February 13 2020

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VOLUME 138, ISSUE 16 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2020

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IF THE BASIC NEEDS AND SERVICES REFERENDUM DOESN’T PASS...

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Many of the services ASUCD currently provides will be cut down or lost altogether

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Over 1,000 students jobs will be at stake

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UC Davis will be the only UC without a student-run newspaper

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We will lose the best hands-on experience for students interested in journalism, photography, design, layout, copy editing and advertising

Vote YES on the Basic Needs and Services Referendum between Feb. 18 to 21 at elections.ucdavis.edu

Feb 11- Feb 13, 8am-1pm Find her in the Produce Department. Come and order yours before they are gone!

Feb 14, 12pm-3pm She will be on the patio showing how to arrange flower bouquets. Stop by and learn with us!

OPEN DAILY 7AM—10PM 620 G ST, DAVIS (530) 758-2667 WWW.DAVISFOOD.COOP @DAVISFOODCOOP

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2 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2020

ASUCD HOLDS WINTER TOWN HALL MEETING ASUCD SENATE CONDEMNS UCPATH ROLLQuestions surrounding Basic Needs and Services Referendum saturate meeting agenda

OUT AT UC DAVIS

Senators, through SR #8, demand UC further compensate student workers affected KAT HERIN E F RA N KS / AGG IE

Members of ASUCD and the UC Davis student body meet at Coffee House for a town hall meeting on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. (Photo by Timothy Li / Aggie)

BY H A N N A H BLO ME campus@theaggie.org ASUCD Senate members actively discussed upcoming Senate elections and the Basic Needs and Services Referendum at the town hall meeting on Jan. 30.

Despite looming Senate elections, the majority of students attended the town hall to learn more about the proposed increase in the ASUCD Base Fee, a current $8 per-quarter fee that all undergraduates pay. The fee, which has not increased since 1979, will be increased after this winter election if the Basic Needs and Services Referendum passes.

“I don’t have any knowledge about the referendum,” said Kabu Doku, a second-year student.

“I hope to get more information from the board tonight.”

Students raised questions regarding the “basic needs” aspect of the initiative referendum.

Two students who wished to remain anonymous inquired, “Why do you call it ‘basic needs’ and what do you plan to do?”

In response, senators held discussions at each table in order to encourage all participants to voice their opinions, ensuring that no question was left unanswered. ASUCD Senator Anna Estrada explained to inquiring students that ASUCD is in an extreme budget deficit, placing a long list of student services on the chopping block.

Many students inquired about the specific programs that the fee increase impacts. Estrada responded with a list of services affected by the base fee, including Picnic Day, the Bike Barn,

the Aggie Reuse store, The Pantry, Whole Earth Festival, KDVS, the CoHo and more. She also explained that certain services have already been cut in response to budget deficits, including the recent dissolution of Tipsy Taxi.

Estrada said that student fees have not changed since 1979 and that UC Davis students pay significantly less than students at other UCs, noting fee rates at campus’s like UC Santa Barbara, where students pay nearly $600 a quarter in base fees.

In conjunction with UC Davis’ unique identity, Senate President Pro Tempore Shondreya Landrum applauded the campus’ long-kept value for student leadership.

“We are the only autonomous [Associated Students organization in the UC]; we manage our own budget,” Landrum said. “Other student governments do not manage their own budget; it is their administration that does.”

Landrum’s reminder that the proposed initiative referendum is not a university-led tuition hike, but rather a student-inspired proposition, cleared misconceptions about the initiative.

“Aggies for Aggies,” Landrum said.

All the senators reminded the town hall that voting for ASUCD elections will take place on Feb. 18-22. Twenty percent of students must vote, otherwise the ballot referendum’s result will not count and will not even be considered. Of those who vote, 60% must vote in favor for the referendum to pass.

Specific information about the initiative referendum and voting details can be found at asucd.ucdavis.edu/vote. Once polling opens, students can vote at elections.ucdavis.edu.

BY ALLY RU SS E LL campus@theaggie.org Senate Resolution #8, which condemned the university in its rollout of the UCPath payroll system, was adopted by the ASUCD Senate on Jan. 21. The implementation of UCPath was widely seen as a failure by undergraduate students and led to a walkout of student employees at the Coffee House (CoHo) who faced difficulties receiving timely and correct pay.

Since its implementation in October 2019, as many as 800 undergraduate students, faculty and staff have been affected. By the end of Fall Quarter 2019, at least 50 students were still without paychecks.

The resolution passed with 10 senators in favor. Senators Sahiba Kaur and Lylah Schmedel abstained.

Christine Lovely, the chief human resources office for UC Davis Finance, Operations and Administration provided updates on residual issues with UCPath.

“All known issues since UCPath implementation have been resolved,” Lovely said via email.

Despite Lovely’s reassurances, at least 41 students still remain unpaid at time of writing.

Lovely claimed that paychecks have been written for these students but have yet to be picked up.

Many of these checks are only available at UC Davis Central Payroll Office, located far from campus on Research Park Drive. For those who work, attend school during the regular work week or lack reliable transportation, the decision to rely on check pickup at an off-campus location has introduced an additional barrier to receiving their money owed.

This resolution was sent directly to Chancellor Gary May, Vice Chancellor Kelly Ratliff and Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Sheri Atkinson among others according to Senator Victoria Choi, who authored the resolution.

“I wrote the resolution with the intention of documenting the harm done by UCPath across the UC campuses and condemning the lack of

concern for student welfare indicated by its sloppy and rushed implementation,” Choi said.

“I think UC Davis should have pushed back on the initial implementation of UCPath, as it had already been clearly demonstrated at other campuses, like UCLA, that the implementation caused many issues that harmed students. Knowing this, they allowed the system to wreak havoc on our student workers here.”

Among the issues cited in the resolution, senators criticized the centralization of the onboarding of new employees and payroll processes, now overseen by UC Davis Shared Services Office.

The resolution states this “significantly delayed the onboarding of Unitrans employees and Coffee House employees, which, in addition to providing crucial services for students, have the highest volume of student workers.”

Before the implementation of UCPath, ASUCD HeadQuarters (formerly known as ASUCD Student Services Office) had full autonomy to issue payment to employees, oversee onboarding processes and issue reimbursements.

These onboarding delays are still impacting students in Winter Quarter 2020, limiting the number of buses available during Unitrans’ highest ridership season and the frequency of bus stops.

The resolution states that “the [University of California Office of the President] must go beyond merely correcting the paycheck issues experienced by UC Davis student employees and further compensate them in a similar model as has been arranged with UAW Local 2865.”

Affected student employees at UCLA were compensated $150 each in addition to their normal wages. According to an article in the Daily Bruin, if issues persisted for more than a month, employees were compensated with an additional $450.

Authors of the resolution also hope this resolution will serve as a warning to other UC campuses who will implement UCPath. Vice President Shreya Deshpande commented further on this intention.

ASUCDUCPATH on 12

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2020 | 3

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MEET THE ASUCD 2020 WINTER ELECTIONS CANDIDATES!

Eleven students running for six senatorial positions, two executive tickets, two candidates running for external affairs vice president, one candidate for student advocate

BY HANNAH BLOME, JOSH MADRID, KENTON GOLDSBY, LIZ JACOBSON & KATIE DEBENEDETTI campus@theaggie.org Formerly a senator at his comtional mental health initiatives, Senate: munity college, Iniquez’s platsupporting The Pantry and imforms are focused on mental proving campus relations with health awareness, campus faGreek Life. Thompson procilities management and camposes raising awareness about pus safety. He wants to gather mental health through the disabandoned bikes and replace semination of information and old water filters, and he wants wants to reduce long wait times to promote campus safety by to access campus counselors. installing additional blue safety Thompson’s second platform lights. focuses on increasing donations and funding for The Pantry, since supplies tend to deplete Tenzin Youedon (BASED), quickly. She asserts that food a second-year political science Derek Foster (Thrive), a should not be a necessity that and philosophy double major, fourth-year managerial eco- students have to compromise said she is running for Senate nomics major, said he is run- on. Thompson also hopes to because she believes she has ning for Senate in order to strengthen the relationship be- something to bring to the table, improve the campus for future tween campus and Greek Life and believes she has the ability Aggies. Foster’s platforms in- in order to break stigmas and to make an impact. Youedon clude financial security within raise awareness about various is the current legislative director for Senator Shondreya ASUCD and expanding cam- philanthropic contributions.

Landrum. Youedon’s platforms pus resources for student inare aimed at ethnic representa- Shreya Deshpande (BASED), ternships. He asserts that his tion, fundraising and transpor- a fourth-year cognitive science financial background, in comtation. She hopes to increase and sociology double major bination with information acethnic representation in stu- and ASUCD’s current vice cumulated from his managerial dent government by encour- president, is running for Seneconomics major, qualify his aging identity-based student ate to assist with any budgetary candidacy. Foster has experiorganizations to be included matters that the association will ence in the UC Davis Finance in campus decisions. Youedon’s face in the wake of the results and Investments club and from transportation platform in- of the Basic Needs and Sercourses at the Menlo College volves a personal car rideshare vices Referendum vote, also Business School and work exsystem created to pick up stu- on the Winter Elections ballot. perience at a commercial bank. dents from Unitrans stops and Because they will graduate in He asserts that his experience will aid him in dealing with the Roberto Rodriguez (Indepen- transport them to campus. spring, Deshpande would only dent), a first-year biological association’s budget deficit. be able to serve one quarter in sciences major, is running for Senate, but they argued that Senate in order to give a voice their experience in ASUCD to those who want change, combined with their institubut are unaware how to voice tional knowledge would be their concerns. His platforms extremely useful during Spring include increasing resourcQuarter Budget Hearings. es for homeless, independent Deshpande’s other two platand first generation students. forms are focused on advocatRodriguez hopes to designate ing for student workers’ rights specific areas on campus meant by advancing plans for the Stuto support student needs. He dent Workers Rights Commisalso wants to promote available sion, especially in light of issues and existing campus resources Jonathan Iniquez (Thrive), with UCPath implementation, Madeline Thompson (Thrive), to students who may be un- a third-year transfer political as well as tackling housing afa second-year political science aware of them. Rodriguez was science major, is running for fordability by working closely and managerial economics formerly student government Senate because he believes he with the Housing Advising can make a change and said for Undergraduate Students double major, is running on president in high school. he enjoys collaborative work (HAUS) and the city of Daplatforms focused on addifocused on helping students.

ELECTIONS COMMITTEE CHAIR COFIRMED AFTER CONTENTIOUS VOTE AT JAN. 30 ASUCD SENATE MEETING Senate bills passed enforce new rules for Creative Media, ASUCD election candidates

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BY JANELLE MARIE SALANGA campus@theaggie.org ASUCD Vice President Shreya Deshpande called the Jan. 30 ASUCD Senate meeting to order at 8:03 p.m.

Senator Lylah Schmedal was absent. Deshpande amended the agenda so that the Elections Committee chair confirmation could happen first.

Former ASUCD Interim Senator Karolina Rodriguez was nominated to be the elections committee chair. Rodriguez, who unsuccessfully ran for a Senate position twice with the BASED slate, said seeing the challenges last quarter’s emergency elections committee dealt with during the Fall Elections motivated her to apply, especially with the Basic Needs & Services Referendum on the ballot.

The Elections Committee chair oversees election preparation and assists candidates in the campaigning process. The interview committee is composed of the Senate Pro Tempore, the Internal Affairs Commission (IAC) chairperson, the ASUCD business manager, the Judicial Council chair and the ASUCD controller. The majority of the committee recommends a candidate for the position, which the ASUCD Senate then confirms.

Senator Shondreya Landrum offered her recommendation and said the interview committee understood the concerns about Rodriguez being a potentially biased elections committee chair, but said she still thought Rodriguez is the best candidate.

“One thing she reiterated was her goal was to be impartial — it doesn’t matter the slate, if there’s a violation, there’s a violation,” Landrum said of Rodriguez. “She has a love for the association and she cares that we do the right thing.”

An hour of questioning and debate followed, concentrating on Rodriguez’s impartiality.

Senator Juan David Velasco asked how Rodriguez would remain impartial given her personal relationships with other senators on the table and how she would respond to social media posts calling out violations of the ASUCD bylaws.

Rodriguez said she had detached herself from

prospective senators and her former slate on social media. She said later that she wanted to apply for the Elections Committee chair position after last quarter’s Fall Election and does not plan to run for Senate any time soon.

“I do have folks on the table I am friends with, but that will not affect my decisions,” Rodriguez said. “If I get an email with a complaint, I would talk to my committee and do what needs to be done.”

Former ASUCD President Michael Gofman called Rodriguez a “partisan pick for the Elections Committee” and urged the table to act as one in the face of the fee referendum.

“To pass the referendum and ensure the association moves forward, we have to work in a bi-partisan manner,” he said. “I think ignoring all of the alternatives and picking someone who has run twice on a slate is a very bad step if we’re trying to show that we’re a united front.”

Senators Samantha Boudaie and Andre Spinoglio brought up similar concerns. Boudaie said she felt Rodriguez would find it “very difficult to be impartial” considering her history with the ASUCD Senate. Spignolio also said he was worried about future candidates being disadvantaged due to Rodriguez’s potential implicit biases.

He asked Rodriguez if she had experienced a situation where she had to overcome biases. Rodriguez shared an experience when, as an orientation team leader, she had to reject some of her friends’ orientation leader applications because they did not meet the qualifications.

Still, Spinoglio and Boudaie remained hesitant about confirming Rodriguez.

“Right now, ASUCD is at a point where we can’t risk anything and having someone who has history with ASUCD to be our election chair — it smells fishy,” Boudaie said.

“It’s problematic, and even though I’m confident in your abilities, I worry about the face of ASUCD.” Senator Anna Estrada noted that previous election chairs all had some bias, as they applied with some knowledge of the slates and what the slates stood for.

R E A D FU LL ART ICLE O NLINE

vis-UC Davis Joint Housing Task Force.

Alex Cohen (Thrive), a firstyear neurology, physiology and biology major, has served as the assistant to the ASUCD controller since Fall Quarter. He is also the chair of the Student Health and Wellness Committee, which inspired his mental health-focused platform. He wants to bring awareness to mental health and decrease stigma around mental health issues, and plans to apply for grants to help bring additional services to campus. His second platform is centered around combating anti-Semitism on campus, saying his efforts will help create campus unity.

Laura Elizalde (BASED), a third-year political science major, has platforms focused on bringing awareness to sexual assault and violence, mental health and diversity and representation. She said there is a lack of communication and consolidation efforts toward

combatting sexual assault. She serves on the Sexual Assault Awareness Advocacy Committee (SAAAC) and plans to work with them to offer more resources and provide self-defense classes. She hopes to work with the Mental Health Initiative to bring more counselors to campus. She said her identity as Latina allows her to feel empathy toward other marginalized communities outside the Latinx community.

Lucas Fong (Thrive), a second-year economics major, is running on a three-part platform: utilization of resources, organization outreach and OSSJA advocacy. He believes that the number one issue faced by the student body is the lack of knowledge about the different resources offered by ASUCD and plans to spearhead new marketing campaigns with Creative Media. As a student who has been affected by OSSJA proceedings due to health issues, Fong hopes to create innovative means of outreach and advocacy help for students facing similar situations.

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4 | THURSDAY, FEBUARY 13, 2020

Alexis Lopez (BASED), third-year economics and political science double major, hopes to focus on three issues: funding basic needs, academic success and the creation of an Outreach Committee. Lopez currently serves as the Senate recorder and the communications director for the ASUCD Executive Office. Lopez looks forward to working with units like the Mental Health Initiative, the Pantry and Unitrans to ensure they are fully funded and continue to expand and serve students. He also plans to allocate funding toward more tutoring services.

that students and drivers alike stay safe and encouraging other Sikh and underrepresented students to run for positions of power, like senator, in the future. On campus, Gandhoke is a member of the Sikh Cultural Association and vice president of finance for the agricultural fraternity Alpha Gamma Rho. Executive Tickets

overdose. Hacker and Weiner hope to increase the number of blue safety lights on campus and list the number for the Center for Advocacy, Resources and Education (CARE) on the back of every student ID card.

Finally, they said their goal to expand CoHo operations in the library will encourage student safety and convenience. Hacker previously served as Senate pro tempore and Weiner was previously on a Senator’s staff.

work by advocating for affordable housing near campus, as students who commute long distances contribute to environmental issues, and Kandaswamy plans to continue working on sexual assault awareness and advocacy, implementing an annual conference on sexual assault to be held on campus.

They also want to expand The Pantry and other basic needs services, increase transparency and implement structural reform in the association. Additionally, they hope to hold ASUCD officials accountable by asking them to hold more outreach hours.

equity. In this position, Hatefi helped create ASUCD’s ten year plan, he has partnered with Unitrans to allot bus passes to homeless individuals, he has partnered with the Yolo County Clerk’s office to establish an on-campus, same-day voter registration office for the first time ever and he has vocally opposed a tuition hike and asked state officials to do the same. If elected, he hopes to reach out to additional communities that he feels are not listened to as much as others.

External Affairs VicePresident

Amanjot Gandhoke (Thrive), a third-year managerial economics major, has a threefold platform focused on creating opportunities for UC Davis’ various agriculture majors, improving student safety and acting as a role model for the Sikh community. His specific platform action items include creating a career day centered around agriculture, reintroducing Tipsy Taxi to ensure

Alisha Hacker & Justin Weiner (Thrive): Hacker, a thirdyear political science major, and Weiner, a third-year neurobiology, physiology and behavior major, are running for president and vice president, respectively.Hacker and Weiner’s platforms are focused on student health and well-being, expanding CoHo operations into the library and sexual assault awareness. As an EMT, Weiner hopes to institute preventative action instead of punitive responses to instances of drug abuse. They propose instituting trainings for Panhellenic, IFC and club leaders to teach students to spot signs of a drug

Kyle Krueger & Akhila Kandaswamy (BASED): Krueger, an evolution, ecology and biodiversity major and the current chair of the Environmental Policy and Planning Commission (EPPC) and Kandaswamy, a managerial economics major and the current chair of the Sexual Assault Awareness Advocacy Committee (SAAAC), are running for president and vice president, respectively.

They hope to expand their current efforts in their chair positions: Krueger wants to expand upon his environmental justice

Adam Hatefi (Independent), a fourth-year political science and science and technology major who currently serves in the EAVP position, hopes to continue the extensive work he has done in office by focusing on affordable and expanded student housing, racial justice for students from disadvantaged communities and gender

Maria Martinez (Thrive), a second-year political science major, is running for office in order to represent the unrepresented. She wants to motivate students to trust their campus government. She previously served as an interim senator, and she currently sits on the Judicial Council. Martinez’s platforms focus on funding and resources, and she has a series of plans aimed at ensuring low tuition rates. She also has a plan that would allow UC Davis to profit off of the wine created by students in viticulture classes.

UCAL.US/REGISTER

Martinez stressed that her role in ASUCD is to help students, and said she will be removed from ASUCD conflicts.

Student Advocate — non-partisan position

Ashley Lo, a second-year economics and political science double major, is running to be UC Davis’ first-ever student advocate, as this is the first time this position is appearing on the ballot. The current Internal Affairs Commission chair, Lo helped create the student advocate position from scratch.

Lo said the position’s goals are focused on helping students and making sure students are represented and advised during academic misconduct and academic dispute meetings. Her goals are focused on basic needs for students. She plans to work with units such as The Pantry and Aggie Compass to increase the available assistance programs.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2020 | 5

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DAVIS SCHOOL DISTRICT SUES JUUL OVER E-CIGARETTE ADDICTION AMOUNG TEENS

SHEREEN LEE / AGGIE

Davis School District joins nine other school districts statewide seeking compensation for teen vaping epidemic

Quiet down your drinking game!

January 30 “911 Hang up. Screen is broken, and he can’t seem to get his phone to stop dialing 911.”

The Yolo County Courthouse in Woodland, Calif. The Davis Joint Unified School District is suing Juul, arguing that its products are leading to an health epidemic amongst students.

(Superior Court of California, County of Yolo)

BY ED E N W I N N I FO R D city@theaggie.org On Jan. 22, the Davis Joint Unified School District (DJUSD) filed a lawsuit against JUUL Labs, Inc. in the Yolo County Superior Court (case no. CV 20-93). DJUSD joins nine other school districts in a statewide lawsuit represented

by Baron & Budd and Panish Shea & Boyle LLP. In a media statement, DJUSD explained its reasoning for the lawsuit.

“Davis Joint Unified School District filed a lawsuit against JUUL Labs, Inc. for the company’s role in cultivating and fostering an e-cigarette epidemic that disrupts the education and learning environment across the District,” the statement read.

The District seeks financial compensation for truancy attributed to student JUUL addictions, educational programs about the dangers of vaping and enforcement actions including vape detectors and increased staff on school campuses.

“Davis Joint Unified is holding JUUL accountable for marketing dangerous products to youth, which has, in turn, wasted resources intended for education,” said Davis Superintendent John Bower, according to the statement.

“Our students and community deserve better.”

Representing the school districts alongside Panish Shea & Boyle LLP, Baron & Budd released a statement that described the lawsuit’s scope.

“These ten school districts, which represent over 900,000 students, are part of a statewide movement to hold JUUL accountable for the expenditure of public and taxpayer resources required to respond to the vaping crisis,” the press release read.

DJUSD is joined by the Chico, Ceres, Campbell Union High, King City Union, Glendale, Los Angeles, Compton, Anaheim Elementary and San Diego School Districts in the fight against teenage vaping.

JUUL described its efforts to limit teen vaping on its website in response to nationwide outlash against minors with vaping addictions.

“In the fall of 2019, in response to the troubling rise of underage use, we took a series of wide-ranging actions, including suspending the distribution of non-tobacco and non-menthol flavored JUUL pods and suspending all product advertising through broadcast, print, and digital channels,” the website read.

Upon first visiting JUUL, a pop-up asks for the age of the visitor. Selecting the “under 21” option redirects a visitor to teen.smokefree.gov.

If a visitor selects an age over 21, they get access to view the website along with all JUUL products. If a purchase is attempted, however, the site initiates an age verification process that requires the buyer’s full name, date of birth, home address and the last four digits of a social security number.

Despite JUUL’s actions to prevent teen vap-

ing, the U.S. Surgeon General released a public advisory on vaping titled “The E-cigarette Epidemic Among Youth.”

“E-cigarette aerosol is not harmless,” the advisory read. “Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine. Nicotine exposure during adolescence can impact learning, memory, and attention. Using nicotine in adolescence can also increase risk for future addiction to other drugs.”

The advisory also notes that many teen vapers are ignorant about the presence of nicotine in JUULs. “Despite these risks, approximately twothirds of JUUL users aged 15-24 do not know that JUUL always contains nicotine,” the advisory read.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse outlines the impacts of vaping on teen nicotine use on its website.

“Vaping devices are popular among teens and are now the most commonly used form of nicotine among youth in the United States,” the website read.

In 2018, 37.3% of high school seniors reported vaping within the past year, according to the National Institute of Health.

“We’re sending a message that when you create a problem and knowingly addict young children, we aren’t going to sit by and not respond or take some sort of action,” said Davis School Board President Cynthia Pickett, according to KRCA.

January 31 “Black SUV seen driving in reverse and on wrong side of road.”

February 1 “Unknown subject locked themselves inside the women’s restroom, not allowing access to patrons.”

February 2 “Approximately 7 subjects playing loud music and generating a lot of noise while playing their drinking game.”

“911 Hang up. Incoherent male — when asked if he needed assistance, he provided his social security number and was asking about the FBI.” February 3 “Vehicle parked by tennis court has a nude occupant. Saw a light male leaning over in his vehicle which exposed his buttocks.”

“Ongoing issue with vehicle being tampered with; last week beer was poured over it and tonight it was egged.”

February 5 “Male came into store and stole liquor and chicken.”

YOLO COUNTY UNDERTAKES PROJECT THAT WOULD WIDEN ROADS, AIMED AT IMPROVING SAFETY Residents to have options of wider roads for bike safety

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A person on a JUMP bike traveling on a bike path in Davis, Calif. Yolo County is planning to widen bike paths within the county and will hold a meeting in Davis to discuss planning. (Photo by Timothy Li / Aggie)

BY S H RADDH A JH INGAN campus@theaggie.org In a press release published on Jan. 27, Yolo County announced that it will be undertaking a County Road (CR) 98 Bike and Safety Improvement Project. The project involves initiatives designed to benefit residents of Yolo County by widening roads such as CR 98 and increasing access for large agricultural vehicles.

“The project has currently received federal funding for preliminary engineering,” the press release read.

Darlene Comingore, a principal civil engineer and the head of the engineering group at Roads Division in Yolo County Community Services, provided details about the widening of CR 98 and other aspects of the project.

“The project will widen CR 98 from Solano County (Putah Creek) to 1300 feet south of CR 29 (north of Davis) to include, in each direction, a 12-foot lane, 8-foot paved shoulder (to accommodate wide agricultural vehicles and bicycles) and an additional 12 foot clear recovery zone,” Comingore said via email. “A clear recovery zone is an area where hard obstacles and steep slopes are removed so that an errant driver can recover from a mistake.

In order to incorporate these changes, ditches and overhead utilities need to be moved away from the new road that will be built. In addition, the project involves the widening of CR 98 and other components that are designed to benefit residents of Yolo County.

“We are adding a class 1 shared path between the bike path on Russell [Boulevard] (CR 32) and Hutchison Drive,” Comingore said via email.

“Roundabouts will be built at the intersections

of CR 98 with Hutchison, CR 32 and CR 31.”

Now in Phase II, the project is currently in its design and planning stage. There will be a southward extension of the improvements made in 2014 after Phase I of the Bike and Safety Improvement Project was implemented. Once completed, the project aims to promote increased bike safety for residents of Yolo County.

“By having paved shoulders and clear recovery zones, there is less potential for accidents and especially injury accidents since drivers will have a place to escape in the event of errant drivers,” Comingore said via email. “It will provide easier and safer access for wide agricultural vehicles.

It will provide a wide shoulder for bicycles and reduce the potential for conflicts between motorized vehicles and bicycles.”

Not only will the widening of the CR 98 likely benefit residents of Yolo County, but also the new roundabouts currently being planned will better control traffic at intersections since vehicles can slow down without completely coming to a stop.

Members of the Yolo County community can participate and observe the development of the project as it progresses. Community members can also attend a meeting regarding the project and “review roadway, drainage, and proposed right of ways and provide comments on the initial intersection construction’s staging,” according to an alternate press release published by Yolo County.

The Yolo County Community Services Department held this meeting on Feb. 12 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Social Hall of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Davis.

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6 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2020

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COUNTY OFFICIALS AIM TO CHANGE “ABYSMAL” YOUTH VOTER TURNOUT IN YOLO COUNTY

Targeting both high-schoolers and college students, Yolo election officials deploying programs to drive turnout

CREATING COMMUNITY WITHIN THE DOMES

Student input on how this co-op serves as an oasis for personal connection TR EVOR GOODMA N / AGGIE

TE SSA KO G A / AG G I E

BY TI M L A LON D E city@theaggie.org The Yolo County Elections Office is deploying new strategies to get local youth to vote in the primary elections on Mar. 3, citing concerns about consistently low turnout rates among young voters in the county.

The push to engage young voters is “data-driven,” according to Jesse Salinas, the Yolo County assessor, clerk-recorder and registrar of voters. Turnout among voters ages 18-24 have historically been “abysmal” in Yolo County compared to other age demographics, Salinas said.

Salinas continued that in 2014, during the midterm elections, only 6.7% of eligible youth voters in Yolo County showed up to vote. In comparison, 19.7% of the 25 to 34-year-old demographic voted in the election. The largest group, aged 65 and older, saw 52.3% of eligible voters participating that year.

There’s been some improvement in recent years, Salinas said — in the 2018 midterms, 21% of eligible 18 to 24-year-olds turned out to vote. However, the youth vote was still greatly overshadowed by other demographics.

“The next age category up [25 to 34-year-olds]: 41.6%, nearly double,” Salinas said. “So, they’re half of what the nearest age group is.”

Voter engagement tends to rise alongside

age, according to Salinas, and once again the youth vote was dwarfed by the seniors in 2018, when 70.1% of eligible voters 65 and up turned out.

“Look at the upper-tier — over 70%,” Salinas said. “And the 18 to 24-year-olds are doing low twenties, which is abysmal. It is — it’s abysmal.”

Low youth turnout encouraged Salinas and other officials to spend “a lot of time and energy” engaging young voters in the political process. One strategy is setting up voter registration and polling on campus.

On March 3, the Yolo Elections team plans to set up a satellite polling location in the Memorial Union (MU) building. The regular polling location will be on the second floor of the MU, while the third floor will be used for conditional voter registration, according to Salinas. Even students assigned to other precincts in Davis will be able to vote on campus, he said.

“We’re going to have the equipment to give them [the] ballot that pertains to them,” Salinas said. “So even if they live somewhere else in Davis, if they come in, we’ll be able to help them register to vote and get their proper ballot as if they went to their [assigned] polling place.”

However, Salinas still encourages students to register online at registertovote. ca.gov before Feb. 18, the deadline to receive a vote-by-mail ballot.

YOLOCAMPAIGN on 12

The Baggins End Domes, also known as The Domes or the Davis Domes, are a student housing cooperative at the UC Davis built by students in 1972.(Photo by Trevor Goodman / Aggie)

BY AT H E NA AG H IG H I features@theaggie.org The Domes — a living-learning cooperative community on the Northwest edge of campus — are comprised of 14 white hemispheres that serve as a reminder of the free-minded thinking of the 1970s.

Surrounded by foliage and gardens, this living community feels like an oasis, drawing students from a diverse set of backgrounds.

Because of the Domes’ altruistic history, inhabitants still maintain an emphasis on innovative thinking and harmonious living. The Domes were inspired by a need for a low-cost housing option for Davis residents who wanted a unique housing experience. The utopian community was threatened in 2011, but it was saved thanks to student and supporter mobilization.

The structures themselves are made of fiberglass and are mounted on concrete bases. Each dome houses two individuals, and a loft inside provides additional space. Each dome is unique, which aptly represents the wide array of individuals residing there. Some domes have intricate murals passed down from former inhabitants, while others are home to a variety of indoor plants. The effect is a collection of all things new and old, making each dome drastically different from the last.

Ross Collier, a fifth-year English major and a current resident at the Domes, has found the coop experience to be both eye-opening and valuable.

“I used to have a very individualistic mindset,

but coming here, it’s honestly better to have a more communal mindset because one, you can’t do everything by yourself and two, it’s good to have people there for you,” Collier said. “It’s a lot warmer and a feeling that’s hard to describe.”

Hailing from Oakland, Collier found out about the Domes from a friend and was attracted to the initial notion of a supportive, community-based group on campus.

The Domes’ culture of mutual support presents itself in a variety of ways, from nightly potluck dinners to weekend clothing swaps. According to Collier, the most rewarding element of the Domes is the sense of community built through acceptance and kindness.

“Everyone is really open and kind, and wants to see everyone succeed,” Collier explained. “[The Domes] are here to advocate for anyone who needs help, and we value and cherish community and love and prosperity for people of all intersectionalities.”

Collier laid out the structure for his ideal society, mirroring the Domes’ call for change.

“I’m going to keep going back to that word: community,” Collier said. “Sometimes it feels like a lot of people are just out there for themselves, especially in this capitalist mindset. I feel like we need to focus more on people and on helping one another to bring each other up. I want a world where there is more equity and more community, because I feel like that will lead to less marginalization of different communities, [particularly] communities of color.”

DOMES on 12

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2020 | 7

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

A LOOK INTO THE LIVES OF TWO STUDENT-RUN JEWELRY BUSINESSES ON CAMPUS

Encapsulated Co., Flower Dangles use Instagram to reach student body

BY ALYSSA I LSLEY arts@theaggie.org

Television: “Good Trouble” Freeform’s “The Fosters” was a mediocre family drama, but its spin-off “Good Trouble” is a well-crafted and intelligent drama about young adults. The show follows the two best characters from “The Fosters,” Cierra Ramirez’s Mariana and Maia Mitchell’s Callie, and focuses on the two girls’ post-college lives, as they move into a co-opted living space and navigate adult life. There is a diverse cast that offers numerous and varied perspectives and gives the series a unique voice. The characters are three-dimensional and flawed, but, overall, they’re easy to love.

Movie: “Brittany Runs a Marathon” Photos by Less Acosta (Flower Dangles / left) and Lorena Serna Nuñez () / Courtesy.

ITZE LT H G A M BOA arts@theaggie.org

Some students find a hobby in art, others in sports and some even find peace through academic organizations. But while most students pay their dues to take part in these activities, others are making a profit.

This is a look into the lives of two jewelry businesses on campus and a discussion with the student entrepreneurs who must strategically plan their time to make their dreams work.

Encapsulated Co. In the Segundo Residence Halls, Vivian Tran, a first-year mathematics major, is setting resin to make necklaces. After Vivian sets the resin, she must wait three hours before she can create her jewelry. After she’s done, Vivian takes photos of her jewelry and posts them on Instagram and Wildfire to drum up business. But after a long day at school, the process itself is more of a stress reliever than it is work.

Tran’s company, Encapsulated, Co., sells homemade, resin-based flower necklaces and keychains online through Instagram.

Her customers choose which flower they want to press and decide whether they want glitter or gold flakes surrounding it.

“It’s a stress reliever, as a freshman coming here and then just adapting,” Tran said. “I’ll have a really stressful day with stuff going on and then I’ll come home and this is my thing.”

Her small business only recently took off at the end of Fall Quarter.

“I was scrolling through the explore page [on Instagram] and I saw those DIY videos that are little things that I always thought were fake, because I’m like, ‘I could never do

that,’” Tran said. “But I saw this resin one.

And I was like, ‘Wow, that’s so cool. Can I do that?’”

Her small business is an outlet for her to build a community at Davis of which she can actively be a part.

“I was eating breakfast at the DC and I bumped into one of the girls that bought my necklaces and we caught up and started [becoming] friends,” Tran said. “It’s really nice to be able to reach out to other people.”

Tran invested her own money into the business and bought all of her materials on Amazon.

“I was like, ‘Oh my God, $100 is a lot of money to invest in something that I don’t even know what’s gonna happen [with],’ because at that time, I had nothing,” Tran said. “I had no Instagram page; I had no supporters. I was on my own. So it was kind of like, ‘Should I buy books or should I buy resin material?’”

Tran said although most of her materials come from Amazon, she uses real flowers to provide a connection to her customers.

“It’s just more authentic,” Tran said.

“I think the reason why people buy my products is because [they’re] hand made.”

As her business has grown, she has found reasons to expand not only her profits but her impact as well.

“I aim to try to use this to [...] help other people,” Tran said. “Next quarter, I’m doing a workshop for SRRC [to] teach [students] how to make this as a way to help their mental health. I think this is really destress[ing]. It’s like painting. It’s something you can work on and make it personalized to yourself.

This Amazon Prime original is based off of director Paul Downs Colaizzo’s real-life roommate. The film follows Brittany Forgler, a twenty-nine-year-old whose lack of self confidence keeps her from taking care of herself and others. In order to regain control over her life, she commits to running the New York marathon. Although the plot is simple, the film is endearing and the cast is great. Jillian Bell is wonderful as Brittany and demonstrates that she has the emotional range to be a leading lady. The message is positive and Brittany’s journey is deep and poignant. This film is great for a Friday night in or when you’re down in the dumps.

Book: “Egghead: Or, You Can’t Survive on Ideas Alone” Comedian Bo Burnham’s book of short poems, released in 2013, is reminiscent of Shell Silverstein — Burnham’s writing is both comedic and contemplative. “Egghead” is perfect for people who tend to get frustrated with the pretentiousness of poetry.

Burnham keeps it short, simple and funny. Artist Chace Bone also created some incredible sketches to go along with the eccentric tone of the poems. It is a fast and entertaining read that will leave readers thinking and laughing.

Album: “Narrated For You” by Alec Benjamin Twenty-five-year-old singer-songwriter Alec Benjamin rose to fame for his unique voice and his ability to tell a story through his lyrics. His soft voice is captivating and forces listeners to think about the lyrics. Benjamin’s debut album “Narrated For You” is entertaining, but it is also profoundly sad. The focus of the songs range from a detailed breakup in “Water Fountain,” to a story told from the perspective of a school-yard bully in “Boy in the Bubble.” The standout song on the album is “Death of a Hero.” It warns its listeners that those who we admire most may not be who we think they are. Benjamin brought something different and interesting to the singersongwriter genre with this album.

STUDENTJEWELRYon 11

New Year, New Home!

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Spacious 2 Bedroom Apartments Laundry Center Cable TV Access

Wireless Hotspot Access Sparkling Pool & Spa Poolside BBQ Area Bus Routes (B & C Lines)

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Spacious 1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments Laundry Air Conditioning

Bus Line E Sparkling Pool & Relaxing Spa Fitness Room Tennis Court & Recreation Room

8 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2020

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Editorials THE

C ALIFORNIA A GGIE

E DI TO R I AL B OAR D KAELYN TUERMER-LEE Editor-in-Chief HANNAH HOLZER Managing Editor KENTON GOLDSBY Campus News Editor STELLA TRAN City News Editor HANADI JORDAN Opinion Editor CLAIRE DODD Features Editor LIZ JACOBSON Arts & Culture Editor DOMINIC FARIA Sports Editor CECILIA MORALES Science & Tech Editor

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

Vote yes on the Basic Needs and Services Referendum The future of ASUCD and our campus’ culture rests in your hands Vote yes.

The nine members of the Editorial Board unanimously agree: Students should vote yes on the Basic Needs and Services Referendum on the ballot for this quarter’s ASUCD elections, taking place from Feb. 18 to 21. The referendum, which would increase the ASUCD base fee for the first time since 1979, is the only remaining solution to the $500,000 deficit the association faces.

ASUCD is more than just our student government.

It runs everyday resources, such as the CoHo and The Pantry. It is KDVS and The California Aggie. It hosts beloved events such as Picnic Day and the Whole Earth Festival.

There are two thresholds that must be met for the Basic Needs and Services Referendum to pass. First, 20% of all undergraduates must vote, and second, 60% of those voting must vote “yes.” Even if 19.9% of students show up to vote and 100% of them vote yes, the measure will fail. With ASUCD voter turnout generally hovering around 6%, voting is the first step to pass this referendum.

If this referendum fails, the culture of our university will be forever changed, and many of these campus staples could either disappear or become unrecognizable. Non-essential services could be cut and funding for remaining units would decrease drastically. Over 1,400 student jobs are in jeopardy, as available funds for wages diminish while the minimum wage continues to increase — with career staff hired in place of student employees. Prices could rise at places like the CoHo and the Bike Barn as the association struggles to maintain the few services and student jobs it can.

We want students to know that this planned fee increase is student-led, student-run and will benefit

students directly. This is not a tuition increase — all monies collected by this increased fee would stay at UC Davis and students have all the say in how the funds are spent. Additionally, 25% of all revenue from the fee will automatically be invested into providing more financial aid for students.

What we are advocating for is a $26 per quarter increase to the ASUCD base fee, which has remained stagnant at $8 per quarter since 1979. This would total just $102 per year, still leaving UC Davis with one of the lowest student government base fees in the entire UC system. For example, students at UC Santa Barbara pay over $600 per year for their ASUCSB base fee.

After the initial $26 increase, the ASUCD base fee would continue to edge up by $8 per quarter until 2030, when the fee would then be indexed to inflation.

So it’s important to know that your vote on this fee referendum will continue to impact students far into the future.

The only way to save ASUCD as we know it, however, is to vote for this change. As editors at The Aggie, the members of this Editorial Board are all employees of ASUCD and understand the personal ramifications of this measure failing. We value the work that we do and realistically know that if students don’t vote to approve the increase, our jobs and our beloved newspaper will go away. The Aggie has served the UC Davis and the Davis communities for over 100 years, and we would be devastated to see it become history.

So even if you are on the fence, vote. Vote to make sure that we hit the 20% turnout threshold. And, if you value ASUCD as much as we do, please vote yes to support the work that students have been doing and to ensure that that work continues.

We will vote yes. Will you?

ASUCD endorsements: Consider the following Please vote!

ASUCD Winter Elections begin on Tuesday, Feb. 18, with 11 Senate candidates running for six available seats and two executive tickets running for the president and vice president position. For the first time, students will elect an external affairs vice president — a position that was previously appointed by the executive office.

Students will also have the option to elect UC Davis’ first-ever student advocate, an elected position meant to advise, defend and provide aid to students. The Editorial Board interviewed all of the 11 candidates running for Senate and both executive tickets, as well as both candidates running for external affairs vice president and the uncontested student running for student advocate.

Members of the Board were split when deciding which executive ticket to endorse. Some members felt that Kyle Krueger and Akhila Kandaswamy, the current chairs of the Environmental Policy and Planning Commission and Sexual Assault Awareness Advocacy Committee, respectively, were extremely passionate and knowledgeable about their platforms — aimed at environmental action, sexual assault, basic needs and services and organizational reform — and believe they would be able to accomplish these goals. Other members of the Board felt that Alisha Hacker would be the best possible person to lead ASUCD during this precarious financial time and felt that her running mate, Justin Weiner, had admirable and tangible plans to apply his expertise as an EMT to promote student health and safety. Ultimately, however, the Board was divided when deciding on an executive endorsement.

Senate Endorsements: 1. Shreya Deshpande — BASED Slate Although Shreya Deshpande, a fourth-year cognitive science and sociology double major and ASUCD’s current vice president, would only be able to serve one quarter in office before graduating, they would be a critical presence. They will either be crucial in the implementation of the Basic Needs and Services Referendum, or they will be the foremost expert guiding the association through strategic planning and budget cuts if the referendum fails. They have proven that they are passionate, knowledgeable, dedicated and well-connected, and their institutional knowledge is priceless.

2. Alexis Lopez-Perez — BASED Slate Third-year political science major Alexis LopezPerez, who currently serves as the Senate recorder and the executive office’s communications director, has a well-informed knowledge of the association and has attended numerous Senate meetings. He provides an important perspective as a first-generation student, and his goals to fund the Mental Health Initiative and keep

prices low for students at the CoHo and Bike Barn are admirable. We believe that he would make the most out of his time on the Senate table.

3. Derek Foster — Thrive Derek Foster, a third-year managerial economics major, is a financially-experienced and focused transfer student with an intimate knowledge of the inner-workings of ASUCD. We support Foster’s ambitious plans to get transfer students more involved on campus, and we were impressed by his honest and driven demeanor. When asked how he would work with individuals he disagrees with, Foster said he would set personal issues aside and “put student interests first,” a bi-partisan sentiment that would be a welcomed addition to the association.

External Affairs Vice President Endorsement: Adam Hatefi — Independent Adam Hatefi, a fourth-year political science major and the current external affairs vice president, is the epitome of UC Davis’ new motto: Outgrow the expected. Hatefi has dedicated his entire being to this position to ensure that the needs of UC Davis students are heard at the California State Capitol. While in office, he has partnered with the Yolo County Clerk’s office to establish on-campus, same-day voter registration; he worked with Unitrans to provide a monthly allowance of bus passes for homeless individuals; he helped create ASUCD’s recently-endorsed 10-year plan and he has devoted much effort, time and energy to ensure the success of the Basic Needs and Services Referendum, among many other impressive accomplishments. His work speaks for itself — no one could do this job better than Hatefi.

Student Advocate Endorsement: Ashley Lo (non-partisan position) Second-year economics and political science double major Ashley Lo helped create the student advocate position from scratch — she knows this position better than anyone else in the association, and we are confident she will do it justice. Currently serving as the Internal Affairs Commission chair, Lo has been involved in ASUCD since the beginning of her first year. She is knowledgeable and competent, and she has also worked hard to ensure the success of the Basic Needs and Services Referendum. We believe this position has a great deal of potential, and Lo is undoubtedly the perfect person to serve as ASUCD’s first-ever student advocate.

Disclaimer: The Editorial Board can endorse up to six Senate candidates, one executive ticket, one external affairs vice president and one student advocate. The Board also retains the right to not endorse any candidates for these positions.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2020 | 9

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

HUMANITIES MAJORS DESERVE BETTER Not everyone wants to be a doctor MA R IO R ODR IGU EZ / AGGIE

BY ISA BEL L A C H U E COS ifchuecos@ucdavis.edu

For the sake of this column, the humanities’ unlikely hero is me. I would like to be taken seriously for once, and I’d like to defend my brothers in English, history, design and all of the other “useless” majors.

Entering my first year at Davis, I didn’t comprehend the magnitude of STEM and the stigma around other majors. I’m just a couple months in, and chemistry, biology and NPB have me in a corner.

My friends compare problem sets day in and day out, bemoaning the insurmountable tower of work that sits on their desks every night. And then there’s me: the happy-golucky English major.

I love my major– I’m not bemoaning a thing. In fact, I’m loving school. I get to read souped-up fairytales and write essays on literary terms for points. And to top it all off? I get to enjoy all the extracurriculars I want because I have a ton of free time.

Regardless of all this happiness, some of the odd stares, raised eyebrows and smirks about my major got to me. I decided that I would try my hand at STEM by registering for a biology class this quarter. I felt that since the consensus about liberal arts majors was so wholly negative, there must be some truth to the matter — maybe humanities majors really are a cop-out.

Let me tell you, there is a special type of dissociation that only occurs when you’re an English major in a biology lecture.

As I sat down in my first class, I thought

to myself: “This is what I’m supposed to be doing! This is what my parents are paying for!” I’m swiveling around in the fun seats in California Hall, my 30 colored highlighters ablaze, topped off with just a little too much caffeine.

But about 30 minutes in, it dawned on me: “What the hell am I doing here? Why would I subject myself to this? How do people subject themselves to this?”

Sitting in that biology class three days a week for two weeks changed my mind completely.

The professor was fantastic and California Hall was a dream. The notes were clear and concise, but I just didn’t like it. I couldn’t even pretend to be enjoying it. My passion for ornate graphs and lengthy data tables can only go so far.

Kids who excel at the humanities are often underlooked in favor of those who are more STEM-oriented. They aren’t considered less intellectual, but their intelligence just isn’t recognized or celebrated in the same way as it is for STEM-oriented students.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been particularly bad at math. I remember the snickers from my third-grade classmates one day when my teacher posted my “C” grade performance among an ocean of “As” for a math homework assignment. The next week, however, my language arts teacher read one of my essays out loud and cried.

Despite this, I wasn’t considered a “smart” kid by my peers and, as a result, by myself.

The truth of the matter, however, is this: No one major is better than another. To be a STEM major — or any major — and have a superiority complex over other majors is

completely bogus, particularly because any of us could’ve clicked the microbiology box over the history box when selecting our majors.

I also think that the stigma surrounding humanities majors encapsulates students who are undeclared. Being undeclared is completely reasonable — maybe even more reasonable than deciding at the tender age of 18 that you want to spend thousands of dollars and eight more years to graduate from another school.

Some argue that harder disciplines, by nature of their difficulty, are worth higher merit. I don’t have three-hour labs or impossible midterms, but I do have lengthy papers and seemingly incomprehensible readings. I’d suggest trying Chaucer out for size before disparaging English majors, or interminable tech weeks before belittling theatre majors. All majors are equally difficult in their own ways, and the level of difficulty does not define prestige.

What is most detrimental about dismissing a major is that it deters individuals from pursuing what they are most passionate about. I knew in my heart of hearts that I didn’t need or want to take the class, but I thought that taking it would somehow magically get me to like science and, therefore, help me secure my place in the workforce.

I’m here to tell all of my humanities majors and undeclared peers that there isn’t a point in coupling your dreams with someone else’s expectations. You aren’t wasting your time if you’re doing what you love.

HUMOR

NEWSPAPER TO FIRE ALL STAFF, ONLY PUBLISH RANDOM TWEETS ENDING IN “#NEWS”

A modern, forward-looking, social media-based approach to news-making

KA IT LY N PA N G / AG GI E

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

In October 2018, we here at The Aggie instituted The Policy — a bold new journalistic ethics practice — aimed at eliminating bias by no longer allowing our reporters to cover topics which they know anything about. Our reporters no longer bring any previous knowledge or expertise to their stories, meaning there

VOTE

is now virtually no risk that anything we write could influence your thoughts and opinions about anything in any possible way whatsoever. In other words, The Policy has been a resounding success.

As a result, we now feel that it’s an appropriate time to institute The Policy II, which will take things a step further. In the coming weeks, we will cease publication of any original reporting and will fire all of our writers. Instead of forcing you to rely on us — the so-called “experts” — we plan to give

BY MA R GA R E T L E E mcslee@ucdavis.edu

you the opportunity to self-report the news to yourselves, by yourselves, for yourselves.

To achieve this democratization of the news, all you need to do is simply end any tweet that you think is news-worthy with the hashtag “#news.” Every tweet including “#news” will then be automatically uploaded to our website, no questions asked. Literally.

We won’t ask any questions because interviewing sources is a thing of the past.

We now understand that it’s not us expert journalists, but you, the people, who are the ones out there on the front lines actually experiencing “the news.”

We will maintain our print edition, which will also feature your tweets, organized in no particular way. Hopefully the prevalence of unedited tweets with social media slang and abbreviations will help give our print edition a unique and modern Internet-influenced aesthetic, attracting a new generation of younger readers to “the news” and teaching them the value of staying informed. It’s possible that local news stations will follow our lead, firing everyone except for their anchors, who will host nightly “readings of the tweets.”

The Policy II is a recognition that we at the news aren’t the newsmakers — you are. This is why it’s time for us to entirely eliminate the concept of “the reporter,” which is essentially nothing more than a

middleman position. We realize that what’s happening on social media is way more important than anything that’s actually happening in the real world. And if anything in the real world might continue to hold your short attention span for long enough that you could actually learn something about it, we’re confident that your addiction to social media will quickly pull you back to what really matters.

Social media is simply way more relevant and engaging than the news media, and we understand that the average person identifies way more with the word “social” than they do with the word “news.” Actual news is boring, stressful and confusing, which are all unhealthy. In fact, the constant urge to get that dopamine rush from “checking your socials” is indicative of the fact that your body needs social media, so you need to stay connected to social media to stay healthy.

Long story short, we’re making “the news” healthier.

Within the next few weeks, we will be publishing our first #news article, so be sure to check your phones constantly, as it could happen at any time! You wouldn’t want to miss it, would you?

I suppose that wraps things up. Now, it’s my distinct honor to usher in a new era of newsmaking with our new formal sign-off: Best, Benjamin Porter. #news.

10 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2020

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Sudoku

Enter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Every row, column and 3x3 square must contain one of each digit. Each Sudoku has a unique solution that can be reached logically without guessing.

Answer to previous puzzle

Answer to previous puzzle S L O B C H I C S K E W F I E R Y A E R O A N T I A N N E M U R R A Y N E O N D E N S R E S C A N O N E R I O O S P Y C P R L O R E T T A L Y N N E A V E R O M E O A L E S A C T I R A S P SW I N E ET N A M AW S O N I O N B O N N I E R A I T T S T Y S A D S E E S M AY O I O O R E C O I L A J A R B U D D Y H O L L Y M A L E L A PY E R A S E A X E D E N Y A E L S E

2/9/20

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2020 | 11

12 | THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2020

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

REVIEW: SEX EDUCATION The sex-ed course we all deserved

WUHAN CORONAVIRUS BRINGS WORLDWIDE CONSEQUENCES Scientific explanation of 2019-nCOv outbreak

BY A L L I E BA I L E Y arts@theaggie.org The second season of “Sex Education” premiered on Jan. 17, and it has surpassed all expectations. Netflix has done it again, this time through a dramedy, with the educational value of a documentary, on the epidemic that is shoddy sexual education.

The show takes place in a fictional town in the United Kingdom, where Otis, a sexually confused teenager, gives out sex advice to fellow high schoolers. The difficulties of adolescence, especially pertaining to sex and sexuality, are highlighted by the varying concerns Otis’ classmates express to him.

Season two opens with school-wide hysteria over a misconception that chlamydia is airborne.

The overdramatization of students’ reactions is amusing, but perhaps more valuable is the resolution of the scare, when we learn about the true nature of the disease. The audience is taught something about the treatable and common STI, while the storyline seamlessly transitions to Otis’ mother, a sex therapist, working at the school for the obvious need of improved sexual education.

This is where the show succeeds in tying entertainment and education together; the plot is supported by the teachings of Otis and his mother to troubled sexual novices, but this simultaneously gives viewers insights that may be common knowledge to some and news to others.

This also makes way for some relevant social commentary. The extreme lack of education is what caused the dramatic reaction to an STI and, more generally, leads to the success of Otis’ business in sex therapy at the highschool. The slew of sex and relationship issues he addresses sheds light on the detriment of an uneducated group of youth who are sexually active and calls out our education system for its disservice to students who have been denied sufficient information about sex.

The show depicts the characters’ countless sexual inquiries on topics that should be covered in the classroom. When a young man wants to have sex with his boyfriend, he goes to Rahim,

the openly gay new kid, for advice. Rahim calls him out for his inability to communicate with his partner; if he can’t be open with him, should he even be having sex in the first place?

Maybe these conversations would be easier if we were taught that talking about sex is normal.

For young people watching, this scene, among many others, offers reassurance and reflection on decisions about sex.

The characters’ predicaments touch on some deep-rooted social constructions of gender and sexuality as well.

Otis and his girlfriend Ola offer up a different heterosexual dynamic than is usually portrayed onscreen. When Ola is ready to “go all the way,” Otis is still too nervous to do anything too crazy. Their relationship switches the stereotypical narrative of an uncertain girl who is pressured into having sex to an apprehensive boy who is constantly given space by the girl who is more interested in sex. Their open dialogue makes for a much safer and healthier relationship.

Then there’s Adam, who, arguably due to his emotionally abusive and sexually repressed father, experiences internalized homophobia. His development this season highlights the forces that create men with this type of hateful personality and reminds us that we’re much better off owning who we are.

The struggles each character faces, sexual, social or otherwise, paired with a solid cast, make it easy to become invested in this show. In addition, the ‘80s aesthetic ties it all together — the interior design and fashion choices almost mock how far we are from adequate sex-ed.

In just two seasons, we’ve seen riveting character development and several societal issues get called out, with a lightheartedness throughout that makes this show so special.

The title says it all. “Sex Education” gives us the awkward, hearfelt hilarity that is adolescence, while filling in the gaps in our own sex-ed knowledge.

A television show shouldn’t be a better teacher than our education system, but given the circumstances, I’m not mad about it.

BY MARG O ROS E NB AUM science@theaggie.org A novel coronavirus, first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, has made its way across the world, infecting more individuals each day. As of Feb. 5, the Wuhan coronavirus, or 2019-nCOv, has killed 564 people worldwide, with all but two fatalities occurring in mainland China, according to CNN. Over 28,000 people in more than 25 countries have been infected, and, in China, almost 60 million people remain under lockdown, unable to leave the country. There are 11 confirmed cases in the U.S., six of which are in California. According to the Los Angeles Times, four of those are in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Although the exact cause of 2019-nCOv has not been confirmed, professionals widely agree that it is zoonotic, meaning it is transmitted between animals and people. Dean Blumberg, the chief of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital, has specified that it most likely arose from a mutated virus found in bats.

Human contact with bats would have occurred at one of the many live animal markets in Wuhan.

Post-contact, the virus mutated to infect humans and then mutated again to be transmitted “It most likely came originally from bats, either directly to humans or through an intermediate host,” said Samuel Díaz Muñoz, an assistant professor in the department of microbiology and molecular genetics, via email.

It is believed that the first human contracted this specific coronavirus in November 2019, but the disease was not identified as a novel coronavirus until December, according to Blumberg.

Since then, people traveling to and from China have become infected and transmitted the virus.

Compared to other coronavirus outbreaks, the mortality rate for 2019-nCOv is fairly low and only between 1-4% of individuals throughout the world are suffering from infection.

“It’s quite traumatic what’s happening in China,” said Christine Kreuder Johnson, a professor of epidemiology. “In terms of both the number

of cases and loss of life and then the very strict measures that they’re implementing to protect the rest of the world.”

At first, the only cases in the U.S. had been imported from abroad, but the first confirmed case of person-to-person contact was verified on Jan. 30, according to CNN. The majority of infected people have been adults and the most severe cases have been in older adults, Blumberg said. In healthy, younger individuals, the cases have been milder. Many of the individuals who died already had other underlying health issues.

“About 30% [of infected people] will develop a life-threatening viral pneumonia end-stage lung disease,” Díaz Muñoz said. “Most of these people are going to be 65 [and] over or people who have other complicating conditions with their health.”

Currently, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) considers the immediate health risk for most individuals in the U.S. to be low. The CDC and other public health agencies want to contain the outbreak and prevent the sustained spread of the virus in the U.S., said Cindy Schorzman, the medical director of UC Davis student health and counseling services, via email.

Although this coronavirus may appear to be affecting more people, other viruses, including preventable ones such as influenza, cause more deaths. The CDC reports that, as of Jan. 18, there have been 15 million cases of flu and 8,200 deaths from flu in the U.S. in the 2019-2020 influenza season.

Coronaviruses, like 2019-nCOv, are large, positive-stranded RNA genomes that cause respiratory illnesses in humans, Díaz Muñoz said.

Many coronaviruses are fairly common and only lead to mild, short-lived illnesses. Their symptoms resemble the common cold, such as low-grade fevers, coughs and sore throats. Some coronaviruses, however, such as MERS, SARS and now the 2019-nCOv, cause more extreme symptoms.

The Wuhan Coronavirus can display a wide range of symptoms in humans, Schorzman said.

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“The resolution also serves as a preliminary warning — a heads up — to the remaining UC’s that are yet to see the implementation of UCPath,” Deshpande said.

Currently, UC Hastings School of Law, UC San Francisco and UC San Diego have not implemented UCPath.

“As Vice President, I am responsible for

sending out resolutions that are passed by Senate, and this allowed me to notify these campuses and connect with their leadership, advising them to ask their administration to potentially delay the rollout until all of the technical glitches and errors can be fixed,” Deshpande said.

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“We’re going to have the equipment to give them [the] ballot that pertains to them,” Salinas said. “So even if they live somewhere else in Davis, if they come in, we’ll be able to help them register to vote and get their proper ballot as if they went to their [assigned] polling place.”

However, Salinas still encourages students to register online at registertovote.ca.gov before Feb. 18, the deadline to receive a voteby-mail ballot. He also encourages those who have recently moved to check their registration status and polling location on the same website.

The registrar’s office is also targeting a surprising new group of potential voters — high-schoolers. Even though many of them won’t be able to vote this year, Salinas said the data shows that if young people engage in local politics early, they tend to become life-long voters.

For the past two years, the Yolo Elections office has partnered with other local activist groups to host the Youth Empowerment Summit (YES). This annual event brings students from high schools around the county to discuss political issues directly with local officials, as well as register and pre-register to vote if they are able.

“Our mission is to empower and encourage youth to say “YES!” to leadership roles and civic engagement in their local communities,” the program’s website reads.

Last year, over 100 Yolo highschool-

ers met with 25 local officials, Salinas said.

One of those officials was Yolo Supervisor Don Saylor, who spoke on the importance of youth civic engagement in a video on the program’s website.

“Everyone should have the right to participate in making decisions that affect their own lives,” Saylor said. ‘That’s why we’re here — because we want you to keep the fire burning.”

Salinas said he’s quite proud of YES’s results, noting that the program has won a national award. Since YES was put into action, his office has been contacted by other districts, like Sacramento and Monterey, seeking to create their own youth summits.

He said that, when polled, the young participants demonstrated significantly higher levels of political knowledge and confidence in their civic voice.

“The data points were off the charts,” Salinas said. “Did they understand about local government before? 40-50% [said yes].

When they were done, they were in the mid90s in terms of understanding. Did [they] understand that their vote matters? At the end of the day, we had 100% saying they believe their vote matters.”

The last day to register to vote is Feb. 18, although conditional registration is possible until the March 3 election day. Eligible voters can register and check their status and poll locations at registertovote.ca.gov.

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“I’m going to keep going back to that word: community,” Collier said. “Sometimes it feels like a lot of people are just out there for themselves, especially in this capitalist mindset. I feel like we need to focus more on people and on helping one another to bring

each other up. I want a world where there is more equity and more community, because I feel like that will lead to less marginalization of different communities, [particularly] communities of color.”

Some infected individuals have reported having milder respiratory symptoms, while others develop severe, life-threatening symptoms. By infecting the upper and lower respiratory tract, 2019-nCoV can lead to pneumonia and difficulty breathing.

Since only the most severe cases of the coronavirus are diagnosed, people showing more minor symptoms can spread the virus unknowingly. This makes containment challenging. The incubation period of the virus seems to be between 2–14 days, so individuals may have the virus for up to two weeks before showing symptoms, Schorzman said.

“On the one hand, in the majority of healthy people, it only causes a cold, but on the other hand in other people, it can be severe and result in death,” Blumberg said. “Everyone in the world is susceptible to it. It is a new virus so nobody has immunity to it.”

This virus can be spread via the respiratory tract when infected individuals cough or sneeze. Mucus droplets, which can travel up to six feet, can infect anyone within the distance and contaminate many surfaces, Blumberg said.

Since no treatment is available yet, the most fool-proof way to avoid getting sick is to avoid areas where infected people are or have been, according to Blumberg. Many countries have instilled travel restrictions to and from China and are quarantining infected individuals. Even in California, two military bases, one of which is the Travis Air Force Base in Vacaville, are housing infected individuals.

Additionally, following simple hygiene habits is the best way to stay healthy, Schorzman said. This includes washing one’s hands with soap and water often for at least 20 seconds, using alcohol-based hand sanitizers, avoiding touching one’s face with unwashed hands, avoiding close contact with sick people and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces.

Any person who suspects they have 2019-nCoV should stay home to avoid spreading the virus, Schorzman said. Davis community members should contact Student Health and Counseling Services or their primary medical provider for advice prior to going in.

“UC Davis Student Health, based on CDC guidelines, has developed additional screening, by phone and at our front desks, and has implemented additional protocols to help identify possible cases of coronavirus to provide optimal care for those with symptoms and to protect other patients and staff,” Schorzman said.

Students who have concerns about family members or friends in at-risk areas or are anxious about what they see in the news can contact Mental Health Crisis Consultation Service. They can also contact the Student Health and Wellness Center for support, Schorzman said.

In addition to the virus’s direct health impacts,

the quality of life of millions of people in China has been impacted. Travel restrictions are in place, the city of Wuhan is in lockdown and the economy has taken a significant hit, Díaz Muñoz said.

Diaz Muñoz emphasized the notion that it is important to not discriminate against people based on where a virus originates, as race did not play a role in this outbreak’s occurrence.

“Viruses infect cells and don’t particularly ‘care’ about these particular human traits,” Díaz Muñoz said. “So while there is definitely a geographic origin to viral outbreaks, these other human social markers are not particularly useful, and indeed can be harmful, for preventing spread.”

Significant efforts and research to develop a vaccine for 2019-nCoV have begun, including at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Schorzman said. Vaccines for viruses, however, can take years to develop before they are effective.

“There are some drugs that have been tested in mice that are effective against related coronaviruses that could very well be effective against the Wuhan coronavirus,” Díaz Muñoz said. “There is also the possibility to use cells or serum from infected people that have recovered to treat newly infected people, as was done with Ebola.”

It is hard to estimate how much longer the virus will continue to severely impact people, Díaz Muñoz said. Certain viruses remain in human populations for long periods of time, but others sometimes return to their original, animal hosts and are not heard of for years until they reemerge in the human population.

With today’s scientific advancements, including sequencing technologies and open data sharing, researchers can identify viruses early on and can better track their spreads. Many viruses can be caught early and will not amount to an outbreak, Díaz Muñoz said.

“We are in the best position we’ve ever been to know what we are dealing with in real-time,” Díaz Muñoz said. “So it’s important to keep this in mind and not to panic based on sensationalist media headlines.”

Students at UC Davis should look at this virus outbreak as an educational opportunity, Díaz Muñoz said. Biology students can look at the sequences and data on infections and mortality. Students in social sciences can study the effects that the closing off of cities has on people, and students interested in economics can understand the impacts the virus has on people’s livelihoods.

“We can learn from previous similar outbreaks in the recent past,” Díaz Muñoz said. “Students and the community can ask, ‘What can we do better?’

How are you going to be changemakers?”

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She brushed it off and I’m like, ‘Well why don’t you come do gymnastics?’ The next day I get a long text message from her saying, ‘I don’t know if you were serious or not but if I can try to do gymnastics again, that’d be awesome.’ So I said to show up to practice.”

Most athletes aren’t able to compete in two for different sports at the collegiate level, and even less are able to switch their sport over a year into their time at school and be successful. But for Johnson, it was all a part of the journey. The time she spent away from gymnastics didn’t seem to set her back at all.

“She started gymnastics in January and within four weeks, she was in the lineup for vaulting, made all conference, and hasn’t done gymnastics in two and a half years,” Lavallee said. “Last year, she led the conference in vaulting and tonight she did floor exercise for the first time in five years. And she went 9.85. That’s crazy. Yeah, I’m absolutely amazed. I don’t know if it’s hit her yet, but I know she’ll sleep good tonight. She never thought she’d do gymnastics at this level so she’s beside herself.”

It was truly a night to remember for Johnson, and one that shines the spotlight a bit brighter on her noteworthy gymnastics journey. It also pinpoints the dedication of the team’s older gymnasts on a squad this is

fairly young overall.

Looking forward to the upcoming stretch of four consecutive away meets, Lavallee wants his team to focus on the technical aspect of their routines, specifically their landings.

“A lot of the stuff [to improve] right now is form and execute on landing,” he explained. “Extra steps, our shapes while we’re in the air to help us finish bigger and stronger — those kinds of little technical things [are we what want to improve].By and large, we’re really in good position right now, but finishing those small details — I tell them it’s like climbing a ladder — the higher you go up, the further the rungs get apart. So that half a ten takes as much as the three tenths before it, so it takes a lot of extra work to squeeze out that extra tenth.

But above all, Lavallee lauded his team’s passion and attention to detail this season.

“Across the board we had a lot of great stuff tonight. The kids are really making a lot of changes in practice and bringing those changes to the competition — and that’s what we hope for.”

UC Davis’ next meet is an MPSF dual at the Air Force Academy in Colorado on Saturday, followed by trips to Idaho, Utah and Sacramento before returning home on March 13.

It is safe to assume that this “mutual decision” is just a careful way of saying that Cora was fired because of his actions with the Astros.

Beltran also resigned as the New York Mets’ manager just two months after being hired for the position. He is the only Astros player named in the investigation due to how closely he worked with Cora to set up the cheating systems. With spring training less than a month away, Beltran’s resignation marked the Mets as the third team to lose a manager because of this scandal.

Despite the difficulties these teams are facing, some players are beginning to speak out, including Houston’s Jose Altuve, who insists, “everything will be fine,” and claims the Astros will make it to the World Series again.

Meanwhile, Red Sox designated hitter J.D. Martinez believes the MLB will not find any sign of cheating from the 2018 season. He asserted that the Sox were already a good team before Cora, and that they simply “got better.”

The Red Sox 2018 statistics indicate that they slugged .482 at home, but also maintained a .426 away. Their statistics are not as telling as Houston’s, instead indicating an especially exceptional season offensively, both at home at Fenway Park and on the road.

In the midst of the scandal, the last team left to look at is the Los Angeles Dodgers, who lost two World Series’ in a row to a team accused of cheating and to another team that is under investigation.

Naturally, Los Angeles fans want more from the MLB, and the L.A. City Council recently voted to

take away the World Series titles from both Houston and Boston.

Manfred was quick to respond to this case, explaining that not only is there no way to tell if the Dodgers would have actually won the championships, but also the Red Sox are still under investigation. Manfred claimed that a title could not be taken away from a team that has not yet been found guilty of anything.

The Houston Astros are now working to rebuild, and hired former San Francisco Giants player and well-known baseball figure Dusty Baker as their new manager and James Click, the former Rays vice president of baseball operations, as general manager. The Red Sox made the decision to stay in-house when they officially promoted bench coach Ron Roenicke to interim manager on Tuesday.

Based on Crane’s decisions for his team, it is clear that the Astros are trying to move past this incident with a fresh start.

The information regarding Codebreaker, however, indicates that there may still be underlying details that were not originally discovered or reported on by the MLB. The Red Sox, along with many baseball fans, now just have to wait for the release of the investigation results.

Overall, cheating in professional sports — especially baseball — is something that has been going on for many years and can take many different forms. The MLB’s investigation and subsequent punishments may serve as a temporary deterrent, but will most likely not prevent cheating in the long run.

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MAJOR BASEBALL LEAGUE ROCKED BY SIGN STEALING SCANDAL Astros Move Forward while Boston, Los Angeles Wait for Answers

K IYO M I WATSO N / AGGI E

BY RAIN YEKIKIAN sports@theaggie.org Amid the Major League Baseball’s investigation into the intense sign-stealing scandal, the Houston Astros are working to rebuild their organization while Boston and Los Angeles await further results.

The MLB investigation into the Houston Astros’ organization has shocked both the professional baseball world and MLB fans alike.

The investigation was prompted after former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers’ admission of the team’s wrongdoings to The Athletic.

“That’s not playing the game the right way,” Fiers said, openly speaking out against his former team.

Fiers explained that the 2017 Astros, who went on to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, illegally utilized an outfield camera

to observe the signs exchanged between the opposing team’s pitcher and catcher. Team employees then monitored these signs s through a screen that was placed near the Astros’ dugout, and then relayed the message to the player at bat to let him know what pitch was coming. Signals were either communicated from the dugout to baserunners and back to the batter, or through loud noises, such as banging on a trashcan.

Following the investigation, the MLB confirmed that the Astros did, in fact, engage in sign-stealing. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced in January that the Astros will be fined the maximum penalty amount of $5 million, and would also have to give up their first and second round draft picks for 2020 and 2021.

On top of that, the MLB issued one-year suspensions to Astros Manager AJ Hinch and General Manager Jeff Luhnow.

Houston Astros Owner Jim Crane respond-

ed to these punishments further by firing both Hinch and Luhnow immediately, and expressing his desire to “move forward with a clean slate.”

Crane’s decision seems fair, especially since many believe that, as manager of the team, the responsibility fell on Hinch to make the call to end the illegal activity. Hinch has apologized for his involvement, stating that he did not endorse sign-stealing, but failed to put an end to it.

Luhnow, meanwhile, maintains that he was not aware of any misconduct taking place.

Although Luhnow claims he was not involved, a recent report by the Wall Street Journal provided additional insight that contradicts his statements. The report revealed that in 2016 an Astros intern approached Luhnow with an algorithm-based program known as Codebreaker.

The program, referred to as “Dark Arts” by team employees, required that someone watch a live feed of the game and then record opposing catchers’ signs in an Excel spreadsheet. The team would then utilize this spreadsheet to create an algorithm that would essentially “break down the correlation between signs and pitches.” It is now suspected that this system is what led to the Astros’ development of their other cheating methods.

Although sign-stealing is not a new concept in baseball, the use of any electronics to do so is considered illegal. It is common for base runners to spot signs from opposing catchers and relay them to their teammates at bat, but the Astros were caught using technology outside of what is common in the normal field of play — the consequences for doing so are much more severe.

Neither Crane nor the Astros players are facing any punishment, as the investigation revealed that Crane was completely unaware of the activities and punishing every single player involved would be far too demanding for the League.

Although no specific player is being punished, a look into the Astros’ statistics for 2017 reveals

some clear discrepancies. For instance, the Astros reduced their strikeout total by 365 between the 2016 and 2017 season — including 242 fewer strikeouts at home where they were utilizing the sign-stealing system.

After the dismissal of Hinch and Luhnow, attention then fell onto former Astros bench coach Alex Cora, who was the manager for the Boston Red Sox at the time of the investigation, and is now being referred to as the “ringleader” of the entire scheme. The MLB revealed that Cora played a central role in the use of electronics, working with former Astros player Carlos Beltran to arrange the placement of monitors and improve their sign-stealing tactics altogether.

Cora’s extensive involvement in this situation pushed the MLB to investigate the 2018 Red Sox, who also went on to win the World Series against the Dodgers that season.

It is possible that the Red Sox’s success in 2018 immediately following Cora’s arrival was a contributing factor in taking this investigation further than just the Houston Astros. However, there is not enough information to indicate that any form of cheating took place in Boston.

The Red Sox’s possible involvement in this cheating scandal is reminiscent of their use of an Apple Watch to steal signs from the New York Yankees in 2017, which Manfred referenced in his investigation report. Manfred ended this investigation by issuing a notice that any further electronic use in this way would be met with more severe consequences.

The day after the Astros fired Hinch and Luhnow, Red Sox management and Cora “mutually agreed to part ways,” in a statement released on behalf of the team and Cora. In both the statement and a press conference, the Red Sox seemed adamant about expressing their admiration for Cora and stated several times that it was in fact a mutual decision.

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JOHNSON SHINES IN UC DAVIS WIN OVER SAN JOSE STATE

Aggies complete season sweep of Spartans behind senior’s career performance

The UC Davis Women's Gynamstics team competing on the balance beam during a meet against San Jose State on Friday, Feb. 7, 2020. (Quinn Spooner / Aggie)

BY RAIN YEKIKIAN sports@theaggie.org In its most recent road meet, the UC Davis gymnastics team accumulated a season-high

score of 194.925 in a dominant performance over San Jose State. That contest set the stage for last Friday’s rematch, where the Aggies were able to carry the momentum back home to the Pavilion against the same Spartan side. Adding on to

what has been a unique collegiate sports journey, senior Cammi Johnson had a night for the ages, lifting UC Davis to a 194.600-193.525 victory.

For the first time in her collegiate career, Johnson competed as an all-arounder. She and two fellow Aggies — junior Gabby Landess and freshman Logan Clagg — competed in all four events, but it was Johnson who led the pack with a near-perfect total of 39.225 in her debut, setting the mark for the program’s highest first-time all-around total. Her score also tied that of San Jose State’s Taylor Chan for the meet’s all-around winner. Head coach John Lavallee was almost at a loss for words when describing the performance.

“It’s crazy,” he said. “I’m absolutely amazed.”

Competing in the all-around also meant that Johnson participated in events in which she had limited experience at the college level. For the first time since her high school career, Johnson competed in the floor exercise and finished third, posting a score of 9.825. Not too shabby for a first timer.

Johnson also shined in the other events, including a top finish on the vault with a 9.825.

She also scored a 9.800 in a crowded battle on the balance beam, and finished as the top Aggie and second place overall on the uneven bars with a 9.775.

It was a team effort on the way to the Aggies’

second-highest point total of the year. Freshman Rachel Schuelke amassed a season and career high of 9.850 on the beam, tying redshirt-junior teammate Alyssa Ito for third place. Sophomore Cortney Cunningham also bolstered the team’s overall score by recording a pair of third place finishes on the vault and the uneven bars “This team is an amazing group of individuals who are there for each other every day, in every way they can be,” said Lavallee. “That’s why UC Davis Gymnastics does what we do — because of them, and because of how they go about their business.”

Lavellee wanted to highlight the performance

by Johnson and shed some light on her journey to the program. Although she was not on the team upon her arrival at UC Davis, Johnson has been an integral part in its recent success.

“Obviously, she was very talented,” Lavallee explained. “By the time she was a senior [in high school], we had offered her a scholarship. But by the time she was a senior she had a lot of fear issues and stopped doing gymnastics altogether.

She actually came to Davis and was a diver her freshman year. Then, over Christmas [break] of her sophomore year, she passed by the gym and I said to her, ‘Dude, where ya been? I haven't seen you diving — what’s going on?’

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