December 7, 2023

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VOLUME 147, ISSUE 10 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2023

City of Davis holds annual candlelight parade and tree lighting ceremony

The 42nd annual event showcased entertainment, speeches and Christmas spirit to bring the Davis community together

BY HANNAH SCHRADER city@theaggie.org On Nov. 30 at 6 p.m., the city of Davis hosted its holiday candlelight parade and tree lighting ceremony at E Street Plaza.

This was the 42nd annual tree lighting ceremony in Davis with similar activities as previous years, but a longstanding and cherished Davis tradition nonetheless. The event is intended to bring local residents together and kick off the start of the holiday season, as the parade and tree lighting ceremony are normally held on either Dec. 1, give or take one day.

As one of the sponsors of the event, the candlelight parade started off at 6 p.m. in the Davis Food Coop parking lot and ended at E Street Plaza. There were multiple street closures downtown as a result of the event, creating limited parking and encouraging residents to walk, bike or take the bus to participate.

The activities of the evening included: Varsity Theater’s free showings of the short film “Shrek the Halls,” holiday mascot characters, a Santa letter writing station, a photo opp station with Santa and carriage rides sponsored by the city.

People gather with friends and family at E Street Plaza to watch the Christmas tree lighting. Mayor Will Arnold and the Davis City Council lead the celebration. (Jenna Lee / Aggie) Mayor Will Arnold made the opening announcements and did the countdown to the tree lighting.

The tree was backlit blue with multicolored lights and sat across from the stage on which the performances took place. Santa’s sleigh was adjacent to the

tree, and the entire E Street Plaza was brimming with holiday cheer.

“Now my friends, it is the time you have all been waiting for — it’s the raison d’être for tonight’s entertainment,” Arnold said. “And it is my solemn duty as mayor to lead us in

Applications for study abroad open for upcoming quarters

Both employees with the Global Learning Hub and students currently studying abroad advocate for the various global opportunities available to students

BY KEGEN WELLS campus@theaggie.org As the end of fall quarter 2023 has approached, many different types of study abroad opportunities, such as summer and quarter abroad, UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP), global intensives and virtual internships have become available for students to start learning about and applying to.

N i n a Isaka, a fourth-year biotechnology major and employee at the Global Learning Hub, discussed why she believes students should take advantage of these programs.

“I think [study abroad] really helps you get different perspectives,” Isaka said. “I feel like [when] going to college, most of the time you’re stuck in a bubble because you have the same culture, values or have grown up the same. But when you do a study abroad program, you’re going to an entirely different country, and [become] immersed in that culture.”

After traveling abroad, students have shown to be more openminded and empathetic because of the change of scenery and cultures, according to Isaka. Study abroad can also be beneficial in that it takes students out of their comfort zones, especially when going to other countries that are different from the

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U.S. “I really like when students actually engage and ask questions about [study abroad] because I’m excited that they want to do a program,” third-year international relations major and employee at the Global Learning Hub Juliet Chicas said. “I think that my favorite part is seeing how excited students are to do the programs and to be a part of that process.”

Isaka noted that study abroad trips can also enhance resumes as it shows both openness and willingness to try out new opportunities.

The Global Learning Hub and UCEAP offer many programs that students are not fully aware of, so Chicas emphasized the importance of visiting the Global Learning Hub office to figure out which type works best for each student.

“We offer a ton of other programs that I think are very missed, and that’s actually how I was able to travel abroad,” Chicas said.

“There’s this program called ‘Widening Circles,’ where you’re essentially taking an online course but in conjunction with that, you can do an internship or learning experience [where] you can travel abroad.”

The Global Learning Hub also offers drop-in advising with helpful resources and

knowledgeable agents, according to Isaka.

“I would suggest students who want to travel, but not necessarily study abroad, to learn about more opportunities because we offer a lot of really cool free programs that involve global learning,” Chicas said. “You don’t have to pay thousands of dollars and go to another country to retain the experience. It can look like doing a micro internship for two weeks where you’re on Zoom talking to students from around the world and that also counts as a global learning experience. Try to be open to other types of opportunities that are just as awesome.”

The Global Learning Hub also has different programs for post graduates as well, so if students are in their third or fourth year, there are still many options available to look into.

“That’s what some coworkers and I are trying to do next year,” Isaka said.

“We’re trying to teach English in Japan called the CHIP program. You can do that for a year or longer if you want or you just live in Japan for a year and teach English to students as a cultural ambassador assisted learning teacher.

There’s also other places like Spain, Austria, France, Korea and I’m sure a lot of other places where you can do that too. There’s always something to do even after undergrad [and] I think a lot of people don’t realize that.”

Information about post-graduate opportunities can be found on the Global Learning Hub’s website as there is a tab dedicated to those that have finished their undergraduate learning, according to Chicas.

“I know some people are scared to come in and t a l k about studying abroad, but everybody here is so friendly,” Isaka said.

“We’ll talk to you for hours about anything that you want or may have questions about.”

Getting involved in these programs is simple and straightforward, through an easy process with flexibility to fit each student to a trip that works for them, according to Chicas.

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the countdown of the lighting of our holiday tree, and I tell you when I say lead us, I mean lead: I want to hear from everyone. So we’re gonna start with [a countdown from] 10. Happy holidays everybody, let’s have the jazz choir close it out for us.”

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UC Davis student Anna Carmelo shared her experience at the event right after the tree lighting ceremony, as well as what she was most looking forward to at the holiday event.

“I just got here, but I really like [it] –– it’s super cute,” Carmelo said.

“I love the tree and the singing and the Christmas spirit. Just more of the performances that are to come.”

Local Davis resident and owner of the “My Davis California” Instagram, Richard, spoke about the event and the part of the night he enjoyed most.

“This will be my second time [attending the annual Davis holiday event],” Richard said, “The train was awesome. Came down G Street, saw Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus over there.” Richard then spoke about his favorite part of the event: “Probably the band, [it’s] got to be the band.”

There were a variety of local shops set up at the festival selling holiday treats, and a local jazz choir sang to end the night of festivities. The city of Davis thanked the Davis Food Co-op via X before the celebration.

“Thank you to the Davis Food Co-op for sponsoring this year’s Candlelight Parade,” the city said.

To get more information about the event, visit https://www.cityofdavis. org or contact Carrie Dyer at cdyer@ cityofdavis.org.

Davis League of Women Voters releases survey report addressing housing concerns in Davis

The organization presents a General Plan and Community Vision Committee Project Report to the city

BY ZOE SMITH city@theaggie.org On Nov. 6, the League of Women Voters, Davis Area (LWVDA) released a report that’s been in the works since 2021 called the General Plan and Community Vision Committee Project Report: “A Vision of Our Future in Davis: Ideas and Thoughts from the Community.” As part of the project, the LWVDA surveyed Davis residents to get their input.

The report was created in response to the city of Davis’ General Plan which was written in 2001 and was last amended in 2007. A city’s general plan typically serves as a blueprint for its future. It creates policies and a vision so that as a city develops it runs smoothly. As the city of Davis has grown over the past two decades, the LWVDA believes the general plan needs updating.

Mary Jo Byron, ex officio board member and past president of the LWVDA, has been deeply involved in the LWVDA General Plan and Community Vision Project Report.

In a league meeting that took place at Mary L. Stephens Davis Library on May 15, Byron gave a presentation to fellow league members about the report.

“The city’s general plan of 2001 is out of date and is not consistent with the realities we face today,” Byron said.

“The update process is supposed to start in 2023. We started in 2021. We spent a lot of time doing research and talking to different kinds of people in regards to Community Vision, but the city has had to put it off and put it off mainly because they have a number of other things that they have to deal with.”

The LWVDA General Plan and Community Vision Report was emailed to the Davis City Council on Sept. 28. They have not responded to it yet. The league plans to present the results from their survey to the council on Jan. 9, 2024.

“Our goal or objective was basically to help the city council understand the importance of updating the general plan and how much we were in need of a community vision to lead us into the next 20 years,” Byron said. “It was not [made] to reprimand them or to be negative. It was a positive experience to show them how much people were interested in the update of the general plan and community vision.”

The league surveyed 932 Davis residents who were 18 and over at various locations throughout the city. Participants were asked to rate general plan elements that need to be addressed by the city council from a scale of one to four, with four being the highest priority and one representing the lowest.

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STUDYABROAD on 8 Volunteers pose with their posters and signs encouraging voter turnout by the UC Davis ballot box, located by the Memorial Union, with Shirley Webber— California’s Secretary of State. (Courtesy / Komal Hak)

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José Hernández, the first Mexican migrant farmworker to go to space, speaks at Chancellor’s Colloquium event The event featured a screening of “A Million Miles Away,” a recent film that depicts Hernández’s life

BY CHRIS PONCE campus@theaggie.org On Nov. 28, the Mondavi Center sold out of seats for an event featuring José Hernández, the first Mexican migrant farmworker to go to space.

The event is a part of the Chancellor’s Colloquium Distinguished Speaker Series and included a Q&A with Hernández that was moderated by Chancellor Gary May. Before the Q&A, there was a screening of “A Million Miles Away,” a new film directed by Alejandra Marquez that tells the life of Hernández. The film follows Hernández from his childhood to his moment serving on the Space Shuttle Discovery.

Hernández grew up south of Stockton and spent his childhood picking crops and working in the fields of the Central Valley and Southern California with his family. It wasn’t until he was 12 years old that he learned to speak English, but this didn’t stop Hernández from thriving academically.

Currently, Hernández is the CEO of an aerospace company located in Stockton, Tierra Luna Engineering, LLC, and serves on the UC Board of Regents.

“This is a case where a great person literally needs no introduction,” Jeremy Ganter, executive director of the Mondavi Center, said. “So instead, I’ll borrow a phrase from the film we just watched: Let me invite to the stage ‘one of the very few, highly skilled

extraordinary people on this planet deemed capable of flying a rocket into space,’ UC Regent José Hernández.”

May called Hernández an “American hero,” as they both stepped onto the stage. Hernández shared that he had dreamed of being an astronaut since he was 10 years old and talked about his parents who supported him.

“My father, who only has a 3rd grade education like my mother, had this wisdom and set me aside to do two important things,” Hernández said.

“First, he empowered me in believing that I could achieve that dream. Second, he said ‘You want to do this son, you got to follow this simple five-ingredient recipe.’”

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Jose Hernandez speaks at the Mondavi Center and actively engages audiences during his Q&A panel event. (Courtesy / Chris Ponce)

Several committees presented Picnic Day Board their quarterly reports at Nov. picks theme and Parade Marshall for 30 Senate meeting The meeting also saw discussion of improvements and plans 110th Picnic Day that are being made for upcoming quarters within several student organizations, units and committees

BY RAGAVI GOYAL campus@theaggie.org Vice President Aarushi Raghunathan called the Nov. 30 meeting to order at 6:13 p.m. After roll call, she read the UC Davis Land Acknowledgement.

Next, the Senate confirmed two committee members for the Student Sustainability Career Fair Committee unanimously.

The Housing Advising for Graduate Students (HAUS) committee then presented their quarterly report. This quarter, HAUS has prioritized hiring both peer advisors and marketing volunteers.

The ASUCD Pride unit gave their quarterly report next. Third-year communications major and Pride CoChair Hallie Wong debriefed specific accomplishments such as completing their unit’s hiring process “[Pride] is a new unit and we are hoping for support and [to] make connections with other organizations like HAUS,” Wong said.

The unit is looking forward to more events, education and advocacy in the upcoming quarters, according to Wong.

Senator Dani Antonio then proposed a potential collaboration with the Pride unit and the Planet Her event.

Next, the Ethnic and Cultural Affairs Commission (ECAC) detailed successes in their hiring process, in establishing connections with other organizations on campus in their quarterly report. The Information Technology (IT) department then presented their quarterly report, which emphasized their transition to UPS systems this quarter.

Aggie Reuse Point Director Alyssa Liu then gave the Aggie Reuse quarterly report.

“Marketing, sales and social media tend to be our biggest teams and they’re all working together on our different projects,” Liu said.

The organization has successfully tabled in several locations, increased social media engagement and recruited over 60 volunteers, according to Liu. In the future, Liu said that Aggie Reuse is looking for potential collaborations with other fashion, design and sustainability clubs on campus.

Next, Senate President Pro Tempore JT Eden presented the Pro Tempore

quarterly report, which focused on three major areas: Senate wins, what is coming Senate’s way and potential areas of growth.

Some of the Pro Tempore’s achievements included the Equitable Parking Initiative, the Senate properties resolution and increased engagement with successful events such as Planet Her. Eden then discussed improvements that need to be made, such as building connections among the senators, being more involved with subordinate bodies, making the Senate structure more effective, creating a separate legislative cabinet and the potential creation of more Senate subcommittees.

Lastly, past meeting minutes were approved and the meeting was adjourned after an open forum at 10:00 p.m.

As part of the theme “Picnic Palooza,” Associate Vice Chancellor Sheri Atkinson will serve as the parade marshall

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BY SYDNEY AMESTOY campus@theaggie.org

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The ASUCD Picnic Day board recently announced the theme and Parade Marshall for the 110th Picnic Day. The theme of the event, which will be held on April 20, 2024, is “Picnic Palooza.” According to Picnic Day Board Chair Bradford Martin, a and third-year economics and psychology double-major, the theme is meant to embrace the UC Davis community and all that it stands for.

“Our theme is Picnic Day Picnic Palooza, and we have a little add-on to it,” Martin said. “That’s like, [to] create your reality, to make your existence and just make the best of your life.

And that’s what we think Picnic Day represents, and we think the community might embrace that as well.”

Alongside the theme, the board announced Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Sheri Atkinson as the Parade Marshall.

Atkinson began her career at UC Davis 20 years ago as the Director of the LGBTQIA Resource Center before becoming the Executive Director of Student Affairs. She has been an Associate Vice Chancellor for the last six years.

“Sheri united everyone; she kind of mbraces the fun of Picnic Day,” Martin said. “She really seems like she would embrace the Palooza. She is the Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs and has influence over all the [registered student organizations] on campus. She stands for the students

and making our experience possible.”

According to Atkinson, being chosen as the parade marshall was a surprise.

“I had no idea,” Atkinson said. “I was notified via email. Prior to receiving the email, I got a little heads up from our Picnic Day Chair. I didn’t know I was being considered until I was selected, and they shared that with me, and I was very excited. I’m very touched.

It means a lot to me to be selected by students for this role. I feel very lucky.”

According to Martin, the parade marshall is the person who starts the parade and is at the front of processions.

These decisions were made after deliberations by the Picnic Day board, which, according to Martin, were partially inspired by the theme posters of past Picnic Days.

As the board continues to plan for Picnic Day, applications for assistant directors are also going to open soon, according to Martin.

“When it comes to Picnic Day, the assistant directors are the ones taking charge,” Martin said. “They’re helping lead some of the fun activities. They’re the ones at the info booth helping the public understand what the day is.

They’re helping set up everything all over campus.”

Martin said that this year’s Picnic Day will be focused on classic activities, including the Doxie Derby and the chemistry show, and will aim to have a more carnival-type atmosphere.

“I want to make the 110th Picnic Day something special, you know. It’s a landmark year, being 110,” Martin said. “I can promise you that it will be a great year and a great thing.”

Prior budget cuts lead Entertainment Council to face crisis

The cut that determined the 2023-24 budget forces the cancellation of Sunset Fest and threatens future events

BY MADISON PETERS campus@theaggie.org Fo l l o w i n g t h e A S U C D Entertainment Council (EC) budget cut in May 2023, EC was forced to cancel Sunset Fest this year due to inadequate funding. The EC also faces uncertainties regarding the ability to host future student events such as Brain Freeze and Lawntopia to the standards that have been set by previous years.

Sunset Fest has historically been the annual kickoff event for the EC as a way to welcome first-years and transfer students to the UC Davis community, as well as provide a free concert for the whole student body.

According to Jonathan Ng, secondyear political science major, EC Sponsorship Director and newly-elected ASUCD Senator, EC had to cancel Sunset Fest due to funding issues and problems with the headliner contract.

“We had to weigh [in] the fact that we wanted to hold as much of a

decently large headliner at Lawntopia while also committing to growing our winter show, Brain Freeze,” Ng said.

“So we had to make the tough choice to cancel Sunset Fest simply because we didn’t have the money for it.”

Joshua Gilcrest, a fourth-year political science and communications double-major, spoke on his experience with previous Sunset Fests and the impact that the event’s cancellation had on him.

“I had such an amazing time during Sunset Fest,” Gilcrest said. “It was like a music festival without the Ubers and tickets and stays. I am sad about [the cancellation], especially if the artist was going to be someone I would have been excited for. It’s disheartening to watch such a unique event full of camaraderie fade away this year.”

According to EC Unit Director Siya Pun, a third-year cognitive science major, the 2022 EC budget stood around $360,000 — the largest it has been in EC history — while the 2023 budget stands at $156,312.

Ng talked about the thought process leading up to the budget cut and his frustrations with the decision.

“In spring, during the budget hearings, we knew there were going to be cuts and [EC] actually proposed a budget of around $230,000,” Ng said. “[EC] said to the Senate we will literally take a $100,000 cut and work with that. So we got cut $80,000 more than we’d proposed [and] a meet-mein-the-middle turned into the lower end of the stick.”

Ng revealed that the current EC budget is exceptionally lower than the entertainment budgets of many of the other UCs. “UC Riverside has an [EC] budget of $2 million, UC Santa Barbara has a budget of $1.2 million and UC Irvine has a budget of $125,000 just for talentbuying alone,” Ng said. “ASUCD has the largest student government budget out of all the UCs, so it just says a lot about how we are prioritizing bringing live music to Davis and it’s extremely disappointing.”

In previous years, the EC has been able to afford to bring popular artists such as Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Flume, Snoop Dogg and Phoebe Bridgers to perform on campus.

Pun broke down the typical allocations of costs needed to successfully pull off events such as Sunset Fest and Lawntopia.

“Lighting, staging and sound are three huge costs for our larger events,” Pun said. “Those costs ended up being really expensive, like tens of thousands of dollars. And then, of course, our biggest cost for EC would be talent money.”

Ng revealed that contracts with notable artists typically range around $100,000, yet the EC only has around $70,000 to split between their three major events for talent buying.

The EC budget cut has also led to financial constraints in the planning of their winter quarter event, Brainfreeze.

Pun discussed how the event will need to be scaled back from years prior.

“Last year, we had a photo booth

KELLY GUAN / AGGIE and that was a huge success, but now, I think a lot of us are thinking about whether we can even afford a photo booth at this point,” Pun said. “We’re really just paying attention to the bigger details, which is having a stage or having an artist to perform. And a lot of those other details are being forgotten about or they haven’t been budgeted for.”

Pun spoke on the importance of providing free shows on campus.

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UC Davis chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine hold protest on Nov. 17

Hundreds of students protested with a list of demands for the administration and a student was harmed by the police inside Mrak Hall

BY RIVERS STOUT campus@theaggie.org On Nov. 17, a protest was led by the UC Davis Graduate Medical Veterinary and Law Students for Justice in Palestine and the undergraduate Students for Justice in Palestine. Hundreds of students and several other student organizations joined the protest which started at the Memorial Union and ended at Mrak Hall.

Participants publicly presented a list of 16 demands for the University of California, Chancellor Gary May and the administration at the protest.

“Condemn the Israeli government’s war crimes and genocide against Palestinians,” one protestor said. “Call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and for full unhindered access to humanitarian aid.”

“Gary May, you must resign from your position as a board member from the military-technology corp Leidos,” Stanford McConnehey, a student at

the UC Davis School of Law, said.

“Contracts with the Israeli Department of Defense and the Israeli Defense Forces, profiting off of the genocide of Palestinians. If you do not resign as a board member, resign as chancellor.”

According to McConnehey, May profits from his role at the Israeli company Leidos, which does work in the realm of aerospace and information technology infrastructure. Mcconnehey said that Israel uses Leidos technology to “maintain its occupation of Palestine.”

“We are calling for his resignation from the Leidos board where he makes over $200,000, or as chancellor of UCD, where he makes over double that amount,” McConnehey said. “Israel is a settler-colonial state, and May’s diversionary excuses and justifications for his own complicity are disingenuous and embarrassing. He issues endless PR statements about the importance of respectful dialogue while expecting us not to think critically about his militaryindustrial profiteering. This is the height of disrespect, and we have nothing to

Toll lanes suggested as part of proposed improvements for the Interstate 80

Caltrans proposes to improve traffic and safety on I-80 between Davis and Sacramento

BY EMMA CONDIT city@theaggie.org The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has proposed a project to improve safety and congestion on Interstate 80 (I80) between Davis and Sacramento. If approved, construction would begin in October of 2024.

The project would be funded in part by an $86 million grant from the federal government, as well as state-matching funds which would cover additional costs. The Caltrans website states that the total estimated cost will be $230 to $465 million, depending on which plan is chosen.

Sacramento’s population has increased significantly in the last 15 years. Since 2010, the Sacramento area’s population has increased by 15 percent, as opposed to California’s 5 percent. The majority of new residents have come from the nearby Bay Area, and this growth is not predicted to slow any time soon.

Autumn Bernstein, the executive director of the Yolo County Transportation District, explained the LUNA SU / AGGIE

say to him until he resigns from one of these positions.”

This was one of several protests that have been organized by SJP over the past few weeks in response to the crisis in the area. Jewish student groups on campus have also held vigils and demonstrations in response to the crisis.

One anonymous student organizer with SJP shared their response to a studentled demonstration that took place outside of the MU on Nov. 16 to bring awareness to Israeli hostages who were being held by Hamas in Gaza.

“The death toll in Palestine has hit over 11,000 people,” the source said. “I think the death toll for Israel was about 1,500 people, and over half of those were military [personnel]. That’s a huge division and I don’t think that people are able to make the two situations equal to each other.”

Boycotts as a form of noncompliance were also advocated for by students.

“Boycott Divest Sanction [(BDS)], [is] a call for all Palestinian allies to

from.”

An unsigned email sent to The Davis Enterprise claimed that two people in attendance at the protest were “violently tackled, assaulted, and beaten by multiple police officers” inside Mrak Hall.

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Students and staff weigh feelings of disconnection with the convenience of virtual activities, classes and appointments LUNA SU / AGGIE

BY ZOEY MORTAZAVI features@theaggie.org

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divest from specific companies,” an SJP student organizer who asked to remain anonymous for their safety said. “That directly supports or funds Israel… for example, Sabra Hummus, it’s sold at the market and it’s an Israeli company, so that’s something on the BDS list that we would like the university to divest

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, reliance on online tools is stronger than ever at UC Davis

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goal of the project and talked about this population growth “[The I-80] is already one of the worst bottlenecks in Northern California,” Bernstein said. “With the kind of population growth that we’re seeing, congestion is expected to get worse. If we do nothing, it’s not like it’s going to stay the same. It’s actually going to get worse because of the growth in both the Bay Area and Sacramento.”

Bernstein also shared that this Yolo County highway expansion project follows others that have already taken place in Solano County and the Bay Area.

Caltrans, in collaboration with Yolo County stakeholders, has proposed numerous policy alternatives for I-80.

Each of these would create varying levels of efficiency and safety on this highway.

Policy alternatives include the construction of high occupancy vehicle lanes (HOVs), high occupancy toll lanes (HOTs), express lanes, direct connector lanes and transit-only lanes. Caltrans may also convert existing lanes into these managed lanes.

Hundreds of students and community members with UC Davis chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine gathered in marching from the MU to Mrak Hall. (Courtesy / Rivers Stout )

By now, we have all experienced the quiet discomfort of a Zoom call from our homes: we’re usually running late, not sure what to wear and assume the person on the other end can tell we’ve just rolled out of bed. This cycle became a regular part of our lives throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has stuck around by effectively following the times when we can’t host those same sessions in person.

Our world is changing, and fast; however, now that COVID protocols have lessened, should we stay the course with the rapid increase of these online interactions?

Following the pandemic, there has been a blatant integration of technology and a widely recognized increase in reliance on it. In educational institutions, work environments and other areas, almost all interactions are being conducted entirely online.

Technology-based engagement has quickly become the new normal, with both job interviews and jobs themselves being done from people’s homes.

For UC Davis students and staff, there is a rising question of whether or not they feel connected to the university following this technological shift. The on-campus dynamic has completely changed, sending students and staff

home to their apartments and dorm rooms hours earlier than ever before as the urgency to be on campus to attend courses or activities dwindles.

Is the convenience of being able to watch lectures online through Lecture Capture and other sources worth the loss of the in-person classroom experience?

Many professors, both at Davis and globally, have expressed feeling disconnected from their students in a way that was unknown to them in a pre-pandemic world.

“No matter what I record on Zoom, it is so inferior to what you hear in the classroom,” David Osleger, a geology professor at UC Davis, said.

“The classroom just feels connected; students feel like they’re actually part of something instead of online, where they’re just being passively spoken to.

The depersonalization of the university is a really disappointing trend.”

Recently at Davis, students have begun discussing that many of their activities have been moved to an online platform as well. Namely, Community Advisor (CA) applications for the upcoming year were conducted entirely online and asynchronously. In other words, students recorded themselves responding to questions without participating in an actual interview.

Applicants were told they would receive word of their application status in February.

“I think there are a lot of pros and cons,” Kyra Victor, a first-year cellular biology major, said regarding the CA interviews. “It’s really convenient and allows for people to not have to travel for interviews, especially as it becomes more common for people to work from home. Still, to me, it felt way harder to make a ‘good impression’ because I feel like people tend to be less expressive when talking to a screen as opposed to a person.”

The sheer convenience of being able

to conduct interviews, office hours and even advising appointments online has completely changed the dynamic of many UC Davis activities.

While many at Davis and other universities have reported feeling uncertain and at odds with the extent of the new technological normalcy, many others find that there are more pros than cons. These online opportunities have allowed people to attend important personal events because their work and school lives can often accommodate their absences.

“For many, digital interactions could only do so much as a stand-in for in-person communication,” a Pew Research Center article stated. “About two-thirds of Americans (68%) say the interactions they would have had in person, but instead had online or over the phone, have generally been useful — but not a replacement for inperson contact. Another 15% say these tools haven’t been of much use in their interactions. Still, 17% report that these digital interactions have been just as good as in-person contact.”

While some seem to appreciate the convenience of online interactions, many find that it does not seem worth the connections that we are losing with our peers, coworkers and professors. It is difficult, even impossible for some, to find a feeling of connection with people they’re working with when they’re collaborating from the privacy of their own bedroom.

“Before moving to campus, my course advising appointment was done online and I wasn’t a huge fan of it,” Ashley Rewa, a first-year sociology major, said. “I figured that once we were all on the same campus, those kinds of appointments would be in person — but so far that hasn’t changed. I feel pretty disconnected from the school sometimes.

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UC Davis LGBTQIA Resource Center hosts annual Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil on Nov. 20

The candlelight vigil honored transgender individuals who passed away in the past year

BY BENJAMIN CARRILLO campus@theaggie.org On Nov. 20, the LGBTQIA Resource Center held a vigil for community members to remember transgender individuals who have passed away. Attendees were also welcome to bring photos of passed transgender loved ones, according to the LGBTQIA Resource Center Instagram. The altar for this vigil is inside of the LGBTQIA Resource Center.

Angel Bernardino, the trans advocate & Student Services specialist, discussed the importance behind having this vigil updated and remembering the newly fallen transgender individuals every year.

“I included people who were murdered since [the] last Transgender Day of Remembrance,” Bernardino said, ‘making sure to include people that were on the official list on the Human Rights Campaign’s website to remember those who passed away.”

It is crucial that the vigil continues to be held every year with updated information in order to raise greater awareness for transgender deaths, according to Bernardino.

“I think the way that we honor our dead says a lot about us,” Bernardino said. “Moving forward, it would be great to see more support for events like this. It’s important to show up for

The LGBTQIA Resource Center hosted a vigil on the Transgender Day of Remembrance to create a space for students to reflect on and remember members of the transgender community who have passed. (Courtesy / Ben Carrillos)

the community, and even though it’s Transgender Day of Remembrance, it’s also for allies and people of the LGBT community to be aware of those who lost their lives for being [themselves].”

Alongside the vigil, the Transgender Non-Comforming United (TransGNC) held a meeting in the LGBTQIA Resource Center to create a safe space for students to talk about their own experiences in the community and the sacrifice to the LGBTQIA movement made by loved ones who came before them.

Fin Piper, a first-year environmental engineering major involved with the Trans-GNC, said that the vigil itself was a “nice symbolic gesture.” “[However], I feel like it would be more meaningful to me if we sort of did something more concrete and something bigger to support trans people at this school,” Piper said.

It is also important to vote and be active in transgender politics, according to Piper, so that the vigil’s death count and the amount of people remembered on it decreases every year.

One student who asked to remain anonymous said that this is xyr’s first time being at a vigil since being out.

“This is my first time as a nonheterosexual person, [and] it’s so sad looking back at all the shit that has happened, especially with current politics,” the source said.

TRANSVIGIL on 4

4 | ITHURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2023

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

OPINION

MAYA KORNYEYEVA / AGGIE

Saving guilt for the holidays A polemic against the prison system At least you get to cry on Santa’s lap

BY ANDIE TARABZONI rmtarabzooni@ucdavis.edu I’ve never really felt enticed by the holidays, but I’ve always loved December — mainly because I was born in December. The year ends with all these bright lights around you and starts with fireworks being lit up at every corner.

It’s only now that I realize I never thoroughly enjoyed what December has to offer. I always get cynical and decide to see my year in retrospect. I start to feel my body watch itself as I look over the past year’s history. This always sends me into the spiral of survivors’ guilt.

It could be the most random person, someone I’ve never met or someone I have always known. It starts to feel like disaster is crashing down just for making it to the new year. And while I am absolutely thankful for being here, I don’t necessarily know what to do with it. How do you honor those who have passed while continuing to exist?

As I write this, I hear the news of Henry Kissinger’s passing. It’s added to my thoughts of “Do I feel bad about him too?” Should I mourn my beloved grandma and Henry Kissinger in the same thoughts (no to all of these, Kissinger sucked)? Should I mourn?

Should I be happy to be alive?

The truth is, I do not know. I remember when my grandmother died; I yelled on my roof for hours, begging for another fate. Every time I tried to recall the happy memories of that year, that was the only thing that would play in my head. I would think about how I started college and then immediately think about how she didn’t get to witness it.

Survivor’s guilt manifests in such a weird way. It could be an event I had no place in and was not even slightly a part of, but I still became upset. Is it just the inevitable selfishness of humans to try and constantly make it about ourselves?

I consistently find myself trying to find some form of justification as to why these things happened — but I can’t. I love justifying things; I love making things have meaning. However, when I’m trying to wrap up my year and look back on everything holistically, I don’t see myself going, “That was great for personal growth.” No, it just really sucks. We’re real people. I feel like I had to become almost deluded to survive the past holiday season while not thinking too hard about everything that happened during the year.

I cannot find a way to work around survivor’s guilt or simply being alive.

VIRTUAL FROM PAGE 3 It really isn’t the same doing so many of my activities from my dorm room.”

There are many activities that have yet to be conducted in person again after switching to an online platform throughout the pandemic. At UC Davis, many students and staff are expressing the same complaint: they feel separated from the college community. Despite these feelings of isolation, we’re not too far gone yet. Even though technology is becoming the new normal, it has yet to take over university campuses completely.

Until then, students and staff are doing what they can to maintain and create new connections with one another, both in-person and online.

TRANSVIGIL FROM PAGE 3 Blake Tallo, a third-year psychology major also involved with the TransGNC, said that vigil needs to be talked about more.

“It doesn’t affect just transgender people in the community, but also everyone, including allies,” Tallo said.

“Just taking time to remember these individuals and knowing that there’s a support system to hear more within the UC Davis community could be nice.”

In the future, Bernardino hopes to advertise this event more.

“It would be great to get feedback from the community on what they’d like to see in future iterations.”

The vigil will be up for at least a few more months, but Bernardino hopes to have it open until the next academic year, and she encourages students to come visit whenever they have a chance to.

HUNGERGAMES FROM PAGE 6 Years later, Snow lives with his grandmother and Tigris in an apartment that has not been inhabited — and it seems to be dealing with a rat problem, as seen by the box of rat poison tucked away under his desk.

MAYA KORNYEYEVA / AGGIE

That being said, I recommend screaming into a pillow — it’s worked well enough for me so far. But, I have no way of turning this topic into a pretentious analysis of human behavior, and it’s time I accept that life will be ruthless and harsh. At the same time, life will also be kind and generous. And sometimes, both of these things can be true.

I don’t know what point there is to make other than I feel guilty to be alive when others have lost theirs. I feel guilty about being okay when others are not.

I have felt so emotionally exhausted thinking about happy families that won’t recall loved ones. And I can’t help but think that perhaps my potential pessimism is just trying to keep a memory alive longer than it should.

Is it better to let things be forgotten or to keep them going even once one has passed?

This holiday season, I hope you can remember your loved ones that came before you. Please honor the people around you and the people who have passed. Life comes in phases, and a big part of our lives is the memories we hold. So, let the memories run through, but be bold and take steps for your future. While I feel terrible and cruel for saying this, we should be allowed to exist past our guilt. I do not think anyone is deserving of eternal misery, and I hope that with strength and time, all will be healed, and all that matters will continue to exist whether or not we see it in front of us.

Prisons and police are often regarded as a necessity — but it’s important to consider what function they actually serve

GEETIKA MAHAJAN giamahajan@ucdavis.edu For most people, prisons exist as ambiguous entities where “bad people” are sent because they pose a significant threat to most civilians. We are told that the legal system is a necessary feature of society that “punishes” and keeps other citizens in check.

This perception of how and why the prison system functions cements this belief that the system itself is essential in order to maintain an organized community — but it oversimplifies a lot of details about how punitive justice works, mainly by implying that it works in any major capacity.

Currently, the justice system is supposed to work like this: a crime is committed, the police come and the perpetrator is given some form of punishment that accurately matches the magnitude of the crime. There is a common belief that this system of post-facto punishment is effective in preventing crime from occurring at all. Sure, the threat of punishment might deter some high-functioning psychopaths. But for the most part, it fails to address any underlying causes.

Incarceration rates have always been higher in areas where economic development is low and in places where there is little access to education

or employment. This is not because individuals within these communities are predisposed to criminality, but because these are the socio-economic conditions that precipitate criminal behavior. Thanks to our current justice system, however, there’s no need to actually account for any larger or more fundamental issues that may contribute to crime. There’s a convenient location for people who have been convicted, so that nobody has to worry about them anymore.

Prisons themselves seem almost ubiquitous — it’s difficult to imagine a world without them.

Unfortunately, they don’t really do anything except house their inmates for a predetermined period of time, oftentimes in unsanitary or unsafe conditions. The idea that prisons are a necessary facet of law enforcement, or even organized society, stems from the same myth that allows punitive justice to maintain its reputation as an effective weapon against crime: crime is something that starts at the scene of and ends after the punishment is over.

But when studies about the efficacy of in-prison education programs are inconclusive and the employment market significantly discriminates against ex-convicts, it’s difficult to see how prisons do anything but extend the same threads of inequality without

providing any kind of solution for the issue of criminality at all.

Obviously, this line of thinking leads to a lot of whataboutisms and questions. What about serial killers and sex offenders? Where would they go if it weren’t for prisons? The issue with this line of thinking is that it implies that our current system is in any way competent at how they handle cases of rape and murder. But a system that acquitted Kyle Rittenhouse and George Zimmerman cannot make any claims to providing “justice” or even safeguarding the rest of society.

Prisons and law enforcement exist not for the people, but to preserve a certain status quo; the issues with policing and prisons don’t lie in a few bad police officers, but in the design of the system. It doesn’t rehabilitate or prevent; instead, its sole function is to disguise the broader issues within society by proposing an oversimplified explanation and solution for the problem. If a person is “bad,” they go to jail — and that is the beginning and the end of it.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by individual columnists belong to the columnists alone and do not necessarily indicate the views and opinions held by The California Aggie.

HEIDI TEJEDA / AGGIE

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by individual columnists belong to the columnists alone and do not necessarily indicate the views and opinions held by The California Aggie.

This is not the image that fans of the original trilogy have of President Snow: untouchable, fragrant of roses and living an extravagant life. Instead, Snow is struggling to keep everything under his control, even as a student in the Capitol’s prestigious Academia.

Despite the economic turmoil the Snow family experiences, both Tigris and Coriolanus are confident in their abilities to succeed amidst the chaos, saying, “Snow always lands on top.”

In comparison to the book, the students of the Academy are told that they’ll be mentoring the tributes of the Tenth Hunger Games. In addition, Dr. Gaul announces the Plinth Prize, a university scholarship provided by a wealthy family — the Plinths, formerly from District Two — will be granted to the winning mentor, whose job is to create a “spectacle” out of their tribute. With the games declining in viewership back in the districts, Dean Highbottom, the “creator” of “The Hunger Games,” wants to challenge the mentors to get creative with the games.

As all the mentors are assigned their tribute from the district, Snow is finally announced as the mentor for the female tribute from District 12, Lucy Gray (performed by Rachel Zegler). To sabotage Snow, Dean Highbottom assigns Gray because District 12 is among one of the weaker districts plagued by poverty and malnourishment. Despite this misfortune, Gray serves as the perfect tribute for the Tenth Hunger Games: she’s a performer who can put on a show.

Once on stage, she performs “Nothing You Can Take From Me,” a song that shows everything that cannot be taken away from the Capitol.

Everyone is moved — the Capitol and the district, holding their breath as her voice takes over the speakers.

Zegler captures Gray’s spirit perfectly: a girl who will not be defined by the Capitol, and she is a performer in a way that allows her to survive both inside and outside of the arena.

It’s here where we see Gray and Snow form a stronger bond. He no longer sees her as an inhumane animal — an image that many people from the capitol have of people from the districts — but sees her as someone who is displaced from her home. She also mentions that she is not actually from District 12, but part of a Covey

that would travel around, performing and trying to earn money, until they were forced to stay.

Once Snow knows that he stands a chance at making Gray a victor, he risks everything to protect her while she’s in the games, which will later prove to be a big mistake for him.

He is divided by his love for Gray, his controlling nature as a Snow and standing with the Capitol — a war that even he cannot win if he doesn’t pick a side. This desire to protect her creates additional changes to the way future Hunger Games work. In the games after, the tributes were well-fed and housed and some people could sponsor them. This created a game that was more entertaining for the viewers, and it even encouraged tributes to volunteer, since winning allowed them to gain money and fame.

This division between the Capitol and the districts happens to Sejanus, someone who is formerly from District 2 and is forced to live in the Capitol, where he happens to mentor someone he knew from District 2. He is forced to pick between staying alive in the Capitol or doing what’s right.

He is often swayed by Snow, who tries to keep him alive because he knows there’s a great risk if he doesn’t. Not only would Snow lose any chance of getting the scholarship, but defying the capitol would prevent him from redefining the Snow legacy. He knows that Sejanus has the privilege of not caring about that, which is probably why he holds greater power in changing the rotting structure of the Capitol.

With both forms of media, there was a clearer picture of what served as useful for understanding the original trilogy — and what made it weaker.

Collins shows when Snow’s hatred for District 12 bloomed. It wasn’t just his father’s death that acted as a catalyst, but it was his relationship with Gray and her use of the “Mockingjay” that he ran away from. Not only do we see Gray perform “The Hanging Tree,” but we see the song’s origin and why it was used by District 12 during the rebellion in the third book, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay.” Katniss Everdeen’s performance of the song is what ultimately leads the revolution.

We also learn about the brutal nature of the first few Hunger Games, the original creator and the intention behind these games that evolved to be

something more strikingly disgusting and inhumane. Once believed to be a form of punishing the people from the district, keeping them contained and reminding them of the war, Snow tells Dr. Gaul that it’s meant to expose the violent human nature that can only be controlled by the Capitol.

This violent human nature is ironically one that the Capitol isn’t unfamiliar with. Beyond the annual Hunger Games, this new installation shows Dr. Gual’s mutations: district people were tortured, used as animals to experiment on, given animal parts, got their tongues cut out and completely transformed into what the Capitol desired. Although the movie is PG-13, the book does not hold back on showing the darkest desires and actions of the Capitol.

The Capitol is not exposed for everything that it is, and the movie scratches the surface to barely shine a light on it. The book, on the other hand, takes its time to create a disturbing story, and it’s guaranteed to make you hungry to know more.

Collins does an amazing job of giving readers a foundation of how the Hunger Games transformed throughout the years and how it moved from just seeing the brutal murders of these tributes to something that people watched as entertainment.

even during this chilly season: the Mini Hold the Cone ice cream cones.

Their seasonal peppermint-flavored ice cream is elegantly paired with a chocolate coat and a chocolate-infused cone, an excellent counterbalance to the peppermint flavor. Not only do the flavors balance each other to perfection, but they are also the perfect size for a small pick-me-up.

The perfect pairing to Trader Joe’s vast cookie selection is their Cookie Mug Hangers. These cookies are designed to hang over the edge of mugs and add a cute and delicious touch to your choice of beverage. Not only are they sweet and crunchy, but when paired with a warm drink like hot chocolate, are the epitome of sitting by a fireplace watching holiday movies under a warm blanket. You can brighten your mood this finals season with a cute movie night paired with an adorable cup of hot chocolate and this cinnamon-spiced treat.

These are just a few of the snacks available – Trader Joe’s is constantly restocking their shelves with new items, making sure there’s something for everyone. Even if you do not celebrate the holidays or turn to comfort food during finals, their snacks are worth trying because of their affordability and the vast selection to choose from.

TRADERJOESSNACKS FROM PAGE 6 Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Stars are distinguishable because of their star shape and the box’s festive look: a blue box with star cut-outs revealing the delicious cookies inside. These stars are sure to shine to those who adore dark chocolate and shortbread cookies. That said, personally, these cookies did not hold up their reputation. While cute, the dark chocolate was overpowering and resembled a stone more than a cookie when bitten into. Although they are not a terrible snack if you can get past the density, Trader Joe’s has a lot of alternatives to select from.

And of course, we cannot forget the comfort food that never fails to lift our spirits,

GARRET URBAN / AGGIE

5 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2023

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Dear Readers: Thanks for a great fall quarter

Write letters to loved ones this holiday season!

WRITTEN BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD Dear readers, As we near the end of the quarter, with finals on our mind, we wanted to thank you for supporting us this fall. From breaking news and in-depth features to our knee-slapping humor section — we wanted to write this letter to thank you for trusting The California Aggie to be your student news source.

The last time you wrote a letter might have been for a thank you note when you were 12, but handwritten letters can be a great way to stay connected with loved ones, and this holiday season we encourage you to pick a pen and start writing.

With the convenience of texting and DMs, it might feel unnecessary to write a physical letter, but the medium of letter writing is timeless. Besides, your grandma likely isn’t tech-savvy enough

READ MORE Scan to read our editorial about COP28

to text you regularly, so a letter can bridge the gap.

It’s a special way to show you are willing to take the time to think about someone else, even if it takes a little more work.

College is the perfect time to write loved ones letters. Do you live far from home and miss your family? Or are you worried you’ll miss your friends over the almost month-long winter break? Writing a letter shows that someone is on your mind, no matter the distance.

Receiving a random text message from a friend is nice enough, but the feeling you get when you check the mail and see a handwritten letter addressed to you, rather than another bill or weird coupon book, is priceless. Letters are physical keepsakes that capture a specific period in your life that can be held onto forever. When you send a letter, it isn’t just what you write that matters; it’s the fact that you wrote it. Letters are written in your handwriting — they are quite literally a piece of yourself captured on paper.

Letter writing isn’t only beneficial for the receiver, it’s good for the writer as well. Taking a moment to physically write down your thoughts is a form of journaling that allows for self-reflection and expression.

By now, we’ve surely convinced you to write a letter. So how do you write a good letter? Keep it personal, but don’t worry too much about making it perfect. Your letters don’t all need to consist of your deepest secrets poured

ALLISON VO / AGGIE onto paper. Spill the tea, complain about an annoying class or just say hi.

Sometimes you just want someone to know you were thinking about them.

Feel free to include anything you think will make your letter more special. Sending Polaroids or other pictures to someone might make it more personal. Sending cute stickers could cheer someone up. Sending someone their favorite tea bag can show that you wanted to do something nice for them. As long as you feel content with what you have put together, there isn’t a wrong way to send a letter.

What are you waiting for? Go write a wholesome letter and make someone’s day.

(And make sure to tell them The California Aggie made you think of them by using the template below!)

Sincerely, Sonora, Clara, Lily, Chris, Annabel, Yasmeen, Ana, Megan and Katie

OPINION Which ‘A Christmas Carol’ adaptation takes the cake?

From Christmas past, present and future, there is only one movie to rule them all

BY MALCOLM LANGE mslange@ucdavis.edu Finally, December — the best month of the year. Why is it the best month? Christmas, Hanukkah (usually), New Year’s Eve and, most importantly, my birthday all occur in December. It also brings festivities, holiday drinks and, of course, Christmas and holiday movies. What would the world be without Christmas movies? A somber and desolate world (and I do not even celebrate Christmas).

Christmas, and holiday movies in general, tend to follow very similar themes; everyone makes fun of the Hallmark Christmas movies for poor acting, lazy writing and repetitive script templates. Another criticism is that these holiday movies accumulate an unnecessary amount of sequels or parodies. For example, there are six

different “Home Alone” movies. Do we really need to see a child clobber and maim two people for an hour and a half six times?

One Christmas classic with many remakes or parodies is “A Christmas Carol.” Originally written by Charles Dickens in 1843 “A Christmas Carol” follows Ebenezer Scrooge, a wealthy and cold-hearted man, on Christmas Eve. Scrooge hates Christmas and claims it is a waste of money and time. He does not donate to the less fortunate, and he even mocks his nephew for his jolly Christmas spirit. Later, Scrooge is visited by three Christmas spirits.

They remind him of his past to show him how free and happy he used to be; they review his present; and they show him his grim future if he does not change his ways. There are over 15 relatively mainstream remakes, parodies or backstories. However, there is one version that is superior in nearly every

NATALIE CHENG/ AGGIE

way.

We are looking past the original 1938 movie to the 1984 version as the baseline for what these parodies and remakes should follow. A good remake or parody will add to the story and give it a different take or quirk to make it new and exciting, even if the story is nearly 200 years old. Before comparing these more recent versions of “A Christmas Carol,” let us first look at the source material presented in “A Christmas Carol” (1984).

I was surprised to enjoy this movie as much as I did. The acting was great, and it holds all the same sentiments and important events of the original written story. It was entertaining for a 1-hour40-minute movie with a relatively basic and overplayed storyline. As a result, I chose this to be the base standard to compare the other, goofier versions to.

The next movie I considered was “Scrooged” (1988), a classic starring Bill Murray. This movie is a very iconic take on the Christmas Carol story, where they modernize the characters and the issues Scrooge faces. For example, the Scrooge character is a TV producer working on a live broadcast of “A Christmas Carol.” It is a very goofy take, more comedic than the original, but definitely not my type of humor. I know many people love this film, but it did not tickle my fancy enough for a rewatch next year.

One adaptation that did secure a rewatch next year, though, was “Spirited” (2022). This was recently released (2022) and is by far the most clever version of this classic story with a musical twist. As usual, it follows a

selfish man on Christmas who is visited by three Christmas spirits that attempt to turn his life around. However, most of the movie is seen from the perspective of the spirits of Christmas. We learn that there is an organization of spirits that, every year, studies grouchy humans and gives them classic Christmas carol treatments. Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell co-star in this movie and their wit and charm make it a consistently entertaining watch. Ultimately, this movie is a fun watch despite some unnecessary scenes and songs.

Among the ones discussed, something fundamental is missing from each one. Let me set the stage for you: imagine if “The Titanic,” “Sharknado” and “A Christmas Carol” had a love child with even more daddy issues, a colossal sci-fi interpretation and featured Dumbledore. That seems like an exciting and complex movie, don’t you think? Well, it exists, and it is the sole winner of the Best Christmas Carol adaptation. It is called “Doctor Who’s Christmas Special 2010.”

This holiday special follows Kazran Sardick (played by Dumbledore actor Michael Gambon) as the “Ebenezer Scrooge” character; he is the wealthiest and most powerful person on his planet.

He has a machine that can control the sky, primarily the fog which covers the sky. Within this fog are fish and sharks that can fly around as if they were swimming. How? Because this is Doctor Who—don’t ask silly questions. The Doctor’s friends are on their honeymoon onboard the Space Titanic, which, shockingly, will crash into the planet that Sardick is on. The

Doctor (played by Matt Smith) must convince Sardick to release the fog to allow the pilots of the Titanic to make a safe landing, but Sardick is reluctant, as controlling the fog is how he makes money.

The Doctor then assumes the role of the Christmas spirits and goes back in time to see what happened to Sardick that made his heart so cold.

Now, the movie combines two different storylines: Sardick in the past with the Doctor and Sardick watching the Doctor’s recordings of his childhood in the present.

This interpretation is superior in many ways, as it has the cleverness of a great Doctor Who episode, the charisma of Smith and the emotional sentiments of the original “A Christmas Carol.” It is hard for any other version to compare when it has so many boxes checked: flying sharks, the Titanic, time travel, Dumbledore and Matt Smith combined to make the perfect “A Christmas Carol” adaptation. But, in the end, all of the adaptations point to the same conclusion: “A Christmas Carol” is a classic that has been reinvented in many different genres, and you should definitely watch at least one this December.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by individual columnists belong to the columnists alone and do not necessarily indicate the views and opinions held by The California Aggie.

ARTS & CULTURE

6 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2023

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

NOVA MAI / AGGIE

Review: ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’ proves why the franchise remains popular The Arts Desk’s weekly picks for music, movies and more

BY CHARLIE MCBRIAN arts@theaggie.org

TV Show: “Sex and the City” (1998-2004) Currently, “Sex and the City” sits in sitcom purgatory: not old enough to induce nostalgia, but not new enough to exist within public discourse. The show overflows with a catty charisma that middle-of-the-road sitcoms often lack. By broaching taboo subjects, “Sex and the City” subjects itself to the whims of shifting cultural norms, leading to some poorly-aged jokes. But the characters, format and — above all — entertainment value remain evergreen.

With its decidedly feminine charm, “Sex and the City” is not for everyone.

But if you need a new sitcom in your life, the show makes for a consistently entertaining watch that gets stronger as it goes along.

Book: “The Number Ones” by Tom Breihan (2022)

The new prequel shows how Snow always lands on top — sort of

BY ELIZABETH WOODHALL arts@theaggie.org “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” was released on Nov. 17 with a runtime of two hours and 37 minutes. Currently at 66 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, it is still a box-office success currently at $98.5 million, according to USA Today. If you are a fan of the Hunger Games franchise, this movie will prove to be a gruesome addition to the trilogy.

The prequel was announced in 2020, and it was said to “revisit the world of Panem sixty-four years before the events of The Hunger Games, on the morning of the reaping of the Tenth Hunger Games,” Suzanne Collins said during a press release.

The prequel is from the perspective of Coriolanus Snow, who fans may know as President Snow from the original trilogy. Like the original trilogy, “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of

Songbirds & Snakes” was directed by Francis Lawrence, and it continued with Lionsgate Motion Picture Group.

Despite its PG-13 rating, this movie does not shy away from the harsh realities of the aftermath of the war that plagued both the Capitol and the districts. The first scene takes place during the First Rebellion, where a younger Snow (performed

by Tom Blythe) and his cousin Tigris (performed by Hunter Schafer) view their neighbor murdering someone, seemingly referencing the Capitol’s acts of cannibalism happening during the war. As they come back home, it’s announced that Snow’s father, a military general, was murdered by a rebel in District 12. This is something that strays from the book, but creates a digestible piece of information: his hatred for District 12 is not limited to just the Capitol’s hatred for the districts, but it’s also because they took his father’s life.

HUNGERGAMES on 4

Tom Breihan’s “Number Ones” examines 20 US number one singles from Chubby Checkers’ “The Twist” in 1951 to BTS’s “Dynamite” in 2020. The book covers a range of artists including Michael Jackson, Prince, The Beatles, Vanilla Ice and The Supremes. The diversity in artists allows Breihan to reveal new aspects of modern standards by contextualizing each song within the culture that embraced it. The content reads as a cohesive history of American pop music rather than mere idol worship. A great book if you want to learn more about what American pop is and how it came to be.

Album: “27 Demos” by Margo Guryan (2014) Like a warm cup of cocoa, “27 Demos” provides a bittersweet warmth in these cold months. Not properly appreciated in her time, Guryan released only one album, 1968’s “Take a Picture.” Later, Guryan developed a cult following leading to the release of “25 Demos” in 2001 and the expanded “27 Demos” in 2014. Don’t be fooled by the “demos” title, though. These songs aren’t halfbaked, but rather contain more exceptional songcraft than most artists’ entire career. On “Demos,” Guryan mixes The Mamas and Papas syrupy soft pop and the cosmopolitan cutesiness of French pop with the loungey sophistication of Bacharach and mid-60s Beach Boys. It makes you wonder how many amazing artists slipped through the cracks without being “rediscovered” like Guryan.

Regardless, this record aged exceptionally well and I would recommend it to all, especially if you’re into 60s pop like me.

Movie: “The Apartment” dir. by Billy Wilder (1960) “The Apartment” sees Writer-Director Billy Wilder as well as actors like Jack Lemon and Shirley MacLaine at the height of their talents. In the film, CC Baxter (played by Lemon) attempts to climb the corporate ladder by allowing his superiors access to his apartment for affairs. Much of the film consists of Baxter dealing with how this negatively affects him and others including Fran Kubilek — played by MacLaine. Fred MacMurray’s heel turn as Baxter’s duplicitous boss Mr. Sheldrake is played perfectly as he is simultaneously vile and charismatic. “The Apartment” provides a healthy dose of cynicism balanced by an earnestness that allows the movie to explore dark places without ever losing hope. I recommend this for anyone with a pair of eyes and a beating heart.

Cowball

BY MIA PIERCE mnpierce@ucdavis.edu

Disclaimer: (This cartoon is humor and/or satire, and its content is purely fictional. The story and names of “sources” are fictionalized.)

Staring Rachel Zegler and Tom Blyth, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is the newest film installment to the Hunger Games trilogy.

(Courtesy of Lionsgate / Fair Use).

A review of holiday items at Trader Joe’s Trader Joe’s snacks to get you through finals and into the holiday spirit

BY LORENA ALVAREZ arts@theaggie.org With finals just around the corner, many students turn to the holidays as a way to push through the end of the quarter. Although it may be a stressful time, there are many ways to ease one’s anxiety. Some turn to shopping and procrastination, while others rely on their favorite comfort foods. Luckily, Trader Joe’s has stocked their shelves with their classic and new holiday treats just in time for finals season.

The following is an overview of items returning and debuting this season.

Jingle Jangle fans will be happy to hear that they have added Astounding Multi-flavor Mini Pretzels to the collection. This item features coffee candy, peanut butter candy, dark chocolate and milk chocolate pretzels — a wide variety of flavors that are sure to check off every sweets lover’s wish list. This is the perfect snack to decoratively place on a dish for any holiday event or to enjoy while studying for finals.

For those who wish they could indulge in this beautifully crafted treat but cannot because of a nut allergy, Butter Toffee Pretzels are the next best option. These pretzels take sweet

and salty to another level. Despite their addictive flavor, the pretzels are surprisingly harder than one would expect. However, they are missing that “crunch factor” and don’t clearly iterate that on the label. While they are not a new item, these pretzels are a classic that will have you running to Trader Joe’s for a second bag.

To put you in the holiday spirit, Iced Gingerbread Squares are an excellent lemony treat for anyone who enjoys gingerbread cookies. With a snowflake-covered festive box, this new item is the perfect alternative to regular gingerbread cookies. They are made with butter, brown sugar and ground ginger. While alluring, I mistakenly put this dessert back on the shelf in exchange for the Brownie Crisp Coffee Ice Cream sandwiches.

The Brownie Crisp Coffee Ice Cream in an ideal world would be the perfect snack to get you back on your feet with finals coming up. The coffee aroma smells appealing but reveals a lot more than you would expect. While bewitching, the brownie tastes like an espresso puck. Out of all of the snacks I have tried from Trader Joe’s, this one will not be making an appearance in my freezer anytime soon.

TRADERJOESSNACKS on 4

Trader Joes’ seasonal goodies are on full display with a wide range of items available to quench your holiday cravings. (Sean Vanderaa / Aggie)

7 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2023

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

8 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2023

Parking on campus Christmas decorating with housemates

BY EMMA LAPIDUS eblapidus@ucdavis.edu

BY LANHUI ZHEN lazhen@ucdavis.edu

Disclaimer: (This cartoon is humor and/or satire, and its content is purely fictional. The story and names of “sources” are fictionalized.)

Disclaimer: “TAPS now goes by the acronym DOTS, or the Department of Transportation Services. The cartoonist used the acronym TAPS, and we chose to leave it in because the department is still often referred to colloquially by students by the old acronym.”

STUDYABROAD FROM FRONT COVER “I was interested in doing a quarter abroad, so I just looked into all of the programs and schools on the UCEAP site and narrowed it down to [Utrecht University],” third-year English major Katherine Krinsky said, who is currently studying abroad in the Netherlands and visiting Belgium, the UK, Switzerland, France, Spain and Germany. “I applied, got accepted, and went from there.”

When traveling abroad, it is said that one of the best parts is seeing what is different from the student’s homelands compared to their new living spot.

“Public transportation is really good in the Netherlands, so I’ve been able to travel around the country a good amount, and also with nearby airports as well as bus and train stations, it’s fairly easy to travel internationally,” Krinsky said.

Another valuable resource for those considering study-abroad programs is communicating with students that have done them already.

“Your experience abroad is what you make of it,” Krinsky said.

“Everyone’s [experience] is different and if it isn’t perfect or what you were completely expecting, that’s okay because it’s hard to have a correct idea of what it’’l actually be like beforehand.”

Krinsky concluded with her tips for studying abroad.

“Pack (relatively) light — bring some things you absolutely love and a few basics,” Krinsky said. “Also, make sure you research the weather for the entire time you’re abroad to be more prepared. Set some intentions for your time abroad before leaving: Do you want to travel? Learn the native language? Do more things independently? [Doing so helped me] feel more fulfilled when doing things that aligned with my set intentions.

Last, [and] this is cheesy, but [you only live once]. You’ll most likely live abroad (at least as a student) once, so make the most of it! Adventure, travel and explore. There will be hard moments, but it’s all so worth it.”

LWVDAGENERALPLAN FROM FRONT COVER The categories were: housing, safety, land use, conservation, open space, circulation (i.e. transportation) and noise. Participants found the issues of housing and safety to be most pressing. Supplemental elements such as social justice, community service, arts & culture, economic development and neighborhood design were also surveyed on how high of a priority these need to be addressed. Social justice and community service were found to be the highest priority.

Komal Hak, director of communications, strategy and marketing for the league, has been a member since 2019. She initially joined after graduating from UC Davis and becoming interested in local politics, specifically in Measures H and J which have to do with zoning laws and affordable housing. Hak oversees the social justice/equity diversity lens of the league.

“There’s just a glaring need for affordable housing,” Hak said. “Not government subsidized housing

necessarily. There’s a lack of inventory for the middle income group and lower income group to sustain a whole life in the Davis community.”

In addition to the survey, the league also recorded results from five focus groups. The issue of affordable and accessible housing was one topic that participants found important for the city council to address urgently.

Because Davis has limited infill land available — meaning unused open land meant for urban development and complicated zoning laws such as Measure J, which prevents farm land from being turned into high density residential housing — focus group participants opted to build up instead of out, preferring taller buildings to urban sprawl.

Eileen Samitz has been with the league on and off for years and was involved in the development of the original city plan published in 2001.

“Davis had one of the most generous, affordable housing requirements of 35 percent for many years,” Samitz said. “But because of inflation, labor costs, material costs, especially land costs, that number just doesn’t work anymore.”

Samitz believes that addressing the housing crisis will take years but that the survey will help show the concerns of Davis residents to the city.

“The city has needs which the survey will show exactly what those are,” Samitz said. “Addressing those [needs] and getting the city to be able to update the plan and put in more affordable housing for both apartments and small properties is very complicated, and will take years.”

HERNANDEZCOLLOQUIUM FROM PAGE 2 “A Million Miles Away” is broken up into five thematic parts that each follow one of the “five ingredients” his father, Salvador Hernández, shared with him. The ingredients described in the film are: 1. Find your goal; 2. Know how far you are; 3. Draw a roadmap; 4. If you don’t know how, learn; 5. When you think you’ve made it, you probably have to work harder. The film used different phrases to describe the ingredients than Hernández used when he shared the advice his father gave him. “[My dad] said, ‘Determine your purpose in life, what’s your purpose?’”

Hernández said. “Then [my dad] said, ‘Recognize how far you are from that purpose, then draw yourself a roadmap so you know where you’re at to where you want to go.’ Fourth, prepare yourself accordingly to the challenge you chose. And fifth, apply the same work ethic you do picking fruits and vegetables on Saturdays and Sundays –– seven days a week in the summer with your family –– apply that here.”

Hernández said that while his father didn’t have a formal education, he had a “Ph.D. in wisdom,” to which May agreed. He shared the parting words his father left with him. “‘Always give more than what people expect out of you,” Hernández’s father said. “‘You mix that up mijo, that’s the recipe to succeed.’”

Before working at NASA, Hernández worked as an engineer at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for 16 years, but still, he carried on his dream of being an astronaut. He applied 11 times to work at NASA — each time he was rejected.

It wasn’t until his 12th application that Hernández was selected for the program.

Disclaimer: (This cartoon is humor and/or satire, and its content is purely fictional. The story and names of “sources” are fictionalized.)

Hernández gave a sixth ingredient to his father’s recipe.

“It wasn’t until the 12th time, so the 6th ingredient is perseverance: never giving up on yourself,” Hernández said.

Hernández graduated with a degree in electrical engineering from the University of the Pacific, and later graduated with a masters in electrical engineering, signals and systems from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

During the Q&A, an audience member asked a question about how to stay motivated as a first-generation student. At UC Davis, 42 percent of students identify as first-generation students. First-generation students are more likely to report job and/or family circumstances as obstacles to their academic performance, according to the UC Undergraduate Experiences Survey (2018).

Hernández said that not being motivated isn’t an option and that not all high schools adequately and equally prepare students for college. He shared his struggles and said that what kept him motivated when he felt like quitting was his parents.

“What motivated me the most was imagining my parents’ reaction when I told them I was going to quit college –– that I didn’t have what it took,” Hernández said. “That I was just going to throw away all the sacrifices they had made up until that point, and that’s what gave me the energy and motivation to say ‘I can’t do that.’ I owe it to them –– to give them a college degree.”

In response to another student’s question, Hernández shared that people who look like him, as well as other people of color, have to work harder to be taken seriously in life.

“We’re asked to do more in our community, because we’re role models,” Hernández said. “We’re asked to work harder in our jobs because we don’t get the same recognition, but as soon as you learn that’s the rule of life, you take one of two routes. One, you could have a chip on your shoulder and try to fight the system and the best that’s going to get you is being labeled a troublemaker.

Or two, you understand those rules and you work your butt off. I chose the latter. I worked harder because I knew I had to.”

ENTERTAINMENT FROM PAGE 2 “Students are really interested in having shows like this or having events like this because they’re accessible,” Pun said. “And for a lot of students, it might be the first concert that they’re going to.

It sucks that we have to focus on even ticketing shows for the future, but we’re fighting really hard to keep these events free, and to just even have the ability to put on these shows.”

Gilcrest expanded on the value of having affordable live music for the Davis community.

“It’s so cool to have an event like that on campus,” Gilcrest said. “It’s an event that students of all ages can attend, it’s right on campus and it’s free, so it’s extremely inclusive.”

Ng plans to increase the EC budget by collaborating with Senator Gaius Ilupeju to propose what he calls the Fiscal Policy Amendment Act. “It will allocate a specific amount of money [to the EC] within ASUCD’s budget for the next five years,” Ng said.

“The goal is [for] EC to have a very stable increasing budget to work with so it won’t decrease ever to anywhere near [where] it was this year.”

If this act is not passed, Ng said that

he won’t stop in his fight to increase the EC budget.

“My plan during the budget hearing in the spring is to advocate for EC like no one’s ever done before,” Ng said.

“I will advocate for as much money as I can give EC without taking away money from other important ASUCD units. [The plan] will be to scrounge up every single dollar we can find and give it to EC.”

SJPGRADPROTEST FROM PAGE 3 The students had been inside the building to let protestors in. Campus authorities said that the claims made in the email were “significantly inaccurate,” according to The Davis Enterprise.

Protestors were yelling to let the students out.

“When our organizer attempted to exit the building, he was brutalized by officers who tackled him, smashed his head into the ground and made his forehead bleed, pulled his clothes over his face and handcuffed him,” McConnehey said. “He did absolutely nothing wrong and we were forced to negotiate his release by agreeing not to enter our own administration building.”

University spokesperson Andy Fell said that one person tried to push past police and was detained, stating that they “did not have a ‘bleeding cut,’” as the email claimed, but that the person who was detained did have a “minor abrasion.” “[The morning of the protest], we sent two organizers inside [Mrak Hall] in case admin locked the doors, so that they could open the doors for us, we could come in, make some noise, deliver our demands, petition signatures to an administrator and leave the building to hear from speakers from across campus,” McConnehey said. “This tactic has been used repeatedly for years. UC Davis claims to promote free speech activity while placing constitutionally-allowed time, place and manner restrictions on it, but we don’t think those restrictions should be enforced in such a lopsided or brutal manner.”

Following the protest, May put out a statement discussing the steps being taken to address the tensions on campus.

“The UC Office of the President has set aside $3 million to bring in emergency mental health counselors — a vital resource — for students, faculty and staff across the UC system,” the statement read.

The address also said that the UC system is creating the Office of Civil Rights at the UC Office of the President. “[This] will encompass the existing systemwide Title IX Office, a new systemwide Anti-Discrimination Office and a new systemwide Disability Rights Office,” the statement read. “UC is already at work to improve mechanisms for responding to allegations of discrimination and harassment.”

PROPOSEDTOLLS FROM PAGE 3 Many of these policy alternatives also include a component that would generate revenue for the county. Leo Morales, a design engineer for the project, pointed out the multiple benefits of fees from managed lanes.

“This [plan] creates revenue to mitigate traffic congestion,” Morales said. “It also provides benefits to other

users that aren’t driving.”

In a toll lane, drivers who use the lane would be charged a fee. The fee amount would depend on the day’s traffic and would allow the lane to maintain a steady, fast speed. The revenue generated by the tolls would go toward the county.

“The toll revenue creates a source of funding that can be reinvested in transit,” Bernstein said. “The toll revenue would increase [the] frequency of buses on the causeway, improve service on the Capitol Corridor, offer discounted fares for both the YoloBus and the Capitol Corridor [and] improve the bike path along the causeway. It’s really to encourage and incentivize people to get out of their cars.”

As mandated by SB 743, Caltrans has also provided mitigation techniques to counter the increased driving capacity that would come from highway expansion and ease traffic. These include improving micro transit within Yolo County by subsidizing bus fares, promoting ride-sharing and increasing bus frequency during busy hours.

Additionally, they propose building housing near transit — by creating affordable and accessible housing where jobs are, there is less need for people to commute on I-80 and to use cars.

This project is currently subject to public review and commentary. On Nov. 28, Caltrans held a public meeting at the West Sacramento Community Center, where residents asked questions and provided feedback about the project.

At the meeting, Yolo County residents brought up concerns about managed lanes. One resident raised concerns about inequality in traffic times, explaining that not all drivers can afford to pay fees in exchange for shorter driving times. Another resident was concerned that transit-only and carpool lanes would disadvantage truck drivers who fall into neither category.

Nicole Gonzales, a Sacramento resident who commutes to work in Davis, offered her thoughts on the project.

“I’m for the plan,” Gonzales said.

“Construction is brutal, but I know in the long run it’s going to be beneficial.

Tolls ease congestion significantly, and I’ve had a Fastrak for years. It’ll make a huge difference.”

Valeria Becerra Angulo, a fourthyear international relations major, commutes to school from Sacramento each day, and her drive takes anywhere from 25 to 60 minutes. She offered her thoughts on the construction of a new lane.

“I think it could potentially help,” Becerra Angulo said. “But people take up lots of space when they drive, and I think more patrolling or a designated lane for trucks would be better.”

She also pointed out the price she pays as a commuter.

“I already pay four dollars a day to park on campus,” Becerra Angulo said.

“And I pay $50 a week [for] gas. I don’t want to pay more to be in a toll lane.”

Ultimately, Morales described the role of community feedback in the approval process.

“It’s essential. It’s also a legal requirement,” Morales said. “But we take this very seriously. We want to hear your feedback, we want comments and we’re hoping that we get positive and negative comments. We’re gonna accept all of them and consider everyone’s opinion.”

There will be another public meeting about the project on Dec. 13 at the Mary L. Stephens Library in Davis.

The public circulation comment period will end on Jan. 5, 2024.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2023 | 9

Sudoku

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

Answer to previous puzzle 11/30/23

Crossword

Answer to previous puzzle 11/30/23

HEIDI TEJEDA / AGGIE

HUMOR

Unitrans buses to be Crystal girl may be expelled replaced with giant after bringing rose quartz into tandem bicycles an exam Put the pedal to the metal!

BY AUDREY ZHANG aurzhang@ucdavis.edu UC Davis’ title as the biking capital of California is under threat!

UC Berkeley recently declared plans to open a new School of Clownery to try and consolidate all their idiots into one contained place. This year marks the completion of Berkeley’s newest campus, where students are required to wear face paint and travel by unicycle.

Chancellor Gary May released a statement yesterday morning on how our university could defend its title and keep its No.1 spot for most biking accidents in a week. Starting Monday, Unitrans buses will be replaced by giant tandem bicycles. It’s the natural step to UC Davis’ commitment to a greener and sillier campus. Other benefits will include saving on gas costs, greatlooking legs and a significant decrease in sitting next to someone who smells like they haven’t showered in days.

These Unibikes will seat approximately 70 students at maximum capacity and can travel at the same speed as the old Unitrans

— as long as none of those passengers skipped leg day. There will be no coverage to protect them from rain, as scientists recently made the groundbreaking discovery that people will move (and bike) faster to get out of unpleasant dampness.

UC Davis engineering students are already working on the double decker Unibike, too. Those sitting on the second floor will be given bike pedals to use so that they can feel like they’re contributing, even if the pedals aren’t attached to any wheels.

There has been a petition to opt for the far more festive party bikes instead, like the ones driven by drunk tourists in Napa Valley at 10 a.m.

Advocates have yet to realize that if UC Davis were to adopt these bikes, the party mood would be significantly impacted by impending classes and the lack of alcohol to cope.

Student responses to this coming change have been ambivalent, since most believe that this is all just some big joke. They’re not wrong.

Disclaimer: (This article is humor and/or satire, and its content is purely fictional. The story and the names of “sources” are fictionalized.)

NOVA MAI / AGGIE

All that luck is going to mess with the curve

BY ALLISON KELEHER adkeleher@ucdavis.edu One week ago, a first-year undergraduate student was reported to the Office of Student Support and Judicial Affairs for having an unfair advantage in the CHE 2A midterm exam. The anonymous report stated, “We were only allowed to bring a calculator, a pen/pencil and our student ID. She brought in crystals and it was really distracting, which is probably the reason why I failed. Also, if I had known we could bring lucky crystals, I definitely would have performed better.”

The student was brought in for questioning because UC Davis takes these matters very seriously — especially when the student allegedly brought drugs into the exam. At least, that’s what the Judicial Affairs assumed crystals were. “Crystals? Like crystal meth?!” one intern exclaimed.

It turns out that the crystals s h e brought in were just little rocks.

Sadly, when the student was accused o f having crystal meth in the chemistry exam, she burst into tears and was inconsolable for about

an hour. Then, she demanded to get her father’s lawyer on the phone. The office of judicial affairs tried to explain that it wasn’t that deep but she insisted.

Whilst waiting for her lawyer, she dug into her Doc Marten boots and pulled out some more crystals and laid them on the questioning table. There was one piece of rose quartz that was fairly huge. Officials were unsure how she fit that one into her boot.

“Why didn’t you just keep your

in

care that she brought her crystals.

The professor examined the crystals and they weren’t even real — there was a “Made in China” sticker on the bottom. He was heard muttering “those crystals aren’t even helpful” on his way out. The professor looked a little annoyed because he had to leave his research lab to sort out this problem, according to my sources.

Later that week, this professor announced that he would be taking a break from lecturing at the university in order to focus on his research.

The undergraduate student was released without any charges added to her record. On her way out of the building, she was observed holding the crystals up to the sunlight. She must have another exam coming up.

crystals your boot during the exam?”

GARRET URBAN / AGGIE one official asked. Apparently the crystals needed to charge in the fluorescent light of the lecture hall.

Her father’s lawyer called to cancel the appointment since he “had more important cases to attend to.” In the meantime, Judicial Affairs got in contact with the professor and he clarified that he didn’t really

Disclaimer: (This article is humor and/or satire, and its content is purely fictional. The story and the names of “sources” are fictionalized.)

10 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2023

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Taco stands line the streets of Woodland for a chance at success Street vendors share stories about the hard work it takes to run a small business

At 300 West St. in Woodland, Tacos la Carreta: El Guero serves Mexican food to hungry customers.

(Courtesy / Sabrina Figueroa)

BY SABRINA FIGUEROA features@theaggie.org After years of California’s beloved taco vendors playing “a game of catand-mouse” with officials, the state bill SB 972 was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September 2022. The bill took effect in January 2023, supporting street vendors in the process of getting the correct permits required to start a small food business.

“Street food vendors are woven into the culturally diverse and culinary fabric of California,” CA State Senator Lena Gonzalez said. “These workers, however, lack access to the permitting they need to be able to work and provide for their families. This is due to policies in the California Retail Food Code that make it difficult for them to enter

local permitting systems. SB 972 will remove those barriers and at the same time uphold public health and safety standards to protect consumers.”

Just 15 minutes outside the city of Davis, an influx of taco stand owners in Woodland have set out on the side of busy streets with bright lights and blue tarps, wanting to share a taste of Mexico with locals.

Located on 300 West St., Tacos La Carreta: El Guero is one of the newest vendors in Woodland. Open every Thursday through Friday, this stand is owned and operated by Julio and his wife who are immigrants from Sinaloa, Mexico.

“We’ve been open for about a year now, since 2022,” Julio said. “It’s a family business, so my wife and my son usually help. I have another daughter that also comes to work with

Community advisors for on-campus housing find joy in mentoring fellow students Despite its rewards, being a CA carries a lot of responsibility

us sometimes.”

El Guero makes and sells an assortment of Mexican food including tacos, enchiladas, sopes and burritos.

The customer is not restricted to one type of meat either, they can have asada, barbacoa, al pastor, chorizo or chicken.

As a complimentary treat, sides are laid out on a table buffet-style so customers can make their tacos a bit more colorful.

For the current transitional period to wintertime, they even offer a homemade “champurrado” — a warm and thick chocolate drink from Mexico.

A special thing about this taco stand is that their soft, fluffy tortillas are artisan and made on the premises

by Julio’s wife.

“My wife knows how to make great food, and that’s what gave me motivation to open a stand,” Julio said.

“I’ve always wanted to open up a family

business because of it.”

Julio shared some insight about the permits required to open a stand; “I needed two permits… and I have to renew them every year. One of them cost me a little over $1,000 and the other one was about $400.” Depending on the location, these street vendor permits can cost anywhere from $200 to $1,000 per year.

Near the Woodland rice mills is another family-operated taco stand called Tacos Los Martinez which is owned by Oaxacan-born Medardo Martinez.

Open the same days as El Guero, they offer a wide variety of Mexican foods in an Oaxaxan style, including quesadillas, mulitas, papas rellenas and homemade agua de horchata. Their al pastor meat is displayed on a “trompo” — a vertical rotating spit — for their customers to see the process of how they cook and cut the meat.

Tacos Los Martinez began selling in May 2021 but switched locations.

“We actually started selling in Sacramento first, not Woodland,” Martinez said. “I was going to put up two, this one and one in Sacramento, but there aren’t enough workers for both.”

It’s not rare for the owners and their families to have other jobs. Most workers have full-time jobs as well as these “side hustles” to keep them financially stable in the expensive California economy.

It is also the concept of the “American Dream,” the promise of opportunity and success through hard work, that keeps street vendors motivated.

“We have been working in the tomato fields for about 20 years,” Martinez said. “I made this stand so that I could eventually have my own restaurant, leave the tomato fields and still be well-off financially. It’s a dream that I have.”

Arturo, a worker at another Oaxacan-style taco stand called La Flamita de Oaxaca Tacos, also shared that they work in grape fields around the area.

Located in front of the Walmart on

ALLISON VO / AGGIE East Main Street, La Flamita is one of the more popular street taco vendors in the city of Woodland. Its populated location in front of a busy Walmart parking lot and I-5 exit makes it easier to attract hungry customers coming back from shopping or driving.

They have one of the most extensive menus, offering regular tacos as well as vampiros, tortas, burritos, mulitas, carne asada, papas rellenas, quesadillas and even full-plated meals called “alambres.”

They are open the same days as El Guero and Tacos Los Martinez, but their hours differ in that La Flamita stays open longer. Many street vendors take advantage of the “late-night bites” people may be craving. For example, they set up outside of stadiums after concerts or sporting events, as well as near big freeway exits and entrances.

“We’re open until 12 or 1 a.m.,” Arturo said “It gets full when people are coming back from dances or concerts and they see us right off the I-5, so it pays off.”

A review by Luke Cheng at the Sacramento Food Review gave La Flamita an A rating.

“15 years ago I would have never come to a place like this to eat. I’m glad I got over myself and opened up my mind and taste buds to delicious new experiences!” Cheng said.

Gaining the support of the people is another important part of success for street vendors, which can be achieved by opening up your mind and trying these taco stands, much like Cheng did.

Not only will you be eating delicious food, but you’ll also be helping small businesses take off.

MAYA KORNYEYEVA / AGGIE

What are the benefits of speaking more than one language?

Multilingual professors and students share their experiences with learning multiple languages

Located in Tecero, Pine Hall was named after the Pine trees native to California. (Cruz Martinez / Aggie)

BY LYNN CHEN features@theaggie.org According to the 2022-2023 Joint Housing Report, approximately 38.1% of UC Davis students live on campus. With so many students in residence halls and campus apartments, Community Advisors (CAs) play a vital role in developing safe and comfortable living spaces for these communities.

As part of their employment, CAs are given a single or double room on the floor of their assigned residence hall or apartment. Additionally, they receive a five-day or seven-day unlimited meal plan depending on which property they are appointed to. In exchange, CAs have a variety of responsibilities in their position.

For example, in order to foster an inclusive and positive environment for their residents, CAs organize social events that range from designing T-shirts and making Orbeez jar decorations to mug painting. CAs may also host educational events such as study breaks.

CAs are also tasked with administrative duties. “[We do] facilities checks, occupancy checks and we also put up informational bulletin boards,” Mahek Bhora, a third-year economics major and one of the CAs for Live Oak Hall in Tercero, said.

Additionally, part of a CA’s job is interacting with students on a day-today basis. They must be up-to-date with all the resources and services available on campus.

“We make sure to check in with our residents and see where we can help out,” Madison Wong, a fourthyear environmental policy analysis and planning major said. “If we get an email from a resident saying that they need a resource or that they need some information about something, we do our best to connect them with those resources or answer any questions we can.”

Wong is currently a CA for the Orchard Park and Primero Grove apartments. Because of this, she interacts with a resident population that is much more diverse than that of the residence halls.

“We serve undergraduates, graduates and families,” Wong said. As a result, she has to prepare for all ages to attend the events she organizes.

Furthermore, an important part of being a CA is resolving conflicts between residents. Cindy Dam, a second-year sociology major, stated that she experienced friction while living with her first roommate in the dorms last year. However, her CA was able to quickly connect her to the school housing administration and relocate her to a new room. “[My CA was] very supportive and made me feel validated and heard,” Dam said. “They were willing to do something [about my issue] and report it to the higher-ups.”

In situations like this, being a CA can be a rewarding and enjoyable experience. Bhora appreciated the opportunity to get to know her residents and witness their growth throughout their time on her floor.

“It’s nice seeing them finally getting in their routines, building their life on campus,” Bhora said.

Wong found herself becoming more empathetic as a result of being a CA. “You just have so many people from different backgrounds, and you don’t have any way of knowing what it’s like to be them,” Wong said. “But you can definitely listen, you can definitely ask questions and you can definitely try to find some similarities between your experiences and theirs.”

Bhora echoed a similar sentiment, commenting on how important this job is: “I think [future CAs] should know that this is a really, really meaningful job. It impacts hundreds of people each year, and you affect others pretty deeply. I definitely wouldn’t trade this experience for anything else.”

HEIDI TEJEDA / AGGIE

BY FAITH DEMEULENAERE features@theaggie.org In a world where communication is key, the significance of being multilingual cannot be overstated.

Embarking on a linguistic exploration within the vibrant realm of bilingualism unravels the myriad of benefits through the perspectives of a distinguished linguistics professor, a passionate volunteer at a Spanish immersion school and a hard-working college student who became proficient in the language outside of the education system.

Julia Menard-Warwick, a linguistics professor at UC Davis and second language acquisition researcher, has quite a bit of experience and insight on the ups and downs of language learning. Knowledgeable in Spanish, French, Arabic, Japanese and Russian, Menard-Warwick has plenty of relative knowledge and insights that could show a potential language learner what that process entails.

Menard-Warwick’s research consists of second language learning and teaching, emphasizing the topic of identities and ideologies. She’s done research on both English and Spanish as a second language, more specifically on how learning a second language affects people’s lives.

“This society considers monolingualism to be normative,” Menard-Warwick said. “You can learn a language and not expand your worldview at all, [just] learn the grammar and the vocabulary. That’s what some people like to do. But I mean, as far as I’m concerned, that’s pointless. If you’re going to learn a language, it’s to speak

to people who speak that language, and of course it’s for a better worldview. You are expanding your cultural expectations for all human life.”

When it comes to academics and jobs, Menard-Warwick discussed the importance of respecting another’s culture through language.

“You can always make [non-English speaking peers] learn English,” MenardWarwick said. “But then you are always speaking your language and never speaking theirs. You can have much more awareness of who they are and where they are coming from if you even try to speak their language. It’s a sign of respect, to show the want to see their perspectives on things.”

On the other hand, MenardWarwick explained the value of bilingualism, or potentially lack thereof, in the workforce.

“Unfortunately, very often bilingualism is valued at the surface, but I don’t believe it’s something that will get you paid more,” MenardWarwick said. “It might get you the job, but it wouldn’t necessarily get you a promotion.”

Lily Vanhoy, a fourth-year linguistics major with a Spanish minor, shared her personal journey.

“Even though I come from a monolingual family, I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to have been placed in a Spanish immersion program as it has completely changed my life for the better. My passion for language and culture began at the very same elementary school I now volunteer at and one day hope to work at as a speech and language pathologist.”

Vanhoy highlighted the impact that

speaking numerous languages has on one’s perception of the world and their participation in it.

“Being bilingual or multilingual allows someone to become more of an active participant in our multicultural and lingual world,” Vanhoy said. “Being multilingual can definitely expand one’s world view, as by learning another language you become immersed in more than only one cultural community.”

Samuel Baron, a third-year political science major, learned Spanish through secondary education practices.

“I feel as though second language acquisition is definitely not emphasized in American education and culture as it is in other countries,” Baron said.

“Because English is globally recognized as a prominent second language to other countries, it kind of feels like we have a privilege of knowing it fluently from the get-go and don’t feel the pressure to conform to other cultures.”

Baron expanded on the restrictions of learning a language within the educational system.

“Even though we technically learn second languages in schooling, most students don’t take it seriously,” Baron said. “If it wasn’t for the other opportunities I took to immerse myself in Spanish outside of school, I wouldn’t be nearly as successful as I am with the language today.”

Overall, with a wide variety of opinions on second language acquisition and its importance, most would agree that monolingual English society shortens our horizons and views on other cultures. Language learning is not only a skill but a tool for broadening one’s worldview.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2023 | 11

SCIENCE AND TECH Anxiety affects men and women differently due to a key hormone

Testosterone, a hormone present in larger quantities in males, plays a vital role in stress regulation

BY KATIE HELLMAN science@theaggie.org Anxiety disorders are diagnosed in women twice as often as they are diagnosed in men. As children, however, girls and boys have an equal likelihood of developing an anxiety disorder. These differences between childhood and adulthood can be attributed to changes in the brain during puberty.

Researchers at UC Davis have found that differences in how men and women respond to social stress are due to testosterone, a hormone produced in males 20 times the amount it is in females.

A study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, aimed to establish the brain’s gender-related differences and the effect this had on anxiety levels.

“Studies show that gonadal hormones shape brain structure,

function, and gene expression networks that could influence stress responses,” the study reads.

“Human imaging studies show that neural circuits affected by anxiety change during puberty and gonadal hormones are thought to contribute to these changes. The extended amygdala… is especially sensitive to steroid hormones.”

The study involved six experiments where isolated changes were made to the brains of mice or their environments. In one such experiment, mice were placed in the vicinity of a more aggressive mouse.

As this was repeated, researchers found that adult female mice began to avoid the new mice, whereas adult males continued to interact with them as before. However, when this experiment was conducted with young mice, the results showed that male and female mice responded in similar ways when they encountered the aggressive mouse.

Brian Trainor, a professor of psychology at UC Davis and author of the study, commented on the value of using animal models to interpret findings in human research.

“In mice, we can conduct a controlled experiment where we can conclusively show that testosterone, acting during puberty, is changing behavioral responses to stress,” Trainor said. “We can also show that the loss of testosterone causes the extended amygdala to become more reactive in less stressful social situations. The data in mice help us to interpret data from studies collected in humans, where cause and effect is harder to establish.”

Another experiment to test the role of testosterone in the development of anxiety disorders involved removing the testes of male mice before puberty.

When they became adults, the male mice then showed the same stress responses as the female mice. When implants of dihydrotestosterone, a strong version of testosterone, were

given to male and female mice, the results supported the same conclusion: even after being exposed to the aggressive mouse, the mice with the implanted dihydrotestosterone showed no signs of stress.

Emily Wright, a postdoctoral fellow at UC Davis who led the study at Trainor’s lab, explained the findings in an interview with UC Davis.

“Before puberty, both males and females become more timid and unwilling to interact with new mice after the stress exposure,” Wright said.

“Between puberty and adulthood, something changes.”

Researchers then used neuroimaging technology to test how hormones altered brain function.

T h e y implanted a fiber-optic wire into the amygdala, which is the stress response center of the brain, that produced a green light to signal that brain

neurons were active. Brain activity was found to be much higher in the mice who had not been exposed to testosterone, suggesting that testosterone was a direct contributor to the amounts in which stress was expressed.

The findings from the mice experiments can be used to understand how human males and females are affected by stress differently. Trainor commented on the implications of the study and why understanding the mechanisms behind stress is important in medicine.

“In the long term, the field needs to find more effective treatments for anxiety because the current treatments do not work for about half of the people that get access to them,” Trainor said. “We still have a long way to go, but the hope is that by understanding how the brain

GARRET URBAN / AGGIE

responds to stressful situations, we can provide new ideas for new strategies for treatment.”

How the UC Davis Arboretum brings health and wellness to our community

Students and instructors share their positive experiences in the Arboretum

BY JULIANA MARQUEZ ARAUJO campus@theaggie.org

Embracing the vibrant hues of fall at the UC Davis Arboretum. Where nature invites connection, encouraging people to unwind, reflect and take a stroll.

(Jersain Medina / Aggie) With an abundance of scenic activity. People can be found biking, images in the town of Davis, the running or walking their dogs through Arboretum stands as a symbol of unity the trails while appreciating the sights. that connects those who enjoy its Others may be sitting on the grass beauty and essence. Home to wildlife with friends, doing their homework inhabitants along with the flourishing or reading a book, just to name a flora, the UC Davis Arboretum few. Regardless of what one may find momentarily acts as a safe haven to themselves doing, the Arboretum’s those who wish for a getaway from surroundings inspire motivation to their enclosed environments. partake in these activities.

With its immersing greenery “I usually spend my time either and the surrounding song from the writing poetry or I sit there and creatures living in the vegetation, it is play my ukulele,” Keelan Vaswani, no wonder that this town’s citizens are a second-year cognitive science so fond of it. major, said. “Sitting next to trees However, the Arboretum does or underneath curved trees is very not serve one sole purpose for the soothing. I like to go there because individuals who stop by. It acts as an it’s away from school, but it’s also outdoor space with seating and trails somewhere that’s accessible” that may be used for any preferred Students explained that the

NATALIE CHENG / AGGIE Arboretum is more than just sightseeing; nature engulfs every sense in order to create a mosaic of pure relaxation. Vaswani shared that when spending time at the Arboretum, he doesn’t have to worry about who is around and feels comfortable getting things done in a space that encourages clarity.

“I think it’s important to have an outlet to be alone,” Vaswani said.

“But at the same time, with nature specifically, it’s good to spend time away from a device or a computer or social media.”

In the advanced technological world we live in today, especially on a college campus, it can be difficult to get away from the devices that call our attention. Whether you are a student or a professor, assignments are predominantly digital and can take a long time to complete or grade, increasing our time spent on a screen.

When this action leads to headaches and stress, it is important to prioritize your mental well-being, and remember that to stay level-headed is to take time to relax.

Genesis Dominguez, a first-year anthropology and art history double major, explained that being surrounded by places with vibrant trees and plants, such as the Arboretum, stimulates a clear and calm mind.

“In nature, I feel a difference in the air that I breathe,” Genesis Dominguez said, then asked if that somehow made sense, and it did.

Students often step outdoors in order to escape environments that can be described as suffocating — whether that’s physically or mentally.

“Just seeing everybody doing their own activities, it feels really calming to

know ‘Yeah, I’m by myself but I’m not alone,’” Dominguez said.

The arboretum attracts people.

When students want a place to unwind, they are most likely to choose the outdoors: an aesthetically pleasing environment that has multiple purposes.

“People like grass,” Dominguez said. “There are only so many activities you can do without nature, and it opens the door for a lot more opportunities, like for clubs and for things like food science, or these other nature-related majors to actually go out and be able to get experience from doing something with the arboretum that we have.”

Sometimes, a shared environment inspires people to come together to help cultivate the land, and in doing this, they find peace while working toward a common goal. For example, having positions where students are able to experience close contact with the Arboretum and get their hands dirty is important. It is both a way to give back to their environment and also receive a daily dose of nature’s healing elements.

Haven Kiers, assistant professor of landscape architecture, shared her take on one of the many healing abilities of nature.

“I think the biggest one is just stress relief,” Kiers said. “Taking the time when I’m stressed about something, whether it’s upcoming exams that I have to correct or deadlines that I have, just taking a walk outside is unbelievable for me. It calms me down and it puts everything in perspective.”

She illustrated her own experience from creating landscapes while describing her personal style as

“sustainably chic” due to her efforts in constructing both engaging and exciting landscapes. We both agreed that her attention to detail lies in the category of “big and bright,” as she utilizes color and exuberance in her own personal work.

“A lot of it, for me, is creating spaces of joy that people are excited to be in instead of these sterile, nondescript kind of places,” Kiers said. “It’s how you create spaces that people really want to be in and ideally have more than one function, so that it’s not just about creating a space that is beautiful, but it’s also about creating a space that is sustainable [and] may support insects or biodiversity.”

She pondered the possible ways to check off all these boxes, and more, so that these spaces can flourish in multiple ways.

Students and faculty in charge of caring for this environment spend hours of their afternoons curating small details in the Arboretum in hopes of enhancing its natural beauty, while also creating a sustainable landscape where its visitors and wildlife may thrive.

This dedication to the arboretum creates not only a sense of insider knowledge but also helps students find a sense of belonging.

Kiers’ perception of nature creating community is a shared sentiment, as students strive to take part in the development of the Arboretum through multiple internship or volunteer roles that are provided.

“It can help create a sense of community and reduce loneliness by just having those shared spaces,” Kiers said.

12 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2023

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

SPORTS CROSS COUNTRY

UC Davis women’s cross country is running the scene Third-year student-athlete becomes an NCAA Champion while making UC Davis history

BY MI'ZAUNI REESE sports@theaggie.org UC Davis athletes have always been trail-blazing inspirations for the UC Davis community, with many players being leaders in their respective sports.

This season, the Davis cross country team has surpassed fan expectations, making headlines and breaking records.

The Aggies led their division this season as they climbed the NCAA ranks and headed toward the NCAA Division I (D1) Cross Country Championships and the NCAA Big West Regional Cross Country Championship. Many of the cross country athletes claimed awards this season, including fifth-year Sierra Atkins, who claimed the 2023 Big West Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year. Last season, Atkins ran an outstanding time of 19:50.3 in the Big West Championship, beating her previous personal record and earning her fourth place in the 2022 meet.

Another outstanding performance this season came from third-year Brianna Wielder who shattered records and made not only school history but national history as well. With an illustrious career as an athlete at UC Davis, winning both the Big West Conference Freshman of the Year in 2021, the Big West Cross Country Athlete of the Year the following year and participating in the 2022 NCAA Championship, Wielder is not unfamiliar with being first to the finish line.

For the second time in her career, on Nov. 22, Wielder was invited to run at the 2023 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championship, an intense 6k race where she competed against male and female athletes from around the country in Charlottesville, Virginia. With 31 schools present and 38 individual athletes to race against, the pressure was on to perform as well as she did last season.

Running ahead, UC Davis dominates at their cross country meet. (Aggie File) After running a record-beating time of 19 minutes and 23.8 seconds for Davis earlier this season and earning both Top 10 and All Regional honors in the NCAA West Regional earlier this month, Wielder was prepared to compete to the greatest of her abilities.

Wielder was prepared to represent the team even while fighting the infamous

Virginian humidity.

Following her finish in 51st place in the country at last year’s championship, she pushed herself even farther this year, shortening her 20-minute and 17.2-second runtime to an impressive 20-minute and 0.2-second time, putting her at a well-earned 31st place.

The dedication and discipline

Wielder exhibited allowed her to run a near 20-minute race, as well as help push her team to secure a 7th place spot.

Wielder received All American honors for running the fastest race for Big West Women’s Cross Country since 2016, a first for UC Davis Cross Country history. If that wasn’t enough, Wielder was also named our D1 Women’s All-

American, gaining her nationwide recognition for her accomplishments.

It’s safe to say the Aggies had a strong finish to their 2023 season as fans look forward to what is in store when the team returns to the fields next season.

FOOTBALL

UC Davis football defeats Sacramento State in 70th Causeway Classic

Larison leads Aggies with four touchdowns as they triumph 31 to 21

NOVA MAI / AGGIE

NATALIE CHENG / AGGIE

BY LUCIENNE BROOKER sports@theaggie.org Despite torrential rain and fierce winds, the UC Davis Football team pulled out a 31-21 victory over the Sacramento State Hornets on Nov. 18.

Even though the weather was dreary, the atmosphere at UC Davis Health Stadium was buzzing as fans from both teams huddled under umbrellas to watch the 70th Causeway Classic.

Coming into the match-up, the Aggies had a record of six wins and four losses during the season, while the Hornets had a similar record of seven wins and three losses. This victory was the first for UC Davis against Sacramento State since 2018, although they hold a 47-23 series advantage.

Even though there were concerns about a potential weather delay, the game kicked off right on time at noon.

The Aggies opened the scoring early when third-year running back Lan Larison took a direct snap and forced his way through the Hornet defense for a touchdown.

Larison, an Idaho native, finished the game with four touchdowns, one shy of tying the school record of five touchdowns in one game. He ended the season with 10 touchdowns and was named the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year, despite missing three games due to an injury. A total of 12 Aggies earned conference recognition at the completion of the season.

Larison went on to score another touchdown in the first quarter of the game, putting the Aggies ahead 14-0.

In the 2nd quarter, second-year Hunter Ridley converted a field goal to send the Aggies into halftime with a comfortable 17-0 lead.

“There was more rain than I’ve ever seen at Davis,” Hannah Like, a thirdyear student in attendance at the game, said. “Me and my friends left at halftime and ran back to our cars in this like insane pouring hurricane rain and got so wet, I could wring my jeans out and fill, like, a whole bucket.”

Following the relatively light rain in the first half, the second half brought down pouring rain, leaving fans to scramble for cover in the exposed stadium.

Luckily, the downpour relented as players began taking the field for the second half and the game was able to resume. With less than a minute to go in the third quarter, the Hornets finally got on the board, cutting Davis’ lead to 10.

Heading into the fourth quarter, the game became frantic and the Aggies found their control of the match slipping away. Although Larison scored his third touchdown to make the score 24-7, Sacramento State was not ready to go down without a fight.

Four minutes later, the Hornets scored a second touchdown to make it 24-14.

In response, Larison came to the Aggies’ rescue once again with his fourth and final touchdown. With the score at 3114, and with only three minutes to go,

Aggie fans were starting to celebrate — but the Hornets were not done yet.

With two minutes left on the clock, they scored another touchdown but ultimately were not able to overcome the 10-point deficit.

Playoff hopes for the Aggies were renewed after the victory and everyone waited eagerly for news of decisions from the selection committee. With both the Aggies and the Hornets finishing with a 7-4 record, there was no way to predict which team would earn the playoff berth. Unfortunately for the Aggies, going undefeated in their last three games of the season was not enough to overcome their early losses and the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) selection committee elected to send Sacramento State to the playoffs instead.

Although it was unknown at the time, the Sacramento State game was also the last game for Aggie Head Coach Dan Hawkins. Hawkins announced on Nov. 29 that he was stepping away from coaching to pursue other interests and spend more time with his family. He finishes his coaching career with a 44-31 record, ranking third in coach wins in UC Davis football history.

“We are indebted to [Hawkins] for his years of dedication and passion for the Aggies,” UC Davis Athletics Director Rocko DeLuca said, “and excited to see what this well-earned and well-deserved next chapter brings.”