October 18, 2018

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VOLUME 137, ISSUE 4 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018

ZOË REIN HA RDT / AGG IE

missing

T EA MST ERS LOCA L 2010 / COU RT ESY

Concerns raised over understaffing of UC dispatchers Understaffing reportedly leading to dispatchers working overtime, stress-related health issues

BY CLAR A ZHAO campus@theaggie.org

AFSCME’s lawsuit against UC Davis could stall construction of student housing AFSCME alleges UC Davis not complying with California environmental law

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), which represents over 25,000 UC workers, filed a lawsuit regarding UC Davis’ Long Range Development Plan (LRDP), which includes projects aimed to increase student housing in Davis. The lawsuit claimed the university did not adequately analyze the potential impact of these projects on “agriculture resources, air quality, biological resources, greenhouse gas emissions, noise, traffic, housing and populations and aesthetics.”

Both university and student government leaders have condemned and criticized the lawsuit for its potential to stall the construction of additional student housing amid a housing crisis in the City of Davis.

John de Los Angeles, a spokesperson for AFSCME, said via email that he “cannot comment on the lawsuit at this time.”

According to Vice Chancellor of Finance, Operations and Administration Kelly Ratliff, the LRDP included an expansion of West Village and Orchard Park, with plans to add an additional

3,270 beds in West Village.

According to Kirsten Stevenson, the senior campus counsel for the UC Office of the President, the university went through a public input process before finalizing the LRDP. Stevenson said that AFSCME was one of many entities that weighed in on the environmental impact of the LRDP. “Lots of individuals and entities — the City of Davis, Yolo County — submitted comment letters to say, ‘Hey you didn’t properly analyze this or mitigate this impact appropriately,’” Stevenson said. “Part of the law requires that whatever public agency is going through [this] process listens to those comments, reflects upon those problems and makes some decisions before they actually finalize the environmental impact report that is associated with the Long Range Development Plan.”

The law Stevenson referenced is the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which aims to maintain the quality of the environment.

More information about the environmental impacts of the LRDP can be found on the UC Davis Campus Tomorrow website, which includes a document of all the comments received on the LRDP and the university’s responses to the comments.

CALI FO RNI A H I GH WAY PATRO L / COU RTESY

Stevenson said that the City of Davis and Yolo County raised concerns about the LRDP and its environmental impact but eventually came to an agreement after negotiations. According to Stevenson, however, when AFSCME raised concerns later on, the university and AFSCME were unable to reach an agreement. “[AFSCME] wound up filing a lawsuit and their claim is that the university has not complied with the California Environmental Quality Act,” Stevenson said. “They claim that, in a variety of different areas, we haven’t adequately mitigated the environmental impacts — for example, greenhouse gases or impacts to roads — of the plans that we are proposing to undertake.”

In a statement released Sept. 28, the university said it is “perplexed and profoundly disappointed” by the lawsuit.

“We have previously made a series of generous offers to AFSCME that would have benefited UC Davis’ represented service workers and enabled UC Davis’ housing projects to move forward,” the statement read. “Despite agreement that more student housing is a benefit to all, AFSCME’s LRDP LAWSUIT on 11

An interview with UC Davis Police Chief Joe Farrow Chief talks about recent Davis thefts, how to secure one’s belongings, fostering better police-to-community relationship

BY K E NTO N G O LDS BY campus@theaggie.org

The California Aggie recently sat down for a question-and-answer conversation with UC Davis Police Chief Joseph (Joe) Farrow. Below is a transcript of the interview. It has been edited and condensed for clarity.

The California Aggie: It seems kind of out of the blue for some people that there has been this uptick in thefts and robberies in Davis. From your knowledge, is this a statistical uptick in what we are seeing, or is it on par with how many robberies we see in a year, but just concentrated in one time frame?

Chief Joe Farrow: I think it’s the latter. We have thefts from time to time. The stealing of laptops is not unusual on this campus, and the stealing of backpacks isn’t either. Those burglaries that had occurred three weekends

in a row, really got our attention. I think statistically speaking, we are probably at the same amount. They were concentrated in a short time frame, which led us to believe we were really looking for the same person on each of these cases.

TCA: The laptop thefts off campus have been particularly alarming to students. How is the UC Davis Police Department working with the City of Davis and assessing these crimes?

CJF: Those are very brave. Those are very bizarre. We are working very closely with the City of Davis—they’ve formed a little task force to take a look at this issue. [...] Certainly there are a lot of people here with laptops, so it’s easy for the thieves to concentrate here.

These are all crimes of opportunity. They are very specifically looking for a device: laptops, cell phones, backpacks. They see them in plain view and I think they make

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an assessment. It’s all about the opportunity.

They see it, they look around the room, think, “I can grab this thing and be faster than the owner,” and they run.

TCA: When it comes to the robberies that have been at residences, do they involve breaking and entering or were the homes not properly secured?

CJF: They weren’t secured. None of them were secured. One of them has a sliding door that was left partially open with items that were in plain view. This campus is relatively safe. For as many people as we have on this campus, it is relatively safe. I think for the most part, what we have to teach ourselves is: watch out for what is going on, be aware of surroundings and understand that there are people here that will take your backpack if you leave it in the wrong place.

POLICE CHIEF on 11

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BY SABRI N A HA BCH I campus@theaggie.org

In late September, University of California Dispatchers asked the UC Regents for support in addressing the safety concerns caused by understaffing.

Public safety dispatchers work with campus police departments and take care of all emergency calls for the UC, including safety, fire and rescue calls. They also help assess the nature and priority of calls for assistance, determine and assign appropriate resources and document the resulting response.

According to a press release from Teamsters Local 2010, the union that represents dispatchers at every UC, campuses systemwide are so understaffed that many of the dispatchers go without breaks and lunch and may work 20 days in a row.

“No one should have to work 20 days straight just because they cannot hire enough people,” said Christian Castro, a communications coordinator at Teamster Local 2010.

In addition, all dispatchers were expected to pick up overtime everyday, which ended up impacting their personal life and families.

“In the last month, I and my colleagues have worked at least 18 consecutive days to ensure adequate staffing for the safety of our officers and the UCLA community,” said Lori Hancock, a UCLA dispatcher. “This is too much to ask of any employee, especially for those who have the well-being of others in their hands.”

According to the press release, many of the affected dispatchers had reported health issues including fainting, panic attacks and heart problems associated with workplace stress.

“They keep working because they care about their job and the safety of the students and community,” Castro said.

So far, the UC Regents have yet to give a response.

“They should hire more dispatchers so that the ones currently employed are not overexerted,” said fourth-year psychology major, Jeanette Vuong.

“These individuals are tasked with aiding students in need, which is a stressful job, and I highly doubt we absolutely have no funds to hire more dispatchers.”

2 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

CAITLYN SAMPLEY / AGGIE

Lengthy debate ensues over applicant to Elections Committee position at Senate meeting With Fall Elections around the corner, bylaw suspended to confirm chair

BY AARON L I SS A ND HANNA H HOL Z E R campus@theaggie.org

The ASUCD Senate meeting on Oct. 4 began with the confirmation of the Picnic Day unit direc-

tor. Fourth-year double major Elise Pohlhammer was chosen for the role.

Polhammer said Picnic Day was what convinced her to come to UC Davis. She has volunteered with the unit since her freshman year.

Senator Alisha Hacker then began the Elections

Committee Chair confirmation. She described the position as a “hot potato” because of the challenges the association has faced in filling it.

Rodney Tompkins, a third-year psychology major, served as interim elections committee chair for three weeks last spring and was the only applicant for the 2018-19 position.

Hacker motioned to suspend a bylaw which requires the position remain open an additional week if only one candidate applies.

With Fall Elections around the corner, President Michael Gofman said it was imperative the position be filled immediately.

Senator Ko Ser Lu Htoo said the association would have received more applications for the position if it had been publicly advertised as an open seat. Htoo said the lack of publication was done on purpose and alleged “possible collusion or partiality.”

To this, Hacker stated that not every position is shared on the ASUCD vacancy website.

“We can’t get off the ground and have new people on this Table without a new Elections Chair,” Gofman said. “Calling the interview process has corruption and collusion behind it isn’t productive, has no evidence and for a theory there has to be evidence.”

After an additional line of questioning, Senator Simran Kaur said she thought Tompkins had “answered enough questions for long enough.” He was confirmed as Elections Committee chair without objection.

Following this, the senators commented on rules for allowing questions; they said questions regarding issues or qualms outside of the Senate table should not be brought into the confirmation process.

Fourth-year biology major Anne Marie Adachi

was then confirmed as unit director for The Pantry.

Adachi has volunteered at the Pantry since freshman year and said the unit will focus on fundraising.

Members of the Ethnic and Cultural Affairs Commission and Business and Finance Commission were confirmed.

Two new senate bills, SB #10 and #5, were introduced. The former deals with staff positions in the ASUCD Executive Branch and the latter would reimburse airfare for an undergraduate representative to attend the Federal Title IX lobbying trip in Washington, D.C. Third-year English and cognitive science double major Anna Maria was confirmed as the Sexual Assault Awareness Advocacy Committee chair. Maria wants to reach out to the campus community and publicize the existence of SAAAC. Additional SAAAC members were later confirmed.

Proposed budgets for Creative Media and the Bike Barn were both approved.

A discussion ensued on whether ASUCD should allocate $1,000 to fund Safeboat, a program instituted to ensure first aid and medical attention is available during houseboats, an annual event on Lake Shasta filled with alcohol and partying.

Gofman explained the association’s allocation of money to continue funding Safeboat is a move to “endorse safety” not endorse partying. Vice President Shaniah Branson, however, raised concerns about the allocation of money to the program. Branson encouraged the table to close the budget and look into finding sponsors to fund Safeboat.

The 2018-19 ASUCD budget was then closed.

After ex-officio and elected officer reports, the meeting adjourned at 9:58 p.m.

ALEXA FONTANILLA / AGGIE

Students live in Tercero residence halls despite ongoing construction Pine, Currant Hall residents compensated with Aggie Cash for inconvenience

BY KEN TON G O L DS BY campus@theaggie.org

Two residence halls in the Tercero housing area remain under construction while students occupy them.

Scaffolding surrounds Currant Hall and Pine Hall while the buildings are being retrofitted for a water-intrusion issue that causes windows to leak when it rains. There is no stucco on the outside of the buildings and access to windows is cut off from students by plastic coverings.

“The plastic sheeting covering the windows is required to protect them, and to provide students with privacy while the work is in progress,” said a notice posted on students’ doors in each of the buildings.

Currant and Pine Halls were first occupied by students in 2014 and the water-intrusion issue was noted during the first winter rain season, according to Mike Sheehan, the interim executive director for Student Housing and Dining Services, via email.

“We began systematically addressing the water intrusion issues starting summer of 2017 when we worked on four of the seven buildings,” Sheehan said. “During the summer of 2018 we began work on Pine and Currant.”

Students were notified about the work being done on their buildings, but only shortly before they were due to move in. It was anticipated that work could continue into Fall Quarter, Sheehan said.

Even with the notice, the construction did not deter students like Grace Chitoures, a first-year undeclared major and resident of Currant Hall.

“I was sent an email maybe a week before I moved in, so it was after all housing things were made final — after roommates, etc.,” Chitoures said. “I didn’t really want to not live in Currant because it’s the [University Honors Program dorm].”

Because of the construction, special considerations were made to get feedback from the students who are living in the buildings.

“During opening weekend, a number of staff made themselves available to residents and family members to answer questions and hear any feedback,” said Branden Petitt, director of the Office of

Student Development, via email. “So far, there have only been a couple of e-mail inquiries about the early start of some of the work being done. Overall, the residents have been understanding of the situation and we have had very few complaints.”

The site is safe and noise is the largest impact on students, according to Sheehan.

“Dust is minimal,” Sheehan said. “The contractor may start setting up at 7:30am but construction does not begin until 8am and ends at 4:30pm. Bike parking is available on the site but locations right at the building entry points have been blocked off.”

Chitoures spoke about the work being done early in the morning. She said that work does start around 7:30 a.m., but that it isn’t necessarily a bad thing for her.

“It’s kind of good I think because if I wake up at 7:30 a.m. then I start doing my stuff and I don’t sleep in until like 9, 10 o’clock,” Chitoures said. “So in some ways it’s really helpful to remind yourself to get started on your day, start doing your homework etcetera.”

Students were given $50 dollars of Aggie Cash to compensate students for the inconvenience. They also received UC Davis-branded Tupperware-type containers. According to the statement posted on student’s dorms, there will also be special events held, like ice cream socials and coffee carts, to mitigate the burden of the construction.

Most recently, Sheehan said it was just finalized and agreed that all Pine and Currant residents will receive a $300 credit on their November bills.

“We also notified them that there will be some work happening on occasional Saturdays,” Sheehan said. “This is to ensure that the project gets completed as soon as possible and prior to the winter season.”

When it comes to the cost of living in the dorm, however, the price has stayed the same, according to Chitoures.

“Our bill is the same, which kind of sucks, but I think they are supposed to be giving us coffee carts and various events over the quarter, but I don’t know, they might be on the schedule,” Chitoures said.

When asked if she had seen any of these special events, Chitoures responded, “Nope!”

JORDAN CHOW / AGGIE

ASUCD senator announces opposition to working with president Htoo accuses Gofman of disrespect, Gofman denies allegations

BY G E O RGE LI AO campus@theaggie.org

In a Sept. 27 letter addressed to members of ASUCD, Senator Ko Ser Lu Htoo announced their intention to boycott President Michael Gofman’s State of the Association Address.

Htoo stated that Gofman was “disrespectful to members of the LGBTQIA community, minorities and refuse[s] to listen to members of this Association.”

“I oppose this president,” Htoo said in the letter. “I don’t honor this president. I don’t respect this president. I am not going to attend and I am not going to pretend like I have a good working relationship with him.”

In a subsequent interview with The California Aggie, Htoo said Gofman has been disrespectful to members of the LGBTQIA community, including them.

Gofman denied these allegations, stating three individuals who ran on his ASUCD slate are members of the LGBTQIA community.

“These are people that I have had long-lasting personal and professional friendships with,” Gofman said. “The reason why I am uneasy with this whole situation is, reading throughout this email, there isn’t a single concrete example of anything.”

Htoo said Gofman has refused to use inclusive, gender-neutral language.

“My entire job is to reach out to different people, groups and communities on this campus and establish relationships for the sake of ASUCD between these groups,” Gofman said. “This idea that I am not willing to work with communities is fundamentally false, and there is an overwhelming amount of evidence that shows it is false.”

When asked what it would take for a reconciliation, Gofman said it’s “a combination of taking some time to let things diffuse on their own” and not holding grudges.

“I don’t really take things too personally,” Gof-

man said. “If there comes a time a time when we can all work together, I am excited for it because the association as a whole would be more effective.”

Htoo said Gofman must listen to people — ”whenever we offer advice” and “whenever we propose something to listen.”

Htoo said that they would like to see Gofman attend more community events put on by diverse communities and meetings held with commissions such as the Ethnic and Cultural Affairs Commission (ECAC).

“If I have the chance to work with him, what he needs to do is start paying attention to [Rina Singh] who is the ECAC chair,” Htoo said. “[Singh] and I work together a lot to make sure we [raise awareness] about racism, ethnicity and international issues. We are going to be having a series of workshops to educate domestic and international students about [these] issues.”

Htoo hopes Gofman will participate in these workshops and work with them on issues that affect marginalized groups.

“As I have stated on almost every single occasion [that] has come up since I have taken office, my door is generally always open,” Gofman said.

“I welcome anyone in here if they want to have a productive conversation about anything. If there are any bills or issues that Ko needs my help on and needs me to approve them, then certainly I am not going to factor in what has turned into a personal disagreement into that.”

ASUCD Vice President Shaniah Branson was asked how Htoo and Gofman can resolve their differences.

“I fully respect Senator Htoo’s stance on not working with President Gofman,” Branson said via email. “However, I have made evident to them both that although they do not need to [be] the best of friends within ASUCD, they should be willing (or more than willing) to work together productively.

Our main focus, as an Association, should be the students.”

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018 | 3

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST CITY OF DAVIS

Claims of racially discriminatory planned housing

SHEREEN LEE / AGGIE

Who is this Alonzo?

October 6 “Transient male at playground — appears to be upset; kicking the playground, shouting and taking off his shirt LS near carousel. Reporting party concerned for children that will be in the area shortly.”

“Ongoing issue unknown subject has been dumping cooking oil/grease in her front yard.”

“Subject was standing at the end of the driveway, he stepped back into the shadows when reporting party walked by, requested area check.”

October 7 “X is currently hitting staff with a metal fork. X is also spitting on staff.”

“Male subject knocked on reporting party’s door, when she asked who he was he stated ‘Alonzo’ and then left no description.”

October 8 “Reporting party believes unknown subject(s) attempted to force entry into two homes under construction over the weekend. No property loss at this time besides minor exterior damage to one of the homes for a window pry.”

“Complaint of cyclists not stopping at stop signs. Creating traffic issues for motorists. Request for extra traffic reinforcement/education in the area.”

“Two adult males hitting softball at field two which is closed.”

“Complaint of upstairs neighbors pounding on the floor.”

October 9 “Group of subjects playing game in backyard, yelling on and off when they win.”

CAITLYN SAMPLEY / AGGIE

BY H ANNAN WALIU LLAH city@theaggie.org

A lawsuit has been filed against both the city of Davis and the prospective West Davis Active Adult Living Community (WDAALC), a housing project targeted primarily for senior residents, on the basis of racial discrimination. Because the housing for this community is mostly restricted to those with connections to the city of Davis — a town that is predominantly white — the WDAALC is being discriminatory, according to the lawsuit.

The WDAALC is tentatively set to be built starting in the summer of 2019. In order to purchase a home there, the developer requires that the buyer have some prior connection to Davis; however, this does not necessarily mean they have to currently live in Davis. Measure “L,” resolution 18094, sets aside land for the WDAALC. The development must be voted on by residents during the November elections.

There will be around 380 units

built for the community, which will vary from single-story homes to apartments. The project will set aside 150 of these units for low-income seniors, 75 of them not being age-restricted.

The houses are estimated to cost anywhere from $300,000 to $700,000.

The area is a prime location for senior citizens, with Sutter Davis, Dignity Health and the UC Davis medical and CommuniCare offices nearby.

The suit was filed by Attorney Mike Merin, who will be representing litigant Samuel Ignacio, a man of Filipino and Hispanic heritage. The lawsuit stated that he “brings this action on behalf of himself and all other similarly situated racial and ethnic minorities who desire to purchase residences in the proposed West Davis Active Adult Community.” The lawsuit claimed that the plan’s mission, titled “Taking Care of our Own,” violates the Federal Fair Housing Act, the California Fair Employment and Housing act and the California ENRA act.

One of the concerns about the WDAALC is that it will be taking

away space for other housing opportunities. But according to Dave Taormino, a developer for the WDAALC, senior housing is something the city of Davis needs. While it may not be fully meeting other needs — such as low income or student housing — the seniors’ old homes will become available in the housing market once they move to the WDAALC. “An age-restricted project was the proposal submitted by the applicant,” said Katherine Hess, the city of Davis community development administrator. “The site had not been previously identified for housing development prior to 2013. The Senior Citizen Commission determined that the project would assist in meeting internal housing needs, particularly needs for senior housing.”

According to Ethan Walsh, the assistant city attorney, the vague restrictions regarding who can buy property at the WDAALC should become more concrete if measure L passes.

“The city’s position at this point in our agreement [is] that as a part of this project, we require that if the developer does move forward with this program, that they provide us more specific information on it, that [the] project would not violate fair housing laws,” Walsh said. “At this point, the program hasn’t really formed yet, so it’s premature to take a position on whether or not it would discriminate.”

Taormino stated that Ignacio has not expressed any interest in applying to the community.

“An individual who lives in Sacramento filed a lawsuit claiming that we’re discriminating against him because he doesn’t live in Davis or has any association to anybody in Davis,” Taormino said. “Never worked here, never lived here. He didn’t go to school here. He didn’t go to UCD. So

he’s totally outside of the Davis community in every respect.”

According to Taormino, if Ignacio had applied, he would have been considered for approval. At least 10 percent of the land will be available for purchase by people who don’t have ties to Davis. And the restriction for the other 90 percent of land only applies to the first sale of the homes.

“If he applied he’d be approved, so how can we be discriminating against anybody,” Taormino said. “We’ve set aside 10 percent and so far nobody from the outside of Davis has applied.

And that’s primarily because we’re not advertising — we’re just processing the project through the normal process inside of Davis.”

Taormino explained that over 2,000 Davis residents have expressed interest in buying property; however, only 380 units will be available at first. One of the goals of the living community is to free up bigger, family sized-houses that are currently being occupied by senior residents. These houses are scattered throughout areas of the city, and Taormino hopes the seniors will move out of their old homes to free up space for families and other people who need housing.

“Generally, [the family sized houses] are occupied by one or two persons that are designed and built for families with children,” Taormino said.

While the lawsuit has been filed, it has not been served yet. Walsh does not know when the city expects the lawsuit to be served.

The California Aggie reached out to Merin, the prosecutor for this case, but did not receive a response. If measure L does not pass, the lawsuit might not be served.

“If the voters don’t approve it, then the project won’t go forwards anyways,” Walsh said.

WATER, EARTH, FIRE, AIR North Davis mural in the works along greenbelt BYSTE L L A T RA N city@theaggie.org

North Davis has had a makeover: a mural along the greenbelt was painted by members of Paint the Street from Oct. 12 to 14.

The North Davis Senda Nueva community came together in a band of cultures to figure out how to beautify their area and their solution unfolded over the past weekend.

Danielle Fodor, the lead artist for this project, elaborated on the power of art and its impact.

“These murals harness the power of the neighborhood while giving voice to the artist inside each of us,” Fodor said, according to Davis Enterprise. “Painting day is an explosion of energy — with a giant paint by number — where anyone, regardless of age or ability, can take part of the creation of a monumental piece of art.”

Nicholas Buxton, who is a part of the creative action team, explained the extent of the mural’s progress.

“We tried to make sure everyone in the neighborhood knew about it, and once that happened, the team got together to decide where the best place to do it would be,” Buxton said. “We had to discuss with neighbors to get their consent. Once we decided on a place, there were a whole bunch of workshops over the summer for ideas on a design with a total of three workshops. With an ambitious design, we had to fundraise and raise money.”

The mural was expected to stretch 10,000 square feet and was carried out in a paint-by-number style along the greenbelt and onto the cul-de-sac on the west end of Hacienda Ave. “It’s a big project, and the great thing about the project was that it allows people to come out of their doors to meet their neighbors and envision something together — to collaborate and decide what would make our streets beautiful,” Buxton said. “We had indigenous art and traditions and African American contributions for the symbols as well. The cultural exchanges as well as the idea of how

we want to make it more beautiful.”

The mural is titled “Elemental,” as it featured nature’s four elements — water, earth, fire and air. Judy Catambay, the assistant artist, explained how the mural included all of nature’s essence.

“The whole thing celebrates nature,” Catambay said. “Like with air, you’re going to see wood and dandelions and birds. Earth, you’ll have eagle feathers and things that are in the earth, like a dog. Each element has something that celebrates nature that lives in those elements. We infused symbols from multiple cultures as well.”

By fusing a multitude of cultures in the mural, Buxton believes it will be able to connect those who reside in the neighborhoods.

“I think it is really important because it connects people together,” Buxton said. “Part of our problems nowadays is that people are isolated and they don’t get a chance to be around a cross sector of ages and types of people.”

Buxton suggested that art can provide a means for imagination and community.

ALLYSON KO / AGGIE

“I think it’s the way that art can both connect people together and unify those to talk and to volunteer together,” Buxton said. “It’s just a great way to bring people together. Also, it enables people to imagine and to be creative, and it’s a positive energy — to think about what’s possible. That opens up something that enables you to you think about ideas to make it work for everyone to address the social needs of the neighborhood. The combination of community and imagination is already a powerful dynamic, and the art can bring the two together.”

The artwork encompasses the com-

munity, as ideas from many voices were pitched during the meetings.

“There were kids and people who were from the senior center who were really involved,” Catambay said. “There was a man there who lived there — he didn’t speak much, but he drew a lot of whimsical birds. It’s going to be neat to see them come to life.”

Catambay also noted how rewarding the experience was for her.

“It’s quite a joyful and exhilarating event because you just see people from every walk of life coming out and getting involved with every age,” Catambay said.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

4 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018

FAST AND FURIOUS 9: PARKED AND LOADED

Davis students comment on public transportation, campus parking JORDAN CHOW / AGGIE

BY SNEHA RA M AC HANDR AN features@theaggie.org

Many Davis students have had near-death experiences with spastic bikers pushing the 15 mph speed limits. But biking is one of the many quirks Davis students love about their campus. Davis is often referred to as one of the “Bicycle Capitals of the Nation,” the city is home to thousands of cyclists and motorists alike, who together create a unique cycle-friendly environment.

But for those who don’t have the stamina or patience to bike on- and off-campus, students have the option of driving or taking the well-known Unitrans system to get around town. For those driving to campus, the university’s Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) offers the C-level parking permit for $50 a month.

Second-year international relations major Sasha Feuerstein decided to bring her car to campus this year. Like many other students living over two miles away from campus, Feuerstein finds driving the most efficient and convenient form of transportation. Feuerstein explained her experience with parking on campus.

“I definitely think there is very limited parking on campus,” Feuerstein said. “I was surprised when I ordered my parking permit that there was only one type of permit I could get [C-level] and many places are restricted during the day time with this type of permit. It seems there are really only two main parking garages on campus to choose from when parking before class.”

For most students the prime parking spots on campus are Hutchinson parking lot and the parking structure behind the Memorial Union because of their proximity to classes. Finding parking after 9 a.m. on campus is difficult for any student with a C permit, Feuerstein detailed.

“Everyday I go to the Memorial Union parking garage because that is the most convenient location for me,” Feuerstein said. “I very rarely find a spot once I get to the C level parking areas and there are not many levels in that garage. After going all the way around the structure and back down again, I usually drive to the Pavilion garage and I can usually find someone pulling out of a spot there on the higher levels. I wish there was more available parking for type of permit I have. I think I generally just get lucky most days since I have later classes, but I feel bad for drivers trying to make it on time to their morning classes struggling to find parking in the morning.”

In an effort to resolve the limited parking available during peak hours on campus, TAPS recently implemented the stack parking service. Stack parking uses aisle space to its advantage by allowing students to double park their vehicles without disrupting the traffic on campus.

Feuerstein recalled how other Davis students warned her about the parking situation on campus.

To avoid this debacle Feuerstein has debated taking Unitrans, UC Davis’ public transportation system.

IN SPEECH AT UC DAVIS, UC IRVINE CHANCELLOR SAYS UNIVERSITIES CANNOT ENFORCE HATE SPEECH CODES “Free Speech on Campus” book advocates for free speech, even if offensive REBECCA CAMPBELL/ AGGIE

BY AA RON L I SS campus@theaggie.org

On Oct. 4, UC Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman spoke at an event titled “Free Speech On Campus” at the Student Community Center.

Gillman recently co-wrote a book of the same title with UC Berkeley Law School Dean Erwin Chemerinsky and used the event to promote the book and discuss free speech. Following his speech, Gillman answered audience questions.

The event was classified as a chancellor’s special event.

“While public spaces remain open to free speech, universities can draw the line at harassment, true threats or other speech acts unprotected by the First Amendment, as well as discrimination that encroaches upon dormitories and classrooms, for example,” a UC Davis news release, which discussed the event beforehand, explained.

After studying and teaching constitutional law his entire adult life, and amid recent instances of UC campuses being forced to face the complexities of free speech, Gillman spoke about his urge to write the book.

American campuses, Gillman said, are riddled with a generation of students who have been “so protected by their communities that they are not capable of coping.”

Gillman said that “the arguments for limiting hate speech are strong,” and acknowledged how hate speech “hurts marginalized communities.”

“Let’s acknowledge that ideas can be harmful,” Gillman said.

However, he argued that censorship and the regulation of ideas is even more harmful, and claimed that universities have no jurisdiction over hate speech.

“We argue that any viewpoint can be expressed on campus,” Gillman said. “It is still not legal for public universities, such as UC, to enforce hate speech codes.”

Gillman discussed having controversial speakers on campus, like conservative Milo Yiannopoulos, who has mocked and doxxed transgender students on campuses he has visited, or white supremacist and alt-right figurehead Richard Spencer.

“I had Milo twice on campus,” Gillman said.

“Milo or Richard Spencer are silenced while their critics are not. A campus cannot deny a speaker a forum.”

Gillman described what he called the “culture wars” happening at universities — both Gillman and Chemerinsky grew up during the civil rights movement and anti-war movement.

“We wrote our book in the hope that we could provide background on free speech,” Gillam said.

“Students have no exposure to the history of free speech, or main arguments for why free speech might deserve special protection.”

Connor Gorman, a UC Davis graduate student worker, contested Gillman’s argument via email interview, citing perceived damage done by propping up marginalizing language under the guise of “free speech.”

“UC administrators often advocate for very limited and superficial notions of free speech while simultaneously being clear hypocrites when it comes to this issue,” Gorman said. “They fail to account for relevant power dynamics and the fact that oppressive, bigoted beliefs abound in U.S. society. In fact, the U.S. is based on structural violence that’s directed toward the most marginalized communities.”

To Gorman, allowing Yiannopoulos to speak became indirect support by administration, encouraging both implicit and explicit discrimination by not condemning hate speech.

“A true commitment to free speech would involve reducing the number of platforms provided to these ideas while increasing the exposure of ideas that challenge systems of oppression rather than upholding them,” Gorman said. “On top of this, UC administrators are notorious for their repression of student, worker and community actions that oppose their undeserved wealth and power from the infamous UC Davis Pepper Spray incident to the SJA charges brought against participants in a recent Mrak Hall sit-in.”

Amara Miller, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Sociology, echoed Gorman’s sentiments, saying via email that it’s ironic “UC administration is promoting ‘free speech’ given many of their new policies that seek to address controversial speakers on campus actually criminalize student counter-protest.”

“Administrative decisions about whose speech is highlighted, both in terms of [...] dangerous speakers being given university platforms as well as this Chancellor whose voice is promoted here in this event, illustrate the way ‘free speech’ is already and always implicated in power relationships that amplify the voices of powerful white actors and silence the voices of marginalized communities on our campuses who are most directly impacted by farright violence,” Miller said.

In his speech, Gillman reiterated his belief that all universities should allow alt-right speakers like Spencer or Yiannopoulos.

“Milo is coming back to my campus in a few weeks,” Gillman said. “I can’t deny college Republicans their right just because I don’t like Milo’s views.”

“I would definitely consider taking the Unitrans if the parking situation proves too difficult,” Feuerstein said. “I would just be worried about arriving on time to everything, but I know so many people who rely on the buses.”

Feuerstein offered some advice for those struggling to find parking on campus.

“I would recommend leaving 45 min [siq] to an hour before their class starts,” Feuerstein said. “That’s what I do typically, and it gives me just enough time if I find a spot after looking around for some time and then walking to class from there.”

For those who don’t commute to school by car, second-year and evolutionary biology major Kiana Lindblad explained her daily routine for getting on campus.

“I always bike to school because I know that I can count on myself to get there in time,” Lindblad said.

“The buses can get super congested in the morning, which causes them to run late despite the drivers’ best efforts. Although I’ve never tried it I don’t see myself ever driving to school in the mornings.”

This year Lindblad started work as a driver for Unitrans, and offered her insight as both a driver and commuter on the Unitrans system.

“Driving the bus in the mornings I see how bad the traffic gets coming from the parking structure,” Lindblad said. “I don’t want to contribute to all the traffic and stress, so for me my bike is the best option.”

For those without access to a car or those who live too far off campus to bike, the Unitrans is a viable option, Lindblad explained.

“The funny thing is I never used Unitrans be fore I started working for them, but honestly it’s a great resource that gets overlooked by students,” Lindblad said. “It’s included in your tuition, better for the environment and a hell of a lot cheaper than

Uber[ing]. Unitrans has a bad rap because it can be late sometimes, but more often than not it gets you where you need to be on time.”

Lindblad also detailed her experience parking her bike on campus.

“Bike parking on campus can get tricky though with all the abandoned bikes,” Lindblad said. “It can be really frustrating at times when you have to park far from class when an unused bike is taking a space you could have used.”

Lindblad also offered her advice for students who struggle to find a convenient mode of transportation.

“If you’re having trouble getting to school I’d suggest getting really familiar with the bus lines, because there is often more than one that services your area,” Lindblad said. “If you live closer to campus I’d also suggest biking or walking, especially while we still have nice weather because once the rain starts the buses get packed. Plus if you walk or take the bus, parking isn’t an issue you even have to worry about.”

Phoebe Song, a third-year mathematics major, described what actions she believes the university and TAPS could take to make commuting to campus less chaotic.

“I realize that allocating funds is a whole process and this wouldn’t be a cheap project,” Song said.

“Especially since it would also probably take a little longer to implement seismic safety structures or reinforcements, but expanding the parking structures to accommodate more cars would be really helpful. I would say lowering prices too, but I’m guessing that the prices are high purposely to encourage students to use alternative methods of transportation instead.

But yeah just creating new parking spaces in any way, whether that be building new parking lots or expanding existing parking structures is I think the most direct way of making parking more efficient.”

FIRST FILIPINO-AMERICAN RESEARCH SPACE AT AN AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OPENS AT UC DAVIS Housed in Asian American Studies Department, The Bulosan Center is product of grassroots volunteers

ALEXA FONTANILLA/ AGGIE

BY E LIZABETH MER CADO campus@theaggie.org

On Sep. 29, a fundraising dinner marked the opening of the Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies.

Formed within the Asian American Studies department and located on the third floor of Hart Hall, the center will serve as a space for undergraduate and graduate research and advocacy.

The Bulosan Center — named for Filipino writ er Carlos Bulosan — was initiated and completed under the leadership of Asian American Studies Department Chair and Professor Robyn Rodriguez.

After completing her undergraduate studies at UC Santa Barbara, Rodriguez went on to graduate school at UC Berkeley where she and her peers noticed a need for Filipino representation among faculty.

Rodriguez, who became a professor, was recruited by UC Davis for her work with the Filipino diaspora.

“Having had the experience I had at graduate school and knowing the state of the field, knowing that I was probably one of only a handful at any UCs to do this kind of work, I thought this could be an opportunity to form a center,” Rodriguez said.

The Bulosan Center is also a result of the department’s work on the preservation of Filipino-American history.

Assemblymember Rob Bonta, the first Filipino-American California assemblymember, proposed Assembly Bill 123, mandating the inclusion of Filipino-American curriculum in K-12 history and social studies. In response to the need for corroborated accounts, the Asian American Studies department began a grant-funded project for an archive of the Filipino contribution to the 1960s farm workers struggle titled the “Welga! Digital Archive.”

“The problem was there isn’t a whole lot of schol arship or research on that topic and as a community we didn’t have any central archive where our experiences have been recorded and preserved,” Rodriguez said. “Even if teachers wanted to include this history there was very little to work with.”

In 2017, according to the UC Office of the President’s Disaggregated Data, there were 12,623 Filipino students in the UC system. Of those, 1,759 were from UC Davis. The Bulosan Center is the first of its kind as a space for Filipino-American Studies at a research university.

“It was about time … to have a specific space catering to not just our history but also issues facing our communities locally as well as nationwide as well as back in the Philippines,” said Wayne Jopan-

da, a Ph.D. student in the Cultural Studies Department and a volunteer at the Bulosan Center. “It’s not just a place for research. It’s a place for community engagement and to build those bridges between academia [and] our community, as well as other marginalized communities.”

In the summer of 2018, Rodriguez and a community of graduate and undergraduate students formed a coalition of volunteers interested in expanding the work of the Welga! Project. The idea became the conception of a center for Filipino studies on campus.

Volunteers collaborated with the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns, Migrante, LEAD Filipino, Philippine National Day Association and UC Davis Filipinx undergraduate student organizations to raise funds and lead up to the center’s launch on the Sep. 29.

“It wasn’t until I came to UC Davis and started taking Asian American Studies courses and joined the [Filipino-American] community did I begin learning just how rich Fil-Am history was. I learned what an integral role our predecessors played in shaping my present,” said Leigh Bagood, third-year communication major and one of the center’s social media volunteers.

The effort was composed of a core group of volunteers that collected donations internationally and nationally, from the Davis community and from their own personal contributions to amass an amount of approximately $30,000. Their goal is to sustain their donorship for a consistent intake to fund their work in research and expansion.

“We want to serve not just the UC Davis community on campus, but the UC system as well,” Jopanda said. “Whether that be through workshops, whether that be through Know Your Rights campaigns, whether that be through connecting with students in Public Health or the medical school and bringing folks around to provide potential health care services for folks who may not have health care or have access to that care. It’s really going to be reactionary to what’s needed in our community.”

Future projects for the Bulosan Center include expanding the Welga! Project to archive Filipino contributions to politics and activism, researching the consequences of trafficked Filipino immigrant workers and funding for a national survey on Filipino health and mental health.

Rodriguez attributed the distinctiveness of the Bulosan Center in its capacity for research and its focus on Filipino-American history, compared to other collegiate Filipino centers of study which focus primarily on the Philippines.

“If you don’t have representation or support for research for your community from research institutions, and this is true for all minorities, then there’s a real risk that people’s histories and experiences won’t get preserved,” Rodriguez said. “People in the field of Filipino Studies recognize that this is huge even to have a tiny little space at a major research university where you have a center of gravity of people who are working hard and promoting this field of study.”

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018 | 5

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

ly have a great creative writing program, but then when I look further into it, they are actually more English [theory] focused and have creative writing on the side.”

However, being in a beginner program also comes with its faults, including lack of resources or experience. Basma weighed out the pros and cons of being a student in a new program. you get this experience where you’re working with out,” Basma said. “Yet that exact thing could be seen as a con because maybe you don’t want to deal with being a ‘lab rat’ and just want to get through the program.”

As for pros, Basma explained how a new program FARA H FARJ O O D / AG GI E

A new path for creative writers UC Davis English department introduces new graduate program to begin in 2019

BY SNEHA RA M AC HANDR AN features@theaggie.org

a new two-year graduate program, a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Creative Writing (MFA), starting ly focused on “studio time” meaning that students will concentrate on creating their own original work rather than simply studying books by other authors.

Fourth-year Talia Basma is currently pursuing a degree in English and hopes to earn an emphasis in

creative writing. With graduation around the corner, Basma has been considering submitting an application to Davis’ new MFA program to further her education in creative writing.

“I only just started really looking into MFA programs,” Basma said. “I like the idea of applying to the UC Davis MFA program for a number of reasons including that the school isn’t too far away from my family [and] I love Davis as a school and place.” creative writing programs she has been looking into.

-

“Because the program is so new, it will probably be comparatively smaller than some other programs which will allow more intimate relationships

want people who will read your work and help you improve, but also keep your voice intact and not change the writing to be something else entirely.”

Dr. Katie Peterson, an associate professor of English at Davis, illustrated a more detailed picture of what students can expect from classes in the program.

“A great aspect of the MFA is that it pairs workshop instruction in writing with seminar classes in literature,” Peterson said. “Our students will study writing and reading at the same time. We think one of the best ways to learn to write is to read deeply and variously and democratically - we don’t think you can do your best as a writer without studying

R AC H EL PAUL / CO URTESY

Age (IV and V Period) cremated burials and Early ModPoland was dominated by Christianity, but many Pagan beliefs were still practiced.

‘Typical graves’ consisted of skeletons that had no rocks, sickles or any other items on them. Coins have been found in the atypical and typical graves, but these are a common funerary item and are not considered atypical. On what we called ‘atypical graves’, rocks had been placed on necks or on other body parts. Sickles had also been found at this site, carefully placed on the necks of the decreased.

“I think that the atypical burials are the most interesting because I have dug some cemeteries in Poland, probably a couple hundred graves by myself, and they said Maciej Gembicki, an archeology instructor with the Slavia Foundation. ceased from being inhabited by a demonic spirit, such

lum but a degree they can use. But we’ve been teach-

do great work. We want to keep doing what we’ve been doing and do it better.”

For students looking to apply to the program for insight as to what the admissions board is looking for in applicants.

“We are looking for your best, your most strange, your most memorable, your most bizarre and beautiful and heartbreaking work of any genre,” Peterson said. “Emily Dickinson famously said she knew it was poetry if she felt like the top of her head had risks and uses language with gravity and grace and shine and substance. We want writers who wish to take spiritual and personal risks and not simply write Undergraduate students who are not majoring in CREATIVE WRITING MFA on 11

Passionate officers revive the French Club

Part two of a continuing series about experiences on an archeological dig in Poland

One of the most iconic Halloween costumes is the vampire. Dark clothes, a cape and fangs are all you need to imitate Dracula or any other vampire from popular horror movies. However, there was a time when people were genuinely afraid of vampires, and evidence of this can be seen in a cemetery on the outskirts of Poznan, Poland.

gree in Literature and Creative Writing was innovative during its time for integrating the reading of books and the writing of one’s own work. But the

DAV IS WHAL EN / AG GIE

Vampires in Poland

BY RAC HEL PAUL science@theaggie.org

books. If you want to write a book, you have to read some books and see how it’s done. And we’ve all been so buoyed in our work by those writers that we admire - poets and storytellers of the past and this present moment who refresh our perceptions and teach us how to see.”

Peterson explained what measures the faculty has taken to ensure that students coming into the program don’t feel like test subjects.

as a vampire, that would cause trouble for the living.

In other sites across Europe more extreme examples of preventing or stopping vampirism have been seen, including body mutilation. One example of this is cutting

After a year of inactivity, the French Club is reinstated on campus

BY ALYSSA HADA features@theaggie.org

After a yearlong hiatus, the French Club

vampirism were only directed at some graves.

“On the bones there is no evidence they were different,” said Marta Gwizdala, the project osteologist.

the 2017-2018 school year, due to lack of new leadership. However, a new group of passionate individuals have recently revived the club and are hoping to make their mark on UC Davis.

think maybe because of their [the deceased’s] behavior or maybe because their death was sudden and unexpected...For sure, I believe they wanted to protect themselves and also the person who was dead.”

major, is the new president of the French Club.

He recalled his experience coming out to the

puter science or STEM majors that don’t have room in their schedule to take classes can still keep up their language. A lot of people take french in high school and it allows them to continue practicing.” ties including social events and practicing the language.

“We are having conversation practices where people can practice french of all levels going to have a movie night, a French edition

more information to people that may be interested in traveling abroad to France. We’re also going to be having social nights for the entire “When I was a freshman, the club was ac- club and we’re currently planning on going bowling at the MU together.”

For people interested in learning French, went were a lot of high level French speakers. the new club may be an invaluable resource for When I went to that meeting, I felt really in- getting experience in the language. timidated and they weren’t really inclusive of “For people that don’t know any French, me.” one of the best ways to actually learn is to Kayden Gleaves, a third-year environmental science and management major, is another the best way to get the full exposure to everything French-related. You can also come to our the current French Club have shifted to cater club and get another look at everything that to needs that the previous club didn’t. you’re learning in class, because it would really “We’re really excited just to get members compliment everything that you’re learning in - class.” vious version of the French Club wasn’t really inclusive because it was made up of mostly na- tial experience in the old French club. He hopes tive speakers. Our main objective now is to try to make this version of the club something that caters to all and is extremely inclusive. our love of the culture.”

“We just want to make a club that anyone who is interested in anything at all French-reand the long journey it took to get back on its lated can come to and enjoy and feel like feet. He talked about how students attempted to restart the club several times in the 2017- said. “I don’t want people to be afraid to let me 2018 school year, but each time their attempts thing better. I just care about making a club by utilizing the Facebook page that still exist- that people really like.” ed and reaching out to individuals that were Vanessa Chavez, a second-year French also passionate about the language. Now, the shared her goals for the club during this school previous years. year.

“What I’m really excited about with the club “I hope to share this love and passion with is that people that aren’t taking French classes everyone, whether they speak no French or if have a place where they can come and learn and how the club dynamics were completely

they were found. In this time period, Christians were buried facing East due to their beliefs about the resecuration and the end of times. Clearly, the people who once lived near the graveyard had a dual set of beliefs that were of Christian and Pagan origin. No one knows ed, but people in Poland and other Slavic areas thought vampires existed long before the legend of Dracula in Transylvania.

“It’s just interesting how they merged the idea of Christianity and old Pagan beliefs in the burials around here,” said Colin Steele, a student who also helped excaeven found some rosary beads around. Which is inter-

said. “Especially people like me who are com-

FRENCH CLUB on 11

6 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Opinion the California Aggie

editorial board

EDITORIAL BOARD

UC fails its workers again

EMILY STACK Editor-in-Chief

Editorial Board supports AFSCME strike

OLIVIA ROCKEMAN Managing Editor HANNAH HOLZER Campus News Editor KAELYN TUERMER-LEE City News Editor

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees 3299 — the University of California’s largest employee union — has once again voted to authorize a strike after simple requests for healthcare benefits and an increase in wages were repeatedly denied. The latest strike is planned on UC campuses for Oct. 23 to 25.

AFSCME 3299, which represents over 25,000 employees across the 10 UC campuses, protested last February. Workers picketed at the ARC and held signs that read: “UC Regents Survive on MY SALARY.” AFSCME went on strike May 7 to 9, authorized by a majority vote of 97 percent, to get its point across. The UC registered nurses, among several other healthcare professionals, also went on strike in solidarity with the AFSCME workers. After three long days of picketing, the UC’s last-and-best offer was a “3 percent across-the-board wages increase and a pro-rated, lump sum payment of $750,” according to an article by The Sacramento Bee. Unsatisfied, AFSCME 3299 declined the offer.

The matter is simply that the UC isn’t giving workers the proper benefits and salaries needed to make a living and provide for their families. Employees are forced to do a significant amount of physical labor just to barely scrape by.

The UC Office of the President, however, has fired back at AFSCME 3299, arguing that AFSCME’s only concern is money. And since many hospital and medical center workers are AFSCME members, UCOP has argued that a strike will unfairly hurt patients. This has been an ongoing dispute for many years and has become even more prominent since the May strike. In a 2013 statement released by UCOP during the last round of bargaining, AFSCME was “urged to show more

TARYN DEOILERS Opinion Editor OLIVIA LUCHINI Features Editor LIZ JACOBSON Arts & Culture Editor DOMINIC FARIA Sports Editor HARNOOR GILL Science & Tech Editor

SYDNEY ODMAN New Media Manager BRIAN LANDRY Photo Director TREVOR GOODMAN Video Production Manager OLIVIA KOTLAREK Design Director JONATHAN CHEN Layout Director HANNA BAUBLITZ Copy Chief CECILIA MORALES Copy Chief ZOË REINHARDT Website Manager HALI ZWEIGORDON Social Media Manager GRACE SIMMONS Newsletter Manager

flexibility, as UC has, and return to the bargaining table.”

Ironically, the UC has not been very flexible in its workers’ benefits. Its last offer was 3 percent annual raise, which can barely keep up with the rising costs of living. Claire Doan, a UC spokesperson, said that workers already receive good health care benefits and wages. Furthermore, she stated that the UC could not meet the demands of a 6 percent annual raise and that all AFSCME has done is “hurt care for our patients and our students,” according to an NPR news release.

Rather than giving AFSCME workers the 6 percent increase that they undoubtedly deserves, the UC lowered its final 3 percent offer, giving AFSCME only a 2 percent annual increase. Not only was this a slap in the face for AFSCME; it was also a blatant attempt on the UC’s part to maintain power and will only fuel AFSCME workers to continue to protest for their rights.

In addition, there have been many concerns on outsourcing and pay disparities for women and people of color within the UC. Workloads have increased for remaining workers after others are injured, retire or quit. Pay has also been reduced while health care premiums and retirement ages have increased. Davena Woods, a senior custodian at UCLA and a member of the union’s bargaining team, has been one of thousands to fall victim to the unjust worker treatment, as she lives “paycheck to paycheck” and is “tired of just surviving,” according to a Q&A released by California Magazine.

The Editorial Board is solidarity with AFSCME and all those who have protested to obtain the wages and benefits they deserve. The UC cannot function without its workers and thus its workers’ demands must be met.

LAURIE PEDERSON Business Development Manager

Instilling change through activism ANTI-SEMITIC INCIDENT SHOWS NEED FOR COLLECTIVE ACTION

BY KAUSER A DE N WAL A ksadenwala@ucdavis.edu

Setting foot on a very progressive campus like UC Davis is not new for many. Yet most do not recognize that being surrounded by individuals who care for activism, justice and the moral well-being of society — a given with such a progressive campus — is a blessing.

When analyzing the current activist climate across universities, there appears to be a tendency among students to engage in armchair activism — pursuing passive forms of activism by, for example, only posting on social media about significant issues. What truly constitutes effective activism? What is the underlying purpose of engaging in activism if people are still being subjected to the horrific treatments of an apartheid regime or a settler-colonial state, specifically the subjugation Palestinians suffer from? Why do some students continue to engage in activism if impactful, long-lasting improvements to societies under repression aren’t guaranteed?

Activism today is seen as simply engaging in protests or rallies — standing at the forefront, being the most outspoken about a particular issue or taking a very defined political side. In reality, it’s significantly more.

To me, activism is much more sacred and loosely-defined. It’s built on three foundations: building connections, formulating strategic action plans and investing in students in hopes of

cultivating the leaders of the future. It’s doing the dirty work no one else wants to do — which is exactly what student activists have been doing here at Davis.

On Oct. 8, Jewish students at UC Davis were faced with a horrific wake-up call that hatred, bigotry and racism are still present within our community. Anti-Semitic fliers were distributed on campus that portrayed Senator Dianne Feinstein, Brett Kavanaugh, Christine Blasey Ford and George Soros each with the Star of David on their heads, reading: “Every time some anti-white, anti-American, antifreedom event takes place, you look at it, and it’s Jews behind it.”

The same fliers were also distributed at UC Berkeley. This repulsive message screamed anti-Semitism and made many Jewish students feel unsafe on their own campuses, which is unacceptable.

The Jewish community did not choose to stand idle, though.

Instead, they released a statement with a list of demands, one of which called for more mental health resources. The Ethnic Cultural Affairs Commission of ASUCD held an event on Oct. 10 called "Community Action Against Anti-Semitic Flyers” to offer a space for “folks to get together and discuss meaningful ways in which we, as a community, can address the rising numbers of hate crimes and incidents against the Jewish community.” The first step was to pass a resolution that condemned anti-Semitism on campus. The second was to gain a better response from Chancellor Gary May in hopes of increasing mental health resources for Jewish students, especially in the wake of the incident.

Members of different organizations and communities stood in solidarity with the Jewish community. The Muslim Student Association released a statement offering support. Senate Resolution X, which passed unanimously on Oct. 11, was a turning point for the two communities. The resolution called for the university to “adopt and endorse the non-legally binding ‘working definition’ of anti-Semitism that the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance uses and to condemn all groups and individuals who have expressed or committed acts of anti-Semitism.” This resolution passed four days after the fliers were found on campus, which is not an easy feat. Members of the Muslim Student Association, Students for Justice in Palestine, United Students Against Sweatshops, MECHA, AFSCME 3299 attended the meeting to show support for the resolution.

The fliers intended to spread disunity, which the symbolic resolution prevented. The resolution also proves that armchair activism is not something to be ashamed of –– contrary to what many students think.

Students sometimes feel that even general activism is not worth the effort because it often appears ineffective. However, when students in our community are attacked, activism is the one tool that everyone turns to –– whether that be loudly protesting or coordinating an action plan. Whatever the method, students have an obligation to condemn hateful incidents and to acknowledge the importance of activism.

Selectively defending the First Amendment DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS CITE THE RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH ONLY WHEN IT’S CONVENIENT FOR THEM

BY HA N A D I J O R DA N hajordan@ucdavis.edu

This summer, Nike launched an ad campaign featuring former NFL player Colin Kaepernick, sparking controversy and outrage from many, including President Donald Trump. This is because Kaepernick, starting in 2016, protested social injustice- specifically unjustified police violence- by taking a knee during national anthems before his football games. Many mischaracterized Kaepernick’s actions as disrespectful to the American flag and, by extension, America.

The disproportionate use of excessive force against minorities by law enforcement isn’t an issue Democrats are conjuring up to spur polarization — it’s sadly an inarguable fact. While black citizens constitute 13 percent of the US population, they make up 39 percent of people killed by police while behaving nonviolently. Aside from fatalities, black citizens, especially men, are disproportionately pulled over and harassed by police. While black people are no more likely to use or sell drugs than white citizens, they are far more likely to be arrested for drug-related crimes and serve sentences that are longer than those of white men convicted for the same crimes.

In light of these facts and the numerous killings — many

of them caught on camera — of unarmed, unthreatening, lawabiding black citizens, Kaepernick and other athletes took a knee during the national anthem throughout the 2016 season. For many Republicans, these demonstrations amassed more outrage than the killings themselves. While these Republicans feel disrespected when citizens kneel during the anthem, many people — not just Democrats — feel disrespected in turn when Republicans downplay these unjustified killings. Half of the country feels the travails of black citizens are a politically-motivated fabrication, while the other half feels the former is heartless and uncaring. This disparity makes it incredibly difficult to reconcile or at least hear one another sincerely and with good intentions.

Yet the point of this column is not to convince you to support or condemn taking a knee or the Nike campaign or Republicans. We may never agree on the legitimacy of these protests, but we should at least be able to agree on the legitimacy of the First Amendment and our constitutionally-protected right to free speech.

The message behind Kaepernick’s protest is arguably less important than his fundamental right to free speech. Both Republicans and Democrats have historically shown a deep respect for the First Amendment; both have used it to defend the actions of those who share their political beliefs, and even at times, to defend the rights of those we find repulsive.

This is one of the most polarizing periods in U.S. politics. Basic

rights that both Republicans and Democrats used to agree on irrespective of political ideology are now being vehemently fought over. It seems as though there is no issue that Americans can agree on, even when it comes to rights we all share.

It is in all of our interests to defend each person’s right to free speech, thereby strengthening respect and enforcement of the First Amendment. Imposing limits on free speech because you don’t like what the other side has to say is entirely anti-democratic and antiAmerican. When you take away free speech, you take away free thought — you take away freedom itself.

The outrage and assumption of ill intentions are made in bad faith. At a time when the United States is deeply divided, both sides seem to ignore their core beliefs and sincerity in favor of their party. Republicans oppose the right to free speech when it’s used to promote issues critical to many black Americans. And while former president Barack Obama didn’t enact a “zero tolerance policy” for immigration like the Trump administration, he did separate families — an issue for which Democrats have only criticized Trump.

We would be far better off trying to understand rather than combat each other. But if we can’t do that, we can at least defend the rights that all Americans share, including Kaepernick’s right to peacefully spread awareness as well as Nike’s choice to embrace and magnify his message.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018 | 7

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

HUMOR

Tips and tricks to get you fired on Halloween

BLACKFACE YOUR WAY TO UNEMPLOYMENT

BY HI L A RY OJINNAKA hiojinnaka@ucdavis.edu

Halloween is one of the most wonderfully pagan of all the pagan holidays. It’s a night to let loose and live out your wildest (hopefully legal) fantasies. It’s also a chance to play dress up and, who doesn’t like that? But while the costume options are limitless, the reality is that picking what to wear requires some careful consideration. It demands sensitivity and a bit of brainwork.

Now, if you read that and decided to turn your sensitivity and common-sense sensors off, I have the perfect idea for you to achieve what every person seems to be chasing: Clout. Not only would you receive a limited supply of attention, but you

Surviving the

will also be given the beautiful gift of unemployment.

Oh, don’t race to the comment section just yet — let’s talk this through. First things first, you have to decide what form of bigotry will get you the most attention. Most people go for the typical Native American-themed costume, which usually consists of a feather headdress purchased from the nearest Goodwill. However, nothing receives more attention than good old blackface.

That’s right. Go out to the nearest Ulta and purchase the darkest foundation you can find. Luckily for you, this isn’t 2015 when they only had four shades of caramel. Next, go to King’s Wigs and Beauty Supply in Sacramento and find the nappiest wig you can find with a horrendous frontal. Nothing upsets black Twitter like a jacked wig. Lastly, head down to

Walmart and buy yourself a misshapen polychromatic sweater, brown slacks and some banana pudding, if you wanna get specific.

If you haven’t used your quick-witted noggin to imagine who this historic black figure is, let me help you. A Bill Cosby ‘sexy’ costume is the perfect discriminatory costume that bridges the gap between blackface and sexual assault. So, after you complete this eye-catching look, be sure to post it on all of your public social media pages. Don’t be afraid to tag woke people of color in your masterpiece post. They will make it a priority to notify your now-former place of work since that was the obvious goal of your foolish escapades.

Anywho, be sure to enjoy your 2018 Halloween, because on Nov. 1 your privileged life will soon be humbled.

off-campus wasteland

A VIEW INTO THE INSANITY THAT SURROUNDS SWEET, INNOCENT UC DAVIS

BY CON N ER SH AW cjshaw@ucdavis.edu

Patchy lighting. Dead silence. A wave of crime and uncertainty on the brink of collapsing down on an unsuspecting populace. To you, this must sound like the plot of a noir film from the 1950s. If this was your first thought, good effort, but please never assume that you know what I’m talking about again. You have no idea what I’m going to say next, especially because this is no film noir. It’s the real-life story of Davis’ offcampus wasteland.

Surprising, isn’t it? Most people see Davis as a peaceful college town connected to an uncomfortably-flat campus.

But there’s a threatening side to the town that goes beyond its similarly-uncomfortable flatness and, in my opinion, knowing what’s out there is the best way to help you improvise, adapt and overcome these trying times.

Downtown Davis is a hub for the plausibly horrific events

plaguing our city. Laptop thieves pace around the corner of every dark alley connected to a coffee shop, waiting for their chance to steal the Macbook Pro your parents bought you after you “outgrew” your Macbook Pro from freshman year.

Construction on 3rd Street seems to never end. Different parts of the street close down seemingly without warning. Some students even report going into a store and coming out on a completely different street, causing mass panic and, in severe cases, the obligation to take a different path than usual.

It doesn’t stop there. Travel deeper into the wasteland to find sights unfathomable. Huge gazes of raccoons roam Davis streets at night. We’re talking, like, between two and 10,000 raccoons picking trash, recyclables and, with confirmed accounts, vehicles clean with those adorable, furry paws. Take a wrong turn and you might be their next victim.

Travel deeper. Burglars walk into houses while people are out, while people are home, while people are literally on their front porch watching them steal their television. Frisbee golfers

ruin any respite at public parks as they passive aggressively wait for you to move out of their wind or from in front of their final chain basket on the best damn streak of their entire career.

Students who have never driven a car before attempt to do so, stopping in the middle of lanes with their hazard lights on, as if that means something. Meanwhile, amateur bus drivers, bikers with no sense of the law and pedestrians with literal death wishes form a traffic hellscape. And rogue, solitary turkeys.

That’s all I need to say.

The worst, however, has not been revealed. There is another threat to your safety, one that only appears in the most dire of off-campus late nights: the Four Bikers of the Apocalypse. The Beach Cruiser, The Side-by-Side Couple, The Silent Passer and The “I SAID I WAS ON YOUR LEFT” weave through the chaos to ruin any patience or sanity you might have left.

This is part one of a two-part report. Stay tuned.

An investigation into the professions in which you absolutely cannot wear rollerblades

YES, IT IS AS DISTURBING AS YOU THINK

BY BEN JA M I N P O RT E R bbporter@ucdavis.edu

The issue of rollerblades in the workplace may not be something you hear about everyday. In the movies, rollerblades are always portrayed as a slick and fun way for waiters and waitresses to quickly roll from table to table while perfectly balancing stacks of dishes in their gangly arms.

However, cultural documents like these do not show the darker side of rollerblades in the professional world. After lengthy investigations into several professions in which rollerblades have been used and abused, The California Aggie’s undercover reporters have discovered a grim reality.

At many hospitals throughout the country, medical professionals have experimented with using rollerblades. In the early stages, this seemed to be helpful in emergencies when patients needed to be quickly transported to the operating room. However, there have been many major problems with this system, including high-speed hallway collisions between stretchers being moved at over 25 miles per hour.

On one occasion, after Dr. Shay Kiyands completed his typical pre-surgery routine of stretching, washing his face and snorting some cocaine, he glided over to the operating room on his rollerblades, but forgot to take them off before beginning to operate. In the middle of the surgery, Dr. Kiyands leaned forward for a better angle, causing his left foot to slip backwards, running over the foot of another surgeon, who then accidentally punctured the patient’s left lung with his forceps. The patient was sedated and never informed that this occurred. Several surgeons were later overheard joking that the patient “probably wouldn’t ever notice since he chain smokes and has emphysema anyway.”

Meanwhile, at a small funeral home in Nebraska, a large portion of the regular funeral-going crowd were taken aback when the funeral home Director Abe Rasif entered the venue on rollerblades to distribute the obituaries and programs. While Rasif claims that it brings some “lightness” and “fun” to these “sad, dull and boring” events, attendees disagree.

“It seems inappropriate and just tonally-wrong,” said funeral crasher Ida Nodeudedgi.

“But perhaps I’d like the look more if he wasn’t wearing a cheap suit.”

Lastly, it seems that wearing rollerblades as the First Lady could potentially be a disastrous PR move, especially since Melania Trump is the most bullied person in the world. “We wanted Melania to wear rollerblades at one of her next public appearances so she could send the message to kids that it’s important to strike a balance between being active outside and cyberbullying people on social media, but we know the Fake News Media would just criticize her,” said spokesman Ry Chizaz. “While we’ve now been advised against it, we remain confident that the First Lady would rock her rollerblades, whether visiting hurricane victims, detained migrant children or impoverished African children.”

We are also in possession of thousands of documents from our sources that detail the suspicious use of rollerblades by, roofers, DMV workers, coal miners, faith healers, flight attendants, fisherman, lobbyists and clowns. However, we’ve received cease and desist letters from legal representatives within each of these industries compelling us to not publish our findings.

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

ISSUE DESIGNED BY JONATHAN CHEN | PATTIE CHEN | ADAN JUNAID | OLIVIA KOTLAREK | SHEREEN NIKZAD | YOON RHA | TAMARA SHOUBBER

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8 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

A message from the University of California, Davis: AFSCME has filed a lawsuit challenging the UC Davis Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). We are deeply disappointed

by AFSCME’s action.

The University made many attempts to reach an agreement with AFSCME. It is clear that AFSCME did not come to the table willing to reach a settlement. Students’ needs are not their priority.

AFSCME’s action has an immediate and negative impact on our students. Construction for West Village housing may be delayed. Financing may be impacted. For every 90 days that construction is delayed, prices rise, and we estimate the impact to be $145 to $175 per bed per month. Rents could increase from an average of $880 per bed per month to $1,025 to $1,055. That’s a 17 to 20 percent increase in costs.

We are not intimidated by AFSCME’s lawsuit. We have followed legal requirements and listened and responded to the community as part of our environmental impact assessment under CEQA. We are a national leader in sustainability, and our new projects incorporate environmental sustainability policies into our performance goals.

We are concerned about the impact AFSCME’s action will have on the dire need for new housing on campus and in Davis.

A lawsuit like this doesn’t get resolved for at least a year. We will not be able to meet timelines we established for our students and with the City and County.

Our commitment to building 12,500 beds by fall 2021 is now at risk.

AFSCME’s action is unfortunate, unnecessary and irresponsible. Our students will feel the impact the most.

If you are concerned about AFSCME’s actions to halt the construction of much needed student housing, please let your voice be heard.

and share your opinion: (510) 844-1160 or toll free: (888) 856-3299.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018 | 9

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

UNREQUITED

BY GE N EV I EV E RYAN geryan@ucdavis.edu

FAQ #2

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.

Q: How do I get my ONE FREE TICKET?

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS

A: In person or by phone at the Mondavi Center Ticket Office.

Go to: mondaviarts.org/students for details.

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In-person at the Mondavi Center Ticket Office only with valid student ID. Limited availability, first come, first served.

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THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

10 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018

TUNE INTO KDVS Preview of what KDVS is offering this quarter VENOOS MOSHAYEDI / AGGIE

FM can expect a wide variety of shows.

“I think the beauty of KDVS is that you can hear anything and everything at a different time,” In the basement of Lower Freeborn, KDVS is said Ammaar Vayani, a second-year chemical endominating the airwaves 24 hours a day, just as it’s gineering major and the KDVS staff development done since the 1960s. The new school year brings coordinator. “So if you’re listening to reggae for an both new programming and returning favorites. Stu- hour, the next hour it could be something comdents and community members tuning into 90.3 pletely different. It could not even be music it

BY LIZ JACOBSON arts@theaggie.org

could be a talk show, it could be news, it could be sports.”

Noel Fernandez, a second-year economics major, hosts “The Circumstance” on Tuesdays from 1-2:30p.m. His colleagues have applauded how he takes spoken word records and layers them over other tracks.

“It’s a mishmash,” Fernandez said. “[My show is] mostly like electronic music, but a lot of hip-hop too. I felt like that track was barren, it was like a James Blake track. I felt like I could add something to it. So I tried, I guess, to put my mix onto it.”

Most of the staff can agree that one of their favorite shows is “A Face for Radio,” hosted by community member and renowned local DJ Indiana Chones. The eclectic show airs Monday nights from 8-10p.m. and features a variety of early 80’s R&B mixed with 60’s and 70’s world rock. “[Indiana Chones] is really into finding music of the specific genre he likes from different parts of the world,” Vayani said. “So sometimes he’ll play an Ethiopian record or Ethiopian garage rock or Turkish funk. He’s super into record digging. He’s a really cool community member that we have and he’s super passionate about records.”

Other returning favorites are “The Office Hour” and “Dr. Andy’s Poetry and Technology Hour.”

“The Office Hour” is hosted by Professor of religious studies Naomi Janowitz. She interviews other faculty members on campus to inform the public about what is happening at UC Davis. It airs 5-6p.m. on Tuesdays. “Dr. Andy’s Poetry and Technology Hour” airs 5-6p.m. on Wednesdays.

With about one-third of the programming being new shows, listeners have a lot to look forward to. New shows that have staff members especially

excited include Esquire Ali’s “Gunesh Enterprise” and “The Saturday Morning Folk Show.”

“Gunesh Enterprise” features Esquire Ali speaking to listeners over popular soundtrack music as if on the intercom of a spaceship. It airs on Thursdays from 2-4a.m. “The Saturday Morning Folk Show” is exactly like it sounds — three hours dedicated to folk music.

“This is the first time in a while I’ve seen a folk-only show by students,” said Becca Ridge, a fifth-year gender, sexuality, and women studies and communication double major and KDVS fundraising director. “I’ve just never heard of like, twenty-somethings who are really into that, so that was kind of cool to see.”

KDVS will also be hosting an art gallery and music show in Sacramento on Nov. 3. At the 1810 Gallery, KDVS will kick off its weeklong fall fundraiser with 12 KDVS DJs performing and local artists selling their art. Information can be found on the KDVS Facebook page and website.

KDVS represents Davis’ diversity in thought and embodies the idea of freeform radio.

The station is open to anyone in the Davis com munity who is interested in either volunteering or just perusing the record collection and taking a step back in time by looking at all the memorabilia decorating the walls.

“There’s nothing else like it,” said Gabe Ferralez, a fourth-year math major, who goes by DJ Booger.

“Coming down here, it’s kind of like away from everything else on campus, away from anything that isn’t just music and arts and culture. [...] getting into a conversation with someone, you’re more likely to come across some niche something you’ve never heard of before.”

REVIEW: A STAR IS BORN Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper remake falls short after hype, anticipation ALLYSON KO / AGGIE

BY JOSH MADRID arts@theaggie.org

Lady Gaga made her film debut with co-star and director Bradley Cooper, in “A Star is Born.”

Ally, played by Lady Gaga, is a struggling singer, who waitresses by day and performs by night. Jack, played by Bradley Cooper, is a veteran singer who discovers Ally and is immediately infatuated by her voice. With him by her side, she rises to fame and stardom. As their relationship progresses, Jack’s fight with his inner demons becomes more apparent.

The story lacked depth and tried to be in too many places at once. At the premiere of the film at the Venice Film Festival, Lady Gaga received an eight minute standing ovation. A noteworthy accomplishment, but I find myself thinking — for what? From start to finish, it was difficult to pin point where the story was going.

Multiple opportunities for deeper plot development of the several serious issues presented in the film were missed. It felt as if someone was driving and looking for parking, but passed every empty parking space. Alcoholism, toxic family relationships, suicide and fame were all topics that were introduced, but never truly addressed by the characters.

Jack clearly had a problem with alcohol, and he even went to rehab, but the root of the issue was never directly addressed. Jack’s relationship and conversations with his brother Bobby, played by Sam Elliot, revealed tidbits of Jack’s relationship

with their father. Viewers can guess that Jack’s problems are rooted in being raised by an alcoholic father, but like many other issues in the movie, it is never directly confronted.

References to Edith Piaf were made throughout the movie. Ally sang “La Vie en Rose” during the bar scene where she met Jack, and a neon sign with the words “La Vie en Rose” written in cursive hung in their home. Again, there was a lack of depth because it’s quite unclear how Ally, who impersonated Edith Piaf, relates to her extremely depressing life. Is Jack Ally’s Edith Piaf?

Several drag queen personalities made cameo appearances. Willam Belli and Shangela gave the audience some quick and witty one-liners that appealed to many of Lady Gaga’s fans. It was definitely a “Gaga” touch.

One thing that is undeniable about the film is the incredible soundtrack. Lady Gaga has one of the most recognizable and powerful voices in the industry and will always be remembered as an icon. Bradley Cooper compliments her well and the two of them make for a bone chilling duo on stage. Their relationship is difficult to get a grip of when they speak to one another, but all curiosities are put to rest when the two are singing. “Shallow” and “I’ll Never Love Again” are examples of the lasting impressions that the soundtrack will leave in years to come.

“A Star is Born” is currently in theaters and playing at the Davis Regal 5 and 6 in downtown Davis.

reduce. reuse. recycle.

The Aggie

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018 | 11

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

POLICE CHIEF

LRDP LAWSUIT

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

TCA: What can people do to secure their belongings when they are out and about and what can they do to secure their homes?

CJF: I used to teach a class, and I have a corny way of looking at it, but all crimes have three elements: the bad guy, the victim and then we have what they call the “den of iniquity”—the perfect place to commit the crime. If one of those is missing, nothing happens. If you eliminate any of the three, you have no crime.

Let’s take the cars. All of the vehicle break-ins have one thing in common — the property that was stolen was inside the cab. They are not breaking into trunks because they can’t see in. Remember, it’s all about opportunity. Securing property out of sight is the best way to go.

In terms of the residence — lock the door. Secure belongings out of sight, especially in the common areas. You don’t always know who you are surrounded by. Take your property with you; keep it in a lockable place.

If out and about on the town at night, for example, I think the best advice I would ever tell anybody is to recognize the fact that some of the stuff you have may be valuable and, somebody, if given the opportunity, will take it from you.

TCA: When it comes to situations where there is kind of a squabble over belongings, is it worth it to try and get your items back?

CJF: It’s easy for you and I to say, “Just let them have it.” What happens is that the fight in all of us kind of materializes, but there’s nothing worth getting seriously hurt over or killed over. Phones and cameras and stuff, they can all be replaced. But we understand the inherent desire for some people to go, “Oh, this is just wrong.” But you take risk. I think the common play is to just let it go. Don’t let yourself become more of a victim than you already are. Be a good witness — try to identify somebody, try to get a license plate number. Let’s see if we can’t go back and get it back at some point.

TCA: What are some details about the robbery that occurred in Lot 47, and what are some updates you can give?

CJF: It was right outside of the Tercero Housing Area. We thought it was four, but it was actually five of our students: three first-years, a second-year and a fourth-year. They had come back and it was late at night. It was the first week of school. They were out in the parking lot, just talking.

They see a car go by, and they don’t pay much attention to it. But then it comes back by a second time, and they take notice of it. The third time it comes, it was really odd because they turned off their headlights. Their suspicion got up a little bit, thinking, ‘What is all this about?’

At that point, the car pulled up, two individuals got out of the car, and they had a gun in their waistband. They could see the silhouette of a gun — they didn’t pull it out, but they knew they had it, or all five of them believed that they had it. They said, “We want all of your property.”

One of the students was very hesitant in doing that. She didn’t want to give up her property. One of the suspects hit her a couple times. They were able to grab whatever she was holding and they fled the scene.

We responded in 90 seconds. That’s pretty fast.

We tried to lock down the campus as fast as we could, but they got off campus. We have some really good leads on that one. We have two people assigned to that full time. That one is progressing very well.

The student that was hit was seen by paramedics. I think she had a little bit of swelling. She was treated at the scene and released.

This incident is particularly concerning. These students, three of them have been on campus for a week. We all feel horrible that that happened. I think the students appreciated the fact that everybody cares.

CJF: Now are you familiar with some of these scam calls going on?

TCA: No, I am not.

CJF: You ever get any of those robotic calls, tell-

ing you you’ve won the lottery, or an email saying you’re a first cousin of King so-and-so, and I have a million dollars? Give me a bank account number and I can put the money in?

We have students who are falling for some of those scams because they have never heard of them before. We are really working hard with our international students in that scamming is alive and well on this campus. We have had five students who have been victimized by phone and email scams, where they pose as some sort of legal authority, asking for money. And once you pay them, … you’ll never get it back and there’s nothing we can do about it.

The scam call in Mandarin that comes out, they are talking about visas, your [student] visa is messed up. It scares people. [...] If you’re not aware of these scams, you’re like “Mom, Dad, whoever, I need $216 to fix this issue with my visa.” A lot of times you don’t know if you’re the victim or not, but you’re never going to get the money back.

I feel so bad because we meet with these students and they look at you like, “Can you get our money back?” And I already know, no. You’re never going to get it back. We had one student that paid $4,000, that’s the highest.

Farrow then explained the steps that are being taken to secure the campus.

CJF: We are really in the process of looking at overall security on this campus. We are putting in more of those blue lights, those cameras. In fact, four or five of them are going in as we speak. We are looking at ways that we can do keycard access to buildings and have additional cameras on campus. We have some cameras on campus, just not that many. So your overall security is going to be enhanced.

Relatively speaking, this is one of the safest campuses out there. Our number one theft still is bicycle theft, and as long as we can keep it at that, that’s good, right? That’s good. And a lot of those bicycle thefts are because they are unlocked, they are locked in the wrong place, or the locks they have are easily violated.

Farrow went on to describe the public image of the UC Davis Police Department.

CJF: We don’t get every vote. In fact, sometimes people are very, very angry with the police. We get all that and we are listening to that. A lot of the things you hear and see on TV, that’s not us. We are trying to make this organization the best we can.

We are completely changing the culture of this police department.

TCA: Because people still think back to 2011, that’s what everyone’s image is.

CJF: It’s funny you mention that. About a week ago, I was waiting for somebody at the airport and I was just scrolling on YouTube and here comes UC Davis, the pepper spray. So I’m sitting there, and I’m just watching every one of these videos. There’s like an hour.

TCA: There are videos of the incident, and there’s Katehi’s Walk of Shame.

CJF: Yeah, I saw that. I always tell everybody [that] people tell me, “I bet you just want to forget about it.” And I say, ‘Oh no, I don’t want to forget that. I want that as a reminder of an event in time that has defined us and has defined this police department.’

Now the real issue is, can you change? Can people see the meaningful change where that becomes the distant past and they now focus on today? What we are trying to do here is that it’s all about this new, contemporary values system that we have, which I call the 21st century model of policing. It’s all about partnership. [...] My job is for you to be able to walk around this campus at 9 at night and feel safe. That’s what I have to do, that’s what I have to create. The only way I can do that is through partnership.

So I’m trying to get past the pepper spray, but also acknowledge that that wasn’t our finest moment and that we wounded this entire campus for years and years and years to come.

Since this interview took place, there have been at least two additional robberies in the City of Davis.

FB VS IDAHO STATE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

consecutive completions of 12, 28 and 17 yards.

After a couple running plays bled the clock down to five seconds, Idaho State attempted a potentially game-winning field goal that steered to the right of the upright.

Maier’s touchdown throw at the end of the fourth quarter was his fifth of the game, which is a personal career-high. When it was all said and done, Doss’ 131-yard night was the fifteenth 100yard game of his career, a new program record.

“For all the stuff you see physically with Keelan, there’s way more than that,” Hawkins said. “You see what a great person he is, how hard he works, how tough he is and what a great teammate he is. He’s a special kid.”

UC Davis jumped out to a quick 7-3 lead after the game’s first two drives. The Aggies looked to extend their lead with another quick scoring drive, but Maier was picked off at the two-yard line on a ball thrown into traffic and deflected up into the air. Idaho State returned the ball 83 yards on the play, before Maier made the tackle at the 15-yard line.

This turnover sparked a shift in momentum toward the visitors, as the Aggies missed an opportunity to make it a two-score game and then let the Bengals score the next 20 points. UC Davis showed some signs of life toward the end of the half, when

Harrell’s 12-yard touchdown catch capped off a meticulous 72-yard drive to make it 23-14.

Idaho State came streaking out of the locker room and began the third quarter with a lightning-quick, four-play touchdown drive that included pass completions of 21, 20 and 25 yards.

The action slowed down for the majority of the third quarter until the Aggies countered with under four minutes left. Freshman wide receiver Justin Kraft hauled in a 45-yard bomb over the middle for his first career touchdown and also added a twopoint conversion to cut the score to 30-22.

Idaho State did not flinch, putting together a game-long drive of over five minutes to take a 3722 advantage.

Once again, UC Davis immediately battled back with another systematic scoring drive, culminating with a seven-yard touchdown catch by Gilliam at the eight and a half-minute mark.

The teams traded punts back and forth until the Aggies got the ball back and drove down for their game-tying score.

UC Davis will hit the road next weekend for a date with Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, before traveling to face Montana the week after.

The Aggies will return home to play Northern Arizona on Nov. 3 in a 1 p.m. kickoff at Aggie Stadium.

suit will likely prevent UC Davis from building affordable student housing in the near term.”

Stevenson explained what she believes to be AFSCME’s argument in the lawsuit.

“I believe their position is that if the employees used for student housing projects on this campus are not university employees, there will be environmental impacts because the people who ultimately fill those positions will come from further away to work on the UC Davis campus,” Stevenson said.

“So there will be more greenhouse gas emissions, and there will be more damage to the roads.”

One of AFSCME’s primary concerns is the UC’s outsourcing of jobs. While discussing potential outcomes of this lawsuit, Stevenson mentioned that she believes a court will never require the university to use UC employees during or after the completion of the LRDP. “Bottom line, there is a very limited number of remedies available in this type of litigation, and there is no remedy whatsoever where a court would order us to hire university employees for a project,” Stevenson said.

AFSCME’s concern with outsourcing — the use of non-UC employees for work on campus projects — may be valid, as Stevenson said the employees that private developers hire are not chosen by the university.

“There’s a very discreet set of projects — public private partnerships — and they’re used for student housing projects, and it is a means of developing student housing that can be done more affordably for students,” Stevenson said. “When we bid those projects out to developers, we tell them to use whatever they want. They have to come back to us with a proposal, and if it’s university [workers], great.”

ASUCD President Michael Gofman, External

Vice President Edgar Masias-Malagon and Democrat Delegate and Union Steward Sean Raycraft signed a joint statement discouraging AFSCME’s lawsuit and any efforts “that would delay progress on the university’s housing plan.” “[We] condemn the use of students’ welfare as a bargaining chip, and urge AFSCME to consider the effect on students their actions will take,” the statement read.

The statement claimed that UC Davis students “have played a critical role in many of AFSCME’s efforts over the past few years,” making AFSCME’s lawsuit “appalling and disheartening” in that it might delay or stall the construction of additional student housing.

In response, the ASUCD Ethnic and Cultural Affairs Commission, posted a statement to Facebook regarding both the joint statement published

by ASUCD and AFSCME’s lawsuit.

“AFSCME’s concern with the LRDP was/is valid in that they believe student housing should not be taken up on the basis of contracting out UC jobs and putting womxn, immigrant, black and brown, working class individuals at harm,” the post said.

“Moreover, it is utterly disappointing and immoral to [...] somehow [imply] that ASUCD has, as an association, taken several initiatives to support UC workers. The truth is, it has not.”

A separate statement from ASUCD signed by Gofman, Masias-Malagon, Office of Advocacy and Student Representation Legislative Director Jake Sedgley and student Senator Alisha Hacker, discouraged any efforts that would delay progress on the construction of housing. “[We] urge all parties to understand the real and acute consequences we the students would feel in any delay,” the statement read.

CREATIVE WRITING MFA CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

English, but still have an interest in creative writing can to take English 5F and 5P or apply to the 100-level creative writing program. Both courses have a rather small class size and are taught by writers publishing books in various genres, giving stu-

dents a greater understanding of the various aspects of creative writing.

“We’re looking for people who keep coming back to language to think about the world and who need to write in order to do that thinking,” Peterson said.

FRENCH CLUB CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

“Students should know that the club ranges from beginners to fluent speakers so it’s open to all levels. it’s also a way of learning a new language without taking the class or having homework. it’s also a fun way to socialize and meet new people. We’re all here just trying to learn and meet new people and I’m

excited to make this club thrive again. I hope we have a huge body of new members so we can make our presence known, and I hope it encourages more people to pursue a languages, whether it’s French, Portuguese or anything else.”

More information can be found on Facebook.

12 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

SQUIRREL JAM

BUS STOP

BY DI A N A OL I VAR E S deolivaresvalencia@ucdavis.edu

BY R OSEY MOR EARTY rosey@morearty.org

JAMIE CHEN / AGGIE

RAUL MORALES / AGGIE

Volleyball bounces back with a pair of wins Aggies more confident in Big West chances

BY B O BBY JOHN sports@theaggie.org

After a two-week road campaign in which UC Davis women’s volleyball lost three of four matches, the team returned to Davis to beat UC Riverside last Thursday in a closely contested five set match, 3-2, before cruising to a straight set victory against California State Fullerton, 3-0, on Saturday.

With this, the Aggies finished the first half of conference play 11-9 overall and 3-5 in Big West play. Head Coach Dan Conners said this is a positive development given the Aggies’ shaky start to conference play.

“I think we’re a really good team and we weren’t playing up to the level we are capable of,” Conners said. “This weekend gives us the belief that we’ll continue to perform at that level.”

The Aggies dropped the first two sets to UC Riverside by a margin of three points, 25-22.

Facing a potential loss, the Aggies found their groove in the third set after a series of UC Riverside attack errors off blocks from junior opposite Nicola Moore, freshman middle blocker Josie Ough and senior outside hitter Brianna Karsseboom, 5-1. The Aggie defense hamstrung the UC Riverside attack to a .026 average.

Redshirt freshman opposite Leonie Strehl hit a perfect five kills out of five attempts in the third set.

Strehl believes it wasn’t so much a change in momentum, but rather a matter of the team syncing up.

“I think we just tried to get our mind set on the same page, we weren’t playing bad volleyball,” Strehl said. “Communication is key for us, we just played our game and stayed calm, when we stay calm and focused everyone does their job and we all come together.”

Moore swung 10 times and landed seven kills for an average of .700 in the fourth set. She landed more than half of her kill attempts at .519 for the match, a career high for the junior who was forced to sit out her 2016 and 2017 seasons due to injury.

For Strehl, a .333 hitting average was also a career high. After a redshirt season last year, Strehl felt comfortable with her role.

“After my redshirt season last year with a lot of growth and learning,I can really feel that all the hard work is really paying off,” Strehl said. “It’s exciting to connect with the team and finally be able to make a difference on the court.”

The Aggies were able to carry their aggressive play over to Saturday’s match against Cal State Fullerton; they took the match in straight sets without much pushback from the Titans, who fell to 6-14 overall and 0-6 in Big West Conference play.

UC Davis volleyball uses a three-setter system, according to sophomore setter Paloma Bowman.

Senior setter Maddie Merlino did not play in either game. When asked why, Conners noted he could not comment on the matter. Without Merlino, the team relied on setting from Bowman and freshman setter Jane Seslar.

“There’s a lot of rotation, and if you don’t perform, you’re getting taken out. Now there isn’t that space for someone to get taken out, so you have to perform,” Bowman said.

Bowman said Merlino’s absence on the court raised the stakes, but hasn’t had too much of an impact on the team.

“So there’s a little more pressure, but I don’t think it changes the dynamic much. There’s just a different type of urgency, you have to perform all the time,” she said.

Bowman felt confident that the team worked out its kinks and believes the team is ready to move out of the sluggish start of Big West Conference play.

“It feels good, I think there’s just so many things that you have to work out in terms of chemistry, and I think we were finally able to do that this week,” Bowman said.

Moving forward, Karsseboom has a game plan for the second half of conference play and thinks the Aggies will be better prepared.

“I think we’re going to have a really aggressive mentality going into the second half, since we have played these teams before, we know what they do and what they’re capable of,” Karsseboom said.

UC Davis will face UC Irvine on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Pavilion.

The Anteaters, ranked No. 2 in the conference, beat the Aggies in straight sets last month and held the Aggie hitting average to .040.

Clash with top-ranked UC Irvine ends in overtime draw for women’s soccer Goalkeeper Alexis Smith excels as UC Davis women’s soccer ties the undefeated Anteaters

BY AJ SEYM O UR sports@theaggie.org

The UC Davis women’s soccer team took on a gritty UC Irvine team on Sunday, resulting in a double overtime draw. In league play leading up to the game, the Aggies carried a 2-2-1 record, while the UC Irvine team remained undefeated at 3-0-2.

The first half of the game started out slow, but with 18 minutes left, UC Davis goalkeeper Alexis Smith made an athletic save, setting up a sharp Aggie counterattack. The Aggies came close to scoring numerous times, with efforts spearheaded by redshirt sophomore Alicia Sloss, but were ultimately unable to capitalize. Aside from a yellow card committed by UC Irvine, the first half ended with little noise.

The Aggies dominated possession time in the first half, but the Anteaters did not concede easily.

After controlling the pace for part of the first half, the Anteaters were able to fire off numerous shots, but couldn’t find the back of the net.

Head Coach Twila Kaufman commented on what she thought of her team’s performance given

the stiff competition that UC Irvine provided.

“Obviously, we’re happy to keep the clean sleet.

That’s a big deal against [this] team,” Kaufman said.

“I think three out of their last four games, [UC Irvine] won it in the last 30 seconds of the game, so it’s good to put up a performance like that together for the whole game.”

Smith was able to come up with many saves in the 13th and 25th minutes, including one on a dangerous free kick, to keep UC Davis in contention.

Senior midfielder Ari Zamora picked up a yellow card with 22 minutes remaining, but it did no harm as the defense cleared the ball away consistently. The scrappy play may have even fired up her team, as the Aggies went on one last run but were still unable to yield a goal.

The game then went to two 10-minute overtime periods. Both teams had numerous chances, but eventually the buzzer sounded with a blank sheet still showing on the scoreboard. “[We had to] rotate six times through the back line. It wasn’t a stable back line, it’s a really big deal,” Kaufman said. “I think our team is disappointed

RAUL MORALES / AGGIE

that they didn’t get the win, which is a good thing – they’re gonna be hungry for the next game.”

Kaufman stated that, although she is satisfied with the game’s result, she knows that her team is capable of much more.

“I think this team is actually capable [...] of scoring three goals a game, which [...] is an abnormality in soccer. It’s a low scoring game, typically,” Kauf-

man said. “But, this team is capable of that so I think we’re inching closer to that. We just need to turn some of those ‘one step to the left’ or ‘one inch to the right’ is probably a goal.”

The Aggies will travel to take on the Cal State Northridge Matadors on Sunday. UC Davis’ next home game is set for Oct. 25 against CSU Long Beach.

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The aggie

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018 | 13

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

JAMIE CHEN / AGGIE

JULI PEREZ / AGGIE

Aggie football victorious in a game for the ages UC Davis wins thriller in front of Homecoming crowd

BY BRENDA N OG B U R N sports@theaggie.org

The UC Davis football team pulled off an exhil arating 44-37 overtime victory over visiting Idaho State on Saturday evening, much to the delight of a packed house at Aggie Stadium on Homecoming weekend. In front of the third sellout in stadium history, the Aggies overcame a 16-point deficit and now sit in sole possession of first place in the Big Sky conference for the first time ever.

“No matter who we play, our guys have showed up, played hard and hung in there,” said UC Davis Head Coach Dan Hawkins. “We had some things go against us today, but then we were able to have a little resiliency and come back.”

On the final play of regulation, a 27-yard field goal try by Idaho State narrowly sailed to the right of the upright, sending the game into overtime.

UC Davis got the ball first and put the pressure on Idaho State by quickly finding the endzone. On a fourth-and-two play from the four-yard line, red-

shirt freshman running back Ulonzo Gilliam ran around the edge for a touchdown on a toss play to the left side of the field.

“It’s one of those plays that you only practice for one time at the end of the game for certain situations,” Gilliam said. “When he called that play, I knew it was going to work. I just got to the edge… and I was able to take it in.”

There was not a sliver of doubt in the minds of anyone on the Aggie sideline that the team was going to go for it on the fourth down, instead of kicking a field goal and opening the door for Idaho State to win the game.

“We were confident, at home with the crowd behind us, we had momentum, and we had a great plan,” Maier said. “We were out here in February doing pretend overtime with nobody around.”

Both Hawkins and Maier credited the team’s practice routines for preparing them to have success in a do-or-die situation.

“We do a lot of situational football in practice, so I didn’t really worry about it too much,” Hawkins said. “We do that kind of stuff every day in practice so our guys are very used to it.”

On the ensuing possession, the Aggie defense made stops on four consecutive plays to seal the win, which pushed the team’s record to five to one on the season. On a fourth-and-three play from the 18yard line, senior cornerback Vincent White stepped in front of a short throw over the middle to break up the pass, and the entire Aggie sideline proceeded to streak across the field in absolute delirium.

“They had been coming at me all game and I gave up a few,” White said. “I knew I had to hunker down and make that play for the team.”

The team’s celebration continued into a raucous locker room party, with music blasting, dancing and pounding on the walls.

“It’s not so much the celebration of winning, but the celebration of the process to success,” Hawkins said. “You get in there and see the happiness of a whole body of work that’s been going on for a long time. It’s about how hard they worked, the summer they put in, their dedication and commitment, and how they go about things.”

After getting gashed by the Idaho State run game for three quarters, to the tune of 226 yards on the ground, the Aggie run defense buckled down late and held the Bengals to just 17 rushing yards the rest of the way.

The UC Davis offense took over at its own 23yard line with three and a half minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, facing a 37-29 deficit. Three consecutive completions to sophomore wide receiver Jared Harrell got the Aggies into a rhythm, and a 20-yard catch by senior wide receiver Keelan Doss set them up at the six-yard line. Two plays later, Doss ran an out-route to the corner of the endzone for a wide-open touchdown to put the Aggies within two.

On the ensuing two-point conversion attempt, Maier rolled out to his left and scanned the field for several moments before finding Harrell running across the back line of the endzone. Harrell made a tip-toe catch in bounds, behind a slew of defenders, and Aggie Stadium erupted in a frenzy.

“That’s a two point-specific play that we’ve been running for three or four weeks, but have never had to use it,” Maier said. “It’s just a play that’s been in the bank for us for a while. It’s just one of those progression reads. You start to your left and work all the way across the field until you see a guy that you feel is open and let it rip.”

With just over one minute remaining, the Bengals swiftly marched the length of the field on FB VS IDAHO STATE on 11

ATHLETE ALLY / COURTESY

OLIVIA KOTLAREK / AGGIE

Aggie EVO provides career advancement opportunities for student-athletes Athletics program offers student-athletes resources for networking, internships, career-prep

BY RYA N BUG SC H sports@theaggie.org

On top of academic loads and booked sports schedules, student-athletes often don’t have the time to focus on life after college. To help combat this issue, UC Davis Athletics has introduced a new program that is committed to assisting athletes in gaining experiences and grabbing opportunities to launch their individual careers post-graduation –– all while working around and maintaining their athletic careers.

Aggie EVO (short for student-athletes’ “evolution” throughout college), which was founded last year, is a program that helps prepare student-athletes for life beyond college and their individual sports. The system focuses on four different el ements to aid students in achieving their career goals: skills that are valuable for professional workplaces, knowledge of what career paths are the best choices for them and how to take the next step, opportunities to visit different companies, events to land internships and jobs and the tools necessary to get these students closer to their goals.

Aggie EVO has created an entire four-year system with new goals for its student clients to achieve during each year of their college careers. The goals align with the system’s four key elements to success.

Fourth-year managerial economics major Lauren Mewes shared her experience in Aggie EVO, including how she first got involved in the program.

“Mike Lorenzen introduced the Aggie EVO program to the [women’s] field hockey team in a meeting and explained the various resources he constructed for student-athletes to better prepare for their next step after their sport ends,” Mewes said. “I then participated in the Aggie EVO World of Work field trip to Sacramento, which consisted of meeting Aggie Athlete Alumni at their respective workplaces and asking them various questions about their career paths. It was a valuable experience to be able to connect with former Davis student-athlete’s and learn from their advice.”

In a student’s first year, the ‘skills’ section is covered by creating a DiSC profile and learning self-awareness to help direct them towards career paths they are passionate about. ‘Knowledge’ is achieved through completing the World of Work Examination and attending the spring student-athlete career fair. Taking hold of different chances to join clubs, doing volunteer work or taking on an internship covers the ‘opportunities’ section. The

students are guided to finish their resume and create a 30-second video story about themselves to round out the ‘tools’ portion.

Students’ second year with the program separates out goals in the exact same four categories. An EQ-i Assessment is completed in ‘skills,’ and an experienced learning opportunity (ELO) is to be obtained to cover ‘opportunities,’ whether through a job, internship, research or various other activities.

The ‘tools’ needed includes an updated resume, a video story extended to one minute and a professional LinkedIn profile. Students are required to complete a strengths/O*Net assessment, create an Aggie Job Link account, attend the spring student-athlete career fair and set up an informational interview for their ‘knowledge’ section.

By the time student-athletes enter into their upperclassmen years, their ‘skills’ portion has been completed. The student’s third year mainly consists of setting up three informational interviews, attending a career fair and beginning a separate ELO. The ‘tools’ needed for year three include keeping an updated resume, adding 30 more seconds to the video story and maintaining a LinkedIn Profile.

In the final year of being in the Aggie EVO system, athletes are required to have five informational interviews, take a World of Work Knowledge exam, attend a career fair and share a launch story with a coach and advisor. Like the previous years, the student’s resume and LinkedIn profiles are to be kept up to date and the final video story has a set time of two minutes. The program also offers dead lines for the goals listed in order to keep their student clients organized. On top of giving students a schedule for success, the system also provides students with various resources around campus, such as job and internship fairs, resume and cover letter workshops and professional partnership and mentorship programs.

Mewes also explained how Aggie EVO has put her on the right path toward achieving her professional goals.

“After graduation I plan on pursuing a career as a commercial real estate broker,” Mewes said. “I have had the opportunity to intern with a team of brokers at CBRE these past two summers and many aspects of the job really interest me. I am so grateful that Mike Lorenzen has implemented a system filled with accessible resources that undoubtedly helps set up student-athletes for success.”

For more information about Aggie EVO or how to get involved in the program, visit the UC Davis Aggies athletics website.

Athlete Ally opens new chapter at UC Davis Organization aims to educate athletics community, end homophobia in sports

BY K E NNEDY WALKER sports@theaggie.org

Athlete Ally, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending homophobia and transphobia in sports as well as activating the athletic community to champion LGBTQ+ equality, recently added UC Davis as a new chapter to its organization. UC Davis is now part of a list including 35 campus chapters, 188 pro ambassadors and over 24,000 people joining the Athlete Ally movement.

The organization was founded in 2011 by Hud son Taylor. Taylor, a former “new breed” of wrestler out of the University of Maryland, is a three-time All-American and was ranked No. 2 in the country going into his senior collegiate season, according to the Athlete Ally website.

“My sport has given me everything,” Taylor said.

“I think that still in 2018 LGBTQ+ athletes are being denied those same opportunities, experiences and access and it’s a shame. If we are not trying to do something about it I think we are in part responsible for it.”

A theatre and drama major as well as a wrestler, Taylor witnessed friends come out and be accepted in the theater environment, while homophobic and sexist comments were uttered nonstop on the wrestling mat. In order to stand in support with the LGBTQ+ community, Taylor made a decision that ended up being a driving force in starting Athlete Ally.

“I was in a really unique position,” Taylor said. “I was the captain of my team so I had a lot of privilege and I had the platform. I started speaking out and did what I thought was a small gesture in wearing an LGBTQ+ sticker on my headgear and as a result of that I got 2,000 emails from closeted athletes. So that was sort of the moment of wow there is a real need and we can have a real impact if other athletes also speak out.”

Taylor initially had an idea to compile all of the e-mails sent to him and tell all of the stories of LGBTQ+ athletes, and wanted to create Athlete Ally as a platform to tell stories. Once he created the website, made a pledge for the organization and started touring around the country speaking at different colleges and universities, Athlete Ally quickly grew in support and infrastructure to become what it is today.

Today, Taylor believes that it is more important than ever to continue to speak out in colleges and universities about solving this issue. After he received an email asking him to speak at UC Davis, he knew that this was an opportunity to continue to advocate for Athlete Ally.

“We want to solve the problem and the only way we can do that is if our efforts are scaleable,” Taylor said. “Working in professional and collegiate sports you have massive governing bodies that if one thing changes, it has a huge ripple effect on the whole organization. It is really those athletes who are going to practice and class everyday who know first hand if it is an inclusive environment and what needs to change.”

After Taylor’s speech at UC Davis, junior forward Hailey Rittershofer, a member of the UC Davis soccer team and student athlete liaison of the LGBTQ+ center on campus, approached Taylor about opening a new chapter at UC Davis, which she now leads.

“For the [UC] Davis chapter, our goals are to foster inclusion in athletics and in the athletic community,” Rittershofer said. “We do that through education of our members to spread that education, social activities within the LGBTQ+ community and social events to bring different people together, both allies as well as people in the LGBTQ+ community.”

All students are welcome to join the UC Davis Athlete Ally chapter. The only requirements are to attend one meeting and participate in one event.

The schedule for this quarter’s chapter meetings are still being finalized, but meetings are expected to happen four times throughout the Fall 2018 quarter, with one big event held.

“This is a club where members and officers feel like family and it’s a club where people that are very diverse can get together and that are passionate about supporting the LGBTQ+ community,” Rittershofer said.

Rittershofer is proud to have a chapter for Athlete Ally at UC Davis, and believes that it is extremely important to continue fostering equality inside and outside of athletics.

“Whether you are an athlete and you are of a particular race or you have a particular gender or sexual orientation, it’s harder to be something more than just ‘the athlete’”, Rittershofer said. “I think it is especially important to me that Athlete Ally gives people with different intersections and orientations a chance to be themselves and get the most out of their [UC] Davis experience. I feel really blessed and thankful to be a part of this organization. It has been a big learning/growing experience and I hope I can run it as best as I possibly can to represent the Davis community.”

Anyone who wants to learn more about Athlete Ally can visit its website, and more information about the UC Davis chapter can be found on its Facebook page.

14 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE