnic Days.

“Even though we’re in quarantine, there were still people celebrating,” Burton said, emphasizing that, though canceled, Picnic Day still holds a spot in many students’ minds.

Alumni also participated in virtual events, making a virtual Doxie Derby using scale models and string. Students and alumni alike continued to celebrate, both by attending the virtual online event or via social media activities — many students reminisced about previous Picnic Days by uploading videos or pictures from previous years.

Though not traditional, Deacon and Burton both agreed that this year’s virtual Picnic Day was a success.

Next year’s Picnic Day takes place on April 17, 2021.

AG GIE F IL ES

BY ALLY RU SS E LL campus@theaggie.org The April 16 ASUCD Senate meeting was called to order by Vice President Akhila Kandaswamy at 6:12 p.m.

The meeting began with a quarterly report from Ryan Choi, the director of The Pantry, who discussed the ways The Pantry has adapted to social distancing and stay-at-home directives. The Pantry encouraged senators to volunteer to work on Wednesdays to help staff from The Pantry and Aggie Compass distribute groceries to students in need. Despite the closure of the MU, students continue to volunteer to help The Pantry provide for food-insecure students.

In his quarterly report, Choi highlighted how visits have increased exponentially since June of 2019. This past February, The Pantry served almost 15,000 students. This number dropped by 50% in March 2020, likely in response to classes moving online and both local and state stay-athome orders.

Choi encouraged senators to donate to The Pantry on UC Davis’ Give Day. Donations would be matched to help better support The Pantry’s continued efforts to address students’ food insecurity.

Next, Senator Juan Velasco, who was appointed as the Senate president pro tempore at the prior week’s Senate meeting, brought up the fact that the Senate did not have a majority when he was elected and, therefore, the election was unconstitutional. After a lengthy discussion regarding exactly what aspects of the Constitution were violated, the Senate moved to re-do pro-tempore elections.

Senators Shreya Deshpande and Samantha Boudaie were nominated for the position. The table voted to postpone the pro-tempore election until later in the meeting.

Nicole Deacon, the Picnic Day chair, said she and her team made the decision to cancel Picnic Day before Chancellor Gary May released an official statement. Deacon was applauded by multiple senators for the way she handled the disappointing cancellation of the event after months of preparation.

Though Picnic Day was cancelled, Deacon shared that her new priority was fundraising for next year’s Picnic Day through Give Day contributions.

After Deacon’s report, the Senate returned to the senate pro-tempore elections for the third time. Ultimately, Boudaie was elected to the position.

Greg Ortiz, the ASUCD business manager and acting director of Refrigerator Services, presented the unit’s quarterly report. This service

provides students living on-campus with refrigerators. According to Deacon, this is usually one of ASUCD’s most profitable units, but due to COVID-19, Deacon anticipates the unit will incur around $25,000 in refunds, in addition to cleaning expenses.

Next, Alexa Kendell, a first-year philosophy and political science double major, was confirmed as Internal Affairs Commission (IAC) chair. Kendell currently serves as a member of IAC. The Senate then moved into consideration of new legislation.

Senate Resolution #15, authored by Academic Affairs Commission Chair Naomi Reeley, aims to bring attention to the difficulties and constraints Muslim students face during Ramadan.

Reeley said in the past, professors have lacked understanding about the unique challenges students observing Ramadan face. The resolution would encourage teachers to be flexible with these students in class and and in terms of attendance.

Senator Mahan Carduny argued that the wording of the resolution may encourage what he called, “Ramadan laziness,” when students neglect their academic responsibilities. After discussion and an amendment to clarify the language, the table moved into a roll call vote. Despite frequent opposition during discussion, Carduny voted in favor of the resolution and it passed without objections.

The Senate moved into discussion of Senate Bill #48 and SB #49. SB #48 would amend the language associated with the student advocate office in the bylaws. SB #49 would amend language associated with the cabinet of the student advocate in the bylaws. Both bills passed without objections.

The Senate then discussed the recent editorial published by The California Aggie Editorial Board entitled “The Aggie demands selection of its new editor-in-chief be halted until adjustments are made.” Authored by the nine members of The Aggie’s Editorial Board as well as the four prospective candidates for the 2020–21 editor-in-chief (EIC) position, the editorial announced that all four candidates for EIC were refusing an interview with the Media Board, the campus advisory board that selects The Aggie’s EIC, until it was able to obtain quorum, as mandated by its bylaws.

The editorial also demanded that the selection process be completely remodeled in the future to give Aggie staff members, not the staff and faculty members who composed the Media Board, autonomy in choosing their own EIC, as is the case at all other UC campuses and at most other colleges newspapers.

The Senate then moved into a closed session to discuss a personal issue.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2020 | 3

UC DAVIS AND UC SAN DIEGO GRADUATE STUDENTS ON GRADE STRIKE SUBMIT WINTER QUARTER GRADES According to Scott Hernandez-Jason, UC for privacy reasons, Kelman wrote that if those

Organizers call grade strike “no longer the strongest tactic” for achieving a cost of living adjustment completed MA R I O R O D R I G U E Z / AGGI E

BY JANELLE MARIE SALANGA campus@theaggie.org Graduate students at UC Davis who withheld grades as part of the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) movement submitted Winter Quarter grades on April 12, ending a grade strike that began on Feb. 27.

UC San Diego graduate students in support of COLA, who also withheld Winter Quarter grades starting March 18, also submitted grades on April 12.

Organizers for UCD4COLA and COLA4UCSD both said the grading strike was causing more stress under the pandemic, and that to continue the grade strike would contradict the movement’s goals.

COLA4UCSD said in a letter sent out to UC San Diego faculty and staff that those participating in the movement will pursue actions that won’t create additional labor for staff and faculty.

Similarly, UCD4COLA organizers said in a statement that the strike’s end came as a result of COLA organizers reaching a consensus that the grade strike wasn’t the best way to achieve their goal of a COLA. “Strikers collectively decided to submit Winter Quarter grades in order to refocus our ener-

gies on a diversity of tactics and strategies,” the statement read. “Submitting Winter grades does not signal retreat for UCD4COLA and the COLA4All movement.”

Ashley Teodorson-Taggart, a PhD student in cultural studies at UC Davis and a COLA supporter, decided before this consensus that she would submit her students’ Winter Quarter grades.

She explained that when the pandemic began to shut down campus operations during Week 10 of Winter Quarter, she started to get emails from students who needed to prioritize their families and themselves. These students were worried because they still had to carry on with normal academic responsibilities.

“As that [finals] week unfolded, I thought very carefully about what it would mean for my students [to not submit grades],” she said.

“I think as teachers, our first responsibility is to think about ethical obligations to our students and to support safe and healthy learning.”

“Threats of disciplinary action” from Interim Dean of Letters & Sciences Ari Kelman also spurred strikers with UCD4COLA to submit grades, according to its statement.

In an email provided to The Aggie by a graduate student who asked to remain anonymous

withholding grades did not submit them by April 13 at 5 p.m., they could face disciplinary action per Article 3 of the Unit 18 Memorandum of Understanding.

Kelman said in the email that withholding grades may violate three clauses of the article: “undue and unexcused delay in evaluating student work, use of faculty position to cause harm for arbitrary or personal reasons and participating in or deliberately abetting disruption, interference or intimidation in the classroom.”

Though he acknowledged instructors’ efforts to protect students from potential harm caused by grade withholding, Kelman also said in his email that some students may not be prepared to advocate for themselves if they feel uncomfortable with the grade strike.

“We have many students who are very anxious about their lack of grades, including some who are facing financial jeopardy or academic peril,” Kelman wrote. “My hope is that [...] given your stated interest in protecting students, you will submit your grades. [...] Your conduct, no matter how well-intentioned you think it may be, is creating additional stress for these students and others.”

In a separate email to The Aggie, Kelman said he sympathizes with the cause and believes UC Davis is strengthened by organized labor. Kelman also said, however, that he supported undergraduate students and their right to their grades given the “stressful time of remote instruction,” adding that the grade strike was unsanctioned by the graduate students’ union, United Auto Workers (UAW) 2865.

“While I respect the right of members of the campus community [...] to protest, I also hope that protesters understand that there are consequences to violating the Collective Bargaining Agreement, particularly if their conduct causes harm to undergraduate students,” Kelman wrote.

COLA supporters at UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz and UC Irvine are currently still participating in some form of unsanctioned striking.

Wildcat strikers at UC Santa Cruz withholding grades were told by UC Santa Cruz on March 30, after negotiations with UAW 2865, that the 82 graduate students fired for striking in February would be able to find a Spring Quarter appointment if they submitted Winter Quarter grades by 5 p.m. the same day. Prior negotiations between UAW 2865 and UC Santa Cruz resulted in the reinstatement of the fired students’ healthcare through summer.

Though the strikers issued a counter-offer calling for compensation for those who were unable to find appointments, UC Santa Cruz did not respond.

Santa Cruz’s Director of News and Media Relations, nine academic student employees had not turned in Winter Quarter grades by April 13.

“Two of those cases turned out to be unrelated to the grade strike and we have retracted the [dismissal] notices sent to those students,” Hernandez-Jason said in an email. “We have seven cases underway.”

UC Irvine graduate students in support of the COLA movement are currently engaged in what they call a social welfare strike, creating resource lists and mutual aid networks to connect those in need of support to those who can provide it.

They are doing this in lieu of teaching, grading and research.

UCD4COLA has engaged in similar mutual aid efforts, such as conducting a survey that found 37 undergraduate respondents living in “unsafe and unreliable conditions.” They then announced these results on Twitter and encouraged people to donate money to their Venmo to help these undergraduate students.

Meanwhile, though UAW 2865 announced it would hold an Unfair Labor Practice Strike Authorization Vote in early April, the union has been focusing its efforts on bargaining for COVID-19 protections and said it was currently still looking at options for a strike authorization vote. If that vote succeeded by a two-thirds majority, all students represented by UAW 2865 would officially be on strike.

UC has filed an unfair labor practice charge against UAW 2865, arguing that the union leaders have not thoroughly enforced the “no strikes” clause of the parties’ collective bargaining agreement. UAW, in return, filed an unfair labor practice charge against the UC for “unlawful bargaining” with individual graduate students and entities.

In statements from the UC Office of the President, the UC has repeatedly maintained that it will not bargain with the union over a COLA until the collective bargaining agreement expires in 2022.

Supporters of the COLA movement have been pushing UAW 2865 to move the vote up through phone banking and signing a pledge in support of a sanctioned strike, according to the UCSC COLA website.

While the next phase of UCD4COLA remains in flux, Teodorson-Taggart said, right now, the top priority of the movement should be keeping people as safe and balanced as possible.

“All of these changes are happening quickly,” she said. “How do we assess the ways we contribute and support and resist [labor] extraction and allow that not to happen while also tending to the needs of our students and our families? We need to have a flexible response.”

HOW THE GLOBAL LEARNING HUB IS HANDLING STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Students affected by study abroad cancellations will receive refunds

The International Center at UC Davis. The UC Davis Study Abroad program is currently offering different options for students who were scheduled to complete programs abroad this summer. (Photo by Quinn Spooner / Aggie)

BY HANNAH BLOME campus@theaggie.org The UC Davis Global Learning Hub announced the cancellation of Spring Quarter and Summer Session study abroad programs, but it has yet to decide the fate of Fall Quarter programs.

Zachary Frieders, the executive director of the UC Davis Global Learning Hub (formerly the Study Abroad Office), said the department will assess the continuation of UC Davis’ Fall Quarter Study Abroad programs no later than mid- to late-May. “[The Global Learning Hub] is taking into account not only the risks associated with travel

and COVID-19, but also whether our partners abroad will be able to support students,” he said.

Frieders explained that even if travel restrictions were lifted by May, there are many other factors to consider before traveling abroad. Each country is responding to the pandemic differently and will experience different economic and political effects, he said. The Global Learning Hub is evaluating the status of each program by looking at individual countries rather than canceling all programs en masse.

Global Learning Faculty Director and UWP Professor Akili Dragona said they are looking at guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the State Department as well as campus leadership.

“The safety of the students is the most important,” Dragona said. “That is the first thing we are going to consider.”

Dragona and Frieders specified that they speak on behalf of UC Davis faculty-led programs, not the UC Education Abroad Program, which is UC-wide. Dragona leads the annual “Writers in Greece” study abroad trip, which was canceled due to COVID-19 precautions.

The Global Learning Hub is still developing plans to accommodate students impacted by study abroad program cancellations, Frieders said. The May deadline to determine the fate of Fall Quarter programs “is to make sure that we make a decision early enough to give students enough time to make plans for Fall Quarter,” Frieders said.

“For Spring Quarter students, we worked with the registrar’s office to get them re-enrolled in courses on campus,” he said, adding that students will receive a full refund for canceled programs and saying the Global Learning Hub is working with UC insurance providers to refund

airfare.

Many study abroad programs offer internships and experiences that are difficult to replicate, but the Global Learning Hub had been in the process of creating virtual global learning initiatives even before the COVID-19 outbreak.

“The ‘Global Education for All’ initiative on campus tries to look at global learning holistically and broadly, as something beyond just traditional student mobility,” Frieders said. “Learning about global issues does not always require students to travel.”

Frieders and the Global Learning Hub are still developing remote programs to ensure that most students can still virtually participate in internships with partners abroad. The Global Education for All Initiative was implemented before the COVID-19 outbreak and Frieders described it as an alternative and more accessible global learning experience.

Dragona said a transition to virtual global learning is a work in progress.

“We are just exploring virtual internships, maybe even some programs that can be delivered remotely,” Dragona said.

Departments that offer Study Abroad programs are adjusting to the sudden transition to remote learning, just like on-campus courses are.

Ayush Garg, a second-year computer science and cognitive science double major is planning to study psychology and philosophy in Copenhagen, Denmark this upcoming Fall Quarter.

“They still haven’t fully canceled [the program] yet,” Gard said. “I’m really unsure whether I’m going to be in Davis this fall or not.”

Garg did say, however, that study abroad coordinators have been very communicative and have updated students regularly.

PREDICT PROJECT, PROVIDING SUPPORT TO COUNTRIES IN DETECTING COVID-19, RECEIVES SIX-MONTH EXTENSION

The project, initiated in 2009, is focused on developing precautionary initiatives for responding to infectious diseases like SARS JO E L L E TA H TA / AGGI E

BY JANELLE MARIE SALANGA campus@theaggie.org

PREDICT, a part of the Emerging Pandemic Threats (EPT) program administered through the UC Davis One Health Institute, received a six-month, $2.26M extension on April 1 to offer emergency technical support in detecting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

The project, which began in 2009, was supposed to end in March 2020, but was given an extension by the U.S. Agency for International Development. So far, it has provided data to the National Institute of Health, hinting that SARS-CoV-2 had pandemic potential, connected COVID-19 cases with the “wildlife-human interface” in China and provided early testing protocols for COVID-19.

In an interview with UC Davis News, Professor Tracey Goldstein, PREDICT’s pathogen detection lead and an associate director of the UC Davis One Health Institute, called both the labs PREDICT has trained and the networks cultivated through the program key for detection of initial cases.

“They are a trusted resource in their coun-

tries, are assisting with coronavirus detection and included on government taskforces to support the response,” Goldstein said.

PREDICT is run out of the UC Davis One Health Institute, but it is part of a larger network of cross-disciplinary labs and partnerships.

According to the institute, One Health partners approach global health problems by acknowledging that they are part of the network of animal, human and environmental health.

PREDICT, along with other EPT partners, played a role in studying, controlling and understanding the 2014 Ebola outbreak and received a $100 million grant to continue the work it did during the Ebola pandemic.

Jonna Mazet, the director of the One Health Institute, said in an interview with UC Davis News that the EPT program was instrumental in creating a platform that facilitated global health problem-solving.

“PREDICT and its partners have enabled a platform for effective collaboration across disciplines and geographic borders,” she said.

Currently, PREDICT is supporting government evaluations of potential COVID-19 cases in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

4 | THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2020

NEW PROGRAM LAUNCHED TO HELP SENIORS WHO ARE CURRENTLY ISOLATED DURING COVID-19 OUTBREAK

AGGIE FILES

Volunteers check in regularly with YHAA Phone Friends for Seniors participants KI YO M I WATS O N / AGGI E

BY S HRA D D HA J H INGA N city@theaggie.org The Yolo Healthy Aging Alliance recently launched “YHAA Phone Friends for Seniors,” a new program to help seniors who are isolated at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program aims to connect seniors with resources they may need, as well as reduce loneliness and isolation.

Sheila Allen, the executive director of the Yolo Healthy Aging Alliance (YHAA), explained the impact that COVID-19 has on seniors via email.

“Because seniors are at high risk of suffering more effects if they are infected by the COVID-19 virus, public health officials recommend that seniors stay home and avoid going to places where public interaction occurs,” Allen said. “Even with ‘senior hours’ established by some of our local markets and pharmacies to make it safer for them to shop, many seniors can’t easily get groceries and [get] prescribed medications.”

As a result, seniors may start to experience loneliness, depression and anxiety, Allen said.

To help, volunteers and seniors will be matched as “phone friends.” Seniors can partici-

pate in the program by signing up to receive calls or by being identified by their families, friends or YHAA’s partner agencies. The volunteers will check in and socialize daily with the program’s participants, as well as “ensure that their senior friend has the food and medicine they need,” according to YHAA’s website. Additionally, to ensure the safety of seniors, YHAA will help seniors access home deliveries for medication and food.

“The YHAA Phone Friends for Seniors program will operate until the COVID-19 shelter in place guidance is lifted, and beyond if seniors have an ongoing desire for the social connections that will be created with phone friends,” read a press release from YHAA. The idea for the program originated when the shelter-in-place order for those over the age of 65 was implemented on March 15. The YHAA Board of Directors held a meeting to discuss what could be done to help people who may be feeling isolated, while continuing to support the stay-at-home order.

“We received input from our Collaboration Committee of over 90 providers of services for older adults in Yolo County as to what they saw would be the greatest impact,” Allen said via email. “While the Yolo Food Bank and Meals on Wheels was addressing access to food we know

LOCAL MAN STEALS COVID-19 SAMPLE FROM SUTTER DAVIS, IMPERSONATE CDC OFFICIAL

Shaun Lamar Moore, 40-year-old Davis resident, arrested, charged with possession of restricted biological agent, burglary

that social isolation has many physical and mental health impacts. We also wanted an immediate community based response.”

Allen also noted that there has been “an unmet need [...] to digital access for seniors.” Despite social gatherings and possibly even medical appointments being moved to an online format, seniors may not have internet access, a computer or knowledge about how to utilize their devices.

“This is the next step we are looking at addressing through grants, donations and community involvement,” Allen said via email. “Yolo Healthy Aging Alliance would like to identify low cost internet and tablets and then community members to serve as digital buddies to assist [the seniors] getting connected.”

The general public will also be able to help in the execution of the program.

“Yolo Healthy Aging Alliance will gladly accept more volunteer callers and referrals for people to receive calls,” Allen said via email. “Moving forward we may have additional need for over the phone tech support for seniors. As a non-profit organization, we accept donations to support our work.”

The program has received positive feedback from both its participants and volunteers, with some seniors saying the call has been “the highlight of their day.”

Those who are interested in volunteering can do so by signing up online through YHAA’s website or calling them. Volunteers will receive materials for orientation via email, alongside with a quick phone interview. After this, volunteers will be matched with seniors from their towns to connect with.

Volunteers will initially call every day, but as the friendships develop, they can decide what is best. Volunteers will also be provided with questions and a sample script during orientation, as well as an updated weekly list of medicine and food home delivery options. YHAA can also help to solve and provide access to additional issues, needs and services.

Despite having to physically social distance, such programs help bring people closer together.

“We are finding that the program is bringing community members together during a time when we have to physically be apart,” Allen said via email. “There is a real value to making human connections for both the senior and the volunteer.”

Virtual Picnic Day turned into backyard-dog-onroof Picnic Day April 16

“Heard talking about school and test.”

“She took a picture of him because he was not practicing safe social distancing.”

April 17

“Subject coughing in respondents face as they crossed paths.”

April 18

“Approximately 6 people in backyard.”

“10-15 subjects in backyard.”

“Dog on roof.”

“10-20 subjects in the backyard.”

“Loud party.”

April 19

“Only a face mask and boxer shorts pushing a shopping cart.”

April 20

“Honey bees, not aggressive, but respondent is concerned due to being in a park, potentially full of children.”

“Slacklining.”

April 21

“Large male turkey has taken up roost in front of this business for the last three days and is becoming more aggressive with people and cars that pass by.”

April 22

“Too much going on.”

YOLO COUNTY ELECTION RESULTS FROM MARCH 3 FINALIZED: MEASURE G AND Q PASS One county supervisor ousted as another heads to run-off election TESSA KOGA / AGGIE

A surveillance image shows a man suspected of stealing a COVID-19 sample from the Davis Sutter Hospital. (Courtesy photo of City of Davis Police Department)

BY MA D E L E I N E PAY N E city@theaggie.org On Saturday, April 11, a man stole a COVID-19 specimen from Davis Sutter Hospital before abandoning it at a local pharmacy, an act that gained national media attention amid the coronavirus pandemic. The sealed specimen was recovered later that evening, and Shaun Lamar Moore, a 40-year-old Davis resident, was arrested the next day in connection to the incident.

Late Saturday morning, Moore allegedly left the hospital carrying a lab specimen of COVID-19, but raised suspicion with hospital staff when they saw him leaving on his bike. The hospital staff’s concerns were amplified “when the actual courier arrived several minutes later,” according to The Davis Enterprise.

Davis Deputy Police Chief Paul Doroshov discussed the police department’s response when they were notified of the incident.

“Patrol officers responded to the hospital, and they made an initial assessment as to what’s going on based on the facts,” Doroshov said. “When there was a higher level of concern, the command staff was notified, and we responded — detectives too.”

Police patrols were sent out in search of the culprit, and the specimen was found abandoned later that day in a shopping cart at the CVS Pharmacy on West Covell Boulevard. A crime alert issued by the Davis Police Department mentions that there was no evidence the sealed specimen had been tampered with.

“Officers retrieved the specimen and Sutter Davis Hospital was able to confirm it was the missing specimen,” the statement read. “The lab also confirmed that several layers of protective packing were secure and the specimen had not been tampered with.”

Doroshov elaborated on how the Davis Police Department collaborated with Sutter Davis Hospital to determine the stolen specimen’s risk to public safety.

“The sample was packaged twice, so there were two layers of plastic packaging the sample was in,” Doroshov said. “Each layer had some type of security seal on it. Sutter Davis subse-

quently looked at that and said the security seal does not look like it had been tampered with.”

Sutter Davis Hospital opened an internal investigation into the incident, according to an emailed statement from a Sutter Health spokesperson.

“Sutter Davis Hospital is committed to providing high-quality care to the Yolo County community and beyond,” the statement read.

“We take this situation very seriously. We are conducting our own internal investigation, as well as working closely with county officials and law enforcement on the matter.”

The next morning, police officers spotted Moore biking on the Richards Boulevard overpass, and he was taken into custody. In a crime alert detailing the arrest, Davis Police Department officials mentioned that they were unsure of his motives; however, they do not believe his intent was to cause harm.

“Davis Police are familiar with Moore and are determining whether any mental health conditions played a factor in this incident,” the statement read. “Although the incident is very serious, Detectives do not believe he intended to harm himself or others.”

When asked about Moore’s motives for stealing the specimen, Doroshov could not disclose any information as the case is active and “still under investigation.” In The Davis Enterprise article, the bail motion from Moore’s case explains how he allegedly impersonated a federal employee from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in order to obtain the sample from the hospital.

Yolo Superior Court Judge David Rosenberg, who oversaw Moore’s bail hearing, outlined certain restrictions for Moore now that he is released on bail, according to The Davis Enterprise.

“He ordered that Moore, who is homeless, be fitted with a GPS monitoring device and stay at least 100 yards away from Sutter Davis Hospital,” the article states.

Moore is charged with two felonies and one misdemeanor: attempted possession of a restricted biological agent, second-degree burglary and petty theft by false pretenses. His next court hearing will be on May 27.

BY T IM LALO NDE city@theaggie.org Yolo election officials have released the final results of the March 3 primary elections, after more than a month of vote tallying. Two Davis ballot items — Measure G and Measure Q — passed, while the countywide supervisor races saw Angel Barajas defeating long-standing incumbent Duane Chamberlain, and Supervisor Jim Provenza heading to a run-off election in November against challenger Linda Deos.

Final tallies for the March election were posted to the Yolo County website the morning of April 8. In the press release announcing the results, county officials said local voter turnout had surpassed the past two primary elections, and the vote counting had finished ahead of state deadlines — despite complications created by the outbreak of COVID-19.

“Even with all the challenges associated with COVID-19, we were able to still certify an accurate and transparent election two weeks prior to the Governor’s extended deadline and had the highest primary election turnout since 2008,” wrote Jesse Salinas, Yolo County’s assessor, clerk-recorder and registrar of voters.

Some of the races were all but decided shortly after the election, like Measure Q, which sought to renew a 1% city sales tax. Measure Q was approved by Davis voters, with 82.53% voting Yes and 17.47% voting No. Approval of Measure Q brought to a close a process that began in September of last year when the city declared a fiscal emergency in order to avoid a “dramatic loss in revenue.” Assistant City Manager Kelly Stachowicz told The Aggie in 2019 that the emergency declaration was a pro forma move by the city council to allow the sales tax renewal to appear on the March 2020 ballot and avoid a gap in critical city funds.

The fate of Measure G was less certain before April’s final tally. The ballot measure — which sought to impose a parcel tax on Davis properties in order to fund DJUSD teacher and staff salaries — required a two-thirds majority to pass. The initial results, posted two days after the election, showed the Yes vote at 65.06% — only a couple points shy of approval — leaving supporters in a

state of uncertainty for most of March.

The final results show a slim victory for the Yes of Measure G campaign, with 68.05% of voters approving the measure against 31.95% voting No. On the Davis Unified School District website, administrators thanked Davis voters for passing the measure once the election results had been finalized.

“We are extremely thankful to the Davis community for their support,” Superintendent John Bowes stated in the post. “Our teachers and staff are the heart of DJUSD. Especially in these challenging times as we deal with the Coronavirus outbreak and this period of school closure, the successful passage of Measure G sends an important signal of support from our community.”

The April results also cemented the defeat of longtime Yolo Supervisor Duane Chamberlain, who began his tenure as the representative for the county’s fifth district in 2005, according to the county website. Chamberlain lost his seat to Woodland City Councilmember Angel Barajas, who earned 52.37% of the vote to Chamberlain’s 47.63%.

In an Instagram post celebrating the victory, Barajas thanked his supporters as well as Chamberlain for his years of service in the office of county supervisor. He listed a few issues he plans to address before and during his time in the office, including issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Although, I’m not sworn into office until January 2021, in the interim, I will closely monitor and work on issues of importance such as the COVID-19 pandemic, preservation of prime [agricultural] land, street and road repairs, homelessness, public safety, and other important local issues that matter to residents,” Barajas wrote. “I am dedicated to serving my constituents and will continue working hard to do so.”

The other contested county supervisor seat was a three-way race between incumbent Jim Provenza and challengers Linda Deos and David Abramson. Provenza finished first with 48.43% of the vote, Deos with 37.50% and Abramson with 14.07% — because no candidate received more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers, Deos and Provenza, will compete again in a November run-off election.

THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2020 | 5

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Opinion THE

C ALIFORNIA A GGIE

E DI TO R I AL B OAR D

When the campus reopens, students should not expect operations to look the same

KAELYN TUERMER-LEE Editor-in-Chief HANNAH HOLZER Managing Editor KENTON GOLDSBY Campus News Editor

For the sake of everyone’s well-being, we must proceed with caution

STELLA TRAN City News Editor HANADI JORDAN Opinion Editor CLAIRE DODD Features Editor LIZ JACOBSON Arts & Culture Editor DOMINIC FARIA Sports Editor CECILIA MORALES Science & Tech Editor

HANNAN WALIULLAH New Media Manager JUSTIN HAN Photo Director SYDNEE RODRIGUEZ Design Director ARIANA GREEN Layout Director SABRINA HABCHI Copy Chief ISABELLA BLOOM Copy Chief ZOË REINHARDT Website Manager SYDNEY ODMAN Social Media Manager

UC Davis students received a mid-quarter check-in email on Tuesday from Emily Galindo, the interim vice chancellor for Student Affairs.

“As you think about your fall plans and upcoming class registration, please note that while no final decisions have been made, some or all instruction for all or part of Academic Year 2020-21 may be delivered remotely,” the email read.

It is difficult to come to terms with the idea of the next school year being completely online. And although the Editorial Board is composed of graduating seniors, we wholeheartedly empathize with the students who will be affected.

We support the university’s decision to continue remote instruction if that is what is safest for our students; however, we also urge UC Davis to take into consideration the negative impact that remote instruction has on students and to coordinate with health officials on how best to prepare for students’ returns. Only when there is a continued, significant reduction in deaths, hospitalizations and the infection rate, as well as an increase in available testing, should we consider taking steps to return to campus.

Christina Paxson, the president of Brown University, argued in an op-ed for The New York Times that it should be a top priority for universities to reopen and highlighted the negative impact that remote learning has on students. Paxson, however, does not recommend that students return to their campuses in the traditional sense. Even if universities reopen in the fall, this pandemic will force us to reconsider how we interact on campus.

If UC Davis decides to allow in-person instruction at any point in the next academic year, its campus must be reopened gradually and in a way that prioritizes everyone’s health, well-being and personal needs. Strict guidelines will need to be put into place to include limiting social gatherings and re-

configuring classroom spaces.

Every student and faculty member’s circumstances will be different. Professors and administrators will still have to make special exceptions for students, and they simply cannot expect every single student to come back — nor can they force them to. Some people face underlying medical conditions, need to take a break to work for a bit or simply feel unsafe in general.

We also urge UC Davis to make decisions about upcoming quarters as quickly as possible — the email sent earlier this week has, understandably, induced panic. Students have a lot of decisions to make such as signing leases, adjusting course loads and schedules to accommodate work schedules or coordinating with advisors on fulfilling major requirements.

Adhering to shelter-in-place orders is challenging enough every day, and it’s only made harder seeing when others are not as committed to public health directives. Most agree that those protesting their local governments are impeding our efforts to flatten the curve, but everyone who went to the newly reopened California beaches this past weekend is, too. Ignoring state directives, or taking advantage of opened beaches is irresponsible and puts everyone at risk of exposure to the virus.

It is our collective responsibility to look out for society’s most vulnerable.

It will be impossible to entertain the idea of returning to campus if we are not taking the necessary precautions. The impact of the coronavirus pandemic cannot be understated, and what is happening at UC Davis is only a microcosm of how the pandemic is playing out on the national and global stage.

Regardless of the university’s decision on reopening campus, we must implore our leaders to trust health experts and proceed with caution, knowing that moving forward will require monumental long-term planning and restructuring.

JOSHUA GAZZANIGA Distribution Manager LAURIE PEDERSON Business Development Manager

The COVID-19 pandemic will change college as we know it UNIVERSITIES AND PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS ALIKE MUST PREPARE FOR AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE

BY BR ANDO N J E T T E R brjetter@ucdavis.edu

RA B IDA / AG GIE

If you’re a UC Davis student, odds are you’re reading this at home.

The current COVID-19 crisis has led to the cancellation of in-person lectures across the nation. From Berkeley to Ann Arbor to Ithaca, university campuses and the college towns dependent on them have shuttered their doors. The answer to their economic woes caused by the pandemic don’t appear to be arriving anytime soon.

Colleges across the country remain skeptical of the possibility of in-person instruction returning this fall. A number of them, including Boston University and Stanford, are considering pushing the start of in-person instruction to Jan. 2021, with the latter proposing an entirely modified academic year that would begin with a “fall” quarter that same month. UC Berkeley has already stated its intentions to offer the option of remote instruction, even if in-person lectures return next semester –– a move that is likely to be replicated by universities across the nation. More and more, the prospect of ordinary academic instruction next year looks questionable at best.

The economic repercussions of COVID-19 are likely to devastate college finances as well. Even now, schools are contending with the unexpected financial pitfalls of remote instruction. Accurate numbers on just how much colleges are losing during this crisis are hard to come by, but the University of Michigan, for example, estimates losses between $400 million and $1 billion through the end of the year. The Los Angeles Times likewise reported that the UC system spent $558 million in unexpected costs in March alone.

Should mandatory remote instruction continue through fall, colleges are likely to see a substantial dropoff in the size of their freshman classes, intensifying an already troubling trend. College enrollment has previously declined for eight straight years, with nationwide enrollment dropping by about 11% in that time period. Now it’s likely to shrink even more.

Across the nation, students and their families are debating the merits of attending college, especially when that education is now all but guaranteed to be remote. Reductions in scholarships and financial aid are likely to harm lower-income students, and there is a strong possibility that even current enrollees may not return next fall. For many prospective students, college is looking like a gamble and a heavy investment that will almost assuredly lack the usual coming of age experiences of university life.

Consequently, high school seniors across the nation are debating just what they plan to do next year. Some are considering taking a gap year, while others are turning down their dream schools to save money and attend somewhere closer to home.

Many college students too, are evaluating their future plans, questioning whether or not remote instruction is giving them what they’re paying for.

Elsewhere, another higher education experience is also crumbling under the weight of the COVID-19 pandemic –– collegiate athletics. For the vast majority of NCAA Division I schools, particularly among Group of 5 and FCS programs like UC Davis, athletic funds are accrued through tuition fees, NCAA payouts and lucrative game contracts against bigger name opponents. The cancellation of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament this year meant that the NCAA reduced its annual

payout to schools from $600 million to $225 million, a gut-punch likely to affect mid-major programs more than wealthy Power 5 teams. But now, even the latter is wrestling with the possible loss of its own multibillion-dollar revenue generator –– college football.

With the likelihood of college football this upcoming fall diminishing day by day, athletic directors have struggled to grapple with cash-stricken budgets –– some even proposing a spring football season. The dependence of so-called “Olympic sports” programs, like swimming or track and field, on money generators like football and basketball have led athletic departments to consider cutting certain non-revenue sports. This has already occurred at the University of Cincinnati and elsewhere.

One Power 5 athletic director went as far as saying there was “no point” in planning a football-less budget, as the financial implications would be too devastating to even consider.

A decline in overall enrollment would mean a loss of funding for more than just sports. Hiring freezes and staff furloughs have impacted academics and service workers alike, with substantial pay reductions likely to remain permanent. In many cases, students dependent on campus employment or crucial services, like food banks and mental health centers, are now largely deprived of these forms of assistance. Delaying these resources, even if it may prove medically necessary, could have dire consequences for a vast number of young Americans.

There are still tough times ahead. Even if COVID-19 dies down with the summer heat, experts fully expect the virus to return in strength next fall. When it does return, let’s make sure we’ve made the proper preparations to handle another school year in the heart of a pandemic. What this contingency plan consists of remains to be seen, but we better start working on it now.

reduce. reuse. recycle.

The aggie

6 | THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2020

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

SELF-CARE SHOULDN’T COST YOU A FORTUNE It’s more than just a face mask TE SSA KO G A / AG G I E

BY KAC E Y C A I N klcain@ucdavis.edu Ever since “Self Care Sunday” became a trend, stores like Sephora have flourished with girls spending a fortune on face masks and

bath bombs. I’m a fan of a good clay mask and a colorful bath. I’m not, however, a fan of dedicating just one day to self-care. Our bodies are our temples and deserve to be taken care of every day with more than just beauty products.

The wild popularity of this trend has created

the misconception that self-care is something to be bought and that it only pertains to our skin.

Rather, true self-care includes taking care of both our minds and bodies every day.

If you’re like me, you spend a lot of time doing homework and chugging multiple cups of coffee just to get through the day. There almost never seems to be time to take care of myself. I’m lucky if I go to bed before midnight, let alone put on a face mask or paint my nails. But no matter how hard I try, I know I can’t just run on coffee and zero hours of sleep, so I’ve had to learn the importance of self-care. This means taking time out of each day to maintain my needs and keep myself sane.

One of the best ways we can take care of our bodies is to eat food — but not just any food.

Filling our bodies with sugar and saturated fats will only add to our problems. Instead, we should focus on eating clean, healthy foods that provide our bodies with the nutrition it craves. This includes foods that are fresh and unprocessed and compose well-balanced meals. It’s important to take care of our bodies from the inside out, especially when we demand so much of ourselves as students.

This is not to say we shouldn’t indulge in comfort food from time to time. There are moments that warrant eating cake instead of an apple, and that is okay. In fact, I encourage you to do what will make you feel better — you are your own boss. Just keep in mind that you can’t survive on cake alone.

In a similar vein, you also can’t survive on just a few hours of sleep. There are many scientific

reasons why that’s not possible, but you didn’t come here to have me explain that to you.

Instead, I will say that sleep is just as important as eating. Just as we need the nutrients from food, we also need to recharge by sleeping — a fancy face mask doesn’t provide these benefits.

There are a plethora of ways in which you can take care of your body, but if you have ever taken a health psychology class, you know you can’t have a healthy body without a healthy mind. So it’s important to incorporate self-care activities that focus on your mind too.

If you find yourself struggling to find ideas, Pinterest has a huge supply of yoga poses, journal prompts and crafts that help put the mind at ease.

If this is not your cup of tea, there are plenty of other alternatives that may be helpful. Talking to a friend, going for a walk or even taking a long-overdue nap may be better for you. When it comes to our mental health, it’s important that we do what works best for ourselves — there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

Don’t get me wrong, I am all for an at-home spa day. But we shouldn’t rely solely on our skin care products for self-care. Instead, these habits should be integrated with our other personal care practices to create the ultimate self-care routine.

Sometimes the best thing for us costs no money at all and requires very little time and effort.

Self-care is different for everyone; there is no right or wrong way. So I encourage you to keep buying your favorite products, just make sure that while you do that, you also fuel your body, get some sleep and ease your mind, too.

HUMOR

DAVIS COLLEGE REPUBLICANS UPSET THEY CAN’T HOST College Democrats upset they can’t protest it

K IYO M I WATS O N / AGGI E

BY MAT T HE W SI MO NS mrsimons@ucdavis.edu In this series of investigative pieces, The California Aggie investigates how the COVID-19 crisis has affected individual lives in our community.

“This is a violation of free speech, you know.”

Benson Rickman sinks into his chair. “This whole…” he gestures, “coronavirus thing.”

Rickman is the executive chair of the Davis College Republicans (DCR). Our interview takes place in his second-story apartment on F St. Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, DCR had potential plans for hosting numerous controversial speakers on campus. Today, all these speakers have canceled their plans to speak at UC Davis.

“We usually go for politically radical speakers,” Rickman explains, “but we even had

some openly racist ones planned this year.” He shakes his head. “It’s a real shame.”

Among other names floated to speak at UC Davis — Ann Coulter, Ben Shapiro, a racist uncle — there was even an explicit speaking offer from Sean Spicer, former press secretary for the Trump Administration.

“I even had posters made for him,” Rickman said. He opens his phone to show me a picture of Sean Spicer photoshopped onto the movie poster for “Spice World.”

“I was super excited. We were going to rent out the ARC Ballroom, and he was going to talk down to us for 90 minutes,” he sighs dreamily.

“Maybe he’d even get angry and end the whole thing early, like he would on TV.” Rickman stands up from the table. “Here, let me show you something,” he says as he pulls out a scrapbook. He shows me some of the photos he’s taken with past speakers. In one, he and Martin Shkreli are laughing at people in the prescription aisle. A more recent photo shows him and white nationalist Richard Spencer running from a mob of minorities. The caption reads “best friends 4 eva,” written in glitter.

“Wow,” I say. “Did you get any pictures from this year?”

He shrugs. “I got one with Rebecca Friedrichs last quarter, but…” he shifts in his seat, “it’s not the same.”

“We tried to get other speakers to come to Davis, but the COVID-19 outbreak basically ruined everything. Our speakers backed out.” He

hands me a list from his club-planning folder: Other Potential Speakers “Ann Coulter? Too expensive.

Ghost of Ronald Reagan Séance failed.

Also, he doesn’t like Zoom calls.

Ghost of Rupert Murdoch Not dead yet.

Joe Biden during the ’70s I have been informed it is no longer the ’70s.

“Y’know, I don’t even miss the speaking events, really. I miss the connections. I miss the people, y’know?” I nod. He continues.

“I miss the…” he chokes up. “I miss the Davis College Democrats, y’know?”

“We had a good thing going with them. We would protest their events, they would protest our events — it was fun.”

“Everytime we invited a controversial speaker, they never missed it.” A tear rolls down his face.

“They were always there for us.”

He gets up and stares out his window. “I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to them during this crisis.”

A handful of pebbles hits his window and it startles us both. He gets up to investigate and gasps.

Outside the window stands Brandy Pitch, president of the Davis College Democrats. She holds a sign that says “___________ is bad for Davis,” with the name of the speaker not yet filled in.

Rickman sheds a single tear. “You came,” he chokes out.

She smiles. “I never left.”

LETTER: LOCKDOWN PROVES WE CAN LIVE WITHOUT THE ARTS. TIME TO DEFUND THEM FOR GOOD

It’s nothing personal KAIT LY N PA N G / AGGI E

BY B EN JA M I N P O RT E R bbporter@ucdavis.edu For over 40 years, I’ve lived happily just off Main Street in an affable, amiable, agreeable little town where the Bible Belt meets the Rust Belt and the rubber meets the road, doing honest, blue-collar work at an honest, blue-collar factory that specially produces the highest-quality blue collars for America’s strongest, sturdiest, stoutest, solidist, soundest, heaviest-duty, longest-lasting, hardest-wearing, most robustly built beautiful, blue button-up blouses and shirts. The name’s S.M. Bleelyne, and I love my work. I love my work and I love baseball. In fact, I really love baseball, gosh darnit. I love baseball so much that I can’t live without it, even though it brings back memories of my son, Junior.

Obviously, with the coronavirus quarantine keeping me home from work and forcing the

suspension of the MLB season, I’m currently struggling to live without my three loves. But I’m no pessimist, which is how I’ve managed to see that some good may yet come from this godforsaken plague. For example, we could emerge from lockdown with a renewed appreciation for the simple, pure, pastoral lifestyle that baseball epitomizes. Perhaps we could finally shed many of the laughable luxuries and trifling trivialities that the coronavirus has proved we can live without. That’s where I come in. You see, I’m optimistic that with a little help from me, this pandemic can most certainly eradicate a certain specific one of these useless vanities once and for all. And with the coronavirus by my side, I’m confident that I can actually come out the other side of this quarantine with all three of my loves again. Man, he could swing a bat, that kid. Even when it was just T-ball. Sure do miss that.

That’s why I’m writing this letter. Now, I’m

not a writer and I’m not a reader. But I know how to read the writing on the wall. And you know what it says? It says that the writing is on the wall for the arts. Yeah, that’s right. All the art galleries and performance halls are closed indefinitely and you know what? We’re all just fine. Fine without the fine arts. Just fine. Get it? We simply don’t need them like we need our real jobs and our baseball. The pandemic has proved we can live without the fine arts, so it’s finally time to defund them for good! Believe me, it’s nothing personal.

As you’ve probably gathered, I’m a fan of sports. But I’ve never been a fan of the arts. You know why? Because you can’t be a fan of the arts.

You have to patronize them, and that’s just lame and boring. “I’m sorry, no cheering, screaming or booing in the art gallery! Hey old man, no beer, cottoncandy, peanuts or crackerjacks in the concert hall! Whoa there, pops! No fighting over foul balls at the theater!” Oh wait, I’m sorry — the theatre. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it, you don’t have to patronize me, okay, sonny? Hey, how bout y’all patronize this, you pretentious patronizing f**ks!

You see, I don’t go to take in a nice afternoon ballgame at the ballpark because I’m looking for “transcendence” or “self-actualization” or the need to “feel moved.” No, I go because I love baseball, gosh darnit! And it makes me feel alive. Art lovers wouldn’t get that. But you know who really used to get that though? Junior. When he was in Little League, he was alive. He was so damn good that he played on a team with the older kids. And you know what he did? What my little boy did? He hit a grand slam to win the Little League World Series. From then on, the bigger kids called him “Baby Grand.” He certainly was alive back then.

When I was his age, I obsessed over trying to get a cool nickname like that on my baseball team!

But obsession isn’t healthy. People who needlessly obsess over the arts by buying season tickets to the symphony, frequenting the local art gallery, attending weekly poetry nights and going to their silly book clubs simply don’t understand what it’s like to regularly enjoy the comforts of cherished rituals and routines like sports fans do.

Like I do by watching SportsCenter every night and taking myself out to the ballgame whenever I can spare a few bucks. Like my old neighborly neighbor Lee did by bringing over a batch of

his homebrewed beer for us to enjoy every time the Yankees played the Red Sox. But that sacred tradition is where it all went wrong for Junior.

One night, after his Red Sox destroyed my Yankees, Lee mentioned that his mother left him a baby grand piano that he could neither play nor make space for in his living room. He offered it to Junior for free. Said a couple piano lessons never did a kid any harm. Boy, was he wrong!

Piano lessons killed Baby Grand.

After several months it became clear that he was learning quite fast and was extremely musical for his age. And he really enjoyed it. I should have put a stop to it then. But how was I supposed to know that he’d soon turn into a goddamn child prodigy? Anyway, he soon quit baseball to focus only on music. He eventually got a scholarship to New England Conservatory, wasting all his baseball talent. I think he chose New England over Julliard just to spite the Yankees! And that’s not even the worst thing. Apparently, right before a performance of Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos somewhere in the former Soviet Union, the concert hall’s second concert grand was badly damaged and he was forced to perform his part on a baby grand instead. Yet, he still managed to compensate and adjust in the moment to the instrument’s worse projection relative to the orchestra and the other piano. Big deal! But because of that, all his music pals call him “Baby Grand” now. Can you believe that? The nerve!

Well, the joke’s on you now, sonny! You’re quarantined in Paris or Prague or Parma or someplace. And you know what? You can’t do all your Brahms and Schumann and Chopin recitals.

Maybe not for a while. That means no income.

But you don’t need to worry because I’m taking action to make sure that this is never a problem for you ever again. I’m starting a movement to defund the arts for good. And believe me, it’s for your own good. Now you can finally pick up your hat, bat and glove again and lose this newfound fear for getting your hands dirty. You had it all! You coulda gone pro! But it’s not too late! You’re still young and fit enough to make it to the Major Leagues! This will all be worth it in the end. Because in times of crisis when they can’t work, classical musicians don’t get paid. But pro baseball players do. And if we defund the arts entirely, they can get paid even more.

THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2020 | 7

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THE PAST, PRESENT AND TOMORROW OF TIMES NEW ROMAN A glimpse into the legacy of academia’s poster font

CULTURE CORNER

The Arts Desk’s weekly picks for television, movies, novels, music

BY LIVVY MU LLE N arts@theaggie.org

TV Show: “Big Little Lies” I wish I could recommend something more contemporary, but alas “Big Little Lies” is the only thing I am capable of thinking about. The hit HBO show follows the timeline of five women’s lives before, during and after a baffling murder. Its stacked cast, incredible editing and possibly the best title sequence of all time made it a cultural phenomenon when it debuted three years ago. It has the perfect balance of atmospheric coastal visuals and suburban mother drama to keep you hooked. Each woman has her own distinct and flawed personality, which makes them all magnetic.

Exploring the lives of the Monterey Five and the aftermath of the events of season one was more captivating as we got to see the women hang out and be friends (like I stated above, that is ideal). Both seasons are available on Hulu.

(Courtesy photo)

BY A N D REW W I LL IAMS arts@theaggie.org All night is spent pounding away at the keyboard. The deadline nears and the six-page requirement is just on the horizon. Jacked up on three Yerba Mates, you finally hit your goal and release an exasperated sigh of pent-up anxiety.

You do a once over to make sure the formatting is correct. Double-spaced? Check. Numbered pages? Check. Bibliography? Check. Times New Roman?... S--t, it’s Calibri. You scroll through the font settings and brace yourself for impact. How bad is it going to be this time? It’s a heart-wrenching half-page shorter, and the tap, tap, tapping away begins once again.

Times New Roman for humanities and liberal arts majors like myself is as ubiquitous as the scurry of squirrels frolicking in the Quad.

Nearing the tail-end of my college career, I took a step back and asked myself a question I had never summoned up the time or energy to do before: Where did this all-consuming font come from and why has it become the golden child of academia? Why not Calibri or Arial or, God help me, Futura? To address this question, we have to jump into the past and across the Atlantic.

The year was 1931, and Stanley Morison, a typographer for the British division of the foundry Monotype, wrote an article criticizing the design quality of the London periodical — The Times — font. Morison found their font, posthumously referred to as Times Old Roman, as legibly inadequate. In retaliation, The Times challenged Morison to design something better.

Morison obliged.

He had a hefty task on his plate, as the font had to retain the utmost clarity while also using space efficiently so that the newspaper could maximize the number of words per page. Morison drew his inspiration from the font Plantin, which itself had drawn inspiration from the 16th Century font Gros Cicero.

Morison supervised the project working alongside fellow typographer Vincent Lardent.

Together they reduced the spacing (or “tracking”), narrowed the letters in the original Plantin and made other minor adjustments. The reduced tracking and narrowing is the reason why the font usually condenses the space of any written work. One year later, in 1932, Times New Roman was born, and it became the first font designed specifically for a newspaper. The Times

had been using Linotype — Monotype’s main foundry rival — for all of their typesetting and printing needs. This forced Monotype to license the “Times New Roman” font to the Linotype company. As a result, there are now two nearly identical versions of Times New Roman. One being the original Monotype font Times New Roman and the other being a Linotype remake known simply as Times Roman.

Times New Roman has risen to prominence across academia and the legal field due to its space efficiency and clear legibility. In the last 90 years, there has not been a true challenger to its primacy. I was curious as to how fellow students perceived the font — was it timeless or dated?

Cathie Crossan, a fourth-year communication major, said she personally finds Times New Roman crowded and lacking inspiration.

“I think that sometimes it makes information on a page look ten times more intimidating than what the information actually is, and it’s extremely boring to read,” Crossan said. “If I’m reading notes that I took in Times New Roman, I just start glazing over the page.”

In defiance, Crossan opts to write and edit her papers in Comic Sans; choosing to switch to the required Times New Roman after she has finished. In comparison, she finds Comic Sans to be a much less intimidating companion and also noted an increased ability to digest information.

“I like Comic Sans because it just makes reading seem less intimidating,” Crossan said. “And when I go back to my notes to study for exams, I have an easier time reading it compared to Times New Roman.”

Eleanor Bemis, a third-year design and communication double major, reflected on the font’s austere and professional characteristics.

“The Times New Roman is definitely a male, probably older,” Bemis said. “He is a lawyer or a banker or in a serious profession where he went to grad school and sits in his mahogany office. I would say he’s a little bit more reserved — like, clear and concise. Maybe he smokes cigars, but not in a fun way — in a stuffy way.”

Although acknowledging its “stuffy” characteristics, Bemis appreciates the font for its ability to fade into the background and facilitate the reading process.

Movie: “Skate Kitchen” dir. Crystal Moselle I’m a simple girl. If a movie is about a group of girls having fun, I give it five stars.

“Skate Kitchen” is a documentary-style film that follows the day-to-day life of a group of female skaters in New York City. It feels incredibly real. It’s breezy and atmospheric and is relatable despite the fact that I do not skate and have lived in California my whole life. Skate Kitchen is the name of a real-life, NYC-based girl skating collective.

Their goal is to make the skating world more accepting for women, and their platform of choice is posting videos on Instagram and holding skating workshops for girls.

They draw people in with their incredible talent, a unique sense of style and fiery personalities. “The Skate Kitchen” has now taken on a new endeavor: the world of television. HBO’s “Betty” re-imagines the characters from the film and places them in a new storyline. Check out the premiere on May 1.

Book: “The Magical World Of Strega Nona” by Tomie DePaola When I volunteered in a first-grade class, I stumbled upon a basket full of every “Strega Nona” (grandma witch) book. It was news to me that there were more than one, as the original story was a staple in my childhood. I read them all and explained to my mom the joy of each story. A few months later, she gifted me “The Magical World Of Strega Nona.” The large hardcover book holds six of the best Strega Nona stories. The anxiety-inducing first book kicks it off, transporting you to Calabria, Italy and acquainting you with Strega Nona’s magic pasta pot and ditzy Big Anthony.

“Strega Nona Meets Her Match” introduces two more staples in the magical world of Strega Nona; Bambalona, the aspiring witch, and Strega Amelia, Strega Nona’s best friend. In “Strega Nona: Her Story” we get some much desired information about the witch’s early life. Each story builds Strega Nona’s world even further, with delightful art style and comforting familiar characters. Tomie dePaola, the author and illustrator of the Strega Nona series, passed away this March, and I can think of no better way to honor his impact and memory than sitting down and appreciating the stories that changed so many lives.

Album: “Hannah Montana: The Movie Soundtrack” By Various Artists After swiping through story after story of Bill Clinton sitting cross-legged surrounded by favorite albums, it dawned on me that none of the people I follow on Instagram have taste. To have four slots and not use one to promote “Hannah Montana: The Movie Soundtrack” is appalling and, frankly, should result in the limitation of music-listening privileges. Ms. Montana is not a stranger to making hits, but she deepens the meaning of her music by using the album as a catalyst for her future as an artist. It blends typical country-infused Disney pop (“You’ll Always Find Your Way Back Home,” “Let’s Get Crazy,” “Don’t Walk Away”) with mature ballads, like the forever impactful “The Climb” and “Butterfly Fly Away.” It is enriched by the interactive dance track “Hoedown Throwdown” and the unforgettable Taylor Swift feature “Crazier.” It’s hard to measure the impact this album has had on the music and film industries as a whole. It is a genuine pop masterpiece.

FO NT on 11

STOP LOATHING MASKS, START MAKING THEM — AND LEAVE THE N95 MASKS FOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS Masks: a sustainable way to protect yourself, others from COVID-19

A man wearing a mask while shopping at the Davis Farmer’s Market. Masks have now become a part of daily attire as counties within California are requiring its use while in public. (Photo by Quinn Spooner / Aggie)

BY SI ERRA JI M E NE Z arts@theaggie.org The lack of indispensable items has concerned an already panicking public amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A wave of unease has had people rushing to grocery stores and hoarding essentials under what could be months of shelter-in-place directives. While people stock up on toilet paper and hand sanitizer, what they should be concerned about is the shortage of masks, especially as counties — including Yolo County — announce that face masks must be worn in public.

For years, masks have been an essential item for our well-being and health. From fires to air pollution, masks have been there to protect us.

Now, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, masks are dwindling in supply, forcing people to get creative.

Healthcare workers lack adequate personal protective equipment, masks included Healthcare workers have had their own share of issues regarding mask rights, if you will. Before the unions got involved, hospitals were not allowing healthcare workers to bring masks from home or bring in any sort of protective gear that was not distributed by the hospital itself.

One nurse, who works for Kaiser Permanente and wished to remain anonymous, cited the

element of public fear as a reason for the mask shortage.

“If people walking down the street or patients saw every health care worker with a mask on, they would start to get concerned and wonder why [they] weren’t wearing masks as well,” she said.

The unions became involved in concern for public safety, and now hospitals are allowing facemasks brought from home and providing them if needed. They do not, however, have the resources to supply a sufficient amount of masks under the circumstances. According to a new survey, 80% of nurses say they still don’t have enough protective gear.

The nurse explained that, under normal circumstances, healthcare providers throw away masks after a single use — which accumulates in hundreds of masks used and thrown away each day. But now, health professionals like herself are given one mask to wear for the entire day (or more, if soiled).

In order to maintain a healthy environment despite the lack of masks, healthcare providers are starting to wear N95 respirator masks with a simple mask covering to keep the N95 filter clean and long-lasting.

As for the general public, a simple face mask, a homemade mask or even a bandana when in public will suffice. Although homemade masks

and bandanas will not prevent all the particles from getting through the material, they capture the large droplets, which, the nurse explained, are the “main issue.”

The nurse further urged that even with a face mask, staying six feet apart is vital during the pandemic. Many people simply aren’t wearing masks properly. In order to protect those around you, the mask must cover from your nose down to below the chin.

“Once you have your mask on, it’s considered clean,” she said. “So don’t reach up and touch the mask. If say, you’re in a grocery store, and you’re touching things, then you reach up and touch your mask, it may potentially have the virus on it.”

In order to kill the virus on clothing or masks, wash your hands and hang your mask in the sun so UV rays can kill the virus. If your mask or clothing is washable, make sure to wash right away as the virus can live on masks for about seven days.

It is strongly advised, if not mandatory in some counties, to wear masks out in public for the health and safety of others. Masks do not necessarily protect the mask wearer, but they are meant to prevent you from spreading an unknown illness to others. Those who may be asymptomatic and unaware that they are carrying the virus are referred to as “silent carriers.”

“The more people that wear masks, the less chance for transmission of the virus to other people from those who may not think that they’re even infected,” the nurse said.

Do-it-yourself masks Kyleigh Jacobs, a fourth-year biotechnology major, has been sewing masks from her own recycled material out of concern for her community, expecting nothing in return (though she did receive a lemon cake out of gratitude).

“I’ve made at least 20 different masks for people in my community,” Jacobs said. “[Masks] help people feel safe. [They] give a lot of people I know a lot more comfort and the ability to feel safer when they go out in public.”

Because they’re easy to make, comfortable and machine-washable, people have begun looking into making their own masks. Jacobs decided to post a step-by-step do-it-yourself (DIY) face mask tutorial on her Instagram story after requests for her masks increased.

The supplies needed are relatively easy to secure, even during the pandemic. Any emergency

sewing kit has the necessary needle and thread.

For the material, Jacobs has been using old T-shirts as the outer lining and a softer tablecloth for the inner lining. Hair elastics or extra cloth strips suffice for the ties.

“I’m using old clothes and stuff that I would probably throw away if I didn’t have a need to repurpose them,” Jacobs said. “It’s also nice because [the masks] are reusable and machine washable.

So you can just have one mask rather than hoarding dozens of disposable face masks.”

Jacobs is a big advocate for sustainability and upcycling. In fact, she admitted that she began sewing as a result of her online shopping addiction. After hundreds of dollars worth of clothes that she would have otherwise thrown away, she began refurbishing the clothes herself. Jacobs described this restoration as “bringing a new life” to these perhaps forgotten items.

“I think having reusable face masks is just one way that we can still be sustainable in a pandemic,” she said. “It’s important to use what we have, whether we’re in a pandemic or not.”

Jacobs isn’t alone in her attempts to inform others how to upcycle materials into masks — clothing brands like Free People have added instructions for DIY mask-making to their websites.

The author of Free People’s DIY mask-making instructions makes the universal struggles of the pandemic relatable on an individual level in the form of a diary entry. Witty and enticing, the post will make you want to put your laptop down and make your own mask ASAP. The article title is “Breathing new life into my old clothes. Literally.” How much more clever can you get?

Similarly to Jacobs’ DIY, Free People utilizes essentially the same materials. You can find videos on how to make your own mask with recycled material on Jacobs’ Instagram @kyleighhunterj and on the Free People website.

Those who are not interested in making their own masks have turned to bandanas and winter gear to cover their mouths and noses.

The point of sheltering-in-place, staying sixfeet apart and wearing a mask out in public is to flatten the curve of COVID-19 cases. By making your own mask with recycled material, a mask might even be fashionable while also sustainable.

When everyone participates in flattening the curve, we can get through this pandemic together and ditch the masks once this frenzy is over.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

8 | THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2020

CELEBRATING NATIONAL SPACE DAY: RETIRED ASTRONAUT, CURRENT UCD PROFESSOR STEPHEN K ROBINSON DISCUSSES TIPS FOR BEING IN ISOLATION

New UC Davis College of Engineering space innovations detailed KIYOMI WATSON / AGGIE

BY LYRA FA RREL L features@theaggie.org National Space Day, which falls on the first Friday of May, is a day committed to celebrating the achievements made toward space travel, research and technology. UC Davis is making its own contributions to the progress of space technology and travel which will allow better collab-

oration between humans and machines in space.

Mechanical and aerospace engineering professor and retired NASA astronaut Stephen Robinson directs the UC Davis Center for Human/ Robotics/Vehicle Integration and Performance (HRVIP Lab). There, a number of researchers, including both graduate and undergraduate students, work on the newest space-related technological advancements.

The Fall 2019 Engineering Progress maga-

zine, which features projects underway at the College of Engineering, cites innovations at the HRVIP Lab, including a device astronauts can affix to the top of their helmets that informs them of nearby radiation, enabling them to steer clear of it. Another project detailed in the magazine is a possible alternative to remote surgery. An unmanned spacecraft ambulance with room for two crew members and a patient would potentially transport astronauts in need of emergency medical attention from the International Space Station (ISS) to any airport and, from there, to the nearest hospital. This is an idea entirely unique to space travel.

Robinson, who has embarked on four Space Shuttle missions and spent a total of 48 days in space, gave his advice to those currently struggling with isolation as a result of quarantine, which he said can be compared to the isolation of space.

“My approach to feeling isolated and restricted from the things I want to do has always been to try to remember all the things that I am fortunate to have — health, freedom, intellectual challenge and a wonderful community,” Robinson said. “In other words, try to get outside your own mind, find a way to feel fortunate and then make yourself (and others) feel better by learning, giving and sharing.”

Robinson plans to celebrate National Space Day this year by joining an online call with his

team of researchers at the HRVIP Lab and watch videos of space together. In his spare time while in quarantine, Robinson watches the ISS fly overhead.

“Besides all the space research I am involved in, it is always wonderful to watch the International Space Station fly over, and to think about the fortunate astronauts and cosmonauts that are on board, doing scientific research up there in the coolest lab of all,” Robinson said.

Using NASA’s Spot the Station website, anyone can track the movement of the ISS through the sky by entering in their location. The site provides a chart of dates, times, number of minutes of visibility and the degrees above the horizon at which the ISS can be viewed according to where you are. A full calendar of lunar phases, eclipses and meteor showers can also be found on the NASA website.

If given the opportunity to deliver the first words ever said on Mars, Robinson would remark at the lengthiness of the mission leading up to his landing on the Red Planet.

“Mars is something like 140 million miles away from Davis,” Robinson said. “So since I’m no Neil Armstrong, I think my first words would be, ‘Wow, it sure took a long time to get here!’”

Joking about the similarities between self-quarantining and space travel, Robinson said, “After this, we are all going to be qualified to be astronauts!”

THE ART OF LANGUAGE: UC DAVIS ALUMNI HELPS INTEGRATE HIP-HOP RHYTHM AND BEATS INTO SPRING PLAY “ANTIGONENOW” Dahlak Brathwaite digitally returned to his alma mater to help students find new meaning

A scene captured from the theater’s remote workshop. (Courtesy Photo of Margaret Kemp)

BY SO P HI E D EW E E S features@theaggie.org “How do you look at a text and find rhyme?

How do you look at a text and find alliteration?”

These questions are just two of many posed by Dahlak Brathwaite to the cast of the Theatre Department’s spring play, “AntigoneNOW,” in

a workshop held over Zoom. As a playwright, composer and performer specializing in spoken word and hip-hop music, Brathwaite said he believes it is only natural to take 2,000-year-old texts, like the script of “Antigone,” and discover the rhythm and poeticism of the words.

“I did this workshop partly to help the students identify the musicality of the words and of

the language,” Brathwaite said. “It’s so poetic and it’s so rich with poetic texture.”

According to Brathwaite, hip-hop elements can bring greater meaning to the play.

“How can we use hip-hop as a way to interrupt, disrupt, accelerate and thrust the language forward?” Brathwaite said. “It’s just about using that type of aesthetic and the way hip-hop approaches language and really digging into that and seeing how that element and that aesthetic could be brought into the work of ‘Antigone.’”

From Davis to New York Brathwaite started his career at the intersection of spoken-word poetry, hip-hop and as a UC Davis undergraduate in a student-run crew.

“I’ve been in [spoken word] and moving through that world since I was at Davis beginning with a crew [...] which was a campus organization that later moved on into a professional collective organization,” Brathwaite said.

The group continued after Davis, and Brathwaite toured universities throughout the U.S. as a performer. Since leaving the group, Brathwaite began studying musical theater writing in an MFA program at New York University and has composed multiple plays — his most recent being a solo piece entitled “Spiritrials,” which he is scheduled to bring to Davis this upcoming winter.

“I’ve been making my way in the theater world and just getting to this point where I’m

beginning to have the opportunity to have my own work produced and do the type of work that I’m interested in, which is finding some plane between music and theater, specifically hip-hop music and theater and using spoken word poetry as a vehicle of narration,” Brathwaite said.

Beyond the workshop with its cast members, Brathwaite will also be composing music for “AntigoneNOW.” Returning to Davis and becoming involved in the most recent endeavor of the Theater Department is particularly significant for him, as a UC Davis alumni.

“I started out working in the Theater Department when I was there, and now I’m out in the world with it,” Brathwaite said. “There’s something special to me about coming back.”

Poetry in the written word During the workshop, Brathwaite had the students focus on what he called “performance poetry.” He pulled different pieces from the play’s text and asked students to recite each section according to a certain rhythm in addition to encouraging movement to accentuate their words.

According to Margaret Kemp, associate professor of theatre and dance, although this combination of hip-hop and classical theater might seem unconventional, hip-hop’s emphasis on language and the order of language can be useful when considering ancient works like “Antigone.”

REMOTEWORKSHOP on 11

VIRAL TIKTOK WHIPPED COFFEE TREND COMMENTARY: #METOO LIVES ON IS THANKS TO SECOND-YEAR UC DAVIS How the movement that rattled Hollywood made waves, what it missed and how the fight for justice and healing continues STUDENT HANNAH CHO “Dueting” the infamous TikTok coffee with UC Davis’ own Hannah Cho

Sexual Assault Awareness Month concludes at the end of April. (Photo Courtesy of GGAADD, Flickr) Popularized by a TikTok video with 12.9 million views by user imhannahcho, Dalgona coffee is made by whipping up equal parts instant coffee, sugar, and water into a light and fluffy coffee cream that is then topped onto a cup of milk and ice. (Photo by Claire Dodd / Aggie)

BY A N JI N I V EN U GO PA L features@theaggie.org By now, you’ve seen it all over TikTok and Instagram stories: whipped coffee. Equal amounts of instant coffee powder, sugar and hot water are whipped together, and the resulting foam is spooned atop a glass of milk, hot or cold. Made globally popular by second-year intended human development major Hannah Cho in a TikTok that was viewed over 12 million times, the light and frothy drink combines taste and aesthetics, and it’s relatively simple to make.

Cho forayed into the world of whipped coffee toward the end of February, and she posted a TikTok of her making the drink with her best friend on March 10. That post now has over 110,000 likes. Four days later, she posted a video that now has nearly two million views and counting.

Armed with a two-dollar IKEA milk frother, my housemates and I took a break from studying and attempted to produce the luscious foam. Inspired by the slew of TikTok videos we had seen and desperate to finish off the milk we had in our fridge before spring break, we began by meticulously measuring two tablespoons of coffee, sugar and hot water. Unfortunately, we ended up with a dark brown froth-like sludge rather than the promised caramel-colored foam. Albeit strong, it tasted great, but as Cho says, part of the appeal is the aesthetic.

“The first video I uploaded didn’t blow up,”

Cho said. “The second time I did, my mom told me that my video wasn’t pretty enough. She said it had no aesthetic value to it and she made me redo it.”

Cho said her mom is quite proud of her contribution and considers it a big “I told you so” moment. As the caption of the TikTok says, Cho made the drink for her mom, and she really liked it.

Cho didn’t expect the TikTok to go viral. She recalls checking her phone and getting thousands of views every minute. She realized that it was actually a big deal when someone from The New York Times contacted her for an article.

“I was shocked at first,” Cho said. “I thought it was just going to stop, but I guess not. It became a worldwide trend. It’s crazy seeing everyone dueting my video and commenting. I didn’t expect it to get this much attention just for coffee.”

The popularity of the drink stems from its aesthetic value as well as for its simplicity, Cho said. It requires two fairly ubiquitous household ingredients and only about five to 10 minutes of whisking, so long as you don’t use a spoon like she did. In the video, she uses a spoon to whisk the ingredients together, which ended up taking 20 to 30 minutes. After filming that video, she bought a whisk, and the whisking process took about five minutes.

TIKTOKCOFFEE on 11

BY ALLIE B AILE Y arts@theaggie.org The Me Too movement is quite possibly the most society-shaking, patriarchy-dismantling movement in history — and it has barely scratched the surface of one of the greatest repercussions of the abuse of male power.

Sexual assault was a daily topic on the news only a couple of years ago, when Me Too galvanized women everywhere to speak up against acts of abuse committed against them. New allegations came out constantly against some of the most powerful men in the entertainment industry and beyond, in effect grabbing Hollywood by the balls; but stories fizzled out, and the media stopped reporting.

April is sexual assault awareness month, granting this movement a well-deserved re-entrance into the news. But almost no news sources have covered the topic that was once as prevalent in the media as the coronavirus is right now.

Granted, in the face of a pandemic, news outlets are focusing on COVID-19, and with few public accusations of assault recently, there’s no specific event to report. But that mentality is the problem: This goes beyond specific cases where a woman with status is the victim, or the perpetrator is important enough to be written about.

Sexual assault happens every day, and women without status are certainly not spared from it.

The increase in domestic abuse with the world in isolation shines a harsh light on prevailing misogynistic forces. A recent increase in phone calls to abuse hotlines reveal the critical

conditions partners and children find themselves in when trapped inside with an abuser. Me Too knows this, and issued a response and toolkit for anyone in this situation as a result of COVID-19 precautions. This surge in abuse makes the need to emphasize this month’s significance even more urgent.

The Me Too movement wasn’t a trend, nor was it a breaking news story that would eventually pass, like the pandemic one day will. Sexual assault and battery is an ongoing, relentless plague to society, and without attention, change won’t be made. The rise of the movement in 2017 was an amazing step and sparked real change, but that moment only publicized the scope of assault, just grazing the gravity of female suffering.

So what is Me Too today? Many hear that phrase and think of a past time; a revered moment in history that took down disgusting men and brought voices to women across the globe.

But Me Too isn’t history — at least not yet. So long as women are being assaulted, Me Too lives on, as do many other organizations with similar goals of support and prevention.

The movement went beyond providing a platform for voices to be heard. It caused a cultural shift, one that encourages believing victims and refuses self-blaming and shame. It sends the message that assault will no longer be tolerated (Read: Harvey Weinstein’s prison sentence). And it tells not only women, but any victim of sexual assault, that they are not alone in their experiences and that they deserve happiness.

#METOO on 11

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Sudoku

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.

THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2020 | 9

Answer to previous puzzle

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

10 |THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2020

UC DAVIS RESEARCH SIMULATES HOW DRUGS INTERACT WITH HEART PROTEINS

Computer model predicts arrhythmia risks associated with various drugs

UC Davis Health researchers have developed a computer model to screen drugs for unintended cardiac side effects.

(Photo Courtesy of Public DomainPictures, Pixabay)

BY MI C HEL L E WO N G science@theaggie.org UC Davis researchers have taken the first steps toward developing a reliable method to identify the effect of a drug on the heart through a computational model which simulates the interaction of drugs with cardiac channels. The goal of the study is to tackle the lack of a known method to predict the cardiotoxicity of a drug based on its chemistry, according to Kevin DeMarco, a post-

doctoral scholar in the Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology.

“One of the main reasons that drugs are removed from the market or removed during development is that they end up causing deadly arrhythmias,” DeMarco said. “Thus far, there’s no surefire way to determine what drugs may cause arrhythmias and what drugs won’t.”

DeMarco explained that the mechanism of these interactions consists of the drug disrupting the electrical activity of proteins in the cardiac

cell, which ultimately leads to the heart no longer being able to pump blood. By developing models of the protein channels and drugs, the researchers were able to calculate these simulations on a molecular level. After developing the framework, the researchers were able to validate the output of the model on the tissue level through human clinical data involving two widely studied drugs, dofetilide and moxifloxacin.

The integration of these vastly differing scales — from protein to cell to organ — proved to be a challenging aspect in developing the framework of their model due to a lack of studies demonstrating it, according to Igor Vorobyov, an assistant professor in the Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology.

John Dawson, a graduate student in the Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, went through his undergraduate career studying biochemistry unaware of this field of conducting simulations in science. It was not until he joined a graduate program and saw Vorobyov present that he was opened to its possibilities.

“I was told in my undergraduate [career] that this stuff didn’t work,” Dawson said. “And here people are actually doing it and they can actually explain why it works.”

In Russia, Vorobyov studied chemistry for his undergraduate degree but he later switched to computational chemistry during his graduate studies when he moved to the U.S. After working with renowned professors at various universities and gaining experience developing computational models of different proteins and ion channels, he was excited to partake in this study.

“[I] integrated all of the knowledge I got in my graduate study during postdoc to be able to solve these real world problems and major biomedical significance,” Vorobyov said. “This was, again, a dream come true.”

DeMarco added that being able to apply various skill sets to biomedical applications is something very exciting for all of the people involved in this project.

“Team science can bring people together who are trained in completely different disciplines,” said Colleen Clancy, a professor in the Departments of Physiology and Membrane Biology and Pharmacology. “We have a chemist, we have somebody who has a background in computers [and] I have a PhD in biophysics. We all come together to make a project work that none of us could do on our own. That’s truly a collaborative project.”

Although the model has only been tested with two drugs so far, Vorobyov explained that they will be able to greatly expand this study to many more drugs.

Clancy currently envisions the model to be able to be implemented for pre-clinical drug screening in an industry setting, but she also sees potential for its use in a clinical setting as well. This could mean physicians being able to determine the risk profiles for individuals based on their state of health, the drugs they may be taking and even their genetic background.

“I think what we hope will happen in the future is a way for us to make this more efficient and [with a] really high throughput,” Clancy said.

AVENUEB GUIDES TRANSFER STUDENTS WITHIN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES TOWARD SUCCESS Funding by Genentech Foundation creates new program for transfer students

AvenueB leads to labs like this one in the College-of-Biological-Sciences. (Photo Courtesy of David Slipher)

BY MA RG O ROSE N B AU M science@theaggie.org The Genentech Foundation awarded the College of Biological Sciences $2.5 million, the largest single grant the college has ever recieved, to fund a new program aimed at boosting opportunities for students transferring to UC Davis. This program, AvenueB, will provide financial support and preparatory programs for community college students studying biological sciences. Ten selected students will start the program this fall, said Beth Broome, the senior advisor to the provost.

AvenueB aims to reduce the ‘transfer maze,’ those challenges specific to community college transfer students. Issues regarding coordinating class requirements, units and fees can delay a transfer student’s road to success, resulting in extra costs. Students transferring from community colleges to UC campuses may pay $36,000 more in tuition and fees than students who enter as freshmen, according to the Campaign for College Opportunity.

“High-potential, low-resource students and first-generation college students” will be served through AvenueB, said Carla Boragno, the board chair of the Genentech Foundation, via email.

The program also hopes to remove barriers and boost participation of women and underrepresented minorities in STEM, according to Boragno.

Through AvenueB, transfer students will receive many helpful services to ease their transition, as well as provide them with new professional opportunities. The amount of aid each student receives will be based on a model that describes where community college transfer students typically struggle, Broome said.

“Most often, it’s not academic, it’s other issues that arise,” Broome said. “We want to begin to put measures and supports in place so that students can overcome those obstacles to have a kind of safety net, so we can help them successfully graduate from UC Davis.”

The funding provided by the Genentech Foundation will carry over five years. UC Davis has a duty to raise money to help sustain the program in years four and five, said Shari Kawelo, the executive director of development for the College of Biological Sciences, via email.

“The university needs to put in some funds as well,” said Mark Winey, the dean of the College of Biological Sciences. “And we do have a proposal out there for some additional funding for the

program, but the initial launch of the program is mostly funded by the Genentech Foundation.”

Students will have access to an intensive preparatory program prior to entering their final year at community college, as well as a summer bridge program before their first quarter at UC Davis.

Financial support, specialized advising and access to exclusive internships will be available to these students during their time at UC Davis.

“In addition to financial support, students can participate in social and academic opportunities that foster peer-to-peer learning, community building and career exploration over the duration of their time at UC Davis,” Boragno said.

Through opportunities provided by AvenueB, the program fits in with the College of Biological Sciences’ goal of offering many hands-on experiential learning opportunities, such as internships, Winey said.

“The goal for us is not only student success in terms of your first step in your career or your next step in your academic history, but also reducing student debt,” Broome said.

The initial implementation of AvenueB will have a “rolling start” — UC Davis will select one community college to partner with and select students from, Winey said. Then, the program will expand out to work with multiple community colleges across California. The program will start with around 10 transfer students and will grow to add 20 or more a year.

“I think, in its final form, the students would be prospective students with the expectation that they would apply to and get accepted in Davis,” Winey said.

Future goals for transfer students within the program would be to do well in their studies at UC Davis, continue on to earning advanced degrees or land in well-paying jobs at biotech companies, according to Winey. “[AvenueB] really is a career development program, so the preparation students will get towards careers in the life sciences and health professions are why we are excited about it,” Winey said.

AvenueB is modeled after AvenueE, a similar program for transfer students in the College of Engineering. Funded in 2016 in partnership with Chevron, the Koret Foundation and the Office of the Provost STEM Strategies, AvenueE aims to eliminate similar gaps that transfer stu-

dents face in the engineering field.

The Genentech Foundation was first interested in funding this program after a member heard Broome give a talk about AvenueE. Winey was asked to go to South San Francisco to teach the Foundation more about Avenue E and how a similar program could be created for the College of Biological Sciences.

Since UC Davis is one of the top five recruiting campuses for Genentech and because UC Davis has well-over 1,200 alumni employed by the company, it makes sense why Genentech was interested in the program, Kawelo explained.

“Genentech is a major biotech employer and they are interested in ensuring that there’s a strong pipeline of future employees in the biotech field for them and for the entire industry, which is so strong in Northern California,” Winey said.

In addition to providing funding, the Genentech Foundation will likely have a representative serve on the advisory board that will be created for AvenueB, Kawelo said.

“I’m sure our strategic engagement with Genentech will increase due to this major support,” Kawelo said.

During their partnership with UC Davis, the Genentech Foundation also looks forward to exploring new opportunities for Genentech employees to engage with students. Through tours, mentorship and other industry experiences, Boragno said she hopes students will get insight into the real-world application of life science studies.

“UC Davis is home to a vibrant, diverse student population, and we are proud to be a catalyst for AvenueB through our support, which is the first grant the Foundation has awarded to UC Davis and the college’s single largest grant received to date,” Boragno said.

AvenueB and AvenueE are an extension of the commitment UC Davis has made to serve the students of California, Broome said.

“When we look at the universe of students, we’re looking at those that are traditionally underserved in a particular stem discipline,” Broome said. “It’s really a win-win for the university and the student, because it allows us to give those students that are most at risk, a little bit of an extra boost. The cash rewards that students often get often make the difference between whether or not they can come to Davis.”

UC DAVIS’ MEDICAL STUDENT RESPONSE TEAM COLLECTS PPE, MACHINES FOR HEALTHCARE FACILITIES The organization is currently accepting student volunteers to help with cold-calling, pick-ups, outreach

Eve Solomon, the Med Supply Drive regional co-coordinator for the Sacramento branch, stands outside her car with donated personal protective equipment. (Courtesy photo)

BY S N EHA RA M AC H ANDR A N features@theaggie.org As the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to expand globally, there has been a surge in demand for personal protective equipment (PPE).

Healthcare facilities nationwide have become desperate to locate this equipment, which protects healthcare workers on the frontline from catching and spreading the virus. Without access to proper PPE, healthcare workers, who are reg-

ularly being exposed to the coronavirus, are having to be quarantined and are unable to continue treating patients.

In March, a group of medical students from the Georgetown University School of Medicine started the Med Supply Drive (MSD) to assemble and distribute supplies to hospitals in need across the nation. Since then, the coalition, which has expanded to 42 states, has collected over 200,000 supplies.

Mahtab Danai, a fourth-year medical student

at the UC Davis School of Medicine, has been the organizer of the COVID-19 UC Davis Medical Student Response team based in Sacramento.

The Sacramento MSD branch is currently composed of 48 volunteers, who are from the UC Davis Medical School and who are UC Davis undergraduates.

“MSD helps us locate hotspots for donations, or hospitals in need,” Danai said. “Right now we are accepting N95 masks, surgical masks, procedure respiratory masks, CAPR/PAPR machines and disposables, surgical or isolation gowns, full and partial face shields, goggles and eye shields, disinfecting wipes, gloves and flocked swabs.

[The] items must be unused but can be open [and] we are not accepting DIY homemade masks at this time.”

Each day, thousands of frontline workers put their lives on the line to battle the coronavirus.

Although a majority of individuals are stuck at home in quarantine, there are certain actions one can take to support healthcare workers, Danai explained.

“At this time, we are accepting undergraduate and graduate student volunteers to help with PPE donations,” Danai said. “You can help us by calling business and organizations for donations, picking up PPE supplies and spreading word via social media outreach.”

Most of these actions can be taken from the comfort of one’s own home, and do not require volunteers to come in contact with one another.

Danai wanted to thank the community’s efforts during these troubling times.

“It’s been really inspiring seeing the great work everyone is doing to support patients and providers during this pandemic,” Danai said. “I want to give a huge shout-out to our COVID-19 UC Davis Medical Response team leads for their efforts and leadership at this time: Eve Solomon (MS3) & Diana Lopez (MS1), Patient Education & Outreach; Kimberly Ngo (MS3) and Christina Lowry (MS3) for doing great work with the un-housed Sacramento community, and provider support: Kelsey Millar (MS4) and Daisy Cruz (MS4).”

Fourth-year UC Davis Medical student Eve Solomon is the MSD regional co-coordinator for the Sacramento branch. Solomon discussed the efforts of the MSD Sacramento branch to help those who have limited access to medical supplies.

“Last week, we sent a package of 20 boxes of nitrile gloves to the Navajo Nations in New Mexico, where a fellow UC Davis medical student grew up,” Solomon said. “She had heard from her contacts back home that supplies there were really low and connected us with the IHS COVID logistics coordinator who requested gloves. We were thrilled that we could help them. We have also partnered with Sac SOUP and Encampment Med Team to donate hygiene kits and homemade face masks for the unhoused population.”

Solomon described how being a volunteer for MSD offers students the opportunity to make a difference in their communities.

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THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

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ENVIRONMENTAL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Handy said that amid the lockdowns, many people are walking and biking more, leading some governments to open more streets up for use by pedestrians and bikers. She is hopeful that these moves will be permanent, or at least lead to walking and biking as more accessible forms of commuting moving forward.

Potentially even more impactful, she said, could be a transition toward telecommuting on a wider scale, even as in-person gatherings begin to occur again.

“Telecommuting has been an idea that’s been around for decades and has been an idea that just hasn’t caught on the way planners hoped it might,” Handy said. “But now that so many of us are doing it and learning how to do it and seeing that it works and companies are seeing that yes, in fact, their employees can still be produc-

tive [working from home], I think that’s something where we are going to see some permanent change.”

An increase in telecommuting could decrease the use of public transit, the amount of vehicles on the road and business air travel moving forward.

As the economy reopens and the world begins to see some normalcy after the coronavirus pandemic, it will also see an opportunity for substantial environmental change, if some of these practices — and many others — are considered.

Handy said she believes right now is an important moment to prioritize the environment as we begin to move forward: “I think we have a really important opportunity right now [to] take advantage of this moment in time to make some permanent physical changes to cities.”

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He expects to dip into some of these reserves, as well as other smaller unit-specific reserves that could be liquidated to ensure the survival of the units.

The Basic Needs and Services Referendum that passed this past February also allows access to approximately $1.4 million in increased general funds, which will aid in offsetting the costs incurred due to COVID-19.

“We are quite fortunate in that we passed the Basic Needs and Services Referendum when we did because other ASUCs [Associate Students of the University of California] which have their elections in the Spring have been forced to postpone their referendums, whereas we were able to pass it in the 11th hour,” Rotenkolber said.

Unitrans, a unit of ASUCD that is not funded through ASUCD’s general fund but instead through student fees and city grants, also has its own budgetary reserve to mitigate some of the lost revenue. Unitrans is operating fare-free until further notice to reduce customer contact with bus drivers and conductors and to support customers whose finances may be negatively impacted by COVID-19.

“Through the recently signed into law $2 trillion Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Eco-

nomic Security (CARES) Act, Unitrans can get reimbursed for lost fare revenue due to coronavirus impacts,” said Unitrans General Manager Jeffrey Flynn. “The CARES Act provides specific funding opportunities to public transit operators like Unitrans.

Flynn explained that Unitrans will experience financial impacts if gasoline taxes or student fees decrease, as they are tied to city grants and enrollment respectively. Therefore, Flynn said he is uncertain at this time how much revenue will fall and how much alternative revenue may be needed to avoid service reductions.

“We’re closely monitoring ridership, our finances and county, city and university plans, but at this time, we don’t know the full extent of the short- and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 situation,” Flynn said.

Although some services may experience budget cuts to adjust for financial losses, ASUCD is able to prevent the dissolution of any departments, units and committees.

“With the Basic Needs and Services Referendum, careful planning and intelligent decision-making, I am confident that ASUCD will survive this pandemic as we have [survived] for the past 105 years,” Rotenkolber said.

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The Yolo Community Foundation website describes the goal of the COVID-19 Relief Initiative seeks to aid struggling nonprofits that provide essential services.

“The new COVID-19 Relief Initiative provides resources to help the essential work of Yolo nonprofits during this unprecedented crisis” the website reads. “Yolo County’s nonprofits care for the most vulnerable in the community and enrich the fabric of the Yolo community through a wide range of programs that support, teach, and connect.”

Hubbard explained that most of its funds will be given to essential nonprofits, and the remainder will be granted to nonprofits negatively impacted by the crisis.

“We are accepting grants in two categories,” Hubbard said. “One is organizations that are frontline responders to the crisis — so organiza-

tions addressing problems that have been created or exacerbated by COVID-19 and the economic condition. We’re also accepting grants from nonprofits seeing revenue drop or a loss of volunteers due to the crisis.”

As of April 17, the initiative raised $325,000 from Yolo County, Davis and Woodland. Winters and West Sacramento were also considering donating to the fund.

Because of the economic strain caused by COVID-19, Hubbard said she understood that many people would be unable to donate. For those in a better financial position, however, donating is especially important at this time.

“A lot of us are worried about our jobs or our income or have already seen job loss and income drop,” Hubbard said. “But for those of us who can, it’s really important to do what we’re able to in order to support local nonprofits.”

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“Most books are in Times New Roman,” Bemis said. “That’s because it’s easy to read. That’s because you don’t notice it. And that’s the beauty of the font is that it doesn’t stand out to you, it doesn’t distract you from the content.”

Miki Wayne, a third-year English and political science double major, noted that although Times New Roman is not her favorite font, she has grown fond of its consistency across her work.

“I think it’s kind of timeless,” Wayne said. “I am the kind of person who uses the same pen for all my notes, and I like consistency. It’s kind of nice and visually pleasing to see that all my papers in all my classes have the same font.”

Perhaps not stylish, certainly not flashy, but always consistent, Times New Roman has etched itself into our lives. As for the foreseeable future, it looks like the Honda Civic of fonts is here to stay.

REMOTEWORKSHOP CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

“It’s interesting to think about hip-hop,” Kemp said. “A lot of people don’t realize how much it has in conversation with classical work because it’s really specific about how language is used, and trying to think about how you organize language, as an actor or a writer, influences the meaning.”

For Mayuko Agari, a cast-member and Japanese exchange student, the workshop’s emphasis on the delivery of words and identifying patterns within a given text made the play sound more interesting.

“I think the hip-hop workshop was really important to us in the way that he gave us a way to get out of our stereotype about theatrical speech,” Agari said. “We did an exercise in which we unusually emphasized a repetition of certain words. It was a good opportunity for us to break the walls we have created unconsciously.”

Art over the internet In adapting to the challenges posed by COVID-19, the cast members of the play participated in the workshop from remote locations

around the world, with a few students even joining the Zoom call at 2 a.m. In addition to these challenges, attempting to synchronize and teach complex rhythms is difficult when using a medium of communication with lag time, Brathwaite said.

“I’m doing a workshop all about timing and all about music and music is heavily based on timing, it’s heavily based on being able to hear one another,” Brathwaite said. “Like all things, I just had to be creative. It became more individualized, just because there was less group dynamic work that we could do.”

Despite these difficulties, Kemp believes students are adapting well to working remotely.

“I think because the approach to acting and performance uses a lot of the energetic work of Michael Chekhov, the students are actually saying ‘You know what, I can feel somebody’s energy through the internet,’” Kemp said. “The students are starting to see the possibilities in the virtual world beyond the smallness of the device.”

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Some commenters on Cho’s TikTok spoke up about not having success in creating whipped coffee.

“You need to have the perfect one-to-one ratio, or it doesn’t work quite as well,” Cho said. “If you have a whisk, use a whisk because that saves a lot of time as well.

The issue of where the drink originated has popped up in the comments of Cho’s post as well — a number of people argue that whipped coffee is in fact a Greek frappé and others discuss it having roots in India or Thailand. Cho emphasized the fact that different cultures have different takes on the same types of food, often with different methods.

“I don’t actually know what the origin of this drink is, but I guess a lot of [cultures] have similarities in the drink itself,” Cho said. “I actually researched Greek frappés because I didn’t want

people thinking I stole their culture’s ideas or anything. It is also Korean.”

With everyone in my house on a phone call or meeting, the whisk mysteriously missing (it was in the dishwasher) and a hankering for coffee, I decided to attempt whisking it with a spoon instead of using a hand mixer. This was, of course, before I talked to Cho about the process. Thirty minutes into stirring, my sister had finished her class and burst out laughing at the sight of me frantically stirring a mostly liquid mixture. It took an additional 10 minutes after that to reach foamy perfection. The coffee was good, better than the first attempt, but I would never use a spoon for this again.

Different versions of the drink have popped up on TikTok, and Cho hopes to try them once she can leave her house to get the ingredients.

“It’s really nice to see the trend go around,”

Cho said. “People are actually getting creative with it. I’ve seen chocolate, caramel, cinnamon and matcha versions of it. If I do go out, I’m definitely looking forward to trying the matcha version.”

Inspired by another TikTok and missing Philz, my sister and I attempted to replicate the mint mojito; using the hand mixer, we were able to quickly get the desired consistency for the foam. The iced coffee is simultaneously light and decadent, and paired with mint, it makes the perfect caffeinated summer drink. We’ve made this version at least five times in the past 10 days.

With some additional free time from being at home, I’ve experimented quite a lot with this drink and tried to make adjustments based on my family’s coffee drinking habits. My dad, who mostly drinks black coffee or Americanos, and

my sister, who doesn’t like her coffee too sweet, both provided pretty glowing reviews of the coffee with a two-to-one ratio of coffee to sugar. My mom doesn’t drink coffee, and she finds it somewhat comical that we pull out the hand mixer every other day to make this coffee. Admittedly, it is a bit comical, but the hand mixer allows me to make this gourmet coffee ten minutes before my Zoom class starts.

If you’re looking for something to do that will take up a good amount of time while sheltering in place, whisking it by hand might be the way to go.

“I’m really glad that people are enjoying it and having fun with it, especially during quarantine,” Cho said. “I know everyone’s bored and I guess this kind of eases that pain of boredom.

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This message has always been what Tarana Burke, the founder of Me Too, has promoted in her work. Burke coined the “Me Too” campaign in 2006, long before the movement we know today was celebrated in the media. She used the phrase “me too” on social media to bring women, especially women of color, together through their shared experiences of sexual assault. Today, she continues her original mission with the platform of a globally recognized organization.

From developing curriculum, to giving talks, to creating a new hashtag (#metoovoter, directed at getting presidential candidates to raise the issue in debate), Burke puts in work. In 2019, Burke went on a tour to different Historically Black Colleges and Universities to discuss issues related to sexual assault and consent in black communities.

Assault disproportionately impacts women of color, women with low socioeconomic status, trans men and women and any other group facing challenges beyond solely gender identification. As such, Burke’s efforts stress the need to increase community support among the most affected, often those who are given the fewest resources in the first place.

This is a pivotal element perhaps lost in the frenzy of Hollywood-ers coming forward and being accused. While white entertainers have every right to share their story — and it was vital that they did so for the progression of the movement — their faces headlining the cause diminished the underlying truth that certain women are far more vulnerable to sexual assault.

It is important to highlight what the “peak” of Me Too missed in 2017–2018 since there is still movement happening and opportunity to address the issues the media has overlooked.

Burke’s connection with black communities is a meaningful example; the way we experience and heal looks different for every group, and there hasn’t been much attention drawn to the inter-

sectional impacts of assault.

We also did a bad job backing up abused men. It happens less often, but it’s just as important to support them. Football player-turned-actor Terry Crews came forward with his assault story in 2017, and while his story was received well by some, many took to social media to abate his experience, including fellow men in the industry. Crews responded to the criticism saying, “ABUSERS PROTECT ABUSERS but they MOCK SURVIVORS as well,” showing the reality for men who share their stories. They aren’t seen as victims, since it’s men who typically inflict these acts, and men aren’t supposed to be vulnerable. This is unacceptable, and Crews’ story is a powerful cry out against that notion.

The Me Too website offers healing and advocacy resources as a means of activism. The extensive information on how to help survivors contributes to the culture of prevention that is crucial to this movement. Healing needs to happen, but if we can get people to rally around not just believing and supporting victims, but inhibiting victimization in the first place, the most change can be made. The long-term goal is to stop assault all together.

Though only popularized recently, the almost 15-year-old movement behind the words “Me Too” has made waves for feminists and assault awareness advocates across the globe, and the work has not, and will not stop. As society slowly approaches a comprehensive awareness of the issues at hand, efforts only propel forward, fighting for recognition beyond a period of accusations and public outcry.

Burke said it best herself in a 2019 TED Talk: “‘Me too’ is a movement, not a moment.”

If you or someone you know has/ is experiencing sexual assault, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-7997233.

MEDDRIVE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

“This is a great way for students to get involved while still social distancing and maintaining shelter-in-place,” Solomon said. “All of our outreach to the community is done by phone, social media and email. We also have drivers who pick up and drop off donations, but we require that they take precautions to protect themselves, including wearing facemasks.”

Before starting medical school at UC Davis, Solomon spent two years in the Peace Corps in Costa Rica.

“This project reminds me of that time, because it is a grassroots effort that requires partnering with community members and local groups to achieve a common goal,” Solomon said. “While COVID-19 and shelter-in-place

has been a difficult and trying time for most of us, the high level of community action and the enthusiasm of our donors and recipients has inspired me and given me hope that we will get through this challenge together.”

For those interested in joining the volunteer efforts and for those who wish to donate supplies, contact the UC Davis MSD Sacramento branch at covid.ucdsom@gmail.com. The MSD Sacramento branch is also accepting medical students, who are not required to be a UC Davis medical student, to aid in provider support and patient outreach. For more information about MSD, visit their pages on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.

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12 | THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2020

UC DAVIS BEACH VOLLEYBALL REFLECTS ON SHORTENED SECOND SEASON

Team remains positive, sets goals for next year

The UC Davis Beach Volleyball Team in action against San Jose State on Saturday, March 7 at the UC Davis Beach Volleyball Courts. (Photo by Kazim Jafri / Aggie)

BY RAIN YEKIKIAN sports@theaggie.org The UC Davis beach volleyball team had just started to find its confidence when its second season as a program was cut short by the recent suspension of all sporting events and practices due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Members of the team spent their first season trying to establish themselves as players and were using their second season as an opportunity to compete with teams at a higher level. Although they were not able to complete their 2020 schedule, the Aggies are now taking this time to focus on themselves and set goals for the next season.

“I think they handled it really well,” said Head Coach Ali McColloch regarding the team’s response to the cancellation. “There were a lot of disappointed faces because they had been working so hard towards getting better and finally feeling like they were getting used to the beach game.”

McColloch explained that almost everyone on the team is new to beach volleyball. The athletes viewed this season as a chance to showcase what they had been working on, since most of

them had gotten much stronger and faster as players.

“Obviously the team was bummed that we were no longer going to be able to compete,” said junior Paloma Bowman in an email interview. “[But] we completely understood why the precautionary measures were taken.”

Bowman, one of the athletes who had returned to the team after playing on last year’s squad, was often playing at the No. 1 spot in the lineup with sophomore Jane Seslar. The pair’s wins this season were clinchers in victories against San Jose State and Utah.

The team was proud of the progress it had made up until the suspension, Bowman said.

Rather than looking at the situation as their season being cut short, they were more grateful for each day they were able to be part of the program.

“It all happened so fast,” McColloch said.

In the team’s final meeting, everyone took the time to process the news while still remaining positive and praising one another for their accomplishments.

The beach volleyball team is a fairly young program compared to most others at UC Davis.

It’s one that lacks a significant senior presence

and has a handful of newcomers who joined the team this season. This is something McColloch sees as a positive, as it means almost everyone will be returning next season. Players who had redshirted this past season can also take this time to build on their skills.

According to McColloch, the freshmen on the team took the news really well, and understood the situation as something much bigger than beach volleyball. She acknowledged the sense of unity that exists within the team and the members’ ability to “handle anything that is thrown at them.”

For freshman Megan Luly, this was her first time competing at the college level. Her main goal this season was to make the transition from the junior level of volleyball, which required a lot more dedication to the sport, both physically and mentally.

Luly finished the shortened season with a 5-3 overall record, performing at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots in the lineup. She posted a three-match winning streak and won back-to-back matches at different points throughout the season.

“We all knew that we should be putting our personal and others’ safety above competition,” Luly said in an email interview. “Personally, I was sad to see my first season end so shortly, but was pleased that we were able to get a few games in.”

McColloch also sees this time as an opportunity for the team’s athletes to direct all their focus and energy into their academics, rather than having to juggle between athletics and their education.

The team is currently preparing for next season through virtual check-ins, which include goal setting and film review, McColloch said. The athletes also hold virtual group meetings on their own to stay connected with one another.

But McColloch prefers to limit the amount of time that everyone is required to spend on a computer because of how much time they already spend looking at a screen during their Zoom class meetings.

“Team communication is extremely important to us,” McColloch said. “But for us to require even more time on the computer is backwards from what we always talk about, which is trying to get rid of the screen.”

McColloch highlighted the most important things for the team’s athletes to be doing at this time, primarily focusing on academics and “strengthening their mental toughness.” She believes now is an important time to focus on the mental side of their game instead of the physical aspect.

The athletes also reflected on the hopes they had for themselves going into their second season, and believe they made a lot of progress toward the goals they wanted to achieve.

As a younger team with less experience, the

Aggies were at an obvious disadvantage when playing teams that had been together much longer, said McColloch. But through building endurance and becoming a more physical team, UC Davis was able to make up for the lack of experience and compete with teams at a higher level.

The Aggies also faced much more difficult competition this season, playing against teams like No. 11 California and No. 17 Arizona.

McColloch said these duels against tougher opponents were important to gain experience and knowledge, even if the Aggies did not win.

McColloch looks back at a double-header from Feb. 29 as a “turning moment” for the team, in which the Aggies were dominated by California in the first game but came back out and defeated Utah in the second. She explained that the Aggies developed from being “out of their comfort zone” last year to actually feeling that they could challenge more difficult teams this season.

“The process of learning is a trying and challenging one, but that's why we have a support system to carry each other when we need it,” Bowman said. “I think the beautiful part about our team is the ability to show up and be a part of a culture that cultivates growth.”

Bowman’s current schedule without volleyball consists of online classes, schoolwork and working out. She said this is the longest she has gone without touching a volleyball in the 13 years she has been playing the sport, and is using this time instead to train for a half marathon with one of her teammates.

Luly also maintains a similar schedule, balancing academics and trying to remain active while following the current social distancing guidelines.

Although the team did not get the chance to compete in a full season, there was a lot of effort that went into preparing for it, Luly said.

The team still maintains an energetic and encouraging demeanor, with the athletes pushing each other to become better players every day.

“I think everyone on the team had personal goals that they were looking to achieve,” Bowman said. “While we did not necessarily all peak at this point in season, I have no doubt that every single one of my teammates is capable of anything and everything she puts her mind to.”

Above all else, the team is remaining positive and continuing to set goals for next year.

“We love each other unconditionally, not to say we do not have our disagreements or setbacks, as every family does, but we persevere by leading with compassion, working hard each day, and holding each other accountable,” Bowman said. “I would say being as strong as family is the quality I hope to continue in the next season and the future of this program.”

BOOM OR BUST: RANKING THE THREE BEST AND THREE WORST NFL DRAFTS OF ALL TIME A look back while the 2020 draft dominates amid global sports shutdown

JO E L L E TA H TA / AG G I E

BY OMAR NAVARRO sports@theaggie.org The 2020 NFL Draft was held from April 23–25, and the anticipation going into it was the biggest it had been in years. Originally scheduled to be held in Las Vegas, the draft was forced to move to a virtual format due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This made the NFL’s job a lot harder, as each organization’s coaching and management staff now had to interview and scout players from afar, further testing their football intelligence.

The top two picks, held by the Cincinnati Bengals and the Washington Redskins, respectively, were seen as locks, and they picked the players everyone expected. LSU quarterback Joe Burrow went first overall to the Bengals and Ohio State defensive end Chase Young went right after him. From there on out, much of the picks were generally unknown. But in the end, there were no major surprises, as in years past.

Heading into the draft, there was a strong belief that there might be many trades executed, specifically in the top 10. That belief, however, proved to be false as a trade did not take place until the Tampa Bay Buccaneers traded up one spot with the San Francisco 49ers.

There were three quarterbacks drafted in the top 10 and four total in the first round. The 2020 draft class was also regarded as having one of the deepest wide receiver classes in history, and it seemed many teams agreed. Six receivers were

drafted in the first round and, by the end of the second round, a total of 13 were off the board.

Perhaps the biggest surprises of the draft involved the quarterbacks. The Green Bay Packers traded up four spots to number 26 and drafted Utah State gunslinger Jordan Love. Green Bay already has an all-pro starting quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, so spending the team’s valuable first round pick on Love indicated that the franchise is looking toward the future. Rodgers, 36, signed a four-year, $134 million extension with the team in August 2018, so the pick has many thinking that the Packers are beginning to prepare for life after Rodgers.

Speaking of big money quarterbacks, another shocker in this draft came from Philadelphia, as the Eagles selected Heisman finalist and Oklahoma Sooner quarterback Jalen Hurts with the 53rd pick. This came as a surprise to many, as the team had just given its former number two pick and current starting quarterback Carson Wentz a four-year, $128 million extension before the past season. Wentz, 27, however, has had an extensive injury history, so the Eagles’ approach makes sense. Still, it is surprising that Philadelphia chose a backup with such a high pick with more pressing needs still available.

Even given the strange circumstances and different format, the draft gave sports fans something new to look forward to for the first time in a while. The thirst for sports showed, as the NFL Draft shattered the all-time viewership on the first night. Up 37% from last year’s telecast, the

draft averaged 15.6 million viewers on the first night and peaked at 19.6 million. The combined ESPN-NFL Network broadcast made it feel similar to years past and served as an escape during these sports-less times.

There are usually great players that come out of every draft, but some classes are loaded while others have players that are out of the league in three years. For this year’s class, it’s still too early to judge. But since it is draft season, The Aggie decided to rank the three best and three worst NFL drafts of all time.

The Busts 2009 In terms of recent NFL Drafts, 2009 stands out because, although there were some players that turned out to be solid pros, there were a large number of high picks that just didn’t pan out.

After Matthew Stafford was taken at number one by the Detroit Lions, the St. Louis Rams drafted offensive tackle Jason Smith out of Baylor who would play a total of 26 games in his career.

That seemed to be the theme, as 23 of the 32 players drafted in the first round did not sign a second contract with the team they were drafted by. Only 11 players from the first round and 27 players overall have been selected to the Pro Bowl in their careers.

Aside from Stafford, the 2009 class did produce other notable players like Brian Orakpo, Julian Edelman, Clay Matthews, LeSean McCoy and Malcolm Jenkins, but never to the magnitude of a superstar or even potential Hall of Famer.

It was a forgettable draft that produced minimal talent, and it is the wors\] draft since the turn of the century.

1991 The 1991 NFL draft produced one of the best quarterbacks ever in Brett Favre, who went on to make the Hall of Fame after a career that saw him win three consecutive NFL Most Valuable Player awards from 1995–1997 and a Super Bowl title.

Defensive back Aeneas Williams, drafted in the third round by the Phoenix Cardinals, also went on to have a Hall of Fame.

Aside from those two players, there was very little elite talent. Others went on to become nice depth players, but with the draft being overshadowed by Favre’s selection at 33 overall, no one notices that it was one of the most forgettable draft classes ever.

1992 In 1992, the Indianapolis Colts held the top two picks in the draft after a fortunate trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers two years prior — an unprecedented circumstance that had never occured in any major sport — but it could not have been a worse year for them to get them. The talent pool was limited going into the draft, and the Colts selected defensive tackle Steve Emtman and linebacker Quentin Coryatt. Neither player would ever make a Pro Bowl and both had forgettable careers.

That was basically the theme of the entire draft, as the 1992 class never produced a Hall of Fame player or anyone who even came close.

There were only two players in the first round

that made All-Pro teams, and to this day it remains the only draft class with none of its members in Canton. Although it did produce players like Troy Vincent, Jimmy Smith and Darren Woodson, who all went on to have successful careers, it will be hard to ever duplicate how bad that draft was.

The Best 1996 It feels like 1996 was a great year for both the NFL and the NBA when it came to the draft. On the NFL’s side, this draft produced some of the best players of all time in a variety of positions.

This was the last draft where a quarterback was not taken in the first round, but that did not mean there were no impact players taken. There are currently five Hall of Famers from that class, including the Baltimore Ravens duo of Ray Lewis and Jonathan Ogden, and other all-time greats like Marvin Harrison, Terrell Owens and Brian Dawkins, who will all go down as some of the best at their respective positions.

Even after these legendary players, there were other notable players, like Keyshawn Johnson, Eddie George, Mike Alstott, Lawyer Milloy and Tedy Bruschi, who won’t make the Hall of Fame but still had great careers. Overall, the 1996 draft will go down as one of the most legendary drafts of all time.

1981 The 1981 draft was great in general, but it is difficult to surpass from a defensive standpoint. It possesses seven Hall of Famers, six of whom were on the defensive side of the ball. Lawrence Taylor, Ronnie Lott, Mike Singletary, Howie Long, Kenny Easley, Russ Grimm and Rickey Jackson are all in Canton, with Grimm being the lone offensive player from this list.

It was a star-studded defensive class, but the overall draft was also a successful one, as it had 32 Pro Bowlers. E.J. Junior, Dennis Smith, Eric Wright and Dexter Manley were all also a part of this class. Taylor and Singletary are now regarded as among the NFL’s most iconic stars in history, and when reflecting back to this class, it is hard to see any year ever passing this defensive masterpiece.

1983 When looking back at the history of NFL drafts, the near-unanimous pick as the holy grail of draft classes is the 1983 draft. It is almost impossible to replicate the amount of talent and game-changers that were a part of this one draft.

It is by far the greatest quarterback class ever with John Elway, Jim Kelly, Dan Marino and UC Davis’ own Ken O’Brien all drafted in the first round. It had one of the greatest running backs of all time in Eric Dickerson and defensive greats like Darnell Green and 203rd overall pick Richard Dent. Add the likes of Jimbo Covert and Bruce Matthews, there are a total of eight Hall of Famers and 42 Pro Bowlers (including 26 who made multiple Pro Bowls) in the class of 1983.

When the draft comes around every year, there will almost surely be a mention to the historic class of 1983. It truly is a “who’s who” of NFL history.