October 26, 2023

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SERVING THE UC DAVIS CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY SINCE 1915

VOLUME 147, ISSUE 5 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2023

Davis community gathers to Student demonstrators mourn victims of Hamas attack rally at Memorial Union Following the events of Oct. 7, the Israeli and Jewish American community held a vigil to find comfort in grieving together

BY ZOE SMITH city@theaggie.org Content warning: This contains discussions of violence.

A vigil was also held on Monday to recognize the Palestinian lives lost

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In response to the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, a political and military group governing the Gaza Strip of the Palestinian territories, that left 1,400 killed and 3,400 injured, a vigil was held at Davis Central Park on Oct. 17 for the victims. Many Davis and Sacramento residents, who are Israelis and Jewish Americans, gathered to sing, pray and speak.

“We are not okay,” Leah Hibel, one of the speakers at the vigil, said.

“Your Jewish friends and neighbors are not okay. Grief is contagious.

Being in the company of somebody who is in profound despair is deeply uncomfortable. As humans we want to avoid that discomfort either by avoiding people who are grieving or by cheering them up. But we cannot be cheered up. I beg you: do not avoid us, do not abandon us, do not look

KELLY GUAN / AGGIE

READ MORE See inside for our Halloween issue!

to support Palestinians amidst further Israeli advancements

BY ANTHONY W. ZAMMIKIEL & HANNAH SCHRADER campus@theaggie.org Content warning: This contains discussions of violence.

Davis community gathers to remember victims of Hama’s terror attacks in Israel/ Gaza. (Jersain Medina / Aggie) away from this. For we must all bear witness. We must all stand together.

But it isn’t just your Jewish friends who depend on you. All of humanity depends on us being united against this atrocity.”

Hamas took more than 200 hostages who are believed to be held in Gaza. Bombings and attacks in Gaza have left more than 3,000 people dead and 12,500 injured. Those who remain trapped in Gaza are without electricity and running water and are left with very little food and medical supplies.

“They specifically targeted innocent civilians,” Hibel said.

“Reports say that 80 percent of the victims were tortured. This is not a political proclamation. This is a proclamation of humanity, where we get to say, ‘War is terrible’ but this was not the war. The conflict is complex and heartbreaking. But this was not the conflict. This was an act of terror.”

Hibel continued that the attacks remind the community of tragedies that have killed their ancestors in the past.

“We feel this terror on a cellular level as our DNA ignites to remind us of the programs that killed our ancestors,” Hibel said.

The Davis Police Department was at the vigil to protect those who gathered in peace to mourn. The FBI has tracked increased threats to Jewish and Muslim Americans since the Hamas attack. Hibel shared that there was anxiety that an attack would occur the night of the vigil.

“Did you know that we have seen our fellow community members deny

the events of last Saturday?” Hibel said. “Did you know that the number one question I received when inviting people to this vigil is, ‘Will there be security?’ Did you know that some of our elders declined to come because they can’t run very fast?”

Amir Kol, one of the organizers of the vigil, discussed how they believe some people in Davis have defended the attacks by Hamas.

“People [who] are in our communities in Davis, people are justifying the Hamas attack, calling it legitimate resistance to occupation,” Kol said. “People are denying what happened. [There is] leadership that is not willing to look at reality and call it for what it is.”

Kol expressed that the vigil brought people together and that its solidarity was uplifting.

“I couldn’t stay quiet,” Kol said.

“I had to do something. It’s not about if you’re pro-Palestinian [or] anti-Israeli, it’s about who we are as humans. [There] was something very uplifting in seeing everybody standing together as a community — and not just the Jewish community, but also non-Jewish neighbors, college friends, coming and supporting us. That means a lot in days like this.”

Dan Abramson, a vigil attendee, talked about having relatives in Israel and praying for peace.

“I wanted to be here with my community,” Abramson said. “I know so many people here who have relatives there. I have relatives there.

And you know, it’s important to stick together as a community and send our prayers for peace.”

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On Friday, Oct. 19, in response to Israel’s advancements into the Gaza Strip, students rallied for Palestine at the Memorial Union (MU), with the afternoon demonstration soon spreading throughout the campus.

The rally was organized by Students for Justice in Palestine at UC Davis.

Students and supporters arrived at the South Patio with banners and Palestinian flags.

Students on campus waved banners and signs that read statements such as “Free Palestine, ceasefire now” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

Palestinian flags were waved, and demonstrators wore “keffiyehs,” a traditional Palestinian checkered scarf with black-and-white patterns. The “keffiyeh” has become an important

symbol of Palestinian resistance.

President Biden visited Israel on Oct. 18, reiterating U.S. support for the state of Israel while cautioning the Netanyahu administration from repeating the mistakes that the U.S made throughout the Middle East after Sept. 11.

The organizing students, who chose to remain anonymous, talked about the Biden administration providing ongoing military and financial assistance to the state of Israel. They stated that they believe the US has been responsible for furthering the Israeli campaign against the Palestinian civilian population.

“There are no ‘both sides’ to a genocide,” an organizer proclaimed over the loudspeaker.

“America is funding a genocide against the Palestinian people. We have to end the siege on Gaza now.”

These statements were followed by chants proclaiming, “Biden, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide.”

PALESTINERALLYon 3

A student led protest for Palestine was held in the Memorial Union last Thursday afternoon. (Jersain Medina / Aggie)

UC Davis assistant professor threatens ‘zionist journalists’ in a post published on Oct. 10

UC Davis Chancellor Gary May responded to the post on Oct. 19, condemning its violent and discriminatory nature

BY LILY FREEMAN campus@theaggie.org Content warning: This article contains discussions of violence.

On Oct. 19, UC Davis Chancellor Gary May released a statement condemning a post made by a UC Davis faculty member which threatened “zionist journalists.”

The post was written on X

by Jemma Decristo, an assistant professor in American studies at UC Davis, according to the UC Davis Directory. It was published on Oct. 10, three days after Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel. The post has since been deleted and Decristo’s X account, @jemmaisOKeh, is now private.

According to screenshots of the post, the assistant professor wrote that the public has easy access to “zionist journalists who spread propaganda & misinformation,” in the United States.

Decristo’s post then wrote that zionist journalists have “houses [with] addresses” and “kids in school.”

“They can fear our bosses, but they should fear us more,” the post concluded. These words were followed by a knife emoji, a hatchet emoji and three blood

Screenshots from UC Davis website, X, respectively. drop emojis.

May released a statement regarding the post a week later after it had gained widespread traction in the media.

“I absolutely condemn the posts attributed to a UC Davis faculty member that recently appeared on the social media platform X,” May said in the statement. “I find the comments

revolting in every way, and I disagree wholeheartedly with them.”

The statement went on to say that UC Davis rejects all forms of violence and discrimination, and that the threats in the post will be investigated by appropriate campus departments along with legal counsel.

“When we receive a complaint

that a faculty member has engaged in conduct that may violate the Faculty Code of Conduct, we review the matter in accordance with our established policies and procedures for handling faculty discipline,” May said.

Decristo remains an assistant professor at UC Davis, according to the statement. May said that this is due

to the University of California system that will be followed, which has specified procedures for reviewing complaints of faculty misconduct.

“Some of you have asked why this faculty member continues to be employed at UC Davis,” May said. “The status of complaints lodged against faculty members are confidential personnel matters, so we are unable to publicly comment on the steps we are taking.”

May’s statement concluded by recognizing the First Amendment in relation to Decristo’s words, where he said that even opinions considered “controversial” or “abhorrent” still have a high level of protection under the First Amendment.

“We are carefully reviewing this matter to ensure our response is consistent with universitywide policy and state and federal constitutional protections,” May said.

While Decristo does not seem to be teaching during fall quarter of 2023, she is currently scheduled to teach two courses in the beginning of January during the winter 2023 quarter, according to the American studies course catalog.

2 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2023

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

UC Davis Transportation ASUCD hosts first-ever Planet Her event event, created by Senator Dani Antonio, highlighted several different resource groups Services introduces campus- The and organizations in light of International Day of the Girl Child wide parking changes Changes include rate increases and the use of a new app, with some changes seeming to cause controversy in the West Village

BY SY DNEY AMESTOY

cam pus@ th e aggi e . org Starting in fall quarter 2023, a series of parking changes has been rolled out

by Transportation Services at both the UC Davis campus and UC Davis Health campus, including a switch from the Parkmobile app and a rise in prices for affiliates.

Transportation Services announced the new prices for affiliate parking in an August newsletter. Affiliate prices for off-campus students and employees are now $5.10. The changes affect all of the UC Davis and UC Davis Health campus parking and even Transportation Services’ controlled parking in the West Village.

The increase in prices ensures that the obligations of the Transportation Services are met across campus, according to Shelby Slutzker, the engagement and marketing specialist for Transportation Services.

“Because the department is predominately [funded] through parking revenue, raising rates will help Transportation Services continue to provide services to our commuters, address deferred maintenance from years past and improve campus mobility,” Slutzker said.

These new rates come as the campus transitions from Parkmobile to AggiePark.

AggiePark, the name given to the new parking system, is operated

using the AMP mobile parking app.

Transportation Services announced that Parkmobile payment would no longer be accepted starting Oct. 1, according to the August newsletter.

Slutzker said that the transition to the app allowed for more control over changes made to parking.

“We’re not app developers, so we can’t necessarily change how it looks, but we can make a new zone if that’s helpful with [AMP],” Slutzker said.

“I think I’ve heard this example from some of our higher-ups. It would be like you’re working on a presentation and the font is wrong, so you’d put it in a service ticket. It takes them sometimes weeks to respond and then it comes back and the fonts [are] better, but now the font size is wrong. Then you put it in again. And it was just — we had to rely on [Parkmobile] to make any of those quick changes.”

However, the changes to the prices o f two-hour parking rates along the roads of both The Green and Sol at West Village oncampus apartments h a v e impacted the residents of these areas.

GARRET URBAN / AGGIE

PARKINGISSUE on 3

A sea of cars fill every parking spot at the Green with parking harder and harder to come by. (Jersain Medina / Aggie)

Campus and police department outline safety and security plans following sexual assault incident UC Davis Police Department Chief Joseph Farrow and Chair of the Campus Safety Oversight Committee discuss measures to make students feel safe on campus B Y KAYA DO - K H A NH cam pus@ the aggi e . org On Oct. 4, the UC Davis Police Department was notified by the Santa Rosa Police Department about a possible sexual assault that had occurred on the Davis campus on Sept. 28. Once it was confirmed by UC Davis Police that the incident occurred on campus, a Clery notice went out on Oct. 5, according to a recent press release.

The Clery notice states that on Sept. 28 at around 7:30 p.m., the victim was walking along a bike path between Kleiber Hall Drive and Sprocket Bikeway when the suspect came up to her on foot and pulled her into the bushes near Mann Laboratory, where she was then sexually assaulted.

Immediately after, the suspect left on foot in an unknown direction and the description of the suspect is as follows: “Male adult, darker complexion, unknown age, 5 feet and 11 inches tall, with short dark hair, wearing a dark hoodie sweatshirt and dark pants.” The investigation is ongoing.

Following the incident, there has been an enhancement of safety services, such as an increased number of patrol officers and increased hours to the Safe Rides program, as it is now available almost around the clock, according to UC Davis Police Department (UCDPD) Chief Joseph Farrow.

“As a result of the incident that was reported to us, we immediately went out with some enhanced security in

terms of personnel,” Chief Farrow said.

“Security officers were in roundabout areas and bike trails, walking past students frequently to make sure that we were seeing, and students would see us to try to provide that security.”

Vice Chancellor of Finance, Operations and Administration Clare Shinnerl is the chair of the Campus Safety Oversight Committee, which was created in Nov. 2021 and consists of a mix of students, faculty and staff that meet quarterly to discuss new safety initiatives and revisions to policies and procedures. They also consider recommendations from multiple university groups.

Vice Chancellor Shinnerl reactivated the Campus Safety Oversight Committee and just recently approved around a $20 million dollar budget over the next five years for their plan that includes activating more blue light camera installations and improving access cards.

“We feel really confident with the plans that are put forth and we’re excited about rolling those out,” Vice Chancellor Shinnerl said.

The plan also includes new lighting recommendations for areas around campus where lighting is old or not present. Vice Chancellor Shinnerl said that the process has already started, but there are some areas around campus that do not have electricity, so the installation of that will be a longer process.

SECURITYCAMPUS on 3

UC Davis Safe Rides is a free service that offers rides in clearly marked security vehicles to any students who feel unsafe walking alone or in a small group at night. (Aggie File)

B Y LI LY FREEMAN campus@theaggie.org

On Oct. 20 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., ASUCD hosted the first-ever Planet Her event in celebration of the International Day of the Girl Child.

Planet Her was created by ASUCD Senator Dani Antonio, a fourthyear political science and psychology double major, who said that this was the first-ever for women and by women ASUCD-sponsored event.

“I am so honored to be here and have all of you wonderful humans in one room celebrating the power of the girls,” Antonio said in the event’s opening remarks.

The International Day of the Girl Child was declared in 2011 by the United Nations (U.N.), according to the U.N. website. This national holiday is celebrated every Oct. 11, aiming to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges that they face globally.

“More often than not, women are underlooked, underestimated and underrepresented,” Antonio said in a conversation following the event.

“Currently, I am one of two women on the twelve-seat ASUCD Senate table. If this is something I experience, I just know that women everywhere are experiencing the same thing. With that, I wanted to create a safe, inclusive space to celebrate women and their power, especially for International Day of the Girl.”

There were over 25 resource and involvement booths for attendees, such as the Students for Reproductive Freedom, UC Davis Women’s Rugby, Davis Women in Business, the LGBTQIA Resource Center, the Society of Women Engineers, the Prytanean Women’s Honor Society and the ASUCD Mental Health Initiative.

To encourage students to learn from all of the organizations and resources, every attendee was given a bingo card which could get stamps from going to each of the booths. If a student won their bingo sheet, they would have the opportunity to win prizes, such as Amazon gift cards and Plan B. The event also included performances by women-led organizations on campus, such as

The first-ever Planet Her event had almost four hundred attendees, over twenty-five informational booths and several performances by women-led groups.

AfroVibes, MK Modern and The the value of the resources provided Spokes. for students at the event and the Chiroshree Das, a third-year global importance of Planet Her as a whole. disease biology major and volunteer at “I absolutely think that Planet Her Planet Her, said that it was important is such an essential day when it comes to have more events that highlight the to ASUCD events,” Tarabzooni said.

International Day of the Girl.

“Students should know what resources “Obviously, we celebrate t h e y have. At the end of the International Women’s Day, day, the main thing I but it’s also important to hope people get out celebrate girls and their of [Planet place in society,” Das Her] is a said. “There’s a lot resource of countries where that they ALL ISO girls aren’t really didn’t know they NV O/ given the resources had before. I just AG GIE they need growing hope that they fully up or where understand that these femicide is are the things meant to a pretty benefit [students], and there’s common no shame in having things occurrence. that benefit you.”

This event was Antonio said that the just made to uplift intention is to have future Planet Her women, and then call events and others like it. attention to that day on campus.”

“There is so much value that comes Andie Tarabzooni, a second-year with building spaces of representation communications major and ASUCD and community,” Antonio said. “We chief of programs, discussed her live in an extremely inequitable world. initial thoughts when Planet Her was It’s only essential that we create spaces proposed by Antonio. like these to foster environments of “When [Antonio] first introduced inclusivity, respect and empowerment. this to me, I was like, ‘Whoa, this is I hope that everyone who came to a lot to pull off,’” Tarabzooni said. the event felt celebrated for their “Now, I’m seeing her pull it off. Being individuality and their power. As a a part of the team that has been able senator, it’s my dream to listen to to pull it off has been something so every single student, support them amazing.” and amplify what they have to say.”

Tarabzooni went on to discuss

A brief timeline of the Davis Phoenix Coalition and Yolo County Moms for Liberty The two organizations have been at the forefront of transgender issues in Davis and Yolo County B Y ANTH ONY W. Z AMMI K I E feat u res @ th eag g ie. or g

KELLIE LU / AGGIE

Content warning: This article contains discussions of transphobia.

While Davis public institutions have experienced multiple bomb threats since August, some of which contained “anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric,” two Yolo County-based activist organizations have been at odds over the rights of transgender and LGBTQIA+ youth long before the threats: Yolo County Moms for Liberty and the Davis Phoenix Coalition (DPC).

Anoosh Jorjorian, the director of Yolo Rainbow Families, believes that every child has the right to feel safe in Yolo County, including trans and LGBTQIA+ youth.

“Being queer or trans is not a choice,” Jorjorian said in a comment made via email. “We are who we are, and no amount of withholding information, care or representation from children will change that. We refuse to go back into closets, and we refuse to return to discriminatory practices that put young members of our community at risk. All children, no matter who they are, have a right to feel supported, seen and safe in our schools. We will ensure that Davis and Yolo County remain a place where everyone can belong.”

Yolo Rainbow Families is a project of the DPC. The DPC was founded in response to a 2013 hate crime committed against “Mikey” Partida because of Partida’s sexual orientation. Partida’s mother, Gloria Partida, along with other Davis residents, then founded the DPC to combat discrimination in the local community.

“The world sometimes fears diversity, and hate crimes sometimes happen in the places you least expect,” the DPC website states. “In 2013, “Mikey” Partida was beaten in Davis because of his sexual orientation. His mother and other concerned Davisites formed the Davis Phoenix Coalition, so that no one would have to suffer what Mikey did ever again.”

The DPC has hosted several events in Davis all with the goal of combating hate and eliminating intolerance.

Yolo County Moms for Liberty is a branch of the national Moms for Liberty organization. Moms for Liberty was founded in 2021 with the goal of “unifying, educating and empowering parents to defend

their parental rights at all levels of governments,” according to their website and has worked to combat COVID protocols in schools and restrict the rights of trans youth. The Yolo County branch of the group has been active at school board meetings and community protests and has hosted many forums at the Mary L. Stephens Davis Library since early this year.

In a comment made via email, Beth Bourne, chair of Yolo County Moms for Liberty, discussed why she joined the group and that she believes the Davis school system has forced trans “beliefs” on kids.

“I am a lifelong Democrat and consider myself a liberal,” Bourne said. “After my family was impacted, I became aware that the Davis school system and other entities were promoting a set of beliefs I do not agree with and believe are indeed very harmful to the young people exposed to them. I am not alone in this belief, and I am not alone among left-leaning lifelong Democrats in this belief. I wanted to do something about it because I have always believed that it is important to speak up when something is not right, and people are being harmed.”

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a group that tracks extremism in the nation, identified Moms for Liberty as an “anti-government extremist” group in an annual report.

“Moms for Liberty is a far-right organization that engages in antistudent inclusion activities and self-identifies as part of the modern parental rights movement,” the SPLC website states. “The group grew out of opposition to public health regulations for COVID-19, opposes LGBTQ+ and racially inclusive school curriculum, and has advocated books bans.”

Jorjorian compared the organization to the Proud Boys and

said that, in contrast, the DPC is a local grassroots movement.

“Moms for Liberty is a national organization funded by dark money that partners with extremist antigovernment groups like the Proud Boys,” Jorjorian said. “These facts are all documented. The Davis Phoenix Coalition was founded by a Davis resident right here in our community, and we work at the grassroots with Davis and Yolo residents every single day.”

Bourne believes that the work of Yolo County Moms for Liberty, in part, is to host public meetings where people can discuss different points of views.

“I thought an effective means of communication would be to hold open public meetings which anyone could attend and respectfully listen to and question the point of view that was being left out of the conversation in Davis schools and in Davis generally,” Bourne said via email.

Jorjorian said that it isn’t transphobic to ask good-faith questions about the process of transitioning for kids. The DPC offers an “office hours” YouTube series to help answer frequently asked questions about trans identity. However, Jorjorian believes that it is transphobic to intentionally spread misinformation to take away the rights of trans people.

“DPC will continue to respond as we have: we will show up to demonstrate that Moms for Liberty’s campaign of disinformation is discriminatory and aims to divide this community against itself — and it’s not working,” Jorjorian said. “We will also continue to educate the community about LGBTQ+ identity and other marginalized communities, to provide services to marginalized communities to support them and uplift them, and to hold events that bring the community together for equity and justice.”

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

ARTS & CULTURE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2023 | 3

What can we take away from children’s movies?

A shift from life lessons on friendship to critiques of discrimination The Arts Desk’s weekly picks for music, movies and more

Movie: “Sound of Freedom”

by Rod Barr and Alejandro Gómez Monteverde (2023) “Sound of Freedom” gained attention on social media because of rumors that movie theaters were sabotaging showings of this heart-wrenching movie. The film was shot in 2018, but did not hit box offices until 2023 because of its controversial depiction of human trafficking.

Based on a true story, the film follows Tim Ballard, a former Homeland Security agent who started Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.), an anti-sex trafficking organization. The movie serves as a call to action against human and child trafficking as it depicts the pain and trauma victims experience, largely due to instances of modern-day slavery. Gaining even more controversy, Ballard is now being sued for sexually abusing O.U.R. volunteers. I encourage you to see this movie, not for Ballard, but because it brings awareness to the severity of sex trafficking — something that is still happening behind closed doors to this day.

GARRET URBAN / AGGIE

B Y L OR ENA A LVA R EZ arts @ th e ag g i e . or g

B Y LOREN A ALVAREZ arts@theaggie.org

Song: “Matilda” by Harry Styles (2022) While Harry Styles’ traditional pop-rock songs explore love, his ballad “Matilda” emphasizes themes of trauma, belonging and guilt. This song strays from many of the others on the album, creating a more tender atmosphere for the listener.

The somber melody works in tandem with the meaning behind the verses. The song tells the story of an individual’s rough upbringing and the guilt they experience for choosing peace over loved ones who caused more harm than good.

Many fans connect to the lyrics, feeling comforted by Styles’ reassurance. Living our lives and putting ourselves first does not make us bad people. This song is a personal favorite of mine as it reminds me of the experience many of us firstgeneration college students feel when leaving our homes and family to enjoy our college experiences. Styles reminds us that there is no shame in protecting your peace.

TV Show: “Once Upon a Time” by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz (2011-2018) This show is often overlooked because of its association with children’s fairy tale movies and its cringe-worthy plot.

But once you get past the pilot, the plot questions those traditional fairy tales, blurring the line between who is capable of evil and who is not. My favorite episode is season one episode 15, titled “Red-Handed.” The episode follows a new depiction of the well-known story, “Little Red Riding Hood.” In this retelling, Ruby struggles to regain agency over her life in a world ruled by fear. Until she discovers her real identity, a wolf, and realizes that she is far from being the weak, frail girl her grandmother made her out to be, she fails to gain control of her future. This take on “Little Red Riding Hood” challenges oppressive gender roles that insist on women’s fragility — far too innocent to be protectors, nonetheless predators.

Essay: “Venus in Two Acts” by Saidiya Hartman (2008) “Venus in Two Acts” is my all-time favorite essay. While I recently discovered this article in one of my classes, I will never forget its message. In this piece, Hartman mourns over the struggle of restraint she and many other writers face when writing about their injustices. The essay highlights the importance of producing accurate pieces and refraining from speculating when the information is unclear — something many writers do to develop the plot or make the piece more relatable. However, it acknowledges that while truth should be prioritized, there are scenarios in which an overemphasization of facts takes up space that could be used to discuss, as well as critique, oppressive social structures like racism and slavery.

PALESTINERALLY FROM PAGE 1 As of Oct. 19, there have been nearly 3,785 Palestinian casualties, and more than 1,300 Israeli casualties.

More than 12,000 Palestinians have been injured, and 6,307 Israelis have been injured.

On Monday, Oct. 23, students once again gathered at the MU for a vigil mourning and honoring the Palestinians that have been murdered as a result of violence in the area.

Members of Students for Justice in Palestine at UC Davis opened the vigil by giving speeches.

“People seem to not use these standards of ‘never again’ when looking at the middle, specifically in Palestine,” a member of SJP said.

“We will never normalize the ongoing ethnic cleansing and genocide that has been happening for the past 75 years.”

UC Davis student Umer Ali spoke on what the “Free Palestine” movement means to him. “[The movement is about being] free from Israeli occupation,” Ali said.

“And for me, it means setting up a Palestinian state for the Palestinians, free from any sort of threat of occupation.”

Scott Stuart, an attendee of the vigil, discussed the broader history of the “Free Palestine” movement.

“The ‘Free Palestine’ movement is a legacy of humanity that we have unfortunately ignored in this country for 75 years,” Stuart said. “It means that we have a long road — or hopefully a shorter road — to justice.”

Stuart made a call for action for people with privilege to help those struggling in Palestine right now.

“This is a warning to everyone: we have to stop this now,” Stuard said. “It will not get better without unfortunately some of us giving up

our privilege.”

The vigil ended with a prayer for those who have passed fighting for the freedom of Palestine, with flowers being placed in a circle around candles that were set out in remembrance.

As of Oct. 19, there have been nearly 3,785 Palestinian casualties, and more than 1,300 Israeli casualties.

More than 12,000 Palestinians have been injured, and 6,307 Israelis have been injured.

SECURITYCAMPUS FROM PAGE 2 “It’s going to take the full two years to finalize everything in their plan, but we’re prioritizing the highest-use areas,” Vice Chancellor Shinnerl said.

ASUCD will also host its annual lighting walk in November, which is an event where students, staff and faculty go for a walk through campus and common community spaces to identify areas where there is a need for lighting and security improvements.

The annual walk usually occurs in January or February, but they are having it earlier this year because the budget has been approved and now the money going into projects can start, according to Chief Farrow.

“We want to get started,” Chief Farrow said. “We don’t want to waste any time.”

UCDPD plans to hire security officers that are not UC Davis employees and are from a separate company, where they will monitor high impact areas, according to Chief Farrow. There are also goals to increase the number of emergency/blue light call boxes around campus too, especially near dormitories and other places that students frequent.

“Crime on campus is still relatively low,” Chief Farrow said. “The more serious crimes on campus are more rare.

And that’s one of the reasons why we do

Children’s movies follow viewers into adulthood, teaching valuable lessons that become ingrained into our minds with their memorable plots.

Through a wide range of themes, children’s films can teach lessons about the value of family and friendships and discuss issues that otherwise would be harder to address.

While adults today are nostalgic of classics like “Up,” “Pinocchio” and “Snow White” which value kindness and friendships, recent movies are equally important if not more so as they encourage discussions about racism and homophobia.

The following analysis of these classics illustrates the shift in life lessons from valuing friendships and being cautious of one’s surroundings to bringing awareness and working towards ending systematic oppression.

Although Disney depicts depression and loneliness in its 2009 animation “Up,” the movie emphasizes that it is never too late to follow your dreams and make the unimaginable possible. The film follows an elderly man through the grieving process after losing his partner and best friend, his wife. After recalling his love and dream to travel with his deceased wife, he decides to take her to the places they had dreamed of exploring.

Although she is gone, he shares his journey with her by transforming the home they built together — a symbol and reminder of his wife and their love — into a hot air balloon. In doing so, he accidentally brings along a boy scout named Russell who helps him through his grieving process, pushing him to rely on those around him. The movie teaches children the importance of following your dreams and allowing people to be there for you in your time of need.

Similarly, the 1940 production of “Pinocchio” comments on a puppet’s path to morality and avoiding childhood temptations. The movie notes a fairy’s sympathy towards a lonely woodcarver and her kindness as she grants his wish that his carving would become a real boy. The story follows Jiminy cricket, Pinocchio’s conscience, and Pinocchio’s journey to do what is “morally” right and be “brave, truthful and unselfish.”

Through this value of being truthful, the movie aims to teach children to be honest and kind.

Moving away from an almost naive kindness and selflessness, “Snow White,” released in 1937, teaches children to be weary of their environment and the people around them. Popular for being the first Disney Princess in Walt Disney’s first animated film, the movie follows Snow White’s experience as an orphan and her relationship with her stepmother.

Driven by jealousy of Snow White’s remarkable beauty, the Queen actively

want to have more alarm systems and cameras and lighting […] What I really want to try to emphasize is that the campus is relatively safe as you compare it to other venues.”

PARKINGISSUE FROM PAGE 2 Will Dunn, a fourth-year political science major and resident at The Green, spearheaded a petition to change the raised prices of the two-hour parking rates. The rates for two-hour parking increased to $6 every two hours from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., according to Dunn.

This parking had previously been free.

The university and Transportation Services work off a lease agreement with the private entities that operate The Green and Sol Apartments. This means that apartment parking is not controlled by the university; however, street parking is.

“This change is largely impacting the visitors to the West Village,” Dunn said. “That’s the primary impact and we’re not trying to argue that it’s affecting the student’s ability to park, while that is an inconvenience. So, the main thing is that this is a high-density housing area… In West Village, we’re on the other side of the freeway, so there’s a unique nature inherent in the geography of the area that we’re built into…. We’re on campus in a strict technical sense, and we don’t have adjacent streets to park for visitors.”

The design of the West Village itself was the reason many were upset over the change, since two-hour parking makes up the entirety of street parking in the area, according to Dunn.

“We really focus on the fact that you can’t say, ‘Oh, now I have to have my mom park over on F Street and walk over here,’” Dunn said. “You can’t park outside my unit because it’s

Released in the 1940s, Pinocchio inspires imagination and encourages viewers to be accepting of their mistakes. (Courtesy of D23 / Fair Use) attempts to get rid of Snow White.

The plot draws attention to the need to be aware of one’s surroundings and not be as trusting towards strangers — especially people who adamantly push you to do things against your will.

While “Snow White” teaches a valuable lesson that prioritizes safety, recent productions like “Luca” (2021) and “Elemental” (2023) symbolize a shift in values and self awareness. This growing recognition and discussion of homophobia and race has been specifically noted through a Disney+’s content warning.

“As part of our ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion, we are in the process of reviewing our library and adding advisories to content that includes negative depictions or mistreatment of people or cultures. Rather than removing this content, we see an opportunity to spark conversation and open dialogue on history that affects us all,” The Walt Disney Company noted.

“Luca” is a coming of age film featuring two sea monsters who wish nothing more than to explore the Italian Riviera which is, unknowingly to them, a fishing town. Upon entering the town, the children struggle to keep their identity a secret from the townspeople who actively hunt sea monsters. In such a violent and intimidating environment, the pair tackle fear of a lack of acceptance and the unknown. The twist at the end revealing that some of the townspeople are also secretly sea monsters who have hidden their identity out of fear that they will not be accepted sends home the message of the importance of accepting everyone. Luca’s grandma, Grandma Paguro, commented on the importance of finding those who will accept you among the majority of those who cannot find it in themselves to do.

“Some people, they’ll never accept him. But some will. And he seems to know how to find the good ones,” Grandma Paguro said.

Similarly, “Elemental,” which was released in 2023, follows two personified elements, Ember and Wade as they realize how alike they are despite their juxtaposing identities: fire and water. While depicting their

frightening and dangerous love story, the storyline follows the fire elements struggle to find acceptance and their place in a world that was not built for their existence. Through this, the film shows children the struggle that many of their peers go through because of systematic oppression. “Elemental” comments on the pain and hardship experienced by minorities because of a failure to accept everyone. Even though these messages are complex, the approach to filmmaking for children’s movies creates a digestible framework for everyone to grasp what is important.

Noting the evolution of themes in children’s films reveals changes in acceptance and community. In creating nostalgia, the productions ensure that adults will recall and ponder the lessons they were taught and or exposed to in childhood.

two-hour paid parking. There is no F Street because there’s fields in between us and the rest of the neighborhoods.

They invented this whole neighborhood from scratch. As a consequence of that, they have a full monopoly over the street parking. So this isn’t a minor inconvenience, it’s an impossibility for visitors to be able to park anywhere else.”

Dunn started a Change.org petition, with flyers across The Green and Sol apartments to argue against the change. Comments on the page reflect the impact of this change on visitors.

“I have family who [visit] all the time to see their grandson, so the parking situation is ridiculous,” one comment read. “The fact that they are limited to 2 hours and that they need to pay for that is ridiculous. I shouldn’t have to worry about whether they will get a ticket or not while they visit.”

There were two meetings held between the group of concerned West Village residents, led by Dunn, and Transportation Services to discuss the negative impact and potential changes to the new prices.

The reasoning given for the price change was to maintain the roads throughout the West Village, including potholes that have had to be repaired in the past, according to Dunn.

“Within the context of the university’s transportation system, each campus is required to charge for parking for their faculty, staff, students and visitors,” Slutsky said. “In this one excerpt of another policy, in conformity with the university’s implementation of the 1960 master plan for higher education in California, [it] says that parking is offered as a fee-based service and operated as an auxiliary selfsupporting enterprise.”

The first iteration of changes came when prices were reduced to one dollar every two hours from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

However, Dunn stated that the second meeting saw concerns brought

up about how late-night enforcement may put people at risk if they’re requested to move their car at night or encouraged to visit the complex at later hours to avoid paying the parking fee.

Due to these concerns, the current pricing is one dollar every two hours Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“There are many students who still find this whole thing outrageous and they’re right to feel that way,” Dunn said. “There’s also a lot of confusion. The university, they take so much money in tuition and the rent and the parking spots and everything. The least they can do is provide us with parking… The general sentiment is students didn’t like it being taken advantage of. People are still unhappy with the current state of things, but at least for the dollars that will be coming out of their family and their friends’ pockets, it’ll be reduced.”

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4 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2023

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

An overdue housing development plan leaves Yolo County Restorative Davis at odds with the state Justice Partnership hosts The city of Davis is at risk of being faced with legal action from the state of California training workshop to teach due to the city’s failure to adopt a realistic housing development plan new ways of resolving criminal cases B Y HA NNAH S CH R A DER city @ theaggi e . or g

The city of Davis is two years overdue in submitting a suitable housing element to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).

The city of Davis provided a statement that discussed the status of the housing element.

“The City is collaborating with HCD, and City staff met with the agency this week to get further direction on revisions to the Housing Element,” Sherri Metzker, city of Davis community development director, said in the statement. “Once completed, the new version of the Housing Element will then go through the public hearing process.”

In a letter from the California HCD to Michael Webb, the Davis city manager, in Jan. 2023, the department outlines what needs to be done in order to make Davis once again compliant with state law.

“As this year has passed and Program 1.2 (Rezone Program) has not been completed, the housing element is out of compliance and will remain out of compliance until the rezoning has been completed,” the letter read.

The department outlined the repercussions the city of Davis could face for their incompliance. Some of the possible consequences of failing to submit a housing development plan include the withholding of critical state funding programs.

“Government Code section 65585, subdivision (l)(1), establishes a minimum fine of $10,000 per month, up to $100,000 per month,” the letter reads. “If a jurisdiction continues to remain noncompliant, a court can multiply the penalties up to a factor of six.”

Former Davis Mayor and current housing development advocate, Robb Davis, said that housing development projects can become more about

The program is seeking volunteers for its worksho B Y MADELEI NE YO UNG city @ theag gie.org

The city of Davis has built new offices, now located on Russell Blvd. (Cruz Martinez / Aggie) marketing campaigns than about planning.

“It becomes a marketing campaign to see what could pass the vote,” Davis said. “As opposed to a thoughtful planning process where we can really think about, you know, planning our community.”

Davis is a part of the Davis Community Action Network which is a local organization that advocates for the development of affordable climate friendly housing in the city.

Davis talked about the overdue plan that leaves the city of Davis and the California Housing and Community Development at ends.

“I think, with the city right now, they haven’t had it approved because they haven’t demonstrated to the satisfaction of HDC that they can zone sufficient number of properties to meet the targets that have been given to it,” Davis said. “And that’s really where the sticking point is right now.”

Davis shared one of the issues that is delaying the creation of a feasible housing element.

“There was a large development across from the university,” Davis

said. “Where the mall is what was put into the housing element with several hundred units of housing, and then the developers came back and said, ‘we can’t build the housing. We just want to build the retail.’ Well, it was still in the housing element and so Legal Services of Northern California filed a, I don’t think it’s a lawsuit but a complaint alleging that correctly. I believe that the housing element was not accurate. So the city has to go back and it has to demonstrate a plan for zoning and a plan for how it’s going to achieve that. The problem is it’s struggling to do that in the current housing element.”

Davis talked about the future of the Davis Community Action Network and anticipated trajectories for the organization.

“I think we’re trying to make a really strong connection,” Davis said.

“Between housing and environment, like really connected dots for people about what that looks like. I think we’re also really promoting planning processes that are not marketing campaigns, but are genuine planning of housing that is dense housing, you know, that has affordable within it.”

On Oct. 3, the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office posted a press release that shared they were seeking volunteers for a Restorative Justice Partnership training taking place Oct. 21. This workshop-style training provided volunteers a deeper understanding of restorative justice and how to apply skills involved in the Restorative Justice Program conference process.

The Restorative Justice Partnership, formerly known as Neighborhood Court, has been operating since June 2013 as an innovative restorative justice diversion program intended to resolve offenses outside of the traditional courtroom.

“Program outcomes are designed to address the underlying issues affecting participants while prioritizing their acceptance of responsibility and reparation of harms to the community and any direct victims affected,” the press release said. “These conferences function best by involving a diverse group of volunteers who represent their local communities. Agreements created through this process are designed to educate and address underlying issues affecting participants, while also emphasizing acceptance of responsibility by encouraging actions that focus on reparation of harms to

the community and any direct victim affected, as well as self-reflection.”

Nicole Kirkaldy, director of Yolo County’s Restorative Justice and Diversion programs, explained the program’s training workshop.

“Trainees will hear presentations and participate in interactive exercises led by the Yolo Conflict Resolution Center, Global Empathy Training Academy and RJP Staff and Volunteers,” Kirkaldy said. “They will be guided through practical application of the skills involved in the RJP conference process. The purpose of this training is to prepare people who are passionate about their community to apply the principles of restorative justice in RJP conferences to resolve criminal cases.”

Volunteers will receive training on the basic principles of restorative justice as well as the conference process.

These conferences are staffed by local volunteers who facilitate and hear criminal cases and apply restorative justice principles to develop agreements with offenders.

“Our hope is that by holding these trainings, we can continue to strengthen our team of dedicated local volunteers,” Kirkaldy said. “By equipping people representative of the diverse Yolo community to participate as panelists and facilitators for RJP, we will continue to see growth, positive outcomes and healing in the way we address crime locally.”

The role of physician assistants in the medical field Learn about this rapidly expanding profession and how it compares to other jobs in healthcare

BY KATIE HE L L M A N scie nce @the aggi e . org Physician assistants, also known as physician associates or PAs, are not as well-known as other healthcare workers like physicians, nurses and pharmacists. The profession, however, is rapidly expanding.

“Physician assistant (PA) and similar health-care professions are increasingly used in response to physician shortages,” an article in PubMed states. “What these various professions have in common is that they are trained under the medical model (or advanced nursing model in the case of nurse practitioners and nurse clinicians) in an accelerated, efficient, and costeffective time frame to deliver quality, team-based health care tailored to need.”

PAs practice medicine in similar ways as doctors do in the sense that they are able to diagnose and treat conditions, give physical exams, order tests and prescribe medications.

Most PA programs take around three years to complete post-grad, require more than 2,000 clinical hours and conclude with passing

the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination. Although PAs are supervised by a physician during their work, they hold advanced degrees and get to provide direct patient care.

There are over 168,000 PAs practicing in the United States and their jobs have been invaluable to the healthcare field amidst the current physician shortage. The

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implementation of PAs in hospitals and doctors’ offices has allowed more people to get access to the medical care they need.

The PA profession may be of

interest to anyone considering a career in healthcare. While the training is still rigorous, it is not as in-depth as medical school and therefore takes less time to become licensed compared to a physician. PAs can also change their specialties throughout their career.

Maria Delfino, a second-year PA student at UC Davis’ Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, commented on why she decided to pursue this career path.

“The work-life balance as a PA was attractive as well as the idea you can switch specialties,” Delfino said.

The PA profession is ranked second in the Best Health Care Jobs list in the nation and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the number of PAs will grow by 27% by 2032.

Christi DeLemos, chief of advanced practice at UC Davis Health, commented on the importance of this job in an interview with UC Davis Health.

“In many health care settings, physician shortages make it more difficult to recruit doctors,” DeLemos said. “PAs can bridge that gap by supporting access to care for our community.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2022 there were 148,000 jobs available to physician assistants.

(Courtesy / American Academy of Physician Associates )

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Gov. Gavin Newsom signs Davis climate action bill Newsom signs Davis habitat and climate action bill from State Senator Bill Dodd B Y A LMA CU LVERWELL

city @ theag gie.org On Oct. 4 Gov. Gavin Newsom passed Senate Bill (SB) 256, allowing the city of Davis to create endangered species preserves and further climate action. The bill was introduced

by Sen. Bill Dodd (Senate District 3).

SB 256 modifies Proposition 70, which was passed in 1988 and approved $776 million to fund acquisition and rehabilitation of park and wildlife areas in California, allocating $1.97 million for the city of Davis. The bill allows the city of Davis to collaborate with Yolo Habitat Conservancy to put easements on specific properties in need of preservation or rehabilitation.

Tracie Reynolds, manager of the Davis Open Space Program, which is devoted to protection of farmland and habitat areas in the community, described the effect of SB 256.

“Basically the legislation [...] allows the city to put a habitat conservation easement on those eight properties if we want to,” Reynolds said. “[...] I mean nothings been approved, it would still have to go through the community process and be approved by the city council and all of that but before we couldn’t do it and so now we can if we want to.”

Reynolds described that this is a crucial step in moving forward to implement the Yolo Habitat Conservation Plan, a plan first introduced in the 1990s that works to conserve endangered habitats and species in Yolo County.

Reynolds talked about the initial process for developing and coming up with the bill, which has been in the works for a while.

“Several years ago I talked with the Yolo Habitat Conservancy [...] they actually approached me about possibly putting a habitat [...] on some of the cities properties that the city owns along the South Fork of Putah Creek and [..] so at that time I kind of tried to work with the state on that, but given the language that was in Proposition 70 it basically prevented us from doing that, and so I kind of put it aside because we couldn’t do [it],” Reynolds said.

“They basically said we couldn’t put a habitat easement unless we had an active legislature and so I said ‘well that’s kind of a lot, I’m going to put that aside

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for now.’”

Reynolds explained the long term goals for the bill as well as the Yolo Habitat Conservation Plan.

“Primarily what I try to do is [...] slowly try to conserve farmland, you know working with farmers around the city to put conservation easements on their property [...] Some of my goals there are trying to acquire more land along the south fork of Putah creek to make it more of a habitat and public access area and to protect more farmland around the city,” Reynolds said.

She also encouraged community members who were passionate about the cause to get involved through volunteer work and supporting the city’s open space program as well as Measure O, which is a parcel tax devoted to habitat restoration.

The capital building stands tall as people bustle around taking photos, exploring a major landmark of Sacramento. (Shanna Punzalan / Aggie)

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2023 | 5

OPINION Extend humanity to peers in light of IsraelPalestine conflict Amid recent world events, we urge the UC Davis community to balance action with empathy WRITTEN B Y T HE EDITO R I A L B OA R D Content warning: This article contains discussions of violence and hateful speech, including islamophobia and antisemitism.

The Israel-Palestine conflict has been ongoing for decades, with some arguing that its roots stem from far earlier. Violence in the area has affected civilians for as long as the conflict has been occurring. Recently, an attack on Israel by Hamas, a political and military organization governing the Palestinian territories in the Gaza Strip, prompted a worldwide reaction and an upwelling of resistance on both sides of the conflict.

Tensions overseas have increased polarization in the United States as well, and in some cases have led to a rise in both Islamophobia and antisemitism. This has resulted in an unsafe environment for many across the U.S. Last week, a six-year-old Palestinian-American boy was fatally stabbed in Chicago, with the assailant also seriously wounding his mother.

Authorities determined that the attack was a direct result of the mother and son being Muslim. The FBI and police departments across the country are also boosting security as a precautionary measure amidst concern over increased threats of violence against Jewish and Muslim people.

This uneasy atmosphere has

localized onto our campus. UC Davis has a recorded string of recent antisemitic hate crimes and in a sincedeleted post on X, a UC Davis faculty member encouraged violence against “zionist journalists,” stating that “they have houses [with] addresses, kids in school” and “they can fear their bosses, but they should fear us more.” At a recent ASUCD Senate meeting, there were reports of heightened tension, with community members choosing to go off the record during the public comment portion of the meeting. According to External Affairs Vice President Celene Aridin, the administration also called for “higher security measures” because of Students for Justice in Palestine’s attendance at the meeting.

It is completely understandable that students feel passionately about this topic. The events of the past few weeks, as well as the long and complex history between Israel and Palestine, have been triggering and horrifying for those who have ties to the region, and even for those who don’t. The Editorial Board acknowledges how deeply these events affect members of our community and beyond.

That being said, it is absolutely critical that those who wish to protest, mourn or otherwise express their opinions about recent events be able to do so in a safe manner. As students, we are in the unique position of having access to a wide range of sources on historical context, as well as the personal experiences of a diverse campus. In order to foster a safe space for all who

are processing the deep-rooted events of the past few weeks, it is imperative that we extend humanity to each other and support our community through mourning — no matter our views.

At this stage in history, the world is deeply and intimately intertwined. It is not an option to turn a blind eye to crises simply because they are not taking place on our doorstep. The U.S. government has a long history of providing funding for Israel’s defense programs. According to the U.S. Department of State, Israel has received $3.4 billion in funding for missile defense from the U.S. since 2009. Even those of us physically removed from the conflict are involved via our governing bodies, whether we agree with it or not.

The Editorial Board encourages everyone to actively listen to those who feel most directly affected by this violence. Practice critical media consumption and don’t be afraid to change your opinion or adopt a more nuanced approach as more information develops.

The Editorial Board believes that violence against civilians is never something to be celebrated. No matter the ends, there must always be the utmost degree of respect and care given to innocent casualties who, like many of us, are likely to have complicated, nuanced thoughts and feelings. We encourage students feeling affected by developments from this issue to seek support via on-campus resources or community support systems.

The 2023 U.N. Climate Change Convention sparks controversy How an African-led carbon tax could slow the effects of climate change AGGIE FILE

HUMOR

An open letter to nonclickable PDFs Nought is worth this suffering, I declareth!

BY ANNABEL MARSHALL almarshall@ucdavis.edu

B Y MAYA KO R NYEYEVA m korny ey eva @ ucdav i s. e d u Every year, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP) is held with the goal of bringing together world leaders and reassessing the most necessary path of climate action. An individual is designated as the President-Designate each year – a leader that ensures rules are being followed and, most importantly, stirs pro-climate initiative sentiments amongst the gathered.

This year, in a surprising announcement from the United Arab Emirates in Dubai, the PresidentDesignate of COP28 is none other than Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, the chief executive of the national gas and oil company of Abu Dahbi. While this decision shocked many climate activists around the world, I was not as taken aback.

It has been quite obvious for some time that the world’s future is held in the hands of the fossil fuel industry.

Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, our technology, transportation and trade have been dramatically transformed by the presence of fossil fuels, mined directly from the Earth and used in an astonishing number of ways. While sending us a leap into the future, coal,

READ MORE Scan to read our editorial for last minute Halloween costume ideas

gas and oil mining have resulted in pollution of the atmosphere, the release of toxic chemicals and the creation of plastic — and thus the problem of plastic contamination of virtually every corner of our planet.

According to a study of 180 countries by Climate Central, a U.S.based research organization, 98 percent of the global population was exposed to higher temperatures this year that were made twice more likely due to carbon dioxide pollution. On top of this, the rise of carbon in the

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atmosphere due to human influence is indisputable, as yearly data from the Mauna Kea observatory, beginning in 1957, has resulted in a “keeling curve:” a dramatic upward trend of atmospheric CO2 content.

Naturally, the answer to climate change and increased carbon emissions is to cut back significantly on fossil fuel usage and transform our means of production into a more sustainable one. This can be done both by slowly removing pollution from our air and our water and through the creation and widespread usage of “green” technology.

Sultan Al Jaber’s nomination is a telling example of the global attitude towards the overconsumption of fossil fuels; while the 50-year-old CEO pledged billions of dollars towards renewable energy, he also leads an oil company that currently pumps four million barrels of crude oil a day, with hopes to expand. How can an individual

lead global climate action in a direction away from fossil fuels, while having personal interest in maintaining crude oil mining for company profit?

That being said, last month leaders in Africa put forth an intriguing solution to the fossil fuel problem — dubbed the “carbon tax” — which has the potential to incentivize countries to cut back on carbon emissions and create a pool of funding for the creation of green tech and environmental protection for those most severely impacted by the effects of global warming.

While this concept is not a new one, Africa is pushing for the implementation of such a global taxation system to finally start spinning the wheels in the right direction in terms of fighting climate change.

I believe that the carbon tax may be one of the most secure ways to encourage the phasing out of gas, oil and coal, as it will make any product or service derived from fossil fuels more expensive to produce and purchase. However, done inexpertly, a universal carbon tax can significantly increase costs for low-income families and slow the chugging of our economy.

Without any strong global organization to police the correct implementation of the carbon tax, it is each individual country that must take this big step forward towards lowering global temperatures and ultimately saving our planet from the agonizing deterioration of our environment. As we draw closer to the start of COP28, I am skeptical that this conference will turn out better than any of the previous ones have been. Yet, I cannot help but hope that finally, after 28 years, 2023 will be a year of positive change.

Good day to thee. I, weary traveler from the ancient lands, arriveth here in search of the one who could save all ye, who might rescue the very universe from a deadly curse which threatens to envelop her into leperous arms. I have only weeks to find the chosen one, he who heralds thy hope and safeguards the past. Alas, I am sidetracked by those non-clickable PDFs. Thou knows the ones. Thou hast to download ‘em, yet the first time thou click it it seems like it hath not downloaded so thou click it again and then thou hast two copies. And then thou try to fill it out, yet thou cannot click directly upon the PDF because it says to thou, thou hast to be an owner of Adobe Premiere Pro in order to edit, yet thee lack Adobe Premiere Pro because who thou, the King? Whom among us lets monthly money leave their pouch to purchase the services of Adobe Premiere Pro? And so thou try to sign up for a costless trial and apparently thou didst that last time so thou use a different internet mailing address and then a third and then thou Googlest “sign pdf free online” and click the first thing that shows up and download that, which taketh about four minutes.

And then thou hast done it, thou’ve finally filled out the form and gotten all’s signed and thou cannot figure out how to save it. I simply require to give the PDF through electronic mail, but the PDF desires of me to print it. I never crave to print it. In truth, at this point even thinking of approaching the machine of printing causes me feelings of illness.

And what earthly purpose does this serve? Thou hast no proof that it is even me! You do not! I have spelled my own name wrong (in defense of myself, school does not go past the age of eight in the land from whence I traveled.)

That could have been anyone! And I lied

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about the time. It was not four o’clock past noon! T’was two hours and seven minutes past midnight! Judge me, I dare thee.

I was compelled last fortnight to send one to my apothecary. I was required to send four to my establishment of work (I serve in the prestigious restaurant of Sir MacDonald.) And I must scribe one for my landlord, swearing to not shower for more than two minutes each day, lest the pipes explode. Personally, this last one I cannot fathom, what man would suffer to shower more than one per month?

Isn’t the Spirit of the Knowledge which ye have harvested for thy computer supposed to compose thy life easier? Back in mine day we simply drew a cross to underwrite. Or better yet, I would say to mine friend, “Hello brother, doth thou warrant you’ll grant me a pound of that horse you’ve slaughtered?” and he’d say, “Yes, brother.” And that had been it. Is that so strange?

Since the first dawn, man has yearned to make his eternal mark upon the face of the Earth. Lo, how far we have fallen from the stature of kings, engraving thy names upon the mountains, to this horrid life of plain misery. If ye read this, know that the generous sir MacDonald has consented to decrease his prices by ten percent on this Saturn’s Day. Fare thee well.

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

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.

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6 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2023

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Senate deliberates on a bill to establish the Equitable Parking Initiative at Oct. 19 meeting A member of the public also discussed a concern with a Unitrans route and several commissioners and committee members were confirmed B Y L ILY FR EEMA N campus@ th e ag g i e . or g

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Vice President Aarushi Raghunathan called the Oct. 19 Senate meeting to order at 6:16 p.m.

After roll call, she read the UC Davis Land Acknowledgement.

Next, several commissioners were confirmed for the Gender and Sexuality Commission. Several committee members were then confirmed for the Aggie Arts Committee, the Undocuscholars Advocacy and Aid Committee and the Aggie Mentorship Committee.

The Senate moved into public comments following these confirmations. There was only one public comment which came from Senator Jacob Klein.

“One of the things we’ve been doing in our tabling is having a suggestion box,” Klein said. “This suggestion box has little comments that people have submitted anonymously […] There are two comments that were submitted this week, the first one saying that the ASUCD sucks and the second one saying that the elections website also sucks.”

Public comments can be submitted through a form found on the ASUCD legislative branch website before 6:10 p.m. every Thursday to be read out loud during the Senate meeting.

Next, the Senate took a break, and discussed the status of previous legislation once they resumed. This is legislation that has already been passed and signed, but requires further discussion due to updates regarding a bill.

SB #5, for example, which created the ASUCD 530 Market Committee as a special committee of the ASUCD Senate, needed discussion to decide on the adopted senators for this committee. Senators Chasa Monica and Binh Do adopted the committee.

Next, members of the Senate moved to consider old legislation.

SB #2, which updates the general outreach requirement to require that voting members of the ASUCD Senate complete 10 additional hours of tabling per quarter, passed unanimously.

SB #6, which clarifies the process of ratifying Memorandums of Understanding and other legally binding agreements, passed unanimously.

SB #8, which establishes the Equitable Parking Initiative by allocating around $10,000 for parking subsidies and the Equitable Parking Oversight Committee (EPOC), was heavily discussed.

According to the original text of the bill, SB #8 would potentially create both the Parking Subsidization Program for Financially Disadvantaged Students and the Parking Citation Forgiveness Grant. The first program would create an application based system which chooses low income students who also park on campus frequently, and subsidizes their quarterly on-campus parking costs.

The second program would create a grant that would forgive parking tickets for students who received “outstanding parking citations” and who owe a large amount of debt.

“The goal of this [bill] is to get some type of program by the university to squeeze room out of the budget to support five hundreds of thousands

of students,” Senator Gaius Ilupeju, the author of SB #8, said. “That is the long-term goal.”

The bill would commence with a pilot program, which would test the plans outlined by the bill for 10 weeks (equivalent to a quarter-long period) and collect data to determine the success of these programs. At the Senate meeting, there was discourse regarding when the timeline of this pilot program would start.

The original text of the bill suggested starting the pilot program during week seven of fall quarter 2023 and running the 10-week program through winter break and the first couple of weeks of winter quarter 2024. However, some senators argued for different timelines.

Senator Dani Antonio originally argued that the program should only run from week seven to week ten of fall quarter 2023. With this, she suggested increasing the number of students included in the program within this hypothetical shorter time frame.

“If we’re treating this as an experiment and a hypothesis, it would be better to increase the scope of students and see how that helps,” Antonio said.

Other senators argued that the pilot program should start during week one of winter quarter 2023 and run through the end of the quarter.

“It would be most impactful to do

it during a true 10-week quarter, where your classes and work schedules are all able to be measured properly and not with the [winter break],” ASUCD Controller Allyson Francisco said.

External Affairs Vice President Celene Aridin agreed and said that running the pilot program through winter quarter 2024 would mean that she can present the data during spring quarter 2024.

After about an hour of discussion, the Senate moved into an unmoderated caucus to deliberate on SB #8 on a more discussion-based level. Once they moved out of this caucus, they resumed debating the text of the bill.

“I have been going back and forth about [timeline of the pilot program], but what I keep coming back to is that the need is now,” Ilupeju said. “Students need this and we could do multiple things at once.

We could help students now, we could gather data [and] we could come up with a long-term plan.”

After more discussion regarding SB#8 and no consensus having been reached about various aspects of the bill, Raghunathan suggested tabling it until the next meeting.

“I can see that [the Senate table] is tired and I can hear that [the Senate table] is tired,” Raghunathan said. “This isn’t like 10 cents, this is $10,000 […]. If we’re just going to

pass it like that cause we’re tired, I really think we need to think about this. This isn’t a complete bill. It is very well thought out, but we’re arguing, we’re coming [up] with a new idea every 10 seconds. I really think that we should table this. This is students’ tuition, and we’re going to throw it away because we’re tired?”

After some more debate regarding the bill, the Senate table moved to table SB #8 until next week’s meeting.

The Senate moved into an open forum.

Jacob Hill, a fourth-year anthropology major, voiced a concern to the Senate. The Senate gave him a round of applause, as he had waited for two hours to speak.

Hill’s complaint was Unitransrelated, where he discussed a matter regarding both the A and Z bus lines.

He argued that the A bus line route being changed from the Silo to the MU has had “disastrous consequences.”

“This is a dramaticized way of saying that the A fucking sucks,” Hill said. “A and Z are essentially the same route. It’s really the students that choose whether they want to go to the MU or the Silo.”

Hill explained that the A bus is never on time, whereas the Z bus is always on time. Because each bus goes essentially the same route, however, one of them is notoriously always late, Hill said that there is no reason to take the A bus, highlighting a flaw in the Unitrans route system.

Several senators said that they would work with Hill on this issue.

Senator Gabriel Gaysinksky then spoke on the Israel-Palestine conflict.

“I wanted to point out very quickly that both Muslim and Jewish students are very scared right now,” Gaysinsky said. “While we can’t come up with a resolution or statement that will please everybody, we do need to keep in mind that there was the recent stabbing of a Palestinian child in Illinois [and] there have been Jews assaulted on multiple college campuses. We need to make sure that we’re listening to our students, and I think the town hall will be a really good place to do that.”

Following open forum, Raghunathan adjourned the meeting at 10:49 p.m.

A Davis community member arranges candles in the shape of a heart at a vigil on Oct. 17 in honor of those killed in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

(Jersain Medina / Aggie)

Israeli flags hang near Central Park as Davis community members gather for a vigil on Oct. 19. (Jersain Medina / Aggie)

Davis community members gather to remember victims of Hamas attacks in Israel/Gaza. (Jersain Medina / Aggie)

Students listen to speeches made by members of Students for Justice in Palestine at UC Davis at a rally on Oct. 19. (Jersain Medina / Aggie)

UC Davis students hold signs and wear Palestinian flags at an on-campus rally on Oct. 19 in support of Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip and surrounding area. (Jersain Medina / Aggie)

A student held protest for Palestine near the Memorial Union at UC Davis.

(Jersain Medina / Aggie)

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

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.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2023 | 7

Answer to previous puzzle 10/19/23

reduce. reuse. recycle.

The aggie Crossword

Answer to previous puzzle 10/19/23

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2023 | 8

SPORTS WOMEN’S SOCCER

Davis’ women’s soccer pulls out a win against the Unviersity of Hawai’i at Manoa Aggies move to fourth place in the Big West league B Y MEGAN JO S EP H sp orts @ th e ag g i e . or g With a full energetic stadium, the Aggies took on the University of Hawai’i at Manoa Rainbow Warriors.

Coming from far away, the Rainbow Warriors came ready to play and tried to dominate the Aggies on their own field, but they were no match for the Aggie’s offense and defense.

Starting the game off strong, the Aggies took as many shots as they could that eventually led to a goal. In the 23rd minute of the game, thirdyear Risa Yamada passed the ball to teammate and third-year Sam Tristan who then shot the ball into the back of the net. This goal marked Tritan’s fifth goal of the season and was just the start of the Aggie’s outstanding performance against the Rainbow Warriors.

Not even a minute after the first goal of the game, fourth-year Leslie Fregoso got her chance when she broke away from the opposing

KELLY GUAN / AGGIE

Women’s soccer team secures victory in an intense battle against Hawaii. (Jersain Medina / Aggie) defense and took a brilliant corner shot that no goalie could stop. Fregoso has had a strong start to her season — only a few weeks ago, she was named UC Davis’ leading goal scorer of all time in the Division I period.

With such an award, Fregoso definitely lived up to the expectations in this game with her distribution of the ball and goal. Although the soccer season ends in almost a month,

Fregoso still has plenty of games left to break more records and score more goals.

The first half of the game ended with the Aggies holding their lead 2-0. Throughout the first half of the game, the Aggies held control of the ball and took the most shots at the Rainbow Warrior’s goal. The Rainbow Warrior’s goalie, Kennedy Justin, blocked a majority of the Aggie’s shots

but that did not stop the Aggies from taking ten shots on goal and sneaking a couple of goals in.

The second half of the game proved to be a little more challenging for the Aggies with the Rainbow Warrior’s newfound confidence and comeback. In the 50th minute of the game, the Rainbow Warriors found their opening in the Davis defense and shot the ball into the net.

The Aggies definitely started to feel the stress after the Rainbow Warrior’s goal but did not let it stop them. Only about a minute after the opposing goal, the Aggies counterattacked with their own goal which would be the final Davis goal of the game. Fregoso, using her footwork, set the ball up for Yamada to nail the ball into the back of the Rainbow Warrior’s net.

The entire stadium broke out in cheers for the duo and their incredible teamwork. Both players did a good job of staying calm and focused on finding their offensive breakaway to the goal.

The Rainbow Warriors made one final attempt at stopping the Aggies from pulling out their sixth win of the season. In the 54th minute of the game, following both of the recent goals, the Rainbow Warriors received a penalty kick from a foul in the box.

Rainbow Warrior Mia Foster took the penalty kick for her team and narrowly hit the ball into the top left corner away from the Aggie goalie, third-year Caeley Goldstein. Goldstein played very well all game while not letting the ball past her into the Aggie goal.

Although two Aggies received yellow cards during the second half of the game by Fregoso and secondyear Livi Lewis, the Aggies were still unstoppable and beat the Rainbow Warriors with a final score of 3-2. This game is just one of many wins the Aggies are likely to have in store for the remainder of the season.

WOMEN’S TENNIS

UC Davis women’s tennis takes on the West Coast’s best in Intercollegiate Tennis Associations Regionals Davis competed against 18 other schools for Northwest Regional victory B Y MEGAN JO S EP H sp orts @ th e ag g i e . or g Competing in the bay, the UC Davis women’s tennis team drove two hours down to Stanford University for the Intercollegiate Tennis Associations (ITA) regionals. The competition saw schools from all over the west coast come and compete for first place and the title of Northwest Regional Champion.

Prior to regionals, the Davis team has done relatively well throughout their season in local competitions.

Regionals being the largest event the team has competed in all season, there was a much harder competition the team had not faced prior.

The competition, consisting of 64 doubles teams and 128 singles, was no easy task for the Aggies. Starting off strong, fourth-year team mebers Carly Schwartzberg and Michelle Zell advanced out of their first round match in doubles. Schwartzberg and Zell passed through the first round with an 8-4 win.

In the next set of matches however, the women put up a tremendous effort, but it wasn’t enough to get them through to the next round.

With the next competition being the Saint Mary’s Invitational, the pair are looking to have a rematch with some of the teams they played in regionals.

As seniors, Schwartzberg and Zell have had a lot of success playing together. The duo has only been teamed up together since the 20222023 season and it has been nonstop ever since. Last year, Schwartzberg and Zell played a total of 18 matches together where they won 10 out of the 18 matches. The close teammates dominated their conference with a 5-1 record and even had a five consecutive game winning streak making them one of the strongest Davis doubles teams. Together, Schwartzberg and Zell are unstoppable and still have a lot of fight left in them for the rest of the season.

Another Davis doubles team, third-year Daisy Maunupau and fourth-year Olive Maunupau put up

a good fight against the 25th-ranked doubles team in the nation from Washington State University, Eva Alvarez and Elyse Tse. The Maunupau duo had an excellent game where they went into a 12-point tiebreaker set.

By only slightly losing to such a highranked team, the Maunupau duo did very well.

In the singles round of the competition, third-year Ariana Stavropoulos showed her skills on the court and advanced out of the singles first round. She has had a good season so far with her fast reflexes and ability to serve aces against opposing players.

Even though she was knocked out in the second singles round of 64, she played expertly against Sacramento State’s very own Mayya Gorbunova and lost by a small margin.

Overall, the Aggies did have the outcome they wanted, but they still put up a very good fight and are looking forward to future competition where they can dominate the courts.

KELLIE LU / AGGIE

UC Davis Climbing Club brings students together to find joy and passion in the unique sport The club welcomes students of all skill levels to socialize and stay active

BY LYNN CHE N fe atu re s@ the aggi e . org On campus, clubs and extracurricular organizations can fulfill a variety of passions and hobbies. For rock climbing lovers, they can find this in the UC Davis Climbing Club.

Members of the club practice both indoor and outdoor rock climbing.

When they’re not training or hosting social events, Climbing Club members can also enter competitions to put their speed, strength, flexibility and technique to the test.

In addition to seasoned rock climbers, the club also welcomes beginners who have no prior experience with the sport and encourages them to learn alongside long-time members. These members act as coaches, providing instruction and advice to newcomers.

Typically, the club meets up three times a week to train at a climbing gym in Sacramento called The Boulder Field. Members of the club also enjoy the opportunity to practice outdoor climbing several times throughout the quarter — including places such as Bishop, Lake Tahoe or Castle Rock in the Bay Area.

During usual indoor training sessions, members primarily practice a form of the sport called “bouldering.”

This is where climbing is done close to the ground, and ropes and harnesses are replaced by soft crash pads, used as safeguards for falling. Club members also familiarize themselves with different techniques to become more proficient climbers.

“There’s a strength threshold [involved in climbing],” Ethan Pang, Climbing Club co-coach and a third-year neurology, physiology and

The UC Davis climbing club offers social events and competitions for beginner and advanced climbers. (Courtesy / UC Davis Climbing Club) behavior major, said. “But you’re also learning all these different tricks and skills that don’t necessarily require a ton of strength once you [have] good technique.”

Hollis Allen, president of the Climbing Club and a thirdyear environmental science and management major, emphasized the importance of footwork as a technique as well.

The sport requires a lot more than upper-body strength and mobility alone, according to Allen. The way you engage your feet and legs is just as crucial.

“People when they start, they don’t think about intricacies like, ‘Where am I going to put my foot? How am I going to stand on this thing?’” Allen noted. “It’s about teaching people to use their feet and different parts of their body in ways that they haven’t really thought of.”

Each climb is considered a “problem” that needs to be “solved” over time, according to Pang. While figuring out how to navigate holds — shaped protrusions on climbing walls for people to grip — and achieve mastery over a specific wall, climbers grow mentally in the process.

Especially for people who are new to climbing, thinking out of the box and persisting is integral to becoming a skilled climber. Additionally, being strategic when approaching a climb is integral to being successful at completing it.

As a person’s energy is limited, they need to use the most efficient methods to complete a climb. Thus, the correct movements and tricks utilized during the process could make a substantial difference.

David Kuklin, a fourth-year communications major and general

member of the club spoke on this statement further. “[Understanding] how to go about a climb [beforehand] could be night and day for being able to do it and not do it,” Kuklin said. “I always say [climbing] is like chess in that you have to set your [moves] up so that it’s not necessarily that you can do the next step, but that you can do the next, next one.”

This process itself requires a lot of trial and error, and often climbers will have to give up on certain climbs repeatedly because of a particularly difficult section of the wall.

“It does feel bad,” Kuklin admitted.

“It’s like, I wish I had thought of [the solution] ahead of time.”

Furthermore, Allen describes the disappointment and discouragement that beginners feel when attempting a new climb.

“Frequently, [when] new people will try something new, they’ll be like, ‘Oh, this is impossible, I can’t do it,’” Allen said. In response to this type of reaction, Allen encourages people to be resourceful and think of overcoming the problem through more creative approaches, such as engaging more parts of the body and using every part of the wall to your advantage.

Additionally, climbing is more social than people may realize, particularly for the UC Davis Climbing Club.

“Everyone [here] is very friendly, no matter what skill level you are,” Pang said. “I think a lot of people either initially started climbing or continue to climb because of the social aspect [to the sport].”

Walls associated with different difficulty levels of the sport are often connected, allowing people of all abilities to have more opportunities to mingle and connect with each other at the climbing gym. “[Climbing] is pretty unique compared to other sports in that all skill levels can climb together,” Pang said.

Even though Kuklin is a relatively new member of the club, he also stated how he was looking forward to the social opportunities the club might offer him.

“I feel like as I explore [the club] more, I’ll have the opportunity to deepen some of the connections that [I’ve] already made,” he said.

In many ways, climbing pushes people to become better versions of themselves, whether that’s physically, mentally or socially.

“While climbing [has a very] tightknit community, it’s primarily just a singular activity,” Allen said. “It’s a good way for me to grow as a person.”