November 21 2019

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VOLUME 138, ISSUE 9 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019

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AFSCME LOCAL 3299 STRIKES IN PROTEST OF ALLEGED JOB OUTSOURCING BY UC AND UNFAIR LABOR COMPLAINTS Latest strike marks sixth one over past year and a half

AFSCME protestors demonstrate on Toomey Field by Russell Blvd. on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019.(Photo by Justin Han / Aggie)

BY A L LY RUSSEL L campus@theaggie.org The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3299, the UC’s largest employee union, went on strike on Nov. 13 for the sixth time in the last 18 months. Members and supporters protested the alleged outsourcing of jobs and unfair labor practices by the UC. This strike comes after six lawsuits were recently filed against the UC system.

Union members and supporters formed picket lines at all 10 UC campuses as well as five UC medical centers. Despite this being the sixth strike organized in the last year and a half, rhetoric on both sides of the negotiation table has remained largely unchanged. With AFSCME and UC representatives presenting contradictory arguments, it is unclear how negotiations will proceed.

Matthew Mussar, a UC Davis Medical Center employee on strike, spoke about concerns highlighted by union representatives.

“We won’t stand to have our jobs contracted

out and lose the things we’ve fought so hard for in the past,” Mussar said. “We just want to provide the best patient care we can.”

At the same time, UC representatives have conveyed entirely opposing viewpoints. Andrew Gordon, the associate director of media relations for the UC Office of the President, disputed claims brought up by union members like Mussar.

“The University’s agreements with AFSCME already protect employees from displacement due to contracting,” Gordon said via email. “Furthermore, no employee can be terminated as a result of a sub-contracting decision.”

Kathryn Lybarger, president of AFSCME 3299, alleged in an article in The Sacramento Bee that there has been an 84% increase in UC spending on outsourced jobs since 2016. UC representatives, however, claim figures referenced are incomparable.

When asked about the possibility of gaining access to comparable statistics, Gordon instead repeated the same statement available to the press, describing the latest offer presented by the

UC to the union which was rejected by union representatives.

AFSCME 3299 workers have been without a contract since June 2017, despite numerous offers presented by the UC. The most recent offer included a 3% wage increase and “the same health insurance rates as other employees,” according to an email from Gordon. Over the past two years of bargaining, seven other unions have successfully negotiated acceptable contracts with the UC. After another 40-day bargaining session this fall, AFSCME-represented workers seem no closer to reaching a contractual agreement with the UC than two years ago.

Although union representatives are still unsatisfied with offers, the UC claims it has been generous and has consistently bargained in good faith.

“It would be unfair to provide AFSCME-represented workers more than double the raises of other UC employees, which is what the union is demanding,” Gordon said.

Another statement released by Dwaine Duckett, the UC’s vice president for systemwide human resources and programs, offered a different take on the

disconnect between union and UC representatives.

“Given the hundreds of millions of dollars in state funding cuts UC has absorbed over the past five years, we must be fiscally prudent,” Duckett said. “University leaders have to be mindful that large, programmatic increases in pay and benefits for these workers drive up the cost of services they provide. We cannot — and will not — balance AFSCME’s demands on the backs of our students and patients.”

AFSCME service workers as well as patient care technical workers joined in strike activities across the state and garnered national attention for their efforts.

In response to letters sent by union members urging Democratic candidates to respect union boycotts, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) made the decision to change the venue of the December Democratic debate. Previously, UCLA was scheduled to host the debate.

“In response to concerns raised by the local organized labor community in Los Angeles, we have asked our media partners to seek an alternative site for the December debate,” said Mary Beth Cahill, the DNC senior advisor, earlier this week in an article in the Huffington Post.

UC DAVIS WILL NOT MEET ZERO WASTE BY 2020 GOAL While the campus is not on track to meet its zero waste goal, it still plans on taking actions toward waste reduction, energy efficiency

BY KAT HE RI N E DE B E N E DE T T I features@theaggie.org UC Davis is known as an environmentally-conscious university. Therefore, it comes as little surprise that that university, alongside the entire UC system, has been working on the “Zero Waste 2020” initiative and #MyLastTrash pledge, all part of the first zero waste initiative for college campuses. The campaign’s main goal is to certify all UC campuses as zero waste by 2020, meaning that they divert 90% of campus-wide waste.

Although this goal is considered admirable by many, it has proven to be unrealistic for the campus. UC Davis has been working consistently to achieve zero waste status and has made considerable progress, but 2020 is in less than two months, and the campus is not expected to meet these goals before the new year.

The California Aggie’s Editorial Board interviewed Chancellor Gary May recently and asked about whether the university was on track to meet its goals to be waste-free by 2020 and carbon-free by 2025. The chancellor did not directly address the university’s progress on the waste free initiative and, in a follow-up email with Dana Topousis, the chief marketing and communications officer for UC Davis, it was revealed that the campus will “not be meeting the zero waste goal for 2020.”

“Our campus sustainability team is preparing a revised zero waste plan with strategies and steps that will be available for review in the coming months,” she said. “The plan will speak to prog-

ress to date and emerging barriers.”

This does not discount the progress UC Davis has made since the initiative’s launch in 2009.

According to the Engagement and Zero Waste Program Manager Sue Vang, UC Davis set and achieved a subgoal to meet 75% diversion of waste by 2012, but, unfortunately, much of the campus’ progress has plateaued since then.

Another component of the initiative that the campus has made considerable progress toward includes meeting a set level of California’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, a concept that UC Davis’ Director of Sustainability and Campus Sustainability Planner Camille Kirk commented on.

“Those goals actually come from the UC sustainable practices policy,” Kirk said. “One of the things it calls for is for LEED buildings to achieve silver, strive for gold [status]. Since that policy was enacted and we’ve been building things and certifying existing buildings, we have one certified LEED building [that was previously existing], five silver, 20 gold and 11 platinum LEED certified buildings.”

UC Davis and the UC system are still committed to pursuing zero waste and plan on making structural changes in the initiative to make it more attainable.

As part of these changes, the UC will now be setting annual goals to keep campuses accountable and make it easier to track progress, according to Vang. One particular update to the goal encompasses the Title 24 energy consumption mandate, a state-wide group of energy efficiency

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Waste disposal stations, such as the one pictured here, exist throughout campus for students to sort and dispose their waste. (Photo by Justin Han / Aggie)

standards expected of California buildings. The UC Sustainable Practices Policy originally called for UC campuses to be at 20% below the energy efficiency limits put forth by Title 24 annually.

UC Davis is striving to surpass these limits, and is aiming to be at 25% under the limit. This has proven to be a difficult standard to meet, according to Kirk.

“Title 24 is a constantly ratcheting down code, so every three years they update it to get progressively more stringent,” Kirk said. “We are finding that, at a certain point, 25% below something that’s really stringent becomes not actually achievable, so as a whole system we have called for [an option for our campuses.] Either you can do below 20% below Title 24 or you can meet an Energy Use Intensity, EUI, target, [which asks] for campuses to achieve a 2% [EUI] reduction

annually.”

The option to reduce the EUI annually may be a more achievable option. On Davis’ campus, the EUI, measured in British thermal units per square foot per year, has been reduced from 295 to around 160 since 2000, Kirk said. In recent years, the immediate Davis campus has struggled to maintain at least a 2% reduction annually, but in the past year it has revamped its approach to meet these standards. Kirk is hopeful that it will once again be below the 2% reduction mark, noting that the Sacramento campus has consistently been below this mark.

Another major revision puts more focus on reduction of waste, rather than on diversion.

Vang expressed that, in the time that has trans-

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THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

2 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019

DISCUSSION OVER UCPATH ISSUES AND WORKER-STUDENT SOLIDARITY COMMISSION AT NOV. 7 SENATE MEETING The California Aggie and AS Food Service quarterly reports presented, permanent scheduling of quarterly town halls passed

BY GRASC HE L L E FAR I ÑAS campus@theaggie.org Vice President Shreya Deshpande called the Nov. 7 ASUCD Senate meeting to order at 6:11 p.m. in Meeting Room D of the Student Community Center (SCC). ASUCD President Justin Hurst, Vice Controller Shambhavi Gupta, Senator Shondreya Landrum, Business and Finance Commission Chair Filip Stemenkovic and Gender and Sexuality Commission Chair Elena Denecochea were absent.

Following roll call, Senator Karolina Rodriguez nominated Senator Anna Estrada for interim Senate pro-tempore.

The California Aggie’s Editor-in-Chief Kaelyn Tuermer-Lee and AS Food Service Director Darin Schluep presented their unit’s quarterly reports.

Tuermer-Lee noted the number of issues published since the start of Fall Quarter and discussed the recent hiring of a design director and of numerous volunteer staff members — including staff writers, photographers, graphic designers, layout artists and copyreaders. She said many of The Aggie’s paid staff members have not received pay and have been having difficulties accessing UCPath.

Schluep highlighted expansion efforts on programs such as Pay It Forward, Healthier Campus Initiative and the MU Rooftop Garden, as well as the South CoHo Cafe’s transition to a 100% vegan and vegetarian menu that will begin recipe development and comprehensive marketing during Spring Quarter. Schluep also confirmed other annual events, such as the chancellor’s Moonlight Breakfast at the CoHo on Tuesday, Dec. 10 from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m., the benefit din-

ANTI-PLAGIARISM TOOL “TURNITIN” TAPPED

BY UC DAVIS FOR CANVAS INTEGRATION Turnitin should not be the sole determiner of plagiarism, says Turnitin representative

ner to end campus hunger on Dec. 16 and the employee Thanksgiving dinner.

Schluep addressed the CoHo employee walkout earlier that day over issues related to payroll difficulties resulting from the implementation of UCPath. He said about 100 employees are waiting on either a pay raise or back pay.

A community member asked Schluep about the budget increase for uniforms from $2,700 to $3,500. Schluep said the minimum number of hours were decreased from 15 to 12 hours which, in turn, resulted in hiring more employees and needing a higher uniform budget.

Next, the table moved to Academic Senate Student Representative confirmation. Academic Affairs Commission Chair Naomi Reeley mentioned that she wanted to increase engagement with the 10 other committees under Academic Senate and reach a bigger population for student feedback on faculty after sitting on two committees last year. Reeley was confirmed with no objections.

Then, Ethnic and Cultural Affairs Commission (ECAC) Chair Jonina Balabis recommended two candidates for the commission. One candidate mentioned ideas such as encouraging ways in which professors and club advisors can provide more adequate accommodations during Ramadan as well as engage students in what ECAC does as a commission through seminars. Both candidates were confirmed with no objections.

Environmental Policy and Planning Commission confirmations followed, with Chair Kyle Krueger recommending two candidates, both of whom were confirmed without objections.

The table took a break at 8:00 p.m. and resumed at 8:10 p.m.

Previous legislation was passed and new pieces of legislation, Senate Bills 12 and 13, were introduced.

SB #12, introduced by Senator Maya Barak, intends to restructure the relationship between ASUCD commissions and committees, “placing committees under commissions for administrative and legislative support purposes.” The bill noted that the specialized purposes of most committees paired well with the goals of certain

commissions and, therefore, commissions should oversee committees.

SB #13, also introduced by Barak, aims to change the name of “Executive Council” to “Executive Advisory Council,” as the new body recently created within ASUCD has the same name as another body already in existence.

In consideration of old legislation, Senate Bill #8 and #5 and Senate Resolution 1 were tabled.

SB #9, SB #11 and Constitutional Amendment 62 were discussed.

SB #9, introduced by Senator Sean Kumar, aims to permanently schedule quarterly town hall meetings during the fifth academic week of each quarter. The bill passed unanimously.

SB #11, introduced by Barak, aims to establish an official onboarding process for the smooth transition of ASUCD leadership positions to retain institutional memory and longevity of plans.

The bill also passed unanimously.

Next, Rodriguez spoke about CA #62 which aims to create a new commission, the Worker-Student Solidarity Commission (WSSC), to represent and advocate for the welfare of undergraduate student-workers employed by the Association and UC Davis workers as a whole.

Community members voiced their support for the new commission, stating that student workers have not been paid since the beginning of the quarter.

“With this commission, I believe we can hear the voices of our student workers and our union workers,” said a member of the community.

Another community member suggested escalation strategies for ASUCD to push back against UCPath, such as boosting strikes and blasting UC President Janet Napolitano’s phone lines.

“The administration was not helpful whatsoever with telling us when we were going to get paid,” Rodriguez said. “It’s pretty evident that they don’t care about paying the students on time.”

After other community member testimonies, CA #62 was passed unanimously and was placed on the fall 2019 ballot. The amendment was not passed during last week’s ASUCD elections.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:45 p.m.

RACIST GRAFFITI FOUND IN DEATH STAR, 25 STUDENTS AND STAFF MEMEBERS RECEIVE WHITE SUPREMACIST EMAIL Police tracking email servers, email recipient says university should do more

Canvas will potentially recieve Turnitin integration an anti-plagiarism tool that has seen lots of controversy.

Nov. 8, 2019. (Photo by Benjamin Cheng / Aggie)

BY JE SSI C A BAG GOT T campus@theaggie.org Popular anti-plagiarism software Turnitin is currently in the process of being added to UC Davis’ Canvas. While funding for the expense has been approved by the Provost, the anti-plagiarism product is under information security review and the timeline for implementation is unknown.

The Turnitin database includes 70 billion current and archived internet pages, one billion student papers, over 47,000 journals and 69 million articles and documents from various publishers.

Turnitin uses an algorithm to compare strings of text from students’ papers to its vast database.

The result of this process is a “similarity report,” which highlights the text in a student’s paper to show potential areas of similarity or plagiarism.

Donald Dudley, the director of the Office of Student Support and Judicial Affairs, said that requests for a tool like Turnitin originated primarily from faculty. Students concerned after seeing their peers engage in academic misconduct played a role as well.

Despite this, some students struggle with the implementation of Turnitin. The company has received repeated lawsuits from students due to Turnitin’s practice of storing student papers in their database.

Issues have also arisen when professors take similarity reports at face value when they should instead be used as a starting point for a conversation between a professor and a student about potential plagiarism. A representative from Turnitin explained that a similarity score on its own “is not an indicator of plagiarism, but rather an indicator that a conversation needs to be had and maybe a piece of work needs to be evaluated and a professor and student need to talk about proper citation methods.”

Plagiarism is not cut and dry but rather a spectrum — Turnitin’s website includes an article describing ten different types of plagiarism.

Trish Serviss, the associate director of the entry-level writing program, echoes this sentiment, explaining that as students learn, attribution errors may occur.

“Most students, especially when they’re beginning [a new type of writing] try to paraphrase and put their own terms, but they’re still learning what the terms are and what they mean,” Serviss

said.

Serviss said this is a common occurrence, especially among non-native English speakers and first-generation college students and should be seen as an opportunity for growth.

Many current actions taken by the university to reduce plagiarism address problems such as these. Dudley outlined the ways plagiarism and misattribution could be stopped before they happen. These include faculty speaking at orientation regarding academic expectations, presenting workshops specifically about writing and citations, explaining writing assistance and tutoring availability and having students acknowledge the academic code of conduct at the beginning of each quarter.

Other types of plagiarism, however, are more sinister. Students now have the option to purchase papers online at the click of a button, obtaining them from “paper mills” or copying work word for word.

“To me, it’s a whole different category,” Serviss said. the only way they have a conversation with students about their writing.

“It runs the risk of becoming the solution,” Serviss said. “It might become mistakenly the only way that they interact with students about writing and that’s my worst nightmare.”

Beshara Kehdi, a Ph.D. student in cultural studies, wrote that implementing Turnitin will not solve the plagiarism problem at UC Davis.

“TurnItIn.com is not a quick fix panacea to preventing plagiarism or to developing competent writers,” Kehdi said via email. “If there exists distrust between faculty and students regarding what they are producing and submitting, and it is widely felt, then that is an institutional problem and the campus community, instructors and students, should be tasked with addressing it [as opposed to an outside company].” Since the university is just beginning the process of implementing this service, many questions remain unanswered.

Although the tool is an opt-in for professors, it remains unclear whether students will be able to opt-out.

“If I’m a student and I have to take a certain gateway course for my major, and all of those [class] sections require that I [either opt in to Turnitin or opt] out of the major?” Serviss asked.

“I’m worried about the nuance. How are we going to apply it? How are we going to create safeguards [so] that we use it ethically?”

Note left behind warning those who made the initial graffiti markings that is now replaced with red hearts.

(Photo by Justin Han / Aggie)

BY JANE LLE MARIE SALANGA campus@theaggie.org Twenty-five staff — including some students — linked to the African American studies and political science departments received an email on Oct. 25 containing the message “It’s okay to be white.” Five days later, a student reported graffiti containing two discrete N-words on the fifth floor of the Death Star.

The events follow a trend of white supremacist messages planted on campus. This past September, the second incident of anti-Semitic, neo-Nazi fliers posted on campus occured in less than a year.As with the groups who posted those fliers, Chancellor Gary May condemned the perpetrators of both recent acts — he addressed the emails in a statement and said, “All can be valued. All can be supported. All can be successful.

White supremacy, hate and intimidation have no place here.”

His response to the graffiti contained a similar sentiment. “We do not and will not tolerate racism in any form,” the chancellor’s statement read. “We will take action when we discover who is behind this racist act.”

UC Davis Police Chief Joseph Farrow said that the graffiti, unfortunately, is a tough case.

“There are no leads and not much we can do because there were no witnesses, no cameras, no timeframe for when it happened,” Farrow said.

Farrow and his detectives tracked down the three different servers from which the emails were sent, located in Phoenix, Mountain View and San Francisco.

“We’re doing our best to engage and identify the source to ensure that it won’t be a hate crime,” he said, adding that police were continuing to track the servers and monitor their activity.

A recipient of the “It’s okay to be white”

email, who wished to remain anonymous, asked for the university to do more.

“Who at the university is in charge of thinking about these issues?” the anonymous source said. “There should be a concrete plan that treats these messages as a possible endangerment to faculty and students.”

While the anonymous recipient said they believed the emails were tied to the 50th anniversary of ethnic studies programs at UC Davis, Farrow said that police found accounts on two different public sources during the week of August 25 of people encouraging others to download and send the message, suggesting that the emails don’t coincide with the anniversary.

Similar incidents have happened at other universities over the past two years, including at UC Davis, with fliers containing the same message found on campus buildings.

The email recipient called it a “rising trend of racial harassment.”

“We need more active vigilance and a preventative, informative plan,” they said.

Farrow said the racist acts angered him, but said he believed in the campus community’s ability to use its voice to say when things were wrong.

“It’s our community that responds and reports it,” he said. “That serves as a reminder that our campus gets it.”

Still, the recipient said that the university should also be aware of the dynamics at work when these acts occur, given the destabilizing effect such acts have on people.

“How do you call out the act without making it about everyone?” asked the anonymous source.

“There’s a group being targeted — how do you support that group first and foremost? I don’t know the answer. But they’re questions the university should think about.”

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019 | 3

POLICE ISSUE WARNING AS STRING OF DAVIS ARMED ROBBERIES, CAR-JACKINGS CONTINUE

Eight armed robberies, two car-jackings within seven week period in Davis KATH E R I N E F R A N KS / AGGI E

BY TIM LALONDE city@theaggie.org Davis police continue to investigate a series of eight armed robbery incidents and two car-jackings that occurred in a seven-week period between late September and mid-November. The Davis Police Department has issued three separate warnings to the Davis community regarding

the incidents over this period.

On Nov. 13, police issued their most recent warning through the community alert system, Nixle. According to the Nixle release, two female victims reported being approached by a male suspect on the 1200 block of Alvarado Avenue after exiting their parked vehicle on the evening of Nov. 12. The suspect reportedly exited a white Honda Odyssey minivan.

CORGI FAIRE IN DAVIS DEBUTS DISTINCTIVE PEMBROKE WELSH CORGI BREED

Corgi lovers learn about, test what Corgis can do at annual event

Corgis of all types and colors along with their owners populate Lillard Hall by the Yolo County Airport in Davis, Calif on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019. (Photo by Justin Han / Aggie)

BY RUI DING city@theaggie.org The Golden Gate Pembroke Welsh Corgi Fanciers (GGPWCF) hosted their annual Corgi Faire at Lillard Hall in Davis on Nov. 10. About 200 guests attended the event, and most brought their corgis to try out various activities.

Gina Lorenzi, the co-chair of this year’s Faire, described the event as a way to demonstrate the agility and intelligence of the Pembroke Welsh Corgi.

“Our thought was to promote what this breed can do,” Lorenzi said. “Because we’ve got amazing little dogs that can really do anything.”

The Faire had obedience demonstrations, conducted by Lila Lippow, and other agility tests, including going through tunnels and lure coursing for attendees’ corgis.

Lorenzi brought her own corgi to the Faire as well.

“My dog does seven different sports and works [professionally] for seven different sports,” Lorenzi said. “Basically, in any dog sport you can think of, there is probably a Pembroke Welsh Corgi game in it.”

The Faire also included a costume contest where attendees dressed up their corgis in a creative way. Stephanie Hughes-White, a participant at the event, dressed up her dogs to resemble the characters of Disney’s “Moana.”

“I grew up with corgis,” Hughes-White said.

“So, the first thing I thought about was having a Corgi that my husband and I would love.”

White described the corgi as bossy but a great companion.

“Being the size they are, corgis can still run the roost,” White said. “And they can be very

SACRAMENTO CONSIDERS BUILDING TINY-HOUSE VILLAGE FOR HOMELESS Sacramento Councilman Allen Warren proposes building overnight shelter for about 700 of city’s homeless

“The suspect pointed a handgun at the victims and demanded they leave behind their keys and cell phones,” the release read. “The suspect then entered the victim’s vehicle, a silver 2007 Audi 4 door sedan, license 5VBZ037, and left the area heading west-bound on Alvarado Avenue near Sycamore, followed by the minivan which was occupied by an additional three suspects.”

Davis Police said they later identified that the minivan had been reported stolen to the Woodland Police Department. In the release, they said the investigation remained open.

The release included descriptions of three of the four suspects, who police said should be considered armed and dangerous. The gunman was described as a “Black or Hispanic male adult,” approximately 5’10” in height, wearing a white sweatshirt with a black bandanna covering his face. A second suspect was described as Hispanic, roughly 5’6” with a light complexion, wearing a bandana of indeterminate color and the third simply as a Black male with a “tall, thin build.”

There was a fourth suspect present with no available description, police say.

The latest warning came half a month after another release on Nov. 1 from Davis police detailed two armed robberies, in addition to one attempted and one successful car-jacking incident on Halloween night. The first incident occurred in the parking lot of an apartment complex on Shasta Drive, according to the release. Two female suspects reported being approached by two male suspects in black hooded sweatshirts, ski masks and gloves while sitting in their vehicle.

“The suspects produced two handguns and told the females to exit the car and lay down on the ground,” the release read. “While the suspects were rummaging through the victim’s vehicle in an attempt to locate the car keys, one of the victims fled the scene on foot. Unable to get the veprotective toward their mommy and daddy.”

According to Lorenzi, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi is different from the Cardigan Welsh Corgi in several ways. They are two distinctive corgi breeds: The Pembroke Welsh Corgi is a spitz-type breed, whereas the Cardigan is more closely related to the basset hound.

“The Pembroke Welsh Corgi is a little more fine-boned than the Cardigan Welsh Corgi,” Lorenzi said. “The Cardigan Welsh Corgi is always going to have their tails, but the Pembroke Welsh Corgi usually does not.”

Lorenzi also emphasized the sociable characteristic of the corgi.

“We lovingly call them the frat boys of the corgi world,” Lorenzi said. “Because they arereally sociable — they love their people, they love other dogs and they love doing things.”

Ellen Perlson, the board director of the GGPWCF, as well as a Pembroke Welsh Corgi breeder, said she has had corgis since 1995 and has been breeding dogs since 2001. Perlson described the corgi as a high-energy breed.

“They need an active home with an active lifestyle,” Perlson said. “Pembroke Welsh Corgis are very outgoing, with high drive and high energy.”

Perlson also pointed out some downsides of the corgi.

“They like to bark and, most importantly, they shed a lot,” Perlson said. “The nice thing is that you will get used to the hair. I always have hair on me because I have six corgis.”

According to Perlson, the Pembroke Welsh Corgis blow their coats two to three times a year, with an undercoat growing profusely.

“You just need to give them a nice warm bath and comb it all out, getting rid of all the dead hair and you start fresh,” Perlson said.

The GGPWCF is the first regional Pembroke Welsh Corgi club in the United States, established in 1957. Lorenzi said it was founded as a kind of fanciers to get people who love the breed together.

“I just love this breed,” Lorenzi said. “And getting out there with other people who love the same breed is a lot of fun.”

To become a member of the GGPWCF, as Lorenzi said, one needs to know two people in the club for at least six months to get a letter of recommendation and application form, in addition to signing a code of ethics.

Village would feature a health clinic, dining commons, garden, playground and dog park.

“The idea is really homelessness to self-sufficiency,” Warren said. “I expect [Renewal Village] to give them a safe place to live and regain their lives.”

Seattle, Washington has already started a number of tiny-house villages for the homeless.

hicle started, the two suspects stole a cellphone and a small amount of cash.”

The suspects then fled the scene to a nearby getaway car, a four-door black sedan, which was driven by a third unknown suspect, police said.

Within an hour of responding to the Shasta Drive incident, police responded to a second report of armed robbery on 7th and D St. A lone female victim had just parked her car when she was approached by two men, one of whom told her to surrender her property while threatening her with a black handgun, police said. After taking the victim’s wallet, phone and keys, the two men fled in her recently purchased Honda Civic with dealer plates.

On Nov. 4, Davis police issued a follow-up report to the Halloween incidents on Nixle, saying that they had recovered the stolen vehicle after a pursuit and arrested a 17-year-old Woodland resident for evading police and weapons charges. They also noted that their subsequent investigations had connected the two Halloween armed robberies and that they would continue to work with Woodland police to “[follow] up on additional suspects and charges.”

These three incidents come on the heels of five other armed robberies that occurred between late September and early October, for which the police issued a warning on Oct.10.

“During the last few weeks there have been 5 armed robberies reported in Davis,” the October release read. “In all 5 cases the suspect(s) have approached the victim on a street or sidewalk and threatened the victim with a handgun before taking property. Property taken has included personal electronics (phones and computers) along with wallets.”

HALLOWEENR OBER R I ES on 11

Piles of leaves need to leave November 7 “Male came into store, upset his sandwich was made late. Subject demanded free items and employees refused. Subject was upset for not getting compensation.”

November 8 “Marijuana buds left on a bench. Request items be cleaned up.”

November 9 “Reporting party wants to know when the scheduled leaf pick up is. Reporting party already looked online and cannot find anything, requested we call out after hours public works to find out. Dispatch advised reporting party [that] this doesn’t qualify for a callout. Reporting party then stated that he’s concerned for elderly people due to the amount of leafs [sic] and other particles the tree drops. At [the] end of [the] call, reporting party then reiterated that he wanted the pickup scheduled.” “[Reporting party] wants officers to follow up with a call he made Thursday night where a neighbor’s child dumped bale of hay on driveway. Officers had told the parents to clean up the mess or they would be cited. Reporting party states hay was not cleaned up properly.”

November 11 “Salesperson refusing to leave reporting party’s premises, currently outside the residence.”

November 13 “Reporting party’s credit card stuck in reader, requested assistance.”

November 14 “Possible breathing or snoring heard.”

Sharon Lee, the executive director for the Low Income Housing Institute in Seattle, gave details about the project.

There are currently nine tiny-house villages in Seattle, serving about 1,000 homeless individuals TI NY HOMES on 11

KA ITLYN PA N G / AGGIE

BY MEGAN TSANG city@theaggie.org Sacramento’s worsening homelessness crisis has prompted City Councilman Allen Warren to tentatively propose a tiny-house village for the city’s homeless population. The settlement would be named “Renewal Village” and would house homeless and low-income renters.

As of 2017, roughly 3,700 homeless people live in Sacramento, 56% of whom are sleeping outdoors, according to data collected by Sacramento County.

In the state of California, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness found that

nearly 130,000 people experienced homelessness each day in 2018. Much of this can be attributed to the rising cost of living.

Warren expects the Renewal Village project to cost anywhere from $20-25 million, paid for by Sacramento, the state, philanthropists, the federal government and the affordable housing aspect of the project.

Renewal Village would be located on eight acres of land and would house 700 people at a time in roughly 200 tents and 500 tiny houses.

Most of the housing would be for the homeless, but it would have some low-income paid housing as well.

On top of the tents and tiny houses, Renewal

HONGKONG on 1 1

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

4 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019

WHEN ACADEMIC ADVISORS OFFER STUDENTS THE WRONG ADVICE, STUDENTS SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES

A student’s worst nightmare

PROFILE: LESHELLE MAY Distinguished software engineer and wife of UC Davis Chancellor shares her views on women in the workplace, protests on campus, Davis community

LeShelle May poses for a portrait at Mrak Hall. Nov. 8, 2019. (Photo by Justin Han / Aggie)

BY CLAIRE DODD features@theaggie.org

Canvas will potentially recieve TurnItIn integration, an anti-plagiarism tool that has seen lots of controversy. Nov. 8, 2019. (Photo by Benjamin Cheng / Aggie)

BY ALANA WIKKELING features@theaggie.org As the second round of pass times are upon students, many are eagerly attempting to fill the last time slots available to schedule appointments with academic advisors. For some students, however, quarterly meetings with academic advisors have done them more harm than good.

Common issues with advisors for several UC Davis students include receiving the wrong information about which classes to take, experiencing poor time management and facing negligence — among other matters.

One major complaint cited by Alice Sokolova, a second-year biomedical engineering major, is advisors’ poor consideration of her time. She explained that trips to her major advisor made her feel as if her time wasn’t considered and that, in the time she spent in advising, she received little, if any, useful counsel.

“You come for your time and just end up waiting for half an hour for the previous student to have their questions answered,” Sokolova said.

“Then, you finally get your chance at talking to them, and the advice is ‘look it up on the school webpage.’”

According to the National Survey of Student Engagement’s (NSSE) 2019 survey of freshman and senior university students, 41% of college freshmen and 37% of college seniors consider their academic counselors as a valuable academic resource.

Another significant percentage of students prefer reaching out to their classmates or family members for academic advice. Additionally, The New York Times reports that students attending larger research universities are more likely to rate their experience with their academic advisors as relatively unsatisfactory.

Sokolova said academic advisors should be more diligent with availability, as there are many students whose questions need answering.

Nevertheless, poor academic counsel is not a new issue. Whether attending university or high school, in regards to advisor negligence in particular, many students and their families have taken matters to the courts.

In the 2001 court case Sain vs. Cedar Rapids Community School District, Jefferson High

School student and basketball player Bruce Sain sued his school district and academic counselor.

Sain claimed his advisor provided false information about the classes that would satisfy his remaining English credit. Sain subsequently lost his basketball scholarship and was unable to play Division I basketball after the NCAA informed him that the class he took did not satisfy the requirement. The district court dismissed the case.

Another instance occurred in 2003, when student Ryan Scott also lost his college scholarship after taking a course his academic advisor assured him would meet course requirements. He later discovered that the class did not. The trial court dismissed Scott’s complaint.

With these allegations of poor performances by major academic advisors, a shift toward peer advising might be a better fit for some. Some peer advisors have taken the same courses or directions as counsel-seeking students and students might find them to be more accessible.

But even peer advising isn’t a perfect solution.

Sarah Underwood, a third-year pharmaceutical chemistry transfer student, said she found her peer advisor to be unhelpful when it came to planning her future as a transfer student.

“I was expecting more from UC Davis,” Underwood said. “The peer advisor gave incorrect information and barely looked at my transcripts to see what I already had credit for. I did not feel that I was receiving helpful advice.”

Underwood said her peer advisor didn’t take her individual case into consideration. While attending a university as expensive as UC Davis, she said, students cannot afford to waste time taking classes that do not contribute to graduation requirements.

Underwood said she found more support from her major advisor.

One second-year biological sciences major, who requested to remain anonymous, encourages students to do their own independent research when it comes to general education requirements and class planning.

“Research on your own, don’t just 100% trust the advisors,” they said. “It’s also good to get more than one opinion, so maybe try to see multiple advisors or also go to peer advising or just ask friends/classmates from your major or with similar career goals.”

LeShelle May sits on the fifth floor of Mrak Hall — the same building that her husband, UC Davis Chancellor Gary May, has an office in. Yet she doesn’t appear concerned with this fact, instead she greets the staff with a level of comfort and warmth that shows her obvious comfort with being both on campus and in the office.

Despite being in between trips — she was in San Francisco the night before, and had plans to fly with the football team to Portland that night — May appeared unhurried as she spoke freely about her involvement on campus, her fruitful career, student protests and more. She carried only a bike helmet and water bottle, which she gestured to when explaining the different aspects of Davis that she found appealing.

“I love that it’s a walking [and biking] community,” May said. “To be honest, when we lived in Atlanta [...] it wasn’t walkable. We had to drive to wherever, so what’s fun about Davis is that I walk everywhere, I cycle everywhere. I never have to fill up my tank.”

May and her husband moved from Atlanta, Ga. a little over two years ago when her husband was offered the chancellor position. She explained that she was initially doubtful about the town of Davis, especially given that she was relocating from such an urban environment — so the thing that surprised her most about the community was how much she liked it.

Though the pace of Davis may be regarded as a bit more lackadaisical in comparison to the bustle of Atlanta, May is anything but unoccupied.

She has put her electrical engineering degree from Boston University to use at CNN for more than 20 years now, as both a senior software developer and manager. She played a crucial role in helping the company launch its website, CNN. com, and she has continued in her role, working remotely for the past two-and-a-half years since moving to Davis.

“It’s working out,” May said. “I have institutional knowledge that a lot of people don’t. The most challenging part is sharing that knowledge.

Right now, it works out because I’m able to work for CNN from anywhere. So, when Gary and I are at a football game, I may work — my job is my laptop. That’s all that I need.”

While May’s title may officially be senior software manager, she has yet another pivotal, more informal role: she acts as the Chancellor’s second set of hands whenever she has a spare moment, filling in where he can’t, developing new relationships and maintaining already established ones. Given her calm and intelligent demeanor, it is unsurprising that she’s largely instrumental in helping fundraise for the university.

“The good part between Gary and I is that my presence on the campus is nice [to use] as a divide and conquer [strategy],” May said. “I don’t make decisions or anything, but I do try to be there for a lot of our donors that just want to have lunch or dinner. I see my role as to fill in where Gary can’t. He can’t be everywhere, all the time.”

She enjoys this unofficial role, viewing it as largely about “befriending” individuals, earning their trust and illustrating the vision of the

school. Besides working with donors, May is a popular keynote speaker choice among many groups on campus — speaking at computer science seminars, at the graduate school of management and to Black Girls Rock that same morning — just to name a few.

The day before the interview took place, students swarmed Mrak Hall in protest over the implementation of UCPath, the UC’s new payroll system that caused many student workers to go weeks without pay. When asked her feelings about the UC Davis student body being notoriously activist, she replied, “the students have the right, and they should.”

May believes that the campus needs to be conscious of students’ issues, and if striking or protesting is the best medium to accomplish awareness, so be it. She does, however, caution students to be aware of legality and overuse. May said the only time she gets concerned when it comes to protests is when laws are broken that could potentially cause harm to others.

She compared protesting on the East Coast to its presence on the West Coast.

“On the West Coast, there’s a lot of protesting, and you can become jaded to it,” May said.

“Have a vision, and let’s address your issues — seriously address the issues so that it’s not just a protest and you aren’t wasting your time. When you protest, you want people to say, ‘Wow, this is serious stuff.’”

In regards to areas of improvement for the university, May admitted that she worries about sexual harassment — an issue she acknowledged is widespread across college campuses. In her eyes, there is no “silver bullet” solution to this complicated issue, but she believes that education might be a good place to start.

Being the highly accomplished female professional that she is, May said she herself has faced numerous bouts of sexism in the workplace. She said she didn’t allow these incidents to impact her performance, saying most of these incidents “flew over [her] head.”

“Do you ever think straight when you’re angry?” May asked. “You really don’t, you lose vision. So I’ve never let those things lose my vision, because then I can be the better me. I’ve worked with men for a long time, but they always went to lunch every day and I was never invited. I was like, ‘Okay, I’m going to the gym.’ Eventually, you have to include me, because I’m the one [with knowledge]. I always say, ‘Be well studied,’ so that people will be forced to include you.”

When asked whether or not her husband’s status as somewhat of a public figure has ever impacted her personal or professional experiences, May quickly dismissed this notion. She made clear that her own pursuits were her primary concern.

“I’m not interested in academia,” May said with a chuckle. “I’ve talked to spouses of different presidents from the other schools, and they know everything because they just get involved more.

My job is very mentally stimulating, it’s intense.

I love that I have my own sense of me, and Gary has his own sense of him.”

It’s not that May is uninterested or even uninvolved with the university —

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019 | 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

UC Davis administration needs to take stronger action against hate propaganda Targeted acts of racism not isolated incidents

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

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

Last month, the UC Davis community was once again affected by acts of intolerance. First, 25 staff members affiliated with ethnic studies departments at UC Davis were sent an email with the message “It’s okay to be white.” And just days after, racial slurs were found written in graffiti on a campus building.

We, the Editorial Board, vehemently condemn these insensitive and bigoted acts. We are extremely saddened and angered by the repeated attempts by outsiders to threaten and demean ethnic, religious and cultural groups in our community.

These emails could not have come at a more hurtful time for our university, as the College of Letters and Science celebrates the 50th anniversary of its ethnic studies programs this year. A time of fond reflection was marred by deliberate, hateful rhetoric. Our hearts go out to all who have been affected by these repulsive displays.

Unfortunately, the emails and graffiti only add to the list of targeted harassment that has occurred far too frequently on our campus. Prior to these recent incidents, UC Davis had experienced multiple public displays of white nationalism and anti-Semitism dating back to 2015 and until as recently as this past September. Demonstrations of hate have become a pervasive issue at this university, and one that has caused many in our community to fear for their well-being.

Threats against the identity of one group are threats against our entire campus community, as our diversity is our most important strength. We are deeply concerned and frustrated with these incessant acts of bigotry that seek to divide us, and we again call on the university to issue a stronger, more coordinated response.

On the same day that the anonymous emails were received, Chancellor Gary May issued a statement in response, reiterating much of the same sentiments he shared when fliers with a similar message were posted around campus in 2017.

While we appreciate the timely efforts of May and the administration in these matters, we ardently believe that the university can and should do more to publicly support those impacted by the acts in question. Regrettably, a trend of hateful messages persists within our university. Those affected deserve more than just a single statement of apology, and shouldn’t be tasked with addressing these issues without continued support from the university. Instead, UC Davis would greatly benefit from a measured, systematic action plan to actively combat hate and uplift and protect those who are at risk of being targeted by it.

There is no doubt that this country is experiencing a rising tide of overt racism, nativism and hate. These recent cases remind us that, while UC Davis prides itself on being an extraordinarily progressive and tolerant place, there are individuals outside of the university and in our locality who possess blatantly hateful beliefs. When specific groups are targeted by horrific propaganda, the university has a responsibility to comprehensively ensure that those affected are made to feel safe from further harm.

The Editorial Board challenges UC Davis administrators to listen to the needs of those affected and take all necessary actions to see that those needs are met. If this is truly an institution that does “not tolerate racism in any form,” then it’s past time for the administration to do more to live up to that claim.

Has creativity lost its spark?

A NO NONSENSE AND UNCREATIVE POEM MIGHT JUST BE THE MOST CREATIVE THING YOU’LL HEAR ABOUT TODAY

BY SI M R A N KA L KAT skkalkat@ucdavis.edu

I never found myself captivated by poetry until my friend introduced me to Kenneth Goldsmith. The more I looked into Goldsmith and his work, the more fascinated I was with not only his poetry but his conception of it. It was so blatantly uncreative that its creativity became astounding.

Kenneth Goldsmith is a poet and the founding editor of “UbuWeb” — an online educational resource for avant-garde material — but he is no ordinary poet. No matter which of his works you read, one thing becomes immediately clear: Goldsmith isn’t searching for words to emotionally and “creatively” describe his thoughts, ideas or state of being (at least not in the traditional sense).

He is one of the leading poets of the conceptual poetry movement, which is “self-described by its practitioners as an act of ‘uncreative writing’” according to poets.org.

Conceptual poetry is unique because it focuses on the process of creating poetry as opposed to the finished poem. In other words, rather than emphasizing the creativity of the final product, conceptual poetry focuses on the creativity of the process itself. One of the most common styles used by these poets is the appropriation of existing texts.

Goldsmith’s poetic style seemed illogical to me, if not lousy, when I first encountered it. In a video with the Louisiana Channel — a non-profit created by the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk, Denmark — he explains that, “Poetry is all around us. We just need to reframe it and suddenly it is our own.”

Goldsmith takes this sentiment literally. In the video, he illustrates his conception of poetry by reading a “poem,” which is really just an article from a newspaper he happens to be holding. He titles the poem “French writer wins Nobel,” and then proceeds to read the article in the paper, verbatim.

I can’t quite articulate why Goldsmith’s work is so intriguing, but it might be because it challenges the way I was conditioned to view creativity.

“I feel that writing from the heart is actually much more uncreative than the kind of ideas I’m proposing,” Goldsmith said in the Channel’s video. “I want to reinfuse it [poetry] with ideas of plagiarism, insincerity, inauthenticity — all the things that were never allowed to be a part of the creative practice.”

I’m not entirely sold on Goldsmith’s vision of creativity, but I admit that I counted the syllables in each chapter of his book “No. 111 2.7.93-10.20.96” to verify that the number of syllables in every word actually corresponded to the chapter number, as he intended. Goldsmith’s book is a prime example of the movements’ attention to a “creative process” as opposed to a creative product.

Practically all of Goldsmith’s work is appropriated, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s uncreative.

For example, his book “Weather,” is a transcription of a minute of each day’s weather report over the course of a year, separated by season. Goldsmith sees it

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as “a classical narrative of the four seasons evolving,” according to his interview with The New Yorker. Even though “Weather” is entirely a transcription, it’s hard not to be intrigued by the unconventional and peculiar process in which the poem was written.

His book “Traffic” compiles transcriptions of traffic reports on a holiday weekend over a 24-hour period. Goldsmith read “Traffic” at the White House Poetry Night in 2011 and was met with a positive response.

“So the weirdest, most avant-garde, most appropriated text was the one that got the biggest response because it was in the language that everybody could understand. It was vernacular, so this is radical populism,” Goldsmith said in reference to his White House performance. “People say the work that I do is undecipherable, [that] nobody can understand it. But in fact, the radicality of it is its democracy, is the fact that everybody can understand it.”

I have merely scratched the surface in my attempt to understand Goldsmith and other avant-garde works in and outside of the conceptual poetry movement. But through this process, I gained a better understanding of the dynamic and ever evolving nature of the humanities.

We see growth in technology and the sciences as innovative, yet perceive developments in the humanities, like those spurred on by Goldsmith and others, in a different way. But applying a rigid standard on what qualifies as “creative” undermines the value of creativity itself.

Goldsmith’s work may seem dull and mundane, but it also offers a new approach to storytelling that pushes the boundaries of art, ultimately forcing us to question what it really means to be “creative.”

6 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

EPA’S PROPOSED “TRANSPARENT SCIENCE” RULE IS SICK JOKE It’s funny because more Americans will get sick and die as a result. Get it?

MA R IO R ODR IGU EZ / AGGIE

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

President Donald Trump spends his time distracting America by screaming and whining about what an innocent, perfect-call-making, stable genius he is (as any stable genius would). All the while, the environmental deregulation crusaders planted throughout his administration have been busy demonstrating quite high levels of stable, albeit evil, genius.

There’s perhaps no better embodiment of this than the proposed “Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science” rule.

Sounds pretty great, right? Who wouldn’t want strength, transparency and [“everybody’s favorite category”] — SCIENCE? That certainly goes down a lot smoother than if the rule was named based on what it’s actually intended to do. That name, whatever it might have been, would go down about as smooth as swallowing a whetting stone coated in shoe polish.

Under the guise of transparency and an obviously insincere commitment to scientific integrity, this rule is actually an ingenious way to compromise all future, and potentially current, environmental regulations in one fell swoop. The rule will ban the EPA from justifying regulatory decisions with scientific studies for which all underlying models and raw data are not made public.

On the surface, this sounds just fine too.

But the problem is that meaningfully regulating harmful pollutants in our air and water often requires studies that use private health and medical data — you know, to assess health. As many publications have noted, this rule would ban justifying regulations with studies like the landmark “Six Cities” report of 1993, which used confidential medical information to show that Americans die faster in cities with worse air pollution. The raw data is not public, but it has been confidentially shared with independent researchers who have successfully replicated the findings.

Since former EPA Secretary Scott Pruitt proposed the rule in April 2018, industry groups, Republican lawmakers and conservative media have hailed it as a victory against what they refer to as the EPA’s “secret science” that is “withheld from the American people.” But as Naomi Oreskas

writes in Nature, groups that lobbied hard for this rule have been hypocritically silent when it comes to publicly disclosing data on “composition of fracking fluids, or the information confidentially supplied by companies to register pesticides with the EPA.” The EPA claims that the rule allows for all research to be independently validated and reproduced, addressing the “replication crisis” in academia. The crisis of science reproducibility is a legitimate concern but mainly in biomedicine and psychology. The EPA also claims that the rule follows the recommendations of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Science for Policy Project and the Administrative Conference of the United States’ Science in the Administrative Process Project and is “consistent with data access requirements for major scientific journals like Science, Nature and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.” This is not true. These three journals issued a joint statement denouncing the rule and explaining the allowances they make for confidential data sharing with other academics and scientists — allowances that the EPA proposal doesn’t make. The International Society for Environmental Epidemiology has also made comprehensive arguments against the rule.

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HUMOR

GORGEOUS PROFESSOR IS BREAKING: FRAT BOY FRISBEE UNAWARE THAT STUDENTS ONLY SEASON LEADS TO COUNTLESS ATTEND CLASS FOR HIM INJURIES

Let your loved ones know you’re okay: mark yourself “safe” from lethal sport

History is HOT!

RA B I DA / AG G I E

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

Professor Alan Sanders, a stunning assistant professor in the UC Davis history department, was shocked to see that his course offered this winter already had 85 students on the waitlist. The class, A History of the Paper Clip, was previously taught by a now-retired professor who only managed to capture the attention of five students, if lucky.

The outstandingly handsome and young professor was ecstatic. In 2017, he completed his Ph.D. on the topic of paperclips and was fresh on the teaching scene. When asked

by The California Aggie how his course was already so successful with the UC Davis student body, the fine specimen beamed.

“They must have seen my reviews on Rate My Professor. I have seen thousands of chili peppers on there which I hear means ‘red hot teaching!’”

Professor Sanders gave a detailed account of his doctoral dissertation to reporters from The Aggie, yet none of them were able to provide any specifics as to what he said. They were, however, able to describe his eye color — “They were a clear, crystal blue framed with flattering spectacles that perfectly matched his sky-colored button down.”

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Several students of stupid hot Professor Sanders were interviewed to get a firmer handle on what makes his class so magnetic.

“I think the class I took from him was on staples. I sat in the front at every lecture to see if he had a ring on,” said Jackson Carter, a fifth-year history major. “There is a ring, though no one knows why he wears it.”

“I’ve heard he grades really harshly and his lectures are dry,” said Mika Smith, a second-year biology major who is fifteenth on the waitlist. “This class is going to be hell for my GPA if I get in.”

The history department opened up another section of the course due to high demand. Professor Carla Juarez, chair of the UC Davis history department, told reporters that she was extremely elated at the onset of interest in this niche topic. “It’s refreshing that Professor Sanders is able to connect with the students and inform them of the historical role paperclips have played. We are truly grateful to have him in our faculty.”

The Clark Kent look-alike is currently up for a prestigious award in teaching, an unheard-of honor for such a new faculty member. The Aggie wishes him luck and encourages him to come by and speak with us whenever… for, you know, research purposes.

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

Eating her favorite CoHo entree beside her squirrel companions in the Quad, firstyear student Jessica Blanche basked in the sun as she decorated her bullet journal for the week. Delighted with the warm weather, she even gave up an empty hammock to another student, insisting nothing could ruin her three-hour gap.

Pulling out her brand new pack of Sharpie highlighters, Blanche was more than ready to destress. She shuffled through her favorite Glee covers on Spotify, blissfully unaware that this perfect day would soon take a dreadful hit.

Concentrated on her calligraphy writing, Blanche suddenly felt a sharp object strike her leg. She jolted and consequently messed up her straight lines. Turning around in horror, she found a frisbee at her feet and a tear in her heart.

“I thought I had been shot,” Blanche recounts, shuddering. She looked down at the pink pen marks that stained her hands.

“Now I have to redo my entire spread for week 7!”

After the attack, a boy in an Alpha Sigma Phi shirt with his cap on backward rushed over immediately to claim the frisbee.

WHY ARE THE EGGHEADS MAKING THOSE FACES?

“My bad, ahaha,” Dylan Cooper said.

His laughter trailed off in unpredictable directions. “Legit, me and my boys were just having fun.” He wiped the dirt off his Sperrys before heading back to his squad of khaki wearers.

Since the incident, multiple victims of Frat Boy Frisbee Season have come forward to tell their tales. Second-year Chelsea Hastings said she waits until Winter Quarter every year to sit in the Quad.

“After a while, you don’t even notice the cold and wet grass. It’s still better than getting a concussion,” she said, shrugging.

Some students have chosen to rally together and organize a sit-in protest at the Quad in hopes of warding off the infamous frisbee season. Still, the disk tossing persists and the threat remains.

“I just don’t want anyone to experience what I went through,” Blanche said. “Not sure if I mentioned this before, but I seriously thought I had been shot.” She had mentioned this before.

To make amends for the injuries, Cooper wants to invite victims of Frat Boy Frisbee Season to his party.

“We’re having a huge post-week 7 party at the house after this, you should all come,” Cooper said.

BY MAR I O R ODR I GUEZ marrod@ucdavis.edu

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019 | 7

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

COMMUNITY SPACE AS CULTURE: AN EXPLORATION OF THE QUAD Where students kick back, incite social change

BY ITZ E LT H G AMB OA arts@theaggie.org

TV Show: “Buzzfeed Unsolved: Supernatural”

Students hang out on the Quad lawn during the a weekday. (Photo by Quin Sponner / Aggie)

BY ILYA SHRAYBE R arts@theaggie.org If there was ever a space that symbolized the essence of what UC Davis is, was and should be, it must be the beloved Quad. It is our Statue of Liberty, our Hanging Gardens of Babylon and our Louvre. West Quad, East Quad, left or right, it makes no difference to our student body where you’re located; when you’re on the Quad, you are staunchly and simply on the Quad.

The beauty of our university and the allure of campus life are deftly embodied within the few hundred feet of green nestled between the CoHo and Shields Library.

But what exactly is the culture of the Quad? In truth, it is hard to pin down. So much of the beauty that resonates from the space comes from its multitudes. Every group — academic, cultural, social and economic — is represented on the Quad. In many ways, it is the great equalizer, a cultural slate where all, even for a split moment in time, are as one. It is the soft chatter of sorority women complaining about date parties, it is a squabble of engineers confused about an assignment, it is new faces in checkered pants yell-

ing about this weekend’s Turtle House show. The Quad takes our huddled masses and shines a mirror back to them, reflecting an image of our student body seen nowhere else — one that is just as dynamic as the brochures make it out to be.

“It is the communal watering hole of UC Davis,” said Sabrina Bloch, a second-year human development major.

One big unifying factor, however, is the leisurely quality of the Quad itself. Once one steps onto the rich green pasture (with only a few splotches of yellowed grass), it is as if a veil is sprung. Reminiscent of only the finest of health spas, one immediately feels relaxed, taking in fine blades of grass below and tall trees overhead.

“It’s my favorite place to soak up the sun,” said Sarah Bjerkholt, a third-year sociology major.

Responsibility melts away, however temporarily, when you plop down in the Quad. An escape from the enduring specter that is the daily grind, the ever-looming spirit of more work, more socializing — one that goes away when you are on the quad.

I first found out about “Buzzfeed Unsolved: Supernatural” while mindlessly scrolling on Instagram. Someone edited a video of one of the first episodes where a priest profusely tells Ryan Bergara and his co-host Shane Madej not to call on spirits or attempt to interact with them in any way. The video later cuts to Madej repeatedly making fun of spirits and demons in an alleged haunted house. This small clip completely sums up this oddly entertaining show.

Madej is a skeptic about everything related to the supernatural and refuses to accept anything but scientific fact. Even as they go on trips to places that are strongly believed to be haunted, Madej is quick to dismiss the strange noises and electronic voice phenomenon with simple scientific explanations. Bergara is Madej’s perfect counterpart: He jumps at the sight of his own shadow and is consumed with the idea that one day they will find hard proof that ghosts exist.

The unlikely duo explains and investigates unsolved crimes, mysteries and hauntings.

Movie: “The Little Prince” (Netflix Original) “The Little Prince,” based off of the book written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, follows a young girl on a strict path to get into an elite school. Her life is planned out and written on a schedule that is mounted on the wall. Every minute of every hour is accounted for and messing up one single minute could potentially ruin her entire schedule.

Soon after getting into her dream school, the young girl meets her next door neighbor, an elderly aviator. The aviator introduces the young girl to the story of a little prince who falls in love with a rose. The animated movie’s beauty and heart-wrenching plot made me sob. Although it might be a little slow for some viewers, it’s perfect for a quiet Friday night. The audience faces the reality of what it means to be an adult and learns how to feel alive again.

Book: “Me and Earl and The Dying Girl” by Jesse Andrews “Me and Earl and The Dying Girl” is told from the perspective of Greg Gaines, an awkward and friendless teenager.

Greg goes through his life making bad parody films with his ”co-worker” Earl. They go through their high school career avoiding a clash with school cliques in order to stay alive within the walls of their high school. But when senior year comes along, Greg’s neighbor Ella discovers she has leukemia and his mother forces him to go over and befriend the dying girl. Although most young adult novels would make this story a romance novel that would do nothing more than make me roll my eyes, Andrews manages to turn this story into one of friendship and shows the reality of a self-deprecating teen who faces the worst that life has to give.

Album: “Busyhead” by Noah Kahan Vermont-native Noah Kahn’s debut studio album found its way into my heart this summer, sparking a love for the singer-songwriter. He brings in the best songs to sing along to in the car and when the days get a little darker. Kahn’s debut album is undoubtedly a pop album, but it brings in minimalistic tones that strip down his music entirely and allow the listener to focus on one thing: him. His story, his voice and his pain are all evident in the album. It’s raw and doesn’t have a single skippable song, but the one that’s most worth a listen is “Mess.”

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The Smarter Choice

If you have a gap in your schedule, take a Foothill College class online this winter to satisfy your GE requirements.

Winter quarter begins Jan. 6, 2020.

Register today at foothill.edu

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019 | 8

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

WHERE DO STUDENTS GET THEIR NEWS?

A student reads The New York Times on their computer. Photo by Zoe Reinhardt / Aggie)

Social media, Twitter main source for news

BY GABRIELA HERNANDEZ arts@theaggie.org Whether in class or at home, students spend a lot of time on their phones. Because of this, social media and various news apps are a conve-

nient place to get the news.

Kelly Lee, a fourth-year art studio and sociology double major, likes to get her news from apps such as Naver and Nate, popular search engines used in South Korea.

“I use these apps because everyone I know

uses them and I also like to read the comments,” Lee said, adding that she likes to get her news in her first language. “With these sites, I can also share my thoughts, too, if I wanted to.”

Similarly, Liliana Valenzuela, a third-year sociology major, likes to read the comments shared at the bottom of news postings on Twitter.

“People retweet and give their opinions [on Twitter] and I like reading different perspectives,”

Valenzuela said, adding that although she is subscribed to the Los Angeles Times and follows KTLA5 and ABC7 on Twitter, she doesn’t “read beyond the headlines.”

April Melendez, a third-year communications and philosophy double major, also gets her news from Twitter and through word of mouth.

“Since we are a very liberal campus, you do hear a lot of different types of opinions,” Melendez said. “You can be just walking around campus and hear about a [current] news issue.”

Despite the ease of access to information, it can be hard for students to discern what is accurate reporting and what is not.

“I don’t know myself how to differentiate between which news platforms are credible or biased or even right-wing,” Melendez said. Because she engages with more left-leaning users and accounts, most of what she sees on her timeline aligns with her views, making it difficult to know what information is not biased.

Vanessa Pinal, a third-year sociology major, also gets her news from Twitter but looks further into subjects that pertain to her major.

“Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of posts of teen trafficking, sex-trafficking and posts where little kids have been killed because of a parent,” Pinal said. “I read a lot of those because they kind of correspond to what I am learning in my sociology classes. Because I am a sociology major, maybe that’s why they interest me more.”

The news that speaks most to students might be the news that relates to areas of interest and subjects they study or news that directly impacts them — such as events affecting their hometowns.

Sabina Kabra, a fourth-year genetics and psychology double major, looks for news that could affect her personal life.

“I look more into [headlines] when I know it’s something that’s going to affect me or something that I care about,” Kabra said. “On Facebook, I do see a lot of news about Davis or UC Davis, so I usually look into that to see if it’s something that will affect me like are classes gonna be cancelled or are roads blocked?”

“THE THREEPENNY OPERA,” STUDENT PRODUCTION SHOWCASES CREATIVE TALENT

Martinez-Campos, Wasil captivate in lead roles

The Ensemble of UC Davis production of The Threepenny Opera. (UC Davis Department of Theatre and Dance / Courtesy)

BY ALYSSA ILSLEY arts@theaggie.org This November, the UC Davis Department of Theater and Dance put on a production of “The Threepenny Opera.” The play was written

by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill and first hit the stage in 1928.

The Davis rendition of the musical was co-directed by performance studies doctoral student Regina Maria Gutierrez Bermudez and Peter Lichtenfels, a professor of theater and dance at UC Davis. Granada Artist-in-Residence Jeffrey Saver directed the music in the show.

“What I love about [the play] was that it gave people who were outside the mainstream of society the agency of voice,” Lichtenfels said. “I don’t think I know as complex and difficult and interesting a musical as this.”

MFA student Diego Martinez-Campos stars as Macheath, a notorious criminal and the antihero of the play. Martinez-Campos has a strong presence on stage and takes command in every scene he is in.

“I am very grateful for the opportunity to play Macheath, which, to be honest, was completely unexpected for me,” Martinez-Campos said. “I have had various challenges with this role, mostly because it is my first time playing a lead role, and it’s my second time performing

in a musical theatre production. I still have a lot to learn about this realm of performance. It’s a great role to play because it has a dark texture and tone to it, which is something truly out of my comfort zone.”

Second-year theater and dance major Chloe Wasil shined as Polly Peachum, a young woman who marries Macheath after knowing him for just a few days. Wasil is captivating in her role; she performed the musical numbers with sass and sensuality, and her voice sent chills throughout the audience.

The music in this production was impressive — Diego’s rendition of “Ballad of Mack the Knife,” specifically, was powerful. At the close of Act I, Tiffany Nwogu, a fourth-year theater and dance major, and Sophie Brubaker, a thirdyear theater and dance and human development double major performed the exuberant “Life’s a Bitch” along with Wasil, one of the most memorable songs of the night.

Although this play was written in the early 1900’s, the themes and energy depicted on stage are as relevant as ever. The stage design was fascinating and enchanting, and the musical score was performed beautifully. The hard work of the department on this production lead to an incredible night of theater.

The show’s second weekend of performance will be Nov. 21-23 in Main Theater in Wright Hall.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019 | 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

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

10 | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019

NOVEL USE OF DETECTION DOGS AND GENETIC ANALYSIS FOR TRACKING ENDANGERED LIZARDS Bureau of Land Management, Working Dogs for Conservation, US Geological Survey, UC Davis develop noninvasive method for reptile conservation

This photo composite shows a blunt-nosed lizard, a detection dog searching for lizard scat, and the genetic anlyses used to indentify lizard species from fecal samples. (Photo by Mark Statham/UC Davis Courtesy)

BY MA RG O ROSE N B AU M science@theaggie.org In a novel study, specially trained detection dogs sniffed out the scat of endangered lizards, including the blunt-nosed leopard lizard, in the San Joaquin Valley. After four years of collecting samples, UC Davis researchers used a newly developed technique in genetic analysis to identify species based on the scat. Through a collaborative effort between UC Davis genetic researchers, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Geological Survey and Working Dogs for Conservation, this new method provides a successful, noninvasive way to strengthen reptile conservation, according to Mark Statham, an associate researcher in the veterinary and genetics lab.

The use of detection dogs for conservation is not completely new. In previous studies, detection dogs have located scat for other endangered animals such as bears, foxes and gorillas. Before this study, however, the dogs had never been used for reptiles in combination with genetic analysis to identify each species of lizard, Statham said.

“If you want to see where a wild animal has been, one of the easiest ways to find that out besides footprints is picking up feces,” Statham said. “It is a very common technique for mammals but it had never really been used for lizards.

The combination of the two things, the scat detection dogs and the genetics for the lizards, that

combination is brand new.”

The main lizard the study focused on, the blunt-nosed leopard lizard, is endangered and only found in California’s San Joaquin Valley.

Because the area is prized land for agriculture and urban development, the lizards must compete with humans for space. Because they are small and difficult to track, researchers sought for a new method to study them, Statham said.

“I’d really like to see this being used as a new tool in the toolbox for people studying species like this,” Statham said.

Detection dogs could not have been previously used for lizard identification because no genetic method for identifying species by scat had been developed. For this reason, Statham and his team were tasked to develop a method and it proved to be successful. Their results are documented in a study published in the “Journal of Wildlife and Management.”

“We needed to get a genetic technique so once you get the fecal sample, you can specifically identify which species it was,” Statham said.

“That was the whole purpose of this. That was the unique combo of techniques, field personnel and dogs and genetic analysis.”

Four out of the six lizard species that reside in the area were identified in the genetic analysis. After taking 327 samples across four years, the team confirmed 82% of them were from the blunt-nosed leopard lizard.

“[Statham’s] team succeeded where prior efforts had failed, to extract usable DNA from very small and often degraded fecal pellets,” said Michael Westphal, a BLM ecologist, via email.

For now, the genetic method can only identify the type of species, not individual lizards.

“I made separate different markers that stick to the specific species’ DNA,” Statham said. “The fragment that sticks to the DNA is fluorescently labeled so it glows. Through a combination of fragment length and fluorescence, I can identify the lizard species.”

In the future, Statham wants to complete additional analysis to differentiate individuals within the species.

“With the test we have developed so far, that is useful for differentiating between lizard species but we’ll have to do different analysis to identify individuals,” Statham said. “If we can identify individuals, that opens up a host of other questions we can answer, like trying to census the population.”

The work was primarily funded by the U.S. BLM, Westphal said.

“The BLM provided funding for the study; provided permitting for collecting scat from captive lizards; provided access to BLM lands and other logistical support, and contributed expertise at each phase of the study including methodological design, execution in the field, and writing the manuscript,” Westphal said.

Detection dogs were instrumental in the study’s success because humans alone cannot locate the lizards’ scat. Because the scat is only a couple of centimeters long, about the size of a grain of rice, and blends into the sandy ground, humans would struggle to efficiently locate the scat, said Kayla Fratt, the communication and outreach coordinator for Working Dogs for Conservation. “[The dogs] are much more efficient at picking up the scat and they can cover a wider area than humans,” Statham said.

Working Dogs for Conservation provided dogs for the sample collection. The organization rescues dogs and retrains them to become detection dogs for conservation purposes. Scientists, government agencies and nonprofits contact the group to use their dogs. Usually they will accept the project as long as it relates to conservation biology, according to Fratt.

“These projects can be related to endangered species, invasive species or wildlife crime,” Fratt said. “We work all over the world. If someone has a scent and are having a hard time finding it, we can help out.”

The nonprofit trains the dogs to sniff out and find whatever it is that needs to be found, Fratt said. The dogs are trained to know that whenever they find the smell in question, then the dogs are rewarded with their ball.

“We rescue high energy, ball crazy dogs as well as get them from career change organizations,” Fratt said. “We want dogs that are very, very obsessed with balls and toys. These dogs tend to be bad pets.”

Working Dogs for Conservation looks for dogs between 18 months and three to four years of age because that is when they are easiest to train. The group does not care about accepting certain breeds, but Fratt said that most tend to be Labrador retrievers, German shepherds, border collies and more.

“We are mostly looking for dogs that have nerve strength and courage, we want them to be ball-obsessed, and to be able to keep up with fieldwork that we require,” Fratt said.

With the collaboration between the BLM, U.S. Geological Survey, Working Dogs for Conservation and UC Davis, a new non-invasive method has been developed for reptile conservation and animal tracking since no animals need to be captured, said Ben Sacks, an adjunct professor in the department of veterinary genetics.

“The new methods developed will allow scientists anywhere in the world to non intrusively collect and extract reptile DNA from feces for the purposes of population monitoring, risk assessment, and pure research,” Westphal said.

“Reptiles are ectotherms and highly vulnerable to climate change, and collecting reliable population data from vulnerable populations without intruding on the species in question will be crucial to their conservation.”

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THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

ZERO WASTE

QUAD CULTURE

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pired since the initiative first launched, reduction has become the most integral part of becoming zero waste.

“We’ve had the goal modified in recent years to recognize that reduction is really important, and so we also have a waste reduction goal.”

Vang said. “We’ve added a waste reduction goal that by the year 2030, our waste generated per capita will be reduced by 50% from our 2015 to 2016 levels. A lot of that is tied to recognizing that reduction is higher on the hierarchy than recycling and also recognizing that the recycling world is changing, and we need to better think about how we deal with our waste.

Reduction and reuse are better ways.”

UC Davis has implemented action on campus in line with these goals to help students focus on their reduction. In each of the service centers in the residence halls, there are donation bins for students’ used clothes and shoes, donated to the Aggie Reuse Store — UC Davis’ very own thrift store — that sells office and art supplies, electronics, crafts and clothes. Aggie Reuse alone has helped divert over 8,100 pounds of waste since its founding in 2012. In addition, the CoHo and Peet’s Coffee shops on campus offer discounts to students who bring their own reusable cups and dishware.

Another main issue that UC Davis is striving to improve upon is composting on campus. Much of the campus’s waste could be diverted through composting, according to Vang.

“In general, it’s safe to say that our landfill audits are showing that a lot of what we are throwing out that could be diverted is com-

postable,” Vang said. “Yet at the same time, it’s hard to have composting infrastructure. In the plan that we are writing that is a priority. We need to work more on how to make it easier to compost.”

One way to make composting a priority on campus is through education. Maya Bhadury, a second-year environmental policy analysis and planning and economics double major, is a commissioner on ASUCD’s Environmental Planning and Policy Commission (EPPC). She said the lack of education among students leads to a lot of unnecessary waste.

“One area of weakness is definitely education, especially regarding CoHo signage,” Bhadury said. “All of the plastics there are compostable and actually contaminate the recycling because a lot of people don’t know that it’s compostable.”

In addition to upgraded composting infrastructure, making UC Davis a zero waste campus is a campus-wide effort. Second-year evolution, ecology and biodiversity major and chairperson of EPPC Kyle Krueger said that although it is overwhelming, there are ways that all students can and should get involved.

“The environmental movement often asks people to make small sacrifices for greater gains,” Krueger said. “Small actions give you a sort of sense of control over our future in terms of sustainability and the environment. I would hope that people begin with these small actions [...] and then move on from that and find something that they are really passionate about […] and apply the skill set that [they] have to make some sort of difference.”

HALLOWEEN ROBBERIES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

Police have identified and arrested at least one suspect associated with these incidents.

Eric Rodriguez was taken into custody in Woodland in connection with an armed robbery on Oct. 5 in Davis, according to the Davis PD Facebook page.

In each of the three releases, police have asked anyone with information about these incidents to contact the Davis PD non-emergency number at (530) 747-5400. They also offered tips for Davis citizens to reduce their

risk for personal harm by exercising caution.

“1. Avoid walking alone late in the evening hours,” the release read. “2. If you must walk alone, avoid dark unpopulated areas; 3. Avoid using or being distracted by your cellphone while in public; 4. Cooperate if you are confronted by an armed or potentially armed person; property can always be replaced; 5. Report suspicious persons and/or behavior; 6. Activate tracking software on phones and electronic devices.”

TINY HOMES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

a year in total. Individual homeless people stay for anywhere from a few weeks to six months.

Each tiny-house costs about $2,500 and has electric wiring, heating, opening windows and locking doors. The villages also have communal dining and laundry rooms as well as kitchens.

Similarly to Warren’s idea of eventual self-sufficiency, Lee stated that the eventual goal is to get people “housing ready.” This quarter, Lee said that 40% of the villages’ residents moved into permanent housing, 24% into transitional housing and 14% into other shelters — only 2% ended up back on the streets.

So far, Warren said the reaction to the Renewal Village has been overwhelmingly positive.

Community meetings concerning the project, however, will not start until December, when more of the public will be expected to give input.

In Seattle, residents living in neighborhoods surrounding the villages have been supportive, according to Lee. The homeless became integrated as a part of the community, and police officers often state that neighborhoods with villages experience lower crime rates.

“So many people are frustrated by how

much homelessness exists, and they feel powerless — they can’t do anything,” Lee said. “And now, when they have a village in their community, they’re able to come and help contribute.”

Lonni McMurtie, a woman in Seattle who became homeless after a work accident almost four years ago, is currently living in one of Seattle’s tiny-house villages. She has lived in a women’s-only village, Whittier Heights, since April.

McMurtie spoke about how living in the village has impacted her life.

“This is like a dream come true,” McMurtie said. “Basically, they nurse you back to health — they nurse you back to life.”

McMurtie frequently attends fundraisers and Seattle City Council meetings to advocate for the construction of more tiny-house villages for the homeless. To better share how her tiny house has changed her life, she wrote an original poem about her experience.

“My bare white door, became so much more,” McMurtie said, reading an excerpt from her poem. “Now back to life, back to salvation; no longer walking streets with shame and humiliation.”

Your brain can, for once, take a breather. But more importantly, so can the soul.

Another thing that people love about the Quad is its central location.

“The Quad is central to everything happening around Davis,” said Jack Hyslop, a second-year environmental science major. “It invites people to relax and rally around issues important to the students.”

Its location at the heart of campus makes it ideal for kicking back, but, on the other hand, it is an optimal space to incite social change.

Although the Quad is a haven of relaxation, it is also the home to many social movements on campus. The Sunrise Movement often advocates on the Quad for The Green New Deal and a resolution to climate change. Along with students surveying for projects and classes, the Quad becomes an extension of the student body itself, a sort of Times Square for UC Davis, without the famously overpriced hot dogs. The culture of

the Quad is one of those who inhabit it, varying wildly throughout the day.

Although other universities have ivy-clad buildings, massive sprawling structures and an emphasis on the excessive, UC Davis takes a different approach. There is no need to have blatant architectural testaments to create a sense of place; we can find the very essence of community on a simple, large patch of green grass. This is indicative of not only the culture of the Quad, but of our university as a whole. There is a distinct absence of ”hype” and, in many ways, this is how things should be in a collegiate system.

No puffing of the chest and no crazy hooks, the true value of a university education should be based on the quality of time spent, and not on the bread and circuses many use to distract from that. In many ways, the culture of the Quad is the culture of UC Davis — refined, reliable, a hidden gem — where one can relax just as much as they can engage.

MSOC FINALS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

Gauchos’ desperate attempts to equalize.

With the game clock winding down, the crowd was on edge — it could feel that the Aggies were moments away from earning a victory they had fought so hard to achieve for so long.

So to tear the lid off of the already boisterous stands, UC Davis made the most of a last-second Gaucho corner. With the UCSB goalkeeper in the UC Davis box for the set-piece, the Aggies turned away the cross, where the ball eventually fell to senior forward Adam Mickelson.

Mickelson then sent a pass upfield to fellow senior forward Kristian Heptner, who sprinted down the pass and — with 15 seconds remaining — officially put the contest to bed with an empty net score. The crowd erupted, and just moments later, a mob of fans rushed the field to celebrate with UC Davis when time finally expired.

When the celebration finally subsided, the Aggies could finally begin to reflect on the emotional 2-0 win in front of their home crowd.

“I’m very excited,” Mickelson told Big West media following the match. “We’ve been trying to get [to the NCAA tournament] for the past two years. And then this year to win the Big West tournament, and on top of getting an NCAA berth, that’s huge and so exciting. It’ll give our team national exposure. It’ll give the players a chance to work for something that the team hasn’t been able to work for in the past decade or so. So I’m really excited.”

The pass to Heptner was Mickelson’s sixth assist of the season. The Missoula, Montana na-

tive leads the Aggies in that category, as well as in overall points, with 14. His play throughout all 19 games this season has drawn the praise of his head coach.

“I’m really happy for Adam,” Shaffer explained. “He’s worked really hard to get himself back at the elite level of a top-level, division-I striker. He’s been through some adversity with some injuries, but he’s worked hard to get himself back. Just the overall amount of work that he puts into a game and puts in for our team just makes us so much better. He’s a handful. He’s active, he’s quick, he’s fast and I think Adam will have some opportunities to play at the pro level out in front of him. And I certainly would have no problem letting a lot of coaches around the country know about Adam.”

The Aggies had the weekend to enjoy the historic feat, but when Monday rolled around it was back to business. That morning, the NCAA announced the 48-team field for its national division-I tournament, where the top 16 teams were awarded a first round bye.

UC Davis is one of those top teams. The Aggies’ 13-4-2 record and conference tournament crown helped them earn a 14 seed in the bracket and a full week to prepare for their next contest.

That also means that the Aggies will once again play in front of a home crowd; they’ll look to continue their dominant postseason run on Sunday, Nov. 24 when they host the winner of Louisville and South Florida. Kickoff for this second round matchup is set for 1 p.m. at Aggie Soccer Field.

FB VS MONTANA STATE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

in the open field.

“I just tried to get as many yards as I could each play,” Gilliam said, who finished with 133 rushing yards and became the second running back in school history to break 100 career career receptions. “On some of them, you’ve just got to just stick your nose down and get what you can get.”

Following UC Davis’ costly fourth down failure, Montana State took advantage of the turnover on downs and fired a game-tying 37-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.

Later on, the Bobcats leaned on another chunk play to get into scoring position, this time utilizing a 35-yard quarterback run which set up the go-ahead 5-yard touchdown.

With just over eight minutes remaining in regulation, the Aggies were left with their backs against the wall but produced another lethargic

three-and-out.

Montana State pushed the lead to 10 points with a late field goal and the Aggies went down quietly to end the game.

Although UC Davis doesn’t have much left to play for, there is still one more trophy up for grabs in the Causeway Classic versus Sacramento State this Saturday.

The 2 p.m. kickoff at Hornet Stadium gives the Aggies a chance to play the spoiler role against the 8-3 Hornets, who are still vying for their first ever Big Sky conference championship.

“Going into this last week, we’re going to prepare like we’re playing in a national championship next Saturday,’’ Maier said. “We’re going to execute at a high level in practice and clean up the details. That’s just what we’re trying to do here, regardless of where we’re at in the standings.”

NCAA UPDATE

LESHELLE

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it’s that her job is not simply that of the chancellor’s wife. While May works hard for UC Davis and lends a hand wherever one is needed, she is a career woman and is passionate about the work she does.

May and her husband keep their professional lives separate in many ways, but she did note how much she enjoys working with donors, as she’s

able to relate to them on a certain level, given that they’re “more corporate than [...] academia.”

And how does May want students to think of her? As a resource, she said.

“Use me as you want,” May said. “I would love to be a resource. If you want me to speak, if you want me to march, if you want me to talk, [...] I see myself as more of a resource.”

TRANSPARENT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

Remember: The mission statement of the EPA is to “protect human health and the environment.” How might one protect human health without considering how pollutants impact human health? That’s quite a pickle. I’m stumped. I guess scientists always have the option of disclosing private medical records. But that’s illegal, as it should be. Just a coincidence that the writers of the rule left that as the only “viable” alternative, I’m sure.

When I first researched the proposed rule, I feared that it was destined to become yet another tale of Trumpian deviousness that would never see the light of day. Luckily, The New York Times ran a front-page story on the rule earlier this month when a new draft of the rule surfaced. Many other publications quickly picked up the story, but unfortunately, the relentless pace of the newscycle seems to have eaten this important story alive.

In September, EPA Secretary Andrew Wheeler testified before the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology on a number of pressing environmental issues, including the proposed science transparency rule. Wheeler

said during that testimony that the rule would not apply retroactively to regulations that are already on the books. Yet the recent story in the Times notes that the updated proposal leaves open the possibility of applying the rule retroactively. This means that existing regulations could be significantly weakened when they are renewed since many public health studies with private data would be ignored in the decision making process. I’m sure Wheeler simply misspoke during his testimony, as I’m confident that someone as committed to transparency as he is would never even consider lying under oath.

During this committee hearing, Wheeler boasted that he is “the only EPA administrator to have ever gone swimming in the Great Lakes.” Well, if this rule of his goes into effect, he could eventually earn the distinct honor of becoming the only EPA administrator to have ever dissolved while swimming in the Great Lakes. He’d have only himself to blame, because it’ll be his fault that the EPA ignored studies demonstrating that dumping toxic soup in the Great Lakes is bad for human health.

the NCAA to begin the process “immediately.”

“The board’s action was based on comprehensive recommendations from the NCAA Board of Governors Federal and State Legislation Working Group, which includes presidents, commissioners, athletics directors, administrators and student-athletes,” the NCAA’s statement added.

“The group gathered input over the past several months from numerous stakeholders, including current and former student-athletes, coaches, presidents, faculty and commissioners across all three divisions. The board also directed continued and productive engagement with legislators.”

When reached for comment after the report from the NCAA Board of Governor’s was released, UC Davis Director of Athletics Kevin Blue provided the following statement to The California Aggie: “In recent years, there has been increased national discussion about the economic rights of student-athletes, and whether they are fairly compensated for participating in college sports.

Often, debates on this topic are driven by questions about whether student-athletes are able to receive a proper education while playing sports (i.e., and therefore legitimately reap the benefits of their scholarship) or if student-athletes should share in the revenue that is created by lucrative media contracts.

At UC Davis, our student-athletes annually are enrolled in approximately 70 majors and graduate at rates that match or exceed our accomplished undergraduate student body. We also extensively support the non-sports career development of our student-athletes through our comprehensive Aggie EVO program. Additionally, at our mid-major level of Division I, there is much less media revenue being generated. Accordingly, I don’t believe that many of the concerns cited about the fairness of student-athlete compensation apply here.

However, I also believe that all student-athletes, like all other students, have a fundamental right to own and legally monetize their name, image, and likeness. I am encouraged by the recent announcement from its Board of Governors that the NCAA plans to move college athletics down this path. I do believe that college athletics can and must maintain its educational roots while also evolving in a modern way.

A challenge that the NCAA is currently working

through is how to implement this modernized philosophical direction in the context of a competitive recruiting environment. Effective regulations are necessary to ensure that name, image, and likeness compensation isn’t manipulated into recruiting inducements that do not reflect real market value. I am hopeful that the NCAA will arrive at a regulatory structure that modernizes the economic rights of student-athletes, prioritizes fairness in recruiting, and allows schools like UC Davis to continue competing successfully while we maintain our emphasis on the educational foundations of college athletics.”

Even after this landmark decision for amateur athletics, there are still a lot of questions as to what rules must be put in place to continue to have a level playing field. As Blue indicates, it remains unclear how the new rules will affect smaller, mid-major athletic programs like UC Davis, if at all. It is still very early, but a number of details must be resolved before the new rules can be put into effect, mainly with the goal of preventing some schools from having an advantage over others.

There is still much time for that and, as NCAA President Mark Emmert states, there are many more decisions that must be made going forward.

“As a national governing body, the NCAA is uniquely positioned to modify its rules to ensure fairness and a level playing field for student-athletes,” Emmert said. “The board’s action today creates a path to enhance opportunities for student-athletes while ensuring they compete against students and not professionals.”

This is no doubt a monumental step in the right direction for those who believe student athletes should have the chance to receive additional compensation. But this debate that has long clouded college athletics is incredibly complex and requires a lot of patience.

As much as many people want student athletes to be able to profit off themselves, it is worth ensuring that the new changes do not lead to further competitive inequalities. Regardless, the NCAA’s decision shows that it is willing to move forward and embrace change. It seems that after much criticism has surrounded college athletics, there has finally been a huge step that will begin a new era.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019 | 12

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

AT LONG LAST: AGGIES ARE BIG WEST CONFERENCE CHAMPS

UC Davis men’s soccer tops UC Santa Barbara to clinch NCAA berth JU STI N H A N / AG G I E

The UC Davis men’s soccer team celebrate after defeating UC Santa Barbara 2-0 at Aggie Field to win the Big West Tournament on Friday, Nov. 15, 2019. (Photo by Justin Han / Aggie)

BY FRANKIE VEVERKA AND DOMINIC FARIA sports@theaggie.org A record-setting, standing room-only capacity crowd at Aggie Soccer Field was treated

to a game for the ages on Friday afternoon when the UC Davis men’s soccer team triumphed over UC Santa Barbara in the Big West conference championship match. The 2-0 victory earned the Aggies their first ever Big West title and a spot in the NCAA tour-

AGGIES LAMENT MISSED OPPORTUNITIES IN HOME FINALE LOSS UC Davis fails to capitalize in 27-17 defeat

UC Davis sophmore running back Ulonzo Gilliam Jr. (34) rushes to gain yardage during the final home game of the season against Montana State at UC Davis Health Stadium on Saturday, Nov 13, 2019. (Photo by Justin Han / Aggie)

BY BRENDAN OGBURN sports@theaggie.org Going into Saturday’s home finale, the UC Davis football team was down to its final strike, with no margin for error remaining in its lastgasp effort to sneak into the FCS playoffs.

Admittedly, the Aggies’ chances were quite slim — they had already lost five games — but there was still an opportunity to make one last impression: a win over highly-ranked Montana State.

But the Aggies squandered a litany of early opportunities to build up a lead and eventually paid the price in a 27-17 loss to the visiting Bobcats.

UC Davis had four first half drives that ended inside the Bobcat 10-yard line but only came

away with 10 points to show for it. Instead of pulling away and taking command of the game, the Aggies let the Bobcats hang around and then watched the offense completely sputter in the final 30 minutes of play.

In the closing moments of the third quarter, with the home team holding a slim 17-14 lead, UC Davis Head Coach Dan Hawkins elected to keep his offense on the field for a fourth-and-one play on the Davis 35-yard line. This proved to be the moment that turned the tide in favor of the visitors, as sophomore running back Ulonzo Gilliam, Jr. was halted at the line of scrimmage and Montana State went on to score the final 13 points of the game.

“I’m always going to play to win,” Hawkins said, in his postgame press conference. “I believe in these guys and I don’t like playing not to lose.

That was on me. I really felt like we’d get it. We

NCAA ANNOUNCES PLANS TO ALLOW COLLEGE ATHLETES TO PROFIT OFF OWN LIKENESS UC Davis athletics comments on historic NCAA decision

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

BY OMAR NAVARRO sports@theaggie.org On the morning of Oct. 29, the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Board of Governors announced its plans to revise NCAA rules to allow college athletes to be compensated for their own name, image and likeness. This announcement came as a surprise to many, especially to those who have heavily criticized the NCAA for its ardent stance against student athlete name, image and likeness compensation in the past.

“In the Association’s continuing efforts to support college athletes, the NCAA’s top governing board voted unanimously to permit students participating in athletics the opportunity to benefit from the use of their name, image and likeness in a manner consistent with the collegiate model,” the NCAA stated in a press release. “We must embrace change to provide the best possible experience for college athletes.”

After California Senate Bill 206 — also known as the “Fair Pay to Play Act” — was signed into law by Calif. Governor Gavin Newsom on Sept. 30, there was confusion over how the changes might affect college athletics going forward. Nonetheless, a number of other states have begun putting together the frameworks of similar bills immediately following SB 206’s signing.

All signs pointed to additional states eventually following California’s lead, likely pressuring the NCAA and playing a role in its most recent decision to revise its rules. The decision from the NCAA has caused many to believe that it saw no point in fighting the growing tide and rather embrace the change. As of now, there is no clear timeline as to when these changes are going to be made or implemented, but according to board chair Michael V. Drake, the decision prompts the NCAAU PDAT E on 11

nament for the first time in over a decade.

“It’s been a long time coming for us,” said Head Coach Dwayne Shaffer, in his postgame interview with the Big West conference media. “We’ve been so close for several years.

To finally just take it out of the committee’s hand, put it in our own hands with an opportunity to win a Big West championship here feels great. My student athletes have worked extremely hard to get back to three finals to get us an opportunity to get back to the NCAA tournament. So it feels extremely, extremely good.”

This was the first time the Aggies and the Gauchos had met in the postseason since 2015, when UCSB beat UC Davis 1-0 in the Big West semifinal round. But on Friday, the Aggies were more focused on rectifying the heartbreaking defeats they suffered in the conference finals at the end of the past two seasons. Face-to-face with a third straight chance to claim the Big West trophy, the Aggies did not blink.

In an incredibly physical 90 minutes of soccer, the two sides totaled 36 fouls and seven yellow cards over the course of the afternoon. At the outset, the match swung back and forth. But as the first half went on, the Aggies began to take control, tallying eight shots with three on goal in the first frame, compared to Santa Barbara’s one. The game remained scoreless during the first 45 minutes of play, but with a raucous crowd behind them, the Aggies had plenty of confidence heading out of the halftime break.

By the time the second half rolled around, the crowd at Aggie Soccer Field swelled from

the additional fans that had trickled in during the opening period. Every seat was filled, forcing many in attendance to stand behind and in between the stands, as well as behind additional fences that the UC Davis athletics department set up behind the north goal at field level. UC Davis students and fans led cheers and brought a contagious and energetic atmosphere that built with every kick of the ball.

The Aggies continued to apply intense pressure on the Gauchos defense, pushing the ball forward with a feverish pace. In the 55th minute, UC Davis finally found its golden moment.

On a give-and-go down the far sideline, sophomore forward Robert Mejia picked out a through-ball pass to sophomore midfielder Andy Velasquez, who took the ball into the Gaucho 18, fought off a defender on his back and placed the ball perfectly inside the far post with his right foot. The goal sent the crowd into a frenzy as the Aggies jumped in front 1-0.

Velasquez’s sixth goal as an Aggie proved to be all UC Davis needed to take down the Gauchos. The stellar defense the Aggies had touted all season rose to the occasion, protecting the one-goal lead with every ounce it had.

Santa Barbara registered just three shots following the score and only one was on target.

The Aggie backline of juniors Nabi Kibunguchy and Jake Haupt, and sophomores Max Glasser and Sean Cooper frustrated UCSB by snuffing out any press forward during the

[...] ran the ball well and I thought we had options to get it.”

UC Davis managed only 23 total yards and zero first downs in a lifeless fourth quarter, which officially put its playoff hopes to bed.

Outside of one touchdown drive halfway through the third quarter, the Aggies recorded only one first down in the entire second half. This put all the pressure on a defense that was on the field for 21 minutes.

“We just didn’t make enough plays,” said senior quarterback Jake Maier, who finished with zero passing touchdowns for only the second time this season. “We had opportunities and a lot of one-on-one situations. I thought we were a little inefficient on the early downs and got into some third-and-long’s. [Montana State] did a great job, it wasn’t just our fault.”

The Aggie defense held up well throughout the evening, considering the unfavorable circumstances and made enough stops to give the team a chance to win. The achilles’ heel for UC Davis were lengthy chunk plays the Bobcats produced, most of which led to scoring opportunities.

Montana State, which employs a run-heavy offensive attack, kept the football on the ground 47 times but also did some damage on a few deep balls into single coverage. A trio of 40+ yard pass completions accounted for over 60% of Montana State’s total passing yards. Additionally, the team broke off runs of 35 and 75 yards, both leading to touchdowns.

As disappointing as the contest was, there was at least one bright spot that fans will always remember about this game. On the final play of the first quarter, Maier found junior wide receiver Darius Livingston open for a 33-yard completion and forever etched himself into the history books, becoming the school’s all-time leader in career passing yards. He will finish his three-year Aggie career with over 11,000 passing yards and will be recognized as a record-holder in numerous other statistical categories.

“Last year, one of the key reasons why we won a championship and Davis football turned a corner is because of Jake Maier,” Hawkins said.

“You’re not going to be around a more humble, hard-working and dedicated person. He’s got an unbelievable rage to master his craft. For a school that’s had as many great quarterbacks, he’s going

to go down as arguably the best guy to ever play at UC Davis.”

The Aggies marched down the field with ease on their opening drive but were kept out of the endzone on four straight plays from inside the Bobcat 11-yard line. On 4th and one, Maier faked the handoff and rolled out to his right before overthrowing junior fullback Christian Skeptaris, who found himself wide open in the corner of the end zone.

Several plays later, the UC Davis defense created the first turnover of the game when senior linebacker Nas Anesi forced a fumble at midfield, which was recovered by senior defensive lineman Jordan Franklin.

Late in the first quarter, Montana State connected on a long passing gain of 47 yards down the sideline, setting up a five-yard quarterback run for the opening touchdown.

On the next drive, UC Davis’ red zone struggles continued when the offense was unable to find the endzone on three plays inside the seven-yard line and settled for a 23-yard field goal from kicker Max O’Rourke to make it 7-3.

Midway through the second quarter, Maier got the offense rolling with some intermediate throws down the field, starting with an 18-yard diving catch by redshirt freshman wide receiver Lance Babb II. Then, the tight ends got involved as senior Wes Preece and freshman Blake Thorpe recorded receptions of 15 and 16 yards, setting the scene for a 4-yard touchdown stroll by Gilliam to put the home team ahead 10-7.

Shortly before halftime, UC Davis got down to the visitor 12-yard line but was once again stood up by the Montana State defense, which not only kept them from scoring six points but also blocked the ensuing field goal attempt.

Three plays later, the Bobcats jumped back in front 14-10, breaking loose on a 75-yard touchdown run.

After a slow, back-and-forth start to the second half, Gilliam took matters into his own hands and broke off runs of 17, 12 and 18 yards, with the latter resulting in a go-ahead touchdown for UC Davis. On the scoring run, which gave the Aggies a 17-14 advantage, Gilliam showed off his skill moves by juking two different defender

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