January 9 2020

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VOLUME 138, ISSUE 11 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020

THEAGGIE.ORG

STUDENT SERVICES AND JOBS THREATENED UNLESS STUDENTS VOTE TO PASS ASUCD FEE REFERENDUM

KAT HERIN E F RA N KS / AG GIE

Proposed fee would be $34 per quarter, the first increase to fee since 1979

BY CLAIRE DO DD & RE B E CCA B IH N-WALLACE campus@theaggie.org Facing a roughly $500,000 deficit, the Associated Students of the University of California, Davis (ASUCD), is proposing the first increase to its student base fee in more than 40 years. According to ASUCD Controller Kevin Rotenkolber, who supports the proposed base fee increase, this deficit is due to many years of “mismanagement at the very top of the Association from previous executive teams” and “forces beyond the control [of ] anyone within the Association.”

ASUCD officials hope that the Basic Needs and Services Referendum, the name of the vote to increase the base fee which is set for the ballot this winter, will help solve the budget crisis. The current base fee — a quarterly rate that students pay to support the organization — sits at $8 per quarter, or $24 per year, unchanged since 1979.

Before that, it was $7 per quarter, changing minimally since the organization’s inception in 1915.

According to projections, the referendum would raise the 2020–21 base fee from $8 to $34 per quarter, then increase by roughly $8 each subsequent year after in an attempt to sustain the many functions of ASUCD. Among other things, the referendum would finance The Pantry, the Mental Health Initiative (MHI), Housing Advising for Undergraduate Students (HAUS) and many other student-led organizations. It would also ideally account for other ASUCD-provided events, services and programs.

Rotenkolber explained in a 2020 financial report the challenges the association faces as well as potential solutions. The document describes the “financial freefall” ASUCD has experienced in recent years, and concludes with an in-depth look at the Basic Needs and Services Referendum.

He said that one of the biggest obstacles that hinders the success of the Basic Needs and Services Referendum is voter apathy, demonstrated by the historically low voter turnout in previous elections. For the referendum to pass successfully, two different thresholds must be met: At least 20% of the undergraduate student body must vote and 60% of voters must vote “yes.” ASUCD hopes that the voter turnout will be comparable to last year’s Unitrans Referendum, when around 10,000 undergraduates voted “yes.”

By comparison, in the past 100-plus years, the minimum wage in California has been adjusted 31 times due to rising living costs. This has put a significant strain on the association, which employs approximately 1,200 students. While costs continue to soar, the ASUCD base fee has remained stagnant, largely contributing to the deficit.

It is also notably the lowest student government base fee as compared to other UC campuses — UC Berkeley students, for example, pay $112 annually, while UC Santa Barbara students pay $630.

The upcoming ASUCD fee referendum will determine ASUCD’s future and the ability for its units to continue to function. (Kevin Rotenkolber / Courtesy)

FEEREFERENDUM on 10

SPRING COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS INCLUDE CA SURGEON GENERAL, COLLEGE DISTRICT CHANCELLOR, NASA ASTRONAUT

Distinguished alumni announced as speakers

Confetti falls on graduating students during commencement from a previous year. UC Davis has announced the three commencement speakers for this upcoming Spring. (UC Davis / Courtesy)

BY G RASC HEL L E FAR I ÑAS H IPO L I TO campus@theaggie.org Among the many distinguished UC Davis alumni, three were announced as speakers for the campus’ undergraduate commencements in June.

Nadine Burke Harris, California’s first surgeon general; Francisco Rodriguez, chancellor of the

Los Angeles Community College District and Tracy Caldwell Dyson, a NASA astronaut, will speak to the thousands of graduates and guests at the UC Davis Health Stadium on June 12, 13 and 14 respectively.

Traditionally, seven commencement ceremonies were held each year at UC Davis: three for the College of Letters and Science, two for the College of Agricultural and Environmental

Sciences, one each for the College of Biological Sciences and for the College of Engineering. The seven commencements have been condensed into three – with the distinguished speakers each speaking at one – and majors from each of the four colleges will be represented at each of the ceremonies.

The selection and invitation of these prominent speakers are among the university’s changes to spring undergraduate commencement announced in April to celebrate UC Davis as a whole as a leading public university.

“A committee of students, faculty and staff made recommendations to the chancellor based on the suggestions that came from a variety of sources,” said Julia Ann Easley, a news and media relations specialist for UC Davis. “The chancellor then made a final decision based on the top recommendations.”

The selected speakers have made strides in the fields of public health, education and engineering.

Burke Harris earned her medical degree from UC Davis in 2001 and was appointed Surgeon General of California in Jan. 2019 by Governor Gavin Newsom. As a clinician, researcher and author, Burke Harris advocates for educating people on how Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, negatively impact patients’ health. In 2018, she released her first book The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity.

GRADSPEAKERS on 10

DAVIS POLICE DEPARTMENT WEIGHS POSSIBILITY OF PUBLIC SECURITY CAMERAS, PLATE READERS TO COMBAT THEFT

Police are considering installing surveillance equipment around city to ward off future property crimes

BY TI M LALONDE city@theaggie.org The Davis Police Department said it is considering installing security cameras and license plate readers in public areas around the city in response to a recent uptick in property crimes.

Police Chief Darren Pytel introduced the possibility of public security cameras in a City Council meeting on Dec. 3. He began by outlining crime statistics in the city over the past five years, noting that crime levels in Davis have remained relatively stable. Reported violent crimes in the city — including aggravated assault, homicide and rape — have decreased over the five year period, according to Pytel.

Certain property crimes, such as larceny and theft, show a minor increase in the statistics, however.

“We have seen an increase in theft or larceny in the past year,” Pytel said. “We’ve been trying to figure that out [and] study it more.”

Particularly concerning, Pytel said, was the series of armed robberies that occurred in Davis during fall 2019.

“The series we’ve had recently is different,” Pytel said. “We haven’t had carjackings in over five years, and just over the past month or so we’ve had two — and they’ve been involving armed suspects, and our UC students have been the victims.”

Pytel said that some arrests had been made in connection with the robberies, and investigations are ongoing. Some of the crimes have been connected to “renewed gang activity” and violent crime centered around Woodland and West Sacramento, according to Pytel.

Pytel also pointed to the string of “very brazen” laptop robberies in downtown coffee shops that occurred in late 2018 and early 2019. The Davis Enterprise reported a recent strong-arm laptop theft at Philz Coffee on Dec. 29, 2019.

The Davis PD put forward two proposals to the council for increased crime prevention.

First, Pytel suggested that the police enroll in an online crime-mapping and data analysis tool called Accurint Virtual Crime Center, which would allow Davis police to share crime data with other law enforcement in the Greater Sacramento region.

The second proposal was a “Remote Public Safety Camera System” (RPSCS), a series of surveillance cameras placed in public parking lots and potentially some roadways and intersections that police hope will act as a crime deterrent and a tool to assist investigations. Davis already has two such cameras, according to a staff report, but with some technological limitations.

“The two existing cameras can be used for relatively short periods of time because of their limited storage and power capacity; they are not designed for long-term use at a single location,” the report read.

Pytel said that the cameras could help compensate for what he believed was an understaffed local police department. He acknowledged the city’s budgetary concerns and said that the RPSCS offered a less expensive alternative to hiring more police officers.

“I’m not here asking for more cops tonight,” Pytel said. “But I do think that some of the conversations with the Remote Public Safety Camera system have to include that this is a new, emerging way to use technology to increase our eyes in the sky and to monitor areas where we simply don’t have the personnel to do it.”

The RPSCS does not include face

DAVISSURVEILLANCE on 10

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THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

2 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020

STUDENTS STILL WITHOUT PAY AT END OF FALL QUARTER UCPath payroll issues may continue as two more campuses added to system in December

BY ALLY RUSSELL campus@theaggie.org

Workers from Coffee House walk out from their shifts on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019 in protest of pay issues resulting from the transition to the UC Path payroll system. . (Photo by Quinn Spooner / Aggie)

Despite student protests and large-scale backlash, as many as 50 students had not received paychecks for the entirety or part of Fall Quarter by the time the term ended. Although campus leadership assured that students’ paychecks were coming, no official date was released for the arrival of these paychecks before the quarter ended.

According to recent accounts, all payment issues have been addressed by now.

In addition to issues regarding delayed and incorrect paychecks, UCPath’s employment processing freeze that lasted until Oct. 28 has also had negative impacts across campus. Jeff Flynn, the Unitrans general manager, commented on how the shortcomings of UCPath impacted both student employees and riders during Fall Quarter. Due to the hiring freeze, Unitrans failed to hire new drivers for Winter Quarter in a timely manner. As a result, student employees and riders are expected to bear the brunt of UCPath’s failings in the upcoming quarter.

“Unitrans had hoped to introduce additional Winter Quarter capacity buses — when two buses operate together on one line at the same time — to help reduce pass ups, improve arrival times to campus and reduce crowding when ridership is highest,” Flynn said. “Unfortunately, the class of approximately 20 drivers that we tried to hire

in the last week of August was delayed until the middle of Fall Quarter due to the transition.”

Because of this, drivers will not complete mandatory training before the start of the Winter Quarter. Students should expect increased delays, overcrowding and additional pass-ups going into Winter Quarter.

In addition to impacting Unitrans riders, currently 20 Unitrans student employees have not received paychecks for one or more pay periods during Fall Quarter, according to Flynn.

More than a month after UC Davis released a statement on Nov. 7 expressing dismay at some students not receiving paychecks, some students continued to experience ongoing issues. This statement, which came on the heels of a student-employee walkout, said, “we are dismayed that some of our student employees have not received their pay in a timely manner and agree this is unacceptable. Chancellor May has directed that all student employees be paid what is owed them immediately.”

In a letter to the editor, Christine Lovely, the associate vice chancellor of human resources and Matt Okomoto, university controller, offered a differing opinion.

“Payroll wasn’t perfect before UCPath and despite our best efforts, pay errors will continue to occur,” Lovely and Okomato said.

UCPATH on 11

SUMMER ORIENTATION IS OUT IN FAVOR OF RESTRUCTURED WELCOME WEEK Incoming students to attend new, five-day program before start of 2020 Fall Quarter

BY JANELLE MARIE SALANGA campus@theaggie.org

Students ride their bikes along the Tercero housing area on Dec. 7, 2019. Changes have been made to future orientations at UC Davis. (Photo by Justin Han / Aggie)

UC DAVIS ABORTION REVERSAL STUDY HALTED AFTER THREE WOMEN SUFFERED ADVERSE EFFECTS

First clinically sound abortion reversal study only enrolled 12 of 40 patients; three women went to emergency room

UC Davis will adjust the way new student orientation is conducted on campus starting in 2020, according to the UC Davis website.

Approximately 9,300 incoming freshmen and transfer students will attend a single, five-day program immediately before the start of instruction rather than attend one of numerous threeday sessions over the summer.

Orientation will be held from Sept. 25 to Sept. 29, and the first day of instruction is set for Sept. 30.

Under this design, students will move in prior to their orientation, on Sept. 23 and Sept. 24.

According to the UC Davis website, “specific logistics are still being worked out.”

“Part of the idea here [...] is to give students the opportunity to feel like they are a member of [their] class [...], a member of [their] college, start to develop relationships with [their] dormmates if [they] are a first year living in the residence halls, that you don’t really get the opportunity to do in the current program,” said Karl Mohr, as-

sistant executive vice chancellor and chair of the steering committee.

According to the UC Davis Orientation website, incoming freshmen and transfer students “in the fall of 2020 will participate in a new UC Davis Orientation experience, composed of three parts: Aggie 101, Aggie Advising, and Aggie Orientation.”

Aggie 101 is a series of online modules that will give students the opportunity to “learn about UC Davis resources, explore [the] Aggie community, and prepare to arrive on campus,” according to the Orientation website.

Aggie Advising, according to the Orientation website, is a tool that assists students with course schedule planning and registration by giving students access to academic advising.

Previously, students would meet with their designated academic advisor in person to register for classes. Now, under this new format, students’ class registration will be done primarily through online devices like a computer or phone. Students will still be given time to visit their academic adviser during the orientation week.

ORIENTATION on 11

Basic Needs & Services Referendum ASUCD base fee

currently $8 / quarter

UCD

this funds organizations like... asucd

asucd

asucd

COFFEE HOUSE

EST. 2010

PICNIC DAY

THE PANTRY

ASUCD BASE FEE HASN’T CHANGED SINCE 1979 UC Base Fees CURRENT ANNUAL BASE FEES

UC Budgets for ‘20 – ’21

BUDGET SIZE

$15M

$10M

$5M

$0M

UCSC

UCD

UCB

UCI

UCM

UCR

UCSD

UCLA

UCSB

LET’S FIX THIS: $26 / quarter increase new budget

1000+

40%

G E NE SI A T I N G / AG GI E

BY JANELLE MARIE SALANGA campus@theaggie.org A UC Davis Health study run by OB/GYN Dr. Mitchell D. Creinin that attempted to discern the safety of “abortion reversal” treatments ended abruptly in December when three patients experienced serious bleeding that sent them to the hospital. Researchers planned to enroll 40 patients, but only 12 had been enrolled when the study was stopped, according to an NPR report.

The study focused on stopping medication abortions, which can be done up to 10 weeks into a pregnancy. Women take two pills consecutively, and if the second pill — which forces the uterus to push out the pregnancy — is not taken, there is a chance that pregnancy can continue. In the study, which was double-blind, placebo-controlled and randomized, women did not take the second pill.

Though bleeding is normal in a medication abortion, there usually is not a need to head to the emergency room. But Creinin said one woman who went to the hospital needed a transfusion, with others terrified by the amount of blood.

“I feel really horrible that the women had to go through this,” he said.

The study was backed by a grant from the Society of Family Planning and had been registered with the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Though Creinin said he did not necessarily believe the study would not work, he wanted to carry it out for the possibility that it could.

Third-year managerial economics major Karan Brar, who supports the pro-life movement, said the study was important because if such procedures are possible, they give women more choices if they change their mind about abortion.

“We definitely shouldn’t be instituting policies like that if they put women’s health in danger,” Brar said. “That’s counterintuitive to the pro-life movement.”

Brar also added that abortion reversal studies are important scientific contributions.

“Studies like these are important, not specifically for instituting pro-life policies, but allowing us to expand our knowledge of the human body,” he said. “We can understand where the cut-off point is when it comes to abortion.”

ASUCD employees include UCD students on campus

pays student wages

Third-year pharmaceutical chemistry major Molly Mermin, a supporter of the pro-choice movement, said the study “legitimizes the idea that abortions can be reversed, even though the studies show that abortions cannot be reversed safely.”

The abortion reversal procedure came from two studies authored by Dr. George Delgado in 2012 and 2018, where he found that patients who did not take the second drug in the regimen were unable to successfully carry their pregnancies to term. In the most recent study, which followed 547 women, nearly half of them had successful births. Unlike Creinin’s study, both of Delgado’s studies lacked proper sample group sizes and a control group.

This year, five states — Kentucky, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Arkansas and North Dakota — passed legislation mandating that abortion providers present abortion reversal as a legitimate, effective option. The laws have faced contention, as in North Dakota, where such legislation was ruled “devoid of scientific support, misleading, and untrue.”

The study’s results add to the growing body of knowledge about medication abortions, which are becoming increasingly used: In 2017, 39% of abortions were medication abortions. Medication abortions are also coming to the UC Davis campus and all public California universities in 2023.

Mermin said that one benefit of the study — and the laws that have been founded on Delgado’s research — is that it can draw attention to the harm these laws can cause.

“These sorts of laws are providing medical misinformation, and that isn’t always talked about in regards to reproductive rights and laws surrounding abortion,” she said. “Abortion is a safe procedure if done as prescribed legally, but if you tell patients it’s possible to reverse it, you could further harm them.”

Creinin and his colleagues plan to publish their concerns in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology in January.

“Patients in early pregnancy who use only mifepristone may be at high risk of significant hemorrhage,” they wrote.

YES, I APPROVE THE BASIC NEEDS AND SERVICES REFERENDUM:

AGGIE REUSE STORE

asucd

KDVS

maintain current ASUCD operations

CLOSED

expand ASUCD program & services

$ increase student job opportunities

NO, I DO NOT APPROVE THE BASIC NEEDS AND SERVICES REFERENDUM:

fund expansions for ASUCD events & organizations

shorter hours for commercial units BIKE BARN: CLOSED INDEFINITELY

fewer services when you need it

EDITORIN-CHIEF student jobs eliminated and replaced by full-time career staff

VOTE: Feb. 18-21 | elections.ucdavis.edu

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020 | 3

DAVIS CITY COUNCIL APPROVES PLAN, FUNDING FOR DAYTIME RESPITE CENTER

City Council is working jointly with Yolo County Board of Supervisors to fund six months of operation MA RI O R O D R I G UE Z / AGGI E

BY MADELEINE PAYNE city@theaggie.org The Davis City Council voted to move forward with plans for constructing a daytime respite center on Fifth Street during a meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2019. The respite center would be open during the day to provide shower and restroom services, storage facilities and connection to social services.

After receiving a status update from city staff and hearing a number of public comments, the Davis City Council approved initial implemen-

tation steps and allocated up to $300,000 for building and operation costs through June 30, 2020. The council also approved agreements with the Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency and CommuniCare Health Centers to provide staffing for the respite center.

Many of those who spoke during public comments supported building the daytime respite center at the corporate yard on Fifth Street, including volunteers from the Interfaith Rotating Winter Shelter and residents of the nearby Davis Manor neighborhood.

Yet several Davis residents expressed concerns

DAVIS CITY COUNCIL CALLS FOR PG&E TO TRANSFORM INTO CUSTOMEROWNED UTILITY

Devastating wildfires, long-term blackouts caused by PG&E spur Davis representatives to call for its transformation KA IT LY N PA N G / AGGI E

BY EDEN WINNIFORD city@theaggie.org The Davis City Council voted unanimously on Dec. 17, 2019 to approve a resolution supporting the transformation of PG&E into a customer-owned utility. Resolution 2019 lists the city’s frustrations with the company.

“Californians have experienced a dystopia of alternating wildfires and blackouts that have displaced hundreds of thousands of residents, and disrupted the daily lives and livelihoods of millions more,” the resolution read.

In addition, the resolution includes a proposed solution to the perceived inefficiencies of PG&E. “The Davis City Council [...] calls for the

California Public Utilities Commission and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to fully consider a proposal to transform Pacific Gas & Electric into a customer-owned utility,” the resolution read.

The vote was made during the consent calendar portion of the City Council meeting, which consists of a list of noncontroversial matters that require no discussion and are all approved with a singular vote.

In November, Mayor Brett Lee joined a coalition of Northern California mayors supporting PG&E’s transformation from being run by investors into a customer-owned utility by signing a letter to call for change.

“Finally, the customer-owned utility structure would allow PG&E to begin the process of restoring public confidence, in part by allowing

about the location of the pilot project, bringing up issues ranging from the safety of children in the neighborhood to decreasing property values.

Before the Fifth Street corporate yard was selected, the Davis City Council had been considering five potential sites for building the respite center. Councilmembers originally favored the city-owned land under the Dave Pelz bicycle overpass on Second Street for the proposed location but ended up switching the project to the Fifth Street location in early November.

During the City Council meeting on Dec. 17, councilmember Will Arnold stressed that this switch occurred because of the advantages to the Fifth Street location and not due to complaints made by citizens.

“The Dave Pell’s Overcrossing — if it had the infrastructure and location assets that this location had — that’s where we would be doing it, in my opinion,” Arnold said. “It’s not about one neighborhood versus another, it is about existing infrastructure and location — proximity to services, proximity to transport.”

Gloria Partida, the mayor pro tempore, emphasized the urgency of the situation and discussed how building a respite center could mitigate some of the concerns expressed by neighbors.

“We got to the point where now it’s rainy, now it’s cold, and we really want to help these people get out of this situation and this is the place where we can do that the fastest,” Partida said. “The number one complaint we have from people is human waste, and we are hoping that a lot of issues that people struggle with from our homeless population will be mitigated by this site being opened.”

Earlier in the day, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors approved additional funding to help with start-up costs and hiring two full-time employees for the respite center. Supervisor Don Saylor spoke during the Davis City Council

the public to have greater role in determining decisions that increasingly have come to define matters of life and death,” the letter read.

To decrease its reliance on PG&E, Davis founded Valley Clean Energy (VCE). This nonprofit is run locally and provides power to Davis, Woodland and other Yolo county residents.

“In June 2018, VCE began offering customers clean, low carbon power that we control locally,” its website read. “We’re a not-for-profit agency, and revenues are reinvested right back into our communities.”

Power generated by VCE is advertised as clean energy delivered at the same rates as PG&E. In 2018, according to the company’s website, 48% of its power was renewable and 85% was carbon-free.

Nevertheless, PG&E continues to deliver VCE-generated power through its own power lines. As of October, however, Valley Clean Energy bid $300 million to purchase PG&E’s distribution infrastructure.

California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a statement supporting local bidding on PG&E infrastructure.

“I back more competition,” Newsom said, according to VCE’s website. “I am very specifically encouraging others to come into this space and to make some bids. We want to create a competitive space — and all of it with an eye on different approaches.”

VCE expects to learn the result of the bidding after the conclusion of PG&E’s bankruptcy case.

The ruling is expected to arrive in 2020.

Recently, Newsom lambasted PG&E’s plan to settle its billions of dollars of debt with victims of wildfires in a letter to the company.

“For too long, PG&E has been mismanaged, failed to make adequate investments in fire safety and fire prevention, and neglected critical infrastructure,” the letter read. “PG&E has simply violated the public trust.”

In a statement to Fox40, however, PG&E refuted claims that becoming publicly-owned would improve its service to Northern California.

“We remain firmly convinced that a government or customer takeover is not the optimal solution that will address the challenges and serve the long-run interests of all customers in the communities we serve,” the statement read.

meeting to reiterate the support for the pilot center from the Yolo County Board of Supervisors.

“I want to thank this council for your hard work and your dedication to addressing this issue,” Saylor said. “It’s clearly a community priority to address the issue wisely, with compassion, and we are at the point in our history where we have some capacity and resources to direct to this cause.”

The Davis City Council is also working with the Yolo County Board of Supervisors in purchasing a duplex on H Street to provide permanent services for the homeless population. The building is intended to be used as an interim shelter during the construction of Paul’s Place, a new project that would replace the Davis Community Meals and Housing homeless shelter located right next to the duplex.

As many changes are being made in an effort to support the homeless population of Davis, Councilmember Lucas Frerichs encouraged increased community outreach, especially in the Davis Manor neighborhood.

“There’s going to be, of course, a real need for neighborhood community engagement,” Frerichs said. “I’ve been in the neighborhood a lot, both before the community meeting, during the community meeting and since the community meeting — talking with neighbors about this particular issue — both those in support and opposition.”

Councilmember Dan Carson enumerated the reasons for building the interim shelter, including the oncoming winter weather.

“This has not been a perfect process, but we’re eight days from wind, cold and rain and more of that is coming,” Carson said. “I feel morally bound to support an action that seems well planned out that will help keep folks alive, but there are strong analytical and good policy reasons for doing this.”

That’s a negative December 23 “Male with head stuck inside washing machine in laundry room — reporting party thinks he’s high on something.”

“Male subject skateboarding and doing tricks in the middle of the street, reporting party honked at him and he cursed at her.”

“Smaller beige color dog with blue collar that growls and barks anytime someone comes close to it.”

December 27 “Breathing heard into phone — no response from caller — negative answer on call back.”

“Open line — music and singing heard.

Negative sounds of distress.”

December 28 “Doors unlocked at building.”

“Five vehicles were egged on street this evening, per reporting party on going problem for the last month mainly on the weekends.”

December 29 “Porta-potty has been knocked over.”

“Subject across the street standing out in the rain in a santa hat pacing — subject is watching the people who had their vehicle broken into and has been smoking and then talking on a phone.”

January 1 “Subject walking slowly then stopping, seems suspicious.”

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

4 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020

FOOD TRUCK FEATURE: SHAH’S HALAL Owner of Shah’s Halal Food Truck, fans of the food disscuss its success

UC DAVIS POLICE DEPARTMENT’S 2O2O RESOLUTIONS INCLUDE GREATER FOCUS ON MENTAL HEALTH Police Chief Joseph Farrow discusses goals for the year

A Shah’s Halal Food truck by the Silo on the UC Davis Campus. (Photo by Quinn Spooner/Aggie)

BY A N JI N I V EN U GO PAL features@theaggie.org Outside the Mondavi Center, on the Quad and clustered at the Silo, food trucks are a staple of the UC Davis campus, but the very first food truck to open on campus was Shah’s Halal in October of 2009.

“I had moved to New York for a bit where I worked in food trucks and learned the way of the business before coming back home to California,” said owner Tory Mashriqi via email. “With the help of my family, we had our first food truck made in Florida and driven from there. Then we started applying to places to park and sell our food. UC Davis had agreed to sign a contract with us, and we haven’t looked back since!”

In a post on the UC Davis subreddit from a year ago that asks “Favorite food truck in campus? And what should we order?” the response “Shah’s Halal food. Chicken over rice, spicy” had the most points. And, according to Mashriqi, chicken over rice is the most common order.

Second-year computer science and engineering major Deeptanshu Sethi’s favorite thing to order is spicy chicken over rice. Sethi said that “the Shah’s experience is warranted at least once a week,” but he goes more often during week zero and finals week.

“Shah’s is more than an eatery,” Sethi said via email. “It’s a journey, a lifestyle. After I’ve eaten Shah’s, I feel as if I have been inoculated with a sensation in which my whole life flashes before my eyes.”

The food truck has many fans and followers — thanks to both its cuisine and reliability.

Many food trucks come and go on the UC Davis campus, but Shah’s is dependable. Second-year biochemistry and molecular biology major Aparna Manoj feels the same way about Shah’s as many others, and her go-to order is also the

chicken over rice.

“It’s literally the best food I’ve ever tasted and I could never imagine not loving that meal,” Manoj said via email.

The food truck serves about 700 customers a day, according to Mashriqi. He attributes its popularity to the fact that it was the first food truck on campus and that the line always moves quickly. There is another location at University Mall, but Mashriqi said to keep an eye out for another truck or two coming soon.

Manoj finds Shah’s comforting and said the food makes her feel “full, satisfied and happy,” and she always enjoys the experience.

“The food they serve is always warm and very flavorful, and it’s definitely a treat I reserve for when I need a pick-me-up or just want to be in a really good mood,” Manoj said. “Coming from a South-Asian household, their food reminds me of home-cooking, and so Shah’s always makes me feel very comforted, especially if I am feeling a little homesick. More than anything though, the spices and ingredients they use just taste so amazing, and it’s hands-down one of my favorite parts about Davis.”

When Manoj lived in the dorms, she would get Shah’s at least once every two weeks, but she doesn’t go as often now that she is living off-campus.

“The feeling of the hot and spicy food in my mouth when I go to their food-truck with my friends on a cold and windy day is irreplaceable,” Manoj said. “I’ve never had a cafe or restaurant I consistently run back to every time to not only eat or hang out, but to just put a smile on my face, and Shah’s is definitely that place for me now.”

Sethi described the first time he had Shah’s on the first day of school after he had heard that a lot of students were losing “their minds over this food.”

BY ALANA W IK K E LING features@theaggie.org UC Davis Police Chief Joseph (Joe) Farrow and the police department have made a few serious resolutions for the new year — resolutions Farrow is confident the department will be able to achieve.

Farrow, who has been in his position since 2017, said it’s been exciting to witness Davis’ changes.

“My first two years at Davis have been most enjoyable,” Farrow said. “I was in awe over everything. Davis is truly a wonderful place.”

For Farrow and the UCDPD, 2020 is already shaping up to be a busy year. The department is highlighting four specific goals to be achieved by the end of this year.

First, Farrow said the department is working to continue to hire a more diverse workforce, which also means hiring students who are familiar with campus life.

“I believe in hiring students,” Farrow said.

“Bringing them in serves the department and the community well. Many of our new hires are recent UCD graduates.”

Immersive programs such as the Police Community Academy and the Cadet Academy introduce students to the real purposes of policing and how these change with the times, Farrow said.

The Police Community Academy is a nine-week program for students and community members to learn more about the role of the UCDPD. The Cadet Academy is a scholarship program

open to UC Davis students and graduates interested in law enforcement. The program gives graduates of the program the opportunity to work at the UCDPD and attend the Sacramento Police Academy.

Farrow said that with heightened tensions as well as negative views about police officers in America, the UCDPD uses these programs to help students understand what policing really looks like.

The department’s second goal involves the proper handling of what Farrow calls a “mental health crisis” on college campuses.

“We’re trying to train every officer in critical incident training,” Farrow said. “This program is geared toward deescalation when dealing with people experiencing a mental health crisis.”

In a 2018 article with the Davis Enterprise that reflected on Farrow’s first year as chief, Farrow defined a crisis as an individual “having their worst day, either because they’re under the influence, they’re mentally ill or they’re just having a bad day. How do you control someone who’s not rational at the time?”

Farrow added that the department plans to have every officer properly trained to handle a potential crisis situation by this June.

Additionally, the police department hopes to complete the four-year law enforcement accreditation process.

“Accreditation is all about adhering to the highest standards in the country,” Farrow said.

“When accomplished, it means we are trained and are guided by the most thought out and collaborative policies in the country.”

The International Commission on Law Enforcement Accreditation is based on former President Barack Obama’s 21st Century task force on policing, Farrow explained. These police standards are the most modern in the country.

“The Police Department wasn’t accredited three years ago,” Farrow said. “We’re planning to finish the training in three years instead of four.”

Farrow’s final goal is one partial to all UC campuses. The UC president developed a task force to look into policing and training of police on all UC campuses. The 2019 Report of the Presidential Task Force on Universitywide Policing revealed 28 recommendations for UC police departments “to strengthen the ties between the community and UCPD and to continually improve UCPD operations.” Chief Farrow said that out of the 28, they have only a few more to complete.

“We are trying to become compliant by mid-summer,” Farrow said.

FOOD on 10

Burger Patch Expands to Downtown Davis New burger restaurant makes additional plat-based alternatives accessible to Davis community KI YO M I WATS O N / AGGI E

UCAL.US/REGISTER

BY KAT HERI N E DE B E N E DE T T I features@theaggie.org In an era of increasingly popular health fads coupled with the growing importance of environmental awareness, veganism and plant-based diets are becoming more common, and research continues to show both the health and environmental benefits these diets have. And soon, Burger Patch will bring what founder Phil Horn calls “convenient consciousness” to Davis.

Burger Patch, a completely plant-based burger restaurant with locations in Downtown Sacramento and the Golden 1 Center, will expand to Davis in early 2020 in Davis Commons at 500 1st St., just a short walk from campus. The establishment’s opening will be facilitated by founders Phil and Danea Horn.

Burger Patch hopes to encourage students to explore the plant-based lifestyle. In addition to providing convenient plant-based alternatives, Co-Founder Phil Horn explained that the team “loves being a part of the late night scene [in Sacramento],” and said he hopes “we can do that in Davis.”

On Friday and Saturday nights, Burger Patch stays open until 1 a.m. and offers classic late night snacks like burgers, shakes and fries with plant-based twists. The owners also hope to serve breakfast at the new Davis location.

The plant-based lifestyle is quickly gaining popularity. According to Liz Applegate, a distinguished senior lecturer in the nutrition department and former director of sports nutrition at UC Davis, there are countless upsides to adopting more plant-based meals into one’s diet.

“When you choose a diet that’s based in more fruits and vegetables and beans and other unprocessed plant products, you get more fiber and more phytonutrients that reduce the risk of a variety of chronic diseases [including] heart disease, cancer and developing type-two diabetes,” Applegate says.

She did caution that “consuming a plantbased burger does not mean it’s better for you.”

“If I were to go to In-N-Out and get a burger and fries and a shake, or if I was to go to Burg-

er Patch and get their standard burger, fries and shake, [they have] relatively the same nutrition profile,” Applegate said.

Applegate urges people to recognize that Burger Patch should not be considered “diet food,” and that it is not a reflection of the plantbased diet as a whole.

The plant-based diet is made up of many fruits, vegetables and legumes, and Applegate said it is great for reducing long-term health problems and said reducing meat consumption is an all-around healthy choice.

Beyond the health benefits of a plant-based diet, there is also a positive impact on the environment. Phil Horn explained that the environmental impact of creating beyond meat versus ground beef differs phenomenally.

“The stats are numerous in terms of the amount of CO2 emissions and the amount of water it takes to make a meat burger versus eating a non-meat alternative,” Horn said. “One cow, for instance, takes hundreds of thousands of gallons of water to create food on your plate. Using a meat alternative is a fraction of that.”

Burger Patch strives to increase restaurant sustainability, a goal that contributes to their overall mission: one that Horn said boils down to kindness. This is visible in terms of kindness toward animals, the environment and people.

Burger Patch also has a “#grilpower” initiative, which states that the restaurant will strive to have at least 50/50 representation of men and women in positions of power, such as team leads, key holders and managers, by the end of 2020.

Horn also explained the restaurant’s commitment to a monthly “Patch Match.”

“Every month we select a non-profit in the local area and we give back a portion of every burger sold, in addition to doing one night when we give 10% of all sales to the organization,” Horn said.

Burger Patch will open its doors in early 2020, and Horn urged students and community members alike to stop by and try his personal favorite burger: “The total patch: a beyond burger patty, our chicken alternative and our bacon alternative all on one burger. It’s amazing”

FARROW on 10

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020 | 5

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Opinion THE

C ALIFORNIA A GGIE

E DI TO R I AL B OAR D KAELYN TUERMER-LEE Editor-in-Chief HANNAH HOLZER Managing Editor KENTON GOLDSBY Campus News Editor STELLA TRAN City News Editor

Larger systemic flaws within UC system must be addressed in new decade New UC President presents unique opportunity to shape future of system

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

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

As the new decade begins, the UC has an opportunity for improvement. After careful reflection on previous shortcomings, the Editorial Board hopes that new leadership implements appropriate changes as the system enters a new era.

UC President Janet Napolitano’s last day in her position is on Aug. 1. Student input and needs must be at the forefront of a search for a new UC president. The special committee to consider the selection of a president met with advisory groups consisting of “faculty, students, staff, alumni, campus chancellors, laboratory directors and vice presidents” to discuss the criteria of the position in early November, according to the one update on the search since Napolitano’s resignation in September. But it’s neither clear how involved students were in these advisory groups nor how open the committees were to ensuring student voices were representative of a diverse UC student body.

While there was a public forum held at UC Davis during Fall Quarter, it took place on the Friday of finals week, when very little students were in town or available to attend and voice their concerns. With town halls planned across the UC for early 2020, the special committee must ensure a diverse turnout of the “constituent groups of the university,” it hopes to hear from.

Since the UC president is at the helm of the most prestigious public university system in the nation, the Editorial Board believes the new president should have a background in education and a comprehensive understanding of the flaws and inequalities that come along with it.

With a student population of about 280,300 on their hands, the president should also be able to stand up to the federal government when the well-being of

UC students is at risk, as was the case when the Trump Administration ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program.

The past three years have also seen six walkout strikes led by AFSCME 3299, the UC’s largest union representing about 26,000 employees. Tensions have been high as workers demand more pay and an end to the outsourcing of jobs. Many workers and advocates have taken issue with the UC’s unwillingness to even meet at the bargaining table. The UC has an obligation to conduct fair and ethical negotiations with all of its unions.

Given the UC’s failure to meet its various waste free goals and in light of worsening climate change, the UC should reapproach its methods of reaching sustainability in a way that is more comprehensive and involves commitment at all levels across each campus. With tuition the highest it’s ever been in the system’s history, the dream of affordable higher education is becoming less and less attainable.

Student resource centers — spaces where traditionally marginalized students are able to find community — are plentiful on this campus but must receive more support in general and especially at other campuses that lack some of these resources. Along the same vein, the UC must continue hiring diverse faculty members to build up a staff that reflects the diverse student body they are teaching.

It is essential that the UC system commits to being transparent and accessible to everyone involved in its bureaucracy on issues from tuition, to waste free progress, to labor rights, to the UC president hiring process and on. No one can be left in the dark. The whole is no greater than its parts.

Environmental costs of the holiday season FOLLOWING “GREEN HOLIDAY TIPS” WON’T SAVE THE PLANET

BY BE N JA MI N P O RT E R bbporter@ucdavis.edu

In the 2018 movie “Leave No Trace,” an Iraq War veteran with PTSD lives with his daughter in the sprawling wilderness of the massive Forest Park in Portland, Ore. They live in isolation in the dense and murky forest, but as skilled survivalists, they live in balance with nature. And they’re happy.

But after being discovered by social services and arrested for illegally camping on public property, the two are relocated to live in and work on one of Oregon’s many industrial-scale Christmas tree farms. Raising and razing trees by the thousands so people can have something tall and green to stare at for a few weeks from the comfort of their living rooms does not sit well with the dad. The audience comes to realize how his pure and harmonious relationship with the natural world — the Pacific Northwest’s wondrous evergreen trees that previously gave him shelter — has now been tainted and compromised just for the sake of our Christmas tree tradition. Why do any of the trees have to be cut down? Why can’t we just keep planting them?

The enormous level of energy and effort that goes into planting and chopping down Christmas trees has always disgusted me on a gut level, as does the culture of mass consumption and waste that defines our holiday season.

It’s definitely not news that our seemingly wholesome, family-centered traditions of begging for candy, trying to murder our crazy conservative uncle by over-stuffing him with food and buying hundreds of dollars worth of gifts to honor the hippy who died for our sins are not good for the environment.

This column could very well have been another so-called “think piece” that scolds Americans for doing things that are wasteful and not environmentally friendly. But as the Huffington Post recently learned before Thanksgiving, telling Americans that traveling millions of miles and eating millions of turkeys is increasing their carbon footprint will not do much beyond stirring the simmering stew of outrage over at Fox News, eventually prompting President Donald Trump to cite some supposed war that liberals are waging on Thanksgiving.

First of all, Trump never exactly “cites” anything. Second, there is no “war on Thanksgiving.” And third, if there was, it certainly would not be about trying to “rename” the holiday as Trump claimed — it would be about the holiday’s environmental impact (same for the “war on Christmas”).

I could easily go on and on about holiday environmental consequences: the carbon cost of Christmas; how much higher greenhouse gas emissions are during the holiday season; how much uneaten food, wrapping paper, packaging and candy wrappers are thrown out; how much plastic is in Halloween costumes and decorations; how much energy and money is wasted on holiday lights; how many Christmas trees are killed. But my goal is not to scold Americans for participating in these traditions, no matter how wasteful and environmentally destructive they are.

I simply want people to outgrow the simplistic idea that everything about

their holidays and traditions is good simply because they believe that the tradition itself is good or wholesome. And more importantly, I want people to get past the idea that people earn immunity from blame for that destruction just because they followed a few “green holiday tips.” This time of year, the internet and social media become densely populated with clickbait-y listicles that claim to give you all the answers for saving the planet — that is, if you can read whatever text is squeezed in between all the advertising banners.

Of course, following those tips is better than not, but in reality, it’s just a drop in the bucket. These tips are often oversimplified and make people feel artificially good about themselves for doing the bare minimum, like buying a reusable plastic Christmas tree.

As I explained before, it’s not hard to look at these colossal Christmas tree farms in the same way we see those enormous, cramped and inhumane poultry houses. “Close all these awful farms and I’ll be a vegetarian forever,” one might think.

But it’s a lot more complicated when it comes to the trees because plastic trees have their own environmental costs. And despite the ethical misgivings that people may have with the idea of tree farms, the trees on the farm actually provide valuable habitats and ecosystem services while they remain rooted in the ground for their short lives. In other words, we are at an ironic juncture where Christmas trees are so ingrained in our culture that the best way to mitigate the damages of our ecologically destructive tradition might be to continue our ecologically destructive tradition and milk any of the short term benefits that we can.

Long story short, you won’t actually make a difference until the question you ask yourself (and that society as a whole asks itself ) is not “How can I participate in these harmful traditions in the greenest way possible,” but rather, “Does preserving the values of these traditions really necessitate so many wasteful charades?”

But the abundance of these convenient, lickety-split “solutions” to all of our environmental sins just goes to show that even the most environmentally conscious people will jump through hoops to feel good about themselves despite their only marginally less destructive behavior. They have convinced themselves that all the waste that’s become synonymous with these traditions is justified because they’re part of a tradition. Perhaps we should instead prioritize the “tradition” of being able to sustain a large population on the only planet in our solar system with water and breathable air.

American liberals and conservatives often seem to be more preoccupied with simply going through the “right” motions to demonstrate that they have the “right” values rather than pausing to consider whether their behavior actually reflects those values. As a result, I regretfully say that it’s doubtful our culture will allow us the collective self-awareness and mental bandwidth necessary to see how detached our contrived and overly-elaborate holiday celebrations are with the values these holidays are supposed to honor.

reduce. reuse. recycle.

The aggie

6 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

HUMOR

GIRL WHO WEARS FARMERS MARKET HAT EVERY DAY CONFESSES SHE’S ONLY BEEN ONCE The truth comes out

BY JU LIE T TA B IS H ARYAN jsbisharyan@ucdavis.edu

Waking up in a cold sweat, Katie Helmer realized she couldn’t take it any longer. With graduation just around the corner, the last thing she wanted to do was leave Davis as a fraud.

Four years of lies and cover-ups have haunted her during her time as an Aggie, and after much self-reflection and soulsearching, she is finally ready to tell us the truth.

Helmer is hesitant at first, hiding her face underneath her vividly pink Farmers Market hat. She takes several sips out of her Hydro Flask, which is also decked out with a Farmers Market sticker, among other stickers from various TV shows she claims she hasn’t seen.

“I’ve only been to the Davis Farmers Market once,” Helmer finally says, her voice shaking. “And that one time was just to buy the hat during my freshman year.”

To say we were shocked would be an understatement.

Helmer has avoided the topic of going to the Farmers Market for as long as she can remember. While wearing the hat on

R A BI DA / AG G I E

DESPERATE STUDENT CITES HIMSELF IN MLA FORMATTING “Me, Myself and I. Personal Interview. 2019.”

M A RI O R O D R I G UE Z / AGGI E

BY K EL SE Y ST EWART kcstewart@ucdavis.edu

Fourth-year economics major Jonah Johnson was at the end of his rope last night. He had a 10-page paper due for his A History of the Paperclip class that he had put off until 9 p.m. the night before it was due.

Armed with a dangerous cocktail of Bang energy and double-shot espresso, Jonah locked himself into his room with only his hallucinations to keep him company.

He read the prompt for the first time and swiftly experienced disillusionment. A string of unquotable expletives escaped his mouth.

Sources. Oh god, the sources. The paper required five different secondary sources along with the primary text, which he didn’t even own. He had only taken this class because the professor was extraordinarily hot.

He sat back and took an exhausted sip of his deadly cocktail, feeling his soul break up with its earthly container, leaving a depressed husk in its wake.

It was at this point that Jonah realized he would require access to the library’s database. Unfortunately for him, in order to access it, he needed the VPN login — that,

or figure out how to somehow haul ass to Shields.

He looked out the window. It was raining. Not happening.

Jonah stood up from his chair. Now, what he reported next cannot be proven, but it also cannot be disproven. A flash of lightning struck outside his window, illuminating his body and bathing him in its bright, powerful light.

Perhaps it was the Bang coffee or a Come to Jesus moment — or maybe both — but he realized that he had three wonderful sources inside him all along. He returned to his seat and began aggressively typing.

Who cares what 20th century paper clip experts have to say about whether the Norwegian inventor, Johan Vaaler, was the true inventor of the paper clip?

Jonah f*****g Johnson thinks that Noreweigan dude sounded pretty legit, and it truly seemed like his expertise was overshadowed by that other guy… whatever his name was. The Guy that Doesn’t Really Matter All That Much Since We Learned About Him All the Way Back in Week One — yes, that was his name.

CITAT IO N on 11

campus, she’d often be bombarded with compliments from her peers, praising her for supporting local farmers.

“Everyone applauds me for being unique, saying I’m not like other girls they’ve met.

They all think I buy fresh celery and apple juice every weekend.”

Helmer removed her cap and looked down in remorse. A single tear fell down her face. “I just can’t keep being someone I’m not.”

With her busy schedule of 12 units and countless service hours for her sorority, Helmer said she is frankly unable to find time to attend the weekly event.

“If only the grind stopped for just a moment, then maybe, just maybe, I’d be able to actually go,” Helmer said. “It’s just so hard.”

As our interview came to a close, Helmer unzipped her jacket, revealing a striking Ariana Grande tour shirt. When asked about her favorite song from the popular artist, Helmer began to slur her words incomprehensibly before suddenly running away. We assume she ran to attend the Farmers Market one last time before she finally crosses the stage. Her honesty today is truly commendable.

ARE YOU READY TO PAY THE PRICE?

BY MARIO RO DRIG U EZ marrod@ucdavis.edu

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020 | 7

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

GARDENS GROW PENISES: A TRANSGENDER STUDENT CHALLENGES GENDER NORMS THROUGH ART ‘My Vagina’ piece a part of the installation project for ART 151

BY SYDNE Y O DMAN arts@theaggie.org

TV Show: “The Witcher” I particularly love films that you just can’t seem to shake — stories and characters and colors that take up residence in your mind, popping up when you least expect it, forever ingrained in your peripheral. Everything reminds you of it, and you wish that everyone wanted to talk about it as much as you do. “Little Women” was that kind of movie for me.

Days after seeing the film, I found myself tearing up in the car, or even laughing to myself in the shower when remembering a particular line or scene. Beneath the beautiful package that Greta Gerwig’s masterful filmmaking presents, it’s Louisa May Alcott’s timeless tale of four sisters — alike in as many ways as they are different — that truly sticks. It’s the March sisters’ strength, intelligence and ambition that propels them forward, despite living in a time when people told them they ought to just stay right where they are.

Movie: “Little Women” Part of the art box exhibit, a piece titled “My Vagina” by Kaiden Ezra Zaldumbide is displayed by the Art Building across from Peter J. Shields Library. (Photo by Quinn Spooner / Aggie)

BY S I ERRA JI M E NE Z arts@theaggie.org Kaiden Zaldumbide’s art piece on the UC Davis campus was the talk of the town. A box of penises were planted in dirt and left on display outside Peter J. Shields library.

At first glance, it seemed like a joke — why would numerous phallic sculptures be lying around the study sanctuary?

The piece’s statement reads: “I am a transgender male and I experience gender dysphoria. But no one has ever asked me where I experience it.”

“The ‘My Vagina’ piece was a part of the installation project for ART 151, the intermediate studio sculpture class,” explained Zaldumbide, a second-year studio art major.

The project was to make 100 copies of an object. Originally, he was going to copy the image of a tampon to represent gender inequality from the period tax.

“I suddenly got the idea to use this packet I had gotten for free at the LGBTQIA Resource Center, and

I don’t know why, but it just suddenly clicked,” Zaldumbide said. “I got really excited about it, and I was like ‘I wanna do 100 d-cks!’”

“Let me turn the prime symbol of masculinity and turn it into something viewed typically as gender neutral or a more feminine sense,” he continued.

Zaldumbide crafted the penises into flowers as a way to reshape society’s conventional perspective of gender. The original color of the piece was a baby blue color which, from feedback, made viewers associate the piece to a child’s sandbox.

“I very easily made a wooden box and I just bought dirt and planted [the penises], and I spent an entire night sewing them with flower petals so that it looked more like a garden.

It did a real number on my fingers,” he said with a chuckle.

“I found it rather funny that people were actually playing with the [piece],” Zaldumbide said. “Part of our assignment was to maintain it,

ARTBOXEXHIBIT on 10

I particularly love films that you just can’t seem to shake. Stories and characters and colors that take up residence in your mind, popping up when you least expect it, forever ingrained in your peripheral. Everything reminds you of it, and you wish that everyone wanted to talk about it as much as you do. “Little Women” was that kind of movie for me.

Days after seeing the film, I found myself tearing up in the car, or even laughing to myself in the shower when remembering a particular line or scene. Beneath the beautiful package that Greta Gerwig’s masterful filmmaking presents, it’s Louisa May Alcott’s timeless tale of four sisters — alike in as many ways as they are different — that truly sticks. It’s the March sisters’ strength, intelligence and ambition that propels them forward, despite living in a time when people told them they ought to just stay right where they are.

Book: “Six of Crows” by Leigh Bardugo A band of criminals, worlds at war, magical powers and an impossible heist — these are just a few of my favorite aspects of “Six of Crows,” the first installment of the duology in Leigh Bardugo’s now established “Grishaverse.” Set in a Russian-esque fantasy world, “Six of Crows” follows Kaz Brekker, a young gangster and criminal prodigy who never fails to be one step ahead of his enemies. When offered the chance at riches beyond his wildest dreams, Brekker assembles the crew just for the job. Think “Ocean’s Eleven” meets “Game of Thrones” — I cried, I laughed, I couldn’t put it down.

Album: “Fine Line” by Harry Styles With the release of his second solo album, Harry Styles fans everywhere rejoiced for their prayers had been answered. And if there’s one thing to take away from “Fine Line,” it’s that Harry Styles — boyband heartthrob turned psychedelic starman — has sure still got it. “Fine Line” solidifies Styles’ classic rock sound, while showcasing his seriously impressive range as a musician. We’re talking epic ballads of love and heartbreak (“Falling”), funkier upbeats you can’t help but dance to (“Adore You”) and careful melodies that I must admit have lulled me to sleep on many occasions (“Cherry”). Do yourself a favor, and just listen to it. Your simplistic heart will thank you.

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8 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

UC DAVIS PROFESSORS WORKING TO IMPROVE THE UC DAVIS EXPERIENCE FROM AN THE EARLY DIAGNOSIS AND DETECTION OF INTERNATIONAL LENS Exchange students reflect on their time at UC Davis ALZHEIMER’S AWARDED GRANTS

California Department of Public Health awards grants to two research teams focused on studying Alzheimer’s disease

Right: Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (arrows) in the human brain. Left: Arteriolosclerosis (boxes) in the human brain.

(Brittany Dugger / Courtesy)

BY MARGO ROSENBAUM science@theaggie.org Worldwide, 44 million people have Alzheimer’s disease, with 5.5 million of them living in the U.S, according to Alzheimers News Today. Women make up two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease. In comparison to white individuals, African-Americans are about twice as likely and Hispanic individuals are about 1.5 times as likely to have Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.

Since Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S., researchers recognize the importance of understanding this disease. UC Davis joins the scientific quest to make research more inclusive, as UC Davis professors Brittany Dugger and Angela Zivkovic work to improve the early diagnosis and detection of Alzheimer’s disease in women and communities of color. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Chronic Disease Control Branch awarded two grants to their separate research endeavors.

Dementia encapsulates a variety of symptoms that affect mental cognitive tasks, such as memory and reasoning. Dementia can occur due to a variety of conditions, with the most common being Alzheimer’s disease, according to Healthline.com.

Dugger, an assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at UC Davis Health, leads a three-year study across several UC campuses that aims to enhance and develop machine learning approaches for detecting

and diagnosing dementia. These computer systems will store images of brains and contain programs for detecting and quantifying blood vessel abnormalities in brain tissues associated with dementia.

By studying the brains of deceased individuals with Alzheimer’s, researchers can understand how the amount, location and presence or absence of certain proteins and pathologies within the brain affect a person’s symptoms during their life, Dugger said.

“We understand how certain brains are similar and different,” Dugger said. “By understanding how this heterogeneity can aid in precision medicine approaches, [doctors can get] the right treatment to the right patient at the right time.”

Another main goal of the research team is to investigate how these blood vessel abnormalities and how symptoms differ between genders, races and backgrounds, Dugger said.

The $1,726,383 project includes colleagues at other UC campuses, including UC San Francisco, UC Irvine and UC Los Angeles. By combining brain samples from these universities, researchers can study a more diverse data set, including brains from African-Americans and individuals of Hispanic heritage.

“We tried to divide and conquer,” Dugger said. “If we want individualized precision medicine, we need to study diverse cohorts.

Many studies can be biased as they may only have subjects from select sociodemographic and ethno-racial groups.”

ALZHEIMERS on 11

Just as many students as UC Davis choose to study abroad, UC Davis is also home to many exhange students from around the world. (Quinn Spooner / Aggie)

BY ANDREW WILLIAMS arts@theaggie.org Whether it’s through personal experience, an information session or the occasional (or not so occasional) Instagram feed post, most students are familiar with the idea of studying abroad. But what happens when roles are flipped and studying abroad means coming to UC Davis?

While we are eating delectably crisp baguettes in Paris and tanning on the beaches of Barcelona, many international exchange students choose to uproot themselves from their own home countries to enjoy the cultural and academic opportunities offered in our very own quaint town.

They bring with them their own cultural backgrounds, strengthening the diverse network offered on campus.

Sunny Yu, a foreign exchange student from Taiwan studying economics, came to the U.S. expecting to find a college community where she could learn from an esteemed academic institution, experience a new culture and practice her English language skills.

“I chose UC Davis because I had heard that they didn’t have as many Asian students, which would force me to speak English instead of Chinese,” Yu said.

Despite her original intentions, she found that the school did not completely live up to her original expectations. She found herself only interacting with other Chinese-speaking students instead of interacting with her solely

English-speaking peers.

“I [am] usually hanging out with my Asian friends, and I don’t have many channels to know more English speakers,” Yu said.

Coming from a different country to interact with students from different cultural backgrounds can be a daunting task. For Yu, a combination of cultural and lingual barriers keep both parties distant.

“I want to hang out with the Americans, but there are cultural barriers,” Yu said. “Asian people like staying together while Americans are individuals who like to do things by themselves.”

Yu found that her American counterparts had drastically different social habits than her own. So instead of going outside her boundaries, she found comfort in the company of students who were of a similar background. In addition, the cultural anxiety of speaking English to native speakers deterred her and her friends from initiating conversation.

“We think it’s embarrassing, and that if we use it incorrectly they will be annoyed,” Yu said.

Yu found an outlet to exercise her English through the International Pal-Program. She described the Pal-Program as an integral part of her social and learning environment.

“The one channel I do have is the pal program,” Yu said. “If you want to learn a language, they will partner you up with an American who you can talk to and hang out with weekly.”

INTERNATIONAL on 11

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020 | 9

Sudoku

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

Answer to previous puzzle

10 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2020

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

FEEREFERENDUM

GRADSPEAKERS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

According to the budget report, the fee stagnation has triggered a reduction in both the quality and quantity of ASUCD services available to students, especially considering minimum wage increases. The increasing minimum wage in California provides ASUCD with two options: increase its base fee to students or make significant budget cuts to many of its units.

ASUCD, beyond being the student government of UC Davis, also controls a large number of services used by students. In addition to The Pantry, other ASUCD units include KDVS, Whole Earth Festival and Picnic Day, one of the largest student-organized events in the nation.

One of the biggest proponents of the referendum is ASUCD Vice President Shreya Deshpande who detailed what would be at stake should the fee referendum fail in the Winter Quarter 2020 elections, set to take place at the end of this quarter.

“If the fee is not increased, we will have to cut more units,” Deshpande said via email.

“Plain and simple. If we can’t pass it, our ASUCD will be reduced [...] to just [nine units] just to balance our budget. And if it’s not passed in the next year, more units will be lost [...] ASUCD will no longer be able to provide the basic needs, advocacy, programming services like it used to. It won’t be able to offer students employment like it used to.”

ASUCD is the only Associated Students organization that is financially independent from its campus administration. This means that the organization is funded entirely by students, and receives no support, financial or otherwise, from the administration. While this lack of outside funding may have contributed to ASUCD’s worsening financial conditions, many feel that this was an inevitable event given other circumstances such as changes to the state minimum wage and additional hiring within the association.

The report also maintains that ASUCD is uniquely positioned for continued student leadership, especially when compared with other UC campuses that have experienced similar difficulties but have little governmental autonomy or financial control over their operations.

If the Basic Needs and Services Referendum fails, the report said, ASUCD could be required to give up its independence in some decision-making processes, particularly when balancing the budget.

Alternatives to the Basic Needs and Services Referendum would be the privatization of the CoHo, which would result in a minimum 80% reduction in the student workforce there. Another alternative would be to raise the costs of goods and services provided

by ASUCD units. But according to the report, this would incur more debt and exacerbate the financial difficulties of ASUCD. Many units, like the CoHo and the Bike Barn, do generate income that offsets their operational costs. There are many units, however, that are not profitable. These units incur a budget deficit that is paid for by other money-making units.

The Pantry, an organization that provides food and basic necessities to students in need of assistance, is an example of a non-profit unit that could potentially face significant budget cuts. Ryan Choi, The Pantry’s unit director, explained what would happen should the fee referendum fail in the Winter Quarter 2020 elections.

“The Pantry’s operational budget is roughly $20,000 each year,” Choi said. “That $20,000 goes toward paying for student jobs and for supplying some of our basic operational expenses. It does not, however, cover any of our food costs or basic needs expenses in providing the actual service to students.

The [increased] base fee would allow The Pantry to create a solid foundation to create long-term, sustainable Pantry jobs.”

The Pantry serves up to 800 students per day. It is a completely student-run organization that relies on volunteers to keep it operating, but the unit hopes that it will soon be able to pay its volunteers with funding from the pending base fee, making it more sustainable and beneficial for students. Each UC has a campus food pantry, Choi explained, yet UC Davis’ serves far more students than any others “by a long shot,” while also operating with the smallest budget among all the UCs. “It’s important to recognize that The Pantry utilizes the commitment and dedication of over 100 volunteers each quarter, and, so, to run The Pantry for seven days a week, we need to acknowledge that the university can’t consistently rely on students to commit these hours without compensation,” Choi said.

Choi encouraged students to turn their attention toward this issue, saying although it may not always be obvious, ASUCD plays an enormous role in campus life. He feels that some of the services offered by the organization –– such as basic needs services, advocacy groups and even entertainment services –– are taken for granted, and that students should research the referendum and the organization’s situation to stay well-informed. Choi also believes that students should always support students.

Michael Gofman, who served as ASUCD president in the 2018–19 term, explained that his administration chose not to pursue a fee referendum because, at the time, their main focus was on the Unitrans fee referendum. Gofman also noted that minimum wage was not as high then, giving the organization more of a “safety zone” in terms of its budget.

“The organization as a whole sort of received an added expense, year-to-year, [from the new minimum wage laws] which was really more of a salary increase,” Gofman said.

“Because of that salary increase, we now have a much more expensive ASUCD. This fee referendum is essentially a result of the minimum wage increase.”

Gofman said that, given his political views, it may be surprising that he supports the referendum, but he believes that it is the only logical solution to ASUCD’s financial crisis.

“I know I’m making it sound as though, that given everything I’m saying, I should be against the fee referendum, but I’m really not,” Gofman said. “I might be a fast-leading conservative, but at the end of the day, right here, right now, we need a fee referendum.

It’s unfortunate that we do, but it’s the reality we have.”

With the start of the quarter and elections coming up, Deshpande, along with countless others in the organization, worry about lack of student awareness and voter apathy. Deshpande is passionate about the organization and simply wants students to recognize what ASUCD encompasses and what is really at stake with the fee referendum.

“ASUCD is a source of food, advocacy, news, programming, events — everything that makes this campus a fun place to be, ASUCD is there,” Deshpande said via email.

“The passage of the basic needs and services referendum is crucial if ASUCD is to exist like how it is today. So if students like the Pantry, they like their coffee priced the lowest on campus, they like the Aggie, they like the dope concerts that Entertainment Council puts on, we need to pass this referendum.”

The proposed fee would support all units of ASUCD and help keep them afloat. The units of ASUCD are: the Aggie Reuse Store, Aggie Studios, the ASUCD Garden, the Bike Barn, the Campus Center for the Environment, the CoHo, Creative Media, Entertainment Council, Housing Advising for Undergraduate Students (HAUS), KDVS, Picnic Day, Refrigerator Services, The California Aggie, The Pantry, Unitrans and Whole Earth Festival.

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recognition technology, Pytel said, but is capable of license plate recognition (LPR). He said LPR technology is particularly useful for identifying stolen cars — a function that would assist police in their ongoing carjacking investigations.

Echoing a concern put forward during public comments, Mayor Brett Lee asked Pytel whether the RPSCS could be used to track minor violations, such as unpaid parking tickets and expired registration. Pytel said the proposed LPR system could be used to alert police to cars with unpaid tickets, but a use-policy could be developed to prohibit

using the system for this purpose.

Lee and the council expressed support for the recommendations, with the caveat that an appropriate use-policy could be developed to strike a balance between safety and privacy.

“I’m very supportive of investing in some camera systems, and I think we can find a path forward that is suitable to maintain our civil liberties,” Lee said.

The council requested that the Davis PD produce a proposal regarding the cost and use-policy of cameras and LPRs before further consideration.

She has helped to pioneer the treatment of toxic stress through projects such as the Center for Youth Wellness, which focuses on risk screening, care coordination and multidisciplinary treatment. As surgeon general, she has worked to implement a California law in partnership with the state Department of Health Care Services that offers reimbursement to MediCal providers for ACE screening, including abuse and neglect, to promote further research on toxic stress.

While in medical school, Burke Harris also served as co-director for UC Davis’ student-run Imani Clinic.

Rodriguez earned a bachelor’s degree in Chicano studies in 1985 and a master’s degree in community development in 1997 from UC Davis. He currently serves as a chancellor of the Los Angeles Community College District, the largest community college district in the nation.

In his 30 years of experience as an educator, faculty member and administrator within the California public higher education system, Rodriguez has dedicated his career to championing diversity, outreach and equitable education policies for underserved groups such as undocumented students and student-veterans.

He has also been involved with many boards and committees such as director of the Board of Higher Education; Workforce of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine and the California Association of Latino Community College Trustees and Administrators Association (CALCCTA), to name a few.

Additionally, he served as a past president of the Cal Aggie Alumni Association and director of the UC Davis Foundation Board. Rodriguez said he was honored for the opportunity to return to UC Davis to share his words to graduating students on his experiences.

“I am deeply appreciative of Chancellor May

and the university for extending this invitation [and] I am looking forward to returning to campus to connect with students,” Rodriguez said.

As far as the content of the commencement speech, Rodriguez said he plans to incorporate general themes that are both practical and inspirational, drawing from his perspective as a first-generation college student from an immigrant family with no history of higher education.

“I also initially struggled to find and embrace my calling, my profession – that is, how I could understand and use this powerful tool called higher education to do good work and to make an impact in this world,” Rodriguez said. “I believe that one of the most important leadership traits that one can achieve is resilience, so I will give some reflections on this purposeful act and necessary determination to overcome obstacles and to always move forward.”

The final commencement speaker is Dyson, who earned her doctorate in chemistry from UC Davis and recognized by the university as the outstanding doctoral student in chemistry in 1997. She was selected as an astronaut for NASA in 1998. She was part of two spaceflights – serving as a mission specialist in 2007 and flight engineer in 2010, with three spacewalks the latter expedition. Her work included designing, constructing and implementing electronics and hardware in the study of atmospheric gas phase chemistry and presenting papers on chemical ionization. She was awarded the NASA Go the Extra Mile (GEM) Award in 2001 and the Distinguished Service Medal in 2010.

Easley expressed excitement on having these speakers to introduce the university’s new commencement structure.

“They are very accomplished alumni who are making an impact in our world – and beyond!” Easley said. “They will help launch these new ceremonies in a wonderful way as new UC Davis traditions begin.”

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and I would have friends saying that they would see people messing with [my art]. I feel like I should be offended, but at the same time, that’s funny. That just brings out such an inner level of childness that you could just play with it and you don’t even read what it’s about.”

Besides being a new piece of playground equipment, Zaldumbide shared what he wanted passersby to take away from the piece.

“The most important part of my piece is that I just wanted to mainly share a story,” Zaldumbide said. “I have always seen art as a way to tell a story whether you want to use that for political action or something towards the feminist movement or just something for entertainment reasons.”

“That is kind of what I wanted to do, I just wanted to tell my story and to show people an insight on what it is like to be transgender,” he continued.

“One, it is a very unique experience, and two, it is a very hard experience to try and understand and empathize with. [Being transgender] is completely foreign to cis[gender] people. I want to share who I am and the way I have grown up. How it is sort of isolating to feel like gender norms were pushing me to feel a certain way and me not realizing that it is okay to feel different and otherwise.”

He explained further, saying he wanted others to realize “there are a lot of different faces to the transgender experience.”

“None of them are inherently correct, but they’re all extremely personal and individualized,” Zaldumbide said. “If you don’t understand it, it’s okay because it is not always easy to understand.”

Zaldumbide explained how he received emails

from transgender men telling him how beautiful his piece was and how much they could relate to his experience. He was so moved that his piece had told a story, had reached a community and touched the hearts of others.

“I feel like the role of genetalia and its connection to gender norms in society is very archiac and very dumb and unecessary,” Zaldumbide said. “[Genitalia] don’t better you in any way, they don’t need to be defining characteristics. Even though it can, I don’t feel like it should be playing a role in gender.”

“I feel like gender is your experience, your identity and how a person individually sees the world,” Zaldumbide explained. “It is something very customizable. I feel like gender is very lucid and very much what each person chooses for themselves, and it shouldn’t necessarily be something that has a definiton or link, especially to sex.”

He explained his own experience with gender dysphoria and what he has struggled with as a transgender men, such as the pitch of his voice or the round shape of his face.

“Talking about the transgender experience, there is this general idea that everything femenine about you is what’s causing this dysphoria and this distress, but that’s not always true,” Zaldumbide said. “For me, personally, it has never been the fact that I am feminine, it is always certain aspects of my femininity that don’t make me feel like a man that affect me.”

The art piece was on display during Fall Quarter 2019 — “I did something good,” Zaldumbide said of it.

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forced Ohio State to settle for three field goals. After a slow start, Lawrence and the offense eventually found its groove shortly before halftime and made the Buckeyes pay on several chunk plays.

Lawrence found success outside of the pocket and utilizing his legs, rushing for career-highs with 16 carries and 107 yards. With three minutes left to play, he led a four-play, 94-yard drive to score the game-winning touchdown before the Tigers sealed the deal with a last-minute Nolan Turner interception in the end zone.

The scary part for LSU is that Clemson probably put up a B- performance by its own standards and still found a way to survive against the No. 2 team in the country. With extra time to prepare and get healthy, it is hard to see Clemson making the same mistakes again and not bringing its A-game on Monday night.

LSU has a definite home field advantage with the title game being played about 80 miles from campus. All three national championships in school

history have been clinched in The Big Easy, with the previous two coming inside the Superdome.

This season feels like a fairytale story for LSU, who overcame its demons against rival Alabama, finally created a high-scoring offensive attack and returned to the pinnacle of college football. It almost feels like the Bayou Bengals are destined to finish the job in their home territory and stage an all-time celebration on Bourbon Street before Burrow and numerous teammates bolt for the NFL. At the same time, this is the exact type of situation that Clemson has thrived in time and time again. The moment is never too big for Dabo and his team, even when the odds are stacked against them.

If the past decade is any indication, Monday’s game should be an unforgettable clash that goes right down to the wire. We’ve been blessed with so many extraordinary title games with dramatic finishes recently and this year promises to be no different.

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“I thought, ‘It’s just a food truck, how good could it be?’” Seth said. “The rest is history.”

Since he is not a picky eater, Sethi said he can get good-tasting food at decent prices, but his love for Shah’s has given him “the flavor of spirituality.” Sethi added that, given the fact that Shah’s sometimes gives extra chicken and rice for free later in the day, they

“understand us students” like no one else.

Mashriqi said there are multiple reasons why Shah’s stands out among the other on-campus food trucks.

“We are a local, family-run business,” Mashriqi said. “Our food is made fresh daily. We’ve been serving for over a decade now, and we feel that campus faculty and students are most familiar with us.”

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a philosopher. He couldn’t help but judge his peers, who were hypothetically scouring archives for disjointed information that they would probably misinterpret, given their underdeveloped minds. No, this was the correct path.

Of course, in his reverie, he had forgotten the necessity of two other sources. But, you know what they say: Ignorance is bliss. And so is Bang energy and coffee mixed together in a 21-year-old digestive system.

“A good year-and-a-half before the due date.”

The task force’s recommendations include better officer training, transparency in police operations, diverse workforce planning and police accountability boards.

Farrow said, overall, 2019 was a good year. Although the accumulation of robberies of UC Davis students greatly concerns Farrow, he said the campus had a relatively safe year and that incidents like these ones should not define campus security

in general. The chief is grateful for another year to serve the community around him, and said he looks forward to 2020 being another year of growth for the police department.

“On a day-to-day basis, I am surrounded by extraordinarily smart people who are supportive, inquisitive or critical of what we do,” Farrow said.

“My focus for our department remains on continual self assessment and improvement while collaborating with our campus community.”

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Another main goal of the research is to understand how the blood vessel abnormalities may relate to other diseases in patients, such as diabetes and hypertension, Dugger said.

“We can use our data to relate to clinical findings, providing more in-depth analysis of diseases which can then lead to better treatments for all individuals,” Dugger said.

The CDPH also awarded a separate grant of $277,921 to a one-year study led

by Zivkovic, an assistant professor of nutrition in the college of agricultural and environmental sciences. This study aims to find new ways to detect and treat Alzheimer’s disease.

Zivkovic studies the evolution of dementia across disease stages through a liquid biopsy-guided strategy, meaning studying blood samples, to boost the development of specific prevention therapies for Alzheimer’s. Her study specifically looks at whether Vitamin D plays a role in the development and cognitive function of Alzheimer’s disease in patients.

The liquid biopsy approach allows scientists to study inaccessible tissues and organs that you can not take samples of, like the brain. This technique involves blocking samples in the bloodstream, drawing blood, and then studying the sample to retrieve information about the inaccessible tissue or organ.

“Most people are familiar with and are pretty okay with getting their blood drawn,” Zivkovic said. “We are working with that and trying to better assess what is going on in a different part of the body just by sampling the blood.”

Zivkovic is also studying how high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles relate to Alzheimer’s disease. HDL particles are responsible for transporting lipid (fat) molecules around the body.

Zivkovic’s team isolates HDL particles and studies how well they can transport extra cholesterol away from blood, which may have an impact on Alzheimer’s disease.

“It will tell us more about Alzheimer’s

patients and we can see whether the way their proteins are decorated what is going wrong in the process,” Zivkovic said.

Due to budget and timing constraints, Zivkovic said the scope of the project is smaller than proposed. The study will only look at the baseline values of cognition and Vitamin D status of a subset of 180 subjects both with and without Alzheimer’s disease.

“It is difficult to fund these projects,” Zivkovic said. “We will not be able to answer all of the questions. We are not funded to look at how specific functions would improve cognitive function.”

Like Dugger’s study, Zivkowic’s research works towards creating precision medicine by recruiting over 50% of their data cohort from minorities and women, two groups underrepresented in medical research.

“I am excited the California Department of Public Health is investing in research on women and underrepresented monitories and understand what is going on,” Zivkovic said. “Treatment approaches will be different depending on who you are, and I am happy to be a part of the process.”

During the 2019-20 fiscal year, CDPH awarded six other grants to UC researchers across campuses, according to a UC Davis Health press release. Their studies focus on disease prevention, caregiving, long term services and support systems for populations suffering from health disparities.

As one of the only 31 research centers designated by the National Institute of Health’s National Institute on Aging, UC Davis’s Alzheimer’s Disease Center provides vital research towards improving diagnoses, treatments and preventions for this wide spread disease.

“I am humbled and honored to spearhead such an extraordinary project alongside so many leaders in the field,” Dugger said. “We thank the people of California for supporting dementia research to alleviate the burdens of these devastating diseases for all individuals.”

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Yu spends her downtime much like other students on campus: hanging out with friends, hiking in Yosemite and going to the occasional party. She acknowledged that California has more of a party culture than back in Taiwan and a different approach to learning.

Yu noted that the education system functions differently in the U.S. where teachers focus on hands-on, participation-based methods that include interactive discussions. Back in Taiwan, she found that the faculty left the learning to the students.

Helena Lundvall, a Swedish exchange student and sociotechnical systems major from Uppsala University, also said the teaching was more hands-on and guided at UC Davis. In Sweden, her education wasn’t guided and she was left predominantly to her own efforts and responsiveness. Teaching materials like study guides were completely foreign. She described her surprise at one of her management classes she had taken in the fall.

“For the midterm, he more or less told us what was going to be on the midterm,” Lundvall said. “This would never happen in Sweden.”

As a result, she found herself both studying and learning more while at Uppsala.

The difference in difficulty level may be partly due to some complications Lundvall had during registration at the beginning of the quarter. During registration, Lundvall did not receive any instructions on how to sign up for her classes, which prevented her from registering for highly impacted computer science courses that she needs for her major back in Sweden. This difficulty was further exacerbated due to her status as an exchange student and her zero registered units at Davis, which put her at the same late registration as the incoming first-year class. So far, she hasn’t been able to take any of the classes that she originally intended to take.

“It was frustrating because I didn’t know about pass times,” Lundvall said.

“Nobody really told me. This quarter I tried to enroll again and all the classes were filled up once again.”

Lundvall also found that the structure of the education system was significantly different to that of back home. She said students traditionally take some time out between high school and college to travel, work and explore what they are interested in or might want to pursue as a career.

“For me, it’s weird that you start college straight out of high school, because back in Sweden that is very uncommon,”

Lundvall said.

Sweden and the U.S. have substantial institutional differences. Lundvall, like all Swedish students, received significant support from the government in her educational and career pursuits.

Apart from the academic experience, Lundvall had nothing but praise for the UC Davis community when it came to her social experience. She found that both the faculty and her fellow students welcomed her with open arms.

“I have been so surprised by how friendly everyone here has been,” Lundvall said.

Emil Obro, an international exchange student from the Danish University Aarhus BUS majoring in economics, had similar opinions to those shared by Lundvall.

“Everyone has been helpful if I needed help with anything,” Obro said. “I really fell in love with UC Davis, which was due to great professors, wonderful co-students and amazing trips around California.”

Although these students said they were all happy with their UC Davis experience, they all pointed to specific areas for improvement — from organization to more interactive programs.

Obro specifically recommended that the university expand social events between students who have J-1 visas for studying in the U.S. like himself.

“At the international orientation, we had a day of lectures and then an ice cream mixer where we could get to know each other,” Obro said. “It would have been nice with some events other than that. It was only in the last two weeks we realized that there was actually another group of J1-visa students that we hadn’t met.”

Lundvall also gave her two cents on improvement, referencing her issues with MyUCDavis and registration at the beginning of the quarter.

“It would have been better to know how the system worked beforehand,” Lundvall said.

Yu said a further expansion of the Pal programs would be beneficial for both English learning and cultural integration for international students like herself.

“Davis should expand on the Pal programs where we can meet up weekly but talk to different kinds of people with different cultures and backgrounds,” Yu said.

The three international exchange students seemed to highly value their experience on campus thus far. For them, it offered a nice combination of small town college life, engaging academics and a chance to explore the greater California area.

“With an implementation of this scale (nearly 40,000 paychecks), there are bound to be issues.”

Despite having almost two years to prepare for the upcoming transition to UCPath — and given that five other UC campuses have already implemented UCPath, several of which experienced many of the same issues with payment — more than 800 faculty, staff and undergraduate employees have experienced issues since the transition on Oct. 1 according to a statement from Chancellor Gary May. Initially claiming they were not aware of ongoing issues with pay as of the time of writing, Lovely claimed the inquiry made by The California Aggie caused her team to discover more existing issues.

“We discovered after your inquiry that there were still some issues outstanding,” Lovely said.

“Most of these issues were not caused by UCPath, but the implementation of UCPath revealed that some of our local onboarding practices, timekeeping processes and start date decisions were not in keeping with best practices and wouldn’t work with UCPath.”

In light of recent issues involving pay and threats from student employees to pursue legal action, the Office of the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs has assigned additional resources to address issues with student employment processing.

Emergency paychecks seem to be the main tool to address students’ issues with accurate and timely paychecks. Lovely alleged that the school has been more proactive than a number of students in correcting paycheck issues. Among the emergency checks issued, Lovely stated that 43 checks are still awaiting student pickup.

In the last month alone, more than 300 emergency checks have been issued. As of the time of writing, 50 students still have pay outstanding, according to Lovely.

Among those, 17 emergency checks were

issued during Finals Week. For some students, paychecks were set to available by Friday, Dec. 13, the last day of Finals Week before Winter Break. For others, Lovely expected issues to be resolved the week after finals.

In response to the widespread failure of the UC system to pay employees on time across UC campuses, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill No. 698 into law, that will allow impacted student employees to seek legal compensation.

Therefore, it is in the best interest of UC leadership to resolve all existing pay issues before the end of the calendar year because the UC system will no longer have legal immunity from wage theft penalties as early as Jan. 1, 2020.

While UC Davis has only recently been affected by UCPath payroll issues, this bill was originally introduced in Feb. 2019 after similar issues occurred at all other UC campuses where UCPath was introduced.

For other UC campuses and thousands of student employees, this bill will go into effect too late to provide any legal compensation. For some at UC Davis, however, they will have the opportunity to protest late paychecks in the coming quarter.

Students experiencing ongoing issues may be impacted by UCPath’s planned shutdown from Dec. 9-18. During that time, two additional UC campuses, UC Irvine and UC Santa Cruz, are scheduled to be incorporated into the UCPath system. This will add the total number of employees served by UCPath to 164,694, according to their website. With ongoing issues for many at UC Davis, support during this window will be limited.

With no institutional changes made to UCPath since its implementation at UC Davis, it is unclear what to expect with UC Irvine and UC Santa Cruz adding to the number of employees reliant on UCPath.

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The wide receiver trio have combined for over 3,600 yards and 48 touchdowns.

Defensively, LSU had its fair share of struggles for most of the season but has turned a corner as of late, surrendering only 45 points in the last three games. The unit is getting healthy at the right time and will carry over lots of confidence from the semi final performance.

After receiving the benefit of the doubt from the playoff selection committee for the second year in a row, many fans were upset at Oklahoma’s humiliating result. The reality is that the Sooners were simply the victim of an unstoppable LSU force that would have likely destroyed any one of the other playoff contenders in the same situation.

For the first time since a narrow 21-20 win over North Carolina in September, Clemson had to play a close game and overcome adversity in the 29-23 semi final triumph over Ohio State.

The Tigers fell into an early 16-0 hole but were able to stay within striking distance thanks to some key defensive stops in the red zone, which forced Ohio State to settle for three field goals.

After a slow start, Lawrence and the offense eventually found its groove shortly before halftime and made the Buckeyes pay on several chunk plays.

Lawrence found success outside of the pocket and utilizing his legs, rushing for career-highs with 16 carries and 107 yards. With three minutes left to play, he led a four-play, 94-yard drive to score the game-winning touchdown before the Tigers sealed the deal with a last-minute Nolan Turner interception in the end zone.

The scary part for LSU is that Clemson prob-

ably put up a B- performance by its own standards and still found a way to survive against the No. 2 team in the country. With extra time to prepare and get healthy, it is hard to see Clemson making the same mistakes again and not bringing its A-game on Monday night.

LSU has a definite home field advantage with the title game being played about 80 miles from campus. All three national championships in school history have been clinched in The Big Easy, with the previous two coming inside the Superdome.

This season feels like a fairytale story for LSU, who overcame its demons against rival Alabama, finally created a high-scoring offensive attack and returned to the pinnacle of college football. It almost feels like the Bayou Bengals are destined to finish the job in their home territory and stage an all-time celebration on Bourbon Street before Burrow and numerous teammates bolt for the NFL. At the same time, this is the exact type of situation that Clemson has thrived in time and time again. The moment is never too big for Dabo and his team, even when the odds are stacked against them.

If the past decade is any indication, Monday’s game should be an unforgettable clash that goes right down to the wire. We’ve been blessed with so many extraordinary title games with dramatic finishes recently and this year promises to be no different.

Their season is not over yet, as now the Aggies will head to Stockon, Calif. on Thursday, Dec. 5 to face Pepperdine in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

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According to the UC Davis website, University Registrar Erin Crom is “looking to streamline the registration process.”

Finally, Aggie Orientation will prompt students to “build community networks of support, find resources, and begin [...] life on campus during [the] five day program,” according to the UC Davis website.

With the redesign, students can expect to attend “a series of faculty-led seminars focused on strategies to succeed at UC Davis” across three days. These mock lectures will be held in various lectures halls across campus according to the UC Davis website.

“Three of the five days, there will be academic seminars that all students will be able to participate in, that will be developed by and led by faculty, and offer sort of mini courses on how to be successful at UC Davis,” Mohr said. “One of the things we’ve done in this process is reaching out to faculty and asking them what are the things you wish students knew, especially new students on their first day coming into class.”

Examples of topics covered include “how to read a syllabus and manage their time,” “how to take notes,” “how to read so they can get the most out of the ideas” and “why and how to attend office hours,” according to the UC Davis website.

Students can also anticipate group meetups, ice-breakers, individuals college welcomes, departmental open houses, Biking 101, campus tours and more upon arriving on campus for orientation.

“We have blocked out in the schedule times for the colleges to do college specific programming for our students.” Mohr said.

“All students in [each college] will go and learn about how does advising work in that college, meet and be able to spend time with their advisors, what other special programs are available in the college, [and] particular facilities in

that college. The idea here is that students being able to develop a sense of belonging and community, and as a result develop resources to help with their success.”

In preparation for the 2020 orientation, UC Davis is hiring six orientation student managers, 35 orientation team leads, over 600 orientation leaders and five program assistants, according the Aggie Orientation 2020 Position Overview Chart.

Planning for this distinct transition required approximately two years. In May of 2018, Ralph J. Hexter, provost and executive vice chancellor, spearheaded a steering committee comprised of faculty and staff to supervise the transition.

The creation of this steering committee was a recommendation from the National Orientation Directors Association, or NODA, an organization that “brings together professionals, faculty, students, and other constituents interested in the orientation, transition, and retention of college students,” according to their website.

“There is a whole host of details,” Mohr said.

“What the steering committee has been doing is trying to think about all of those details and make sure we’ve got people thinking about them.”

According to the UC Davis website, this new schedule is “less compressed” and “aim[s] to give students even more time to adjust to university life, as well as opportunities to build community in multiple dimensions.”

“We know that our students are all exceptional,” Mohr said. “We know they have the capacity to be successful, but it is a big change, a big shift from where they’re coming from. The idea is with this longer orientation program is to give them more of an opportunity to develop communities in these different dimensions, as a member of a class, a college, or residence hall, start to learn of what other clubs and affinity groups there maybe for [students] on campus, so [students] have these multiple points of connection.”

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THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THE AGGIE’S NBA ALL-DECADE TEAM LSU, CLEMSON POISED TO DELIVER

Looking back at the best players from the 2010s

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College football national championship caps memorable season KIYOMI WATSON / AGG IE

KATH E R I N E F R A N KS / AGGI E

BY OMAR NAVARRO sports@theaggie.org When looking back at the 2010s, there have been many amazing performances, series and seasons by some truly talented NBA players. It was a decade with advanced athletes, as we saw a shift in how the game of basketball is played from the beginning to the end of the decade.

So, in the process of creating a team of the best players of this decade, one must look at more than just the numbers. Championships, playoff success and individual accolades are just some of the many focal points out there to narrow down a crowded field. It was not an easy task, but here is The California Aggie’s NBA all-decade team: Guard: Steph Curry Although the early years of his career were clouded by injuries, Golden State Warriors superstar guard Steph Curry arguably had the greatest impact on the league this decade.

Curry first began coming into his own during the 2012-2013 NBA season, when he and his Warriors squad ushered in a new era of basketball driven by an even greater emphasis on the three-point shot.

It took years for the rest of the league to adapt to the Warriors’ system, but in between that time, Curry flexed his dominance, winning two league MVPs and three NBA championships, while also making six all-star AllNBA appearances. His best season came while being apart of the historic 73-9 Warriors in 2015-2016, when he became the first unanimous MVP in NBA history by averaging 30.1 points, 6.7 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game. Curry ended the decade averaging 23.5 points, 6.6 assists and 4.5 rebounds a game.

Although he never won a Finals MVP, his presence was felt this decade as his way of playing the game began a new era that focused on shooting and speed rather than natural athleticism and, for that, he is a staple in the team of the decade.

Guard: James Harden Having started the decade as the third best player on his team, his prowess during the early 2010s was somewhat limited. But that did not stop him from becoming one of the most dominant isolation players of all time or from putting up truly historic numbers.

Following his departure from the Oklahoma City Thunder after the 2012 season, where he won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award, Harden became the number one player on the Houston Rockets. Almost immediately he dominated, jumping from 17 points to 26 points per game after joining his new team, which earned him his first of seven allstar appearances during the decade. He also ended the decade with six All-NBA appearances, two scoring titles, a league MVP and a 24.3 points/6.3 assists/5.2 rebounds per game average.

For the second half of the decade, Harden has been a legitimate contender for MVP every season and is on pace to be one again in 2020. Although an NBA championship still eludes him, he is no doubt up there for having one of the most dominant decades.

Guard: Russell Westbrook This next spot is the one the most debatable, as one could make a legitimate case for a number of players. But if you look at the historical and big-picture context, Russell Westbrook is the player who takes over.

His decade has been nothing less than incredible. Westbrook’s athleticism and energy from the guard position is something we have never seen before and may never see again for quite some time. Although he is not the prototypical point guard in terms of efficiency, the numbers and performances he put up were extraordinary.

Early in the decade, he shared the spotlight with Kevin Durant in Oklahoma City but still managed to make the all-star team five times while he was there. He totaled eight all-star appearances and notched eight All-NBA honors during the decade. Westbrook was a two-time scoring and assist leader, and the league’s MVP in 2017. But his most impressive feat by far has been av-

eraging a triple-double not only in one single season but three. Although he may not have had the greatest team success over the past 10 years, Westbrook is going to go down as one of the best point guards ever and one of the best players of this generation.

Forward: Kevin Durant Not only will Kevin Durant go down as one of the best players of this decade, but he will also go down in history as one of the greatest scorers of all time.

His seven-foot frame combined with his ability to get buckets is something never before seen in the NBA, making him nearly impossible to guard. Durant had a decade-best 10 all-star appearances and won MVP in two of those games. His nine All-NBA selections is second to only one player, and it was only because of an injury during the 2014-2015 season that he didn’t get ten.

After winning four scoring titles in five years and an MVP as a member of the Thunder, Durant decided to take his talents to the Golden State Warriors, where he won two championships and Finals MVPs in both.

Although the move was heavily criticized, achieving the elusive championship further advanced his legacy and cemented him as one of the decade’s best, finishing with a decade-high 28 point average, along with 4.4 assists and 7.4 rebounds per game.

Forward: LeBron James When future generations look back at this decade and try to decide who was the best player, the numbers, success and overall dominance point to LeBron James. Arguably the greatest player of all time, James has left his mark on the NBA this decade, solidifying himself as one of the best to have ever played the game.

No one came into the league with more pressure than James did back in 2003, and it is likely that no one will ever surpass those expectations as he did. After his heavily scrutinized “decision” to start the decade by joining Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat, he captured his first and second NBA Championships and won Finals MVP both years. He then solidified his legacy by going back to his home state and joining the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he beat the historic 73-9 Warriors after being down 3-1 in the series.

James won a decade-best three league MVPs, 10 all-star appearances and 10 AllNBA nods. He led his teams to eight-straight finals this decade, and although he only won three of them, his team was the underdog in six of those eight. He led the decade in points scored and made four All-Defense teams.

Although his legacy of dominance on the court is unquestioned, his legacy off it is just as great, as James set the example for a new generation of players to become more charitable and active in their communities. James has been the best player of the decade by far, and his historic dominance will be hard to match by any future player.

As mentioned before, the Russell Westbrook addition can be questioned, as many believe someone like Kawhi Leonard is more worthy of that spot. Although Leonard has undoubtedly had two great Finals runs and many accolades, his debate has more to do with recency bias than anything else. The first half of the decade was spent with Spurs teams and a system that hindered his ability to become a huge star. He eventually won two Finals MVPs, but aside from that, he was not a player who dominated the decade as much as Westbrook did. He is in the top 10 of the decade, but looking at his whole body of work would not lead you to believe he is among the best five.

Regardless, these five players have shown greatness all throughout the past ten years and will go down as some of the best to ever play in the NBA. When looking at the list, there is a clear omission of a true center, which is telling of the way the NBA has changed and moved away from a player like that. This decade of NBA basketball gave fans a tremendous amount of excitement and possibly the peaks of some of the all-time greats. As time goes on, the 2010s should be debated as one of the best decades for basketball in history.

BY BRENDAN OGBURN sports@theaggie.org After a four-month marathon, the college football season has finally reached its closing act.

Fourteen weeks of regular season action, 10 conference championship games and 40 bowl games have come and gone, producing another memorable fall for universities across America.

But the annual College Football Playoff semi-finals have not always lived up to the hype in their six-year existence, as fans have yet to enjoy a year where both playoff games are competitive. Each year the semi-finals produce either a blowout and a thriller, or two snooze fests. Fortunately, 2019 gave us the former, with top-ranked LSU demolishing Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl and Clemson slipping past Ohio State in a captivating Fiesta Bowl.

These results have set up a dream matchup in Monday’s national championship game, pitting Tigers against Tigers in what promises to be a fascinating showdown at the Superdome in New Orleans, LA. The similarities between Clemson and LSU go far beyond their names. Both teams come into the championship game sporting undefeated records and looking to complete a rare 15-0 season, something only accomplished once in FBS history by Clemson last January.

Clemson is the more experienced team, appearing in the CFP for the fifth straight year and riding a 29-game winning streak overall. They are gunning for their third national championship in four seasons, while LSU looks to hoist the trophy for the first time since 2007.

Both teams nickname their home venues “Death Valley,” which seems appropriate considering the nightmares endured by every opponent who ventured into these hostile environments throughout the fall.

On each sideline, there will be a superstar quarterback destined for fame at the next level, regardless of what happens on Monday night.

LSU’s Joe Burrow, the Heisman trophy winner, is a heavy favorite to be selected No. 1 overall in April’s NFL Draft and Trevor Lawrence is almost a lock to receive the same treatment if he departs for the pros as expected in 2021.

Both programs are led by vocal head coaches whose interviews and press conferences have become appointment television. LSU head coach Ed Orgeron has captured the hearts of many fans across the nation with his heavy cajun accent, signature catchphrases and Louisiana pride.

On the flip side, Dabo Swinney always brings pure honesty and passion but has now comically

adopted an underdog mindset for his program this season, due to its supposed lack of credibility playing in the relatively weaker ACC conference.

Swinney has often joked that his team could ill afford a single mistake because the CFP selection committee was trying to find reasons to keep them out of the final four.

This time, Swinney actually has a valid point as LSU is currently a 5.5-point favorite in most sportsbooks around the country. But Clemson has typically thrived in the underdog role, winning six of its eight postseason games in the CFP era despite being favored just twice.

Behind the scenes, there is no shortage of headliners on each team’s coaching staff. Both programs have invested heavily to acquire some of the top coordinators and assistant coaches in the sport.

LSU has the luxury of leaning on defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, the highest-paid assistant coach in the country. Additionally, the arrival of passing game coordinator Joe Brady from the New Orleans Saints completely changed the entire LSU offense, as Brady implemented a modern spread scheme that has taken full advantage of Burrow’s skillset.

Meanwhile, Clemson enjoys the services of defensive coordinator Brent Venables, the second highest-paid assistant coach and a popular name in many head coaching searches each offseason.

Under his watch, the Tigers have been one of stingiest defenses on a yearly basis and continually churned out top NFL draft picks.

With a historically long 15-day gap before the championship game, both coaching staffs will have more than enough time to correct previous mistakes and craft sophisticated gameplans with some unpredictable wrinkles.

Nonetheless, it’s hard to imagine this game being a low-scoring affair or defensive slugfest.

LSU has been held under 36 points only one time all season, and Clemson has scored at least 38 in all but one game since October.

Burrow has shattered numerous passing records all season long, throwing for over 5,000 yards and 55 touchdowns, making him the obvious choice for the Heisman Trophy. The Ohio native took his game to a completely new level in the 63-28 demolition of Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl, throwing for seven touchdowns in the first half.

Burrow has a litany of supremely talented weapons at his disposal, including wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Terrace Marshall Jr., tight end Thaddeus Moss and running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

CFBCHAMP on 11