October 10, 2019

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VOLUME 138, ISSUE 3 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2019

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GLOBAL CLIMATE STRIKES PICK UP MOMENTUM IN DAVIS Youth in Davis organizes city-wide climate strike JU STIN H A N / AG GIE A RIA N A GREEN / AGG IE

CITY OF DAVIS TO TRANSITION TO DISTRICT-BASED ELECTION SYSTEM Under threat of lawsuit, City of Davis revamps council member elections, school districts

BY TI M LALONDE city@theaggie.org

Activists hold up signs in front of the Los Angeles City Hall during a climate march on Sept. 20, 2019.

BY TAYLO R M A RT INE Z city@theaggie.org High school students, their families and the community at large organized a climate strike in Davis on Sept. 20 as part of a wider range of global climate strikes that started to gain traction once Greta Thunberg, a young climate activist, initiated a call to action to combat climate change. The strike in Davis began at the public library and the group then headed to Central Park.

Amber Crenna-Armstrong, a senior at Davis High School, was inspired by Thunberg to organize this climate strike.

“I learned about the strikes going on from Greta Thunberg’s Instagram page and thought it was a perfect opportunity for Davis to have a strike of its own,” Crenna-Armstrong said. “My mom and I did a lot of outreach to organize the strike and were able to meet a lot of good people.

I was the main youth leader and organizer for the strike, and I’m really grateful and proud of those who participated.”

The strike also featured educational services to help spread information about climate change and green living, such as promoting ways that individuals can change their lifestyle to help the environ-

ment through means of biking to school or work.

The strike lasted until 2 p.m. and ended with a speech by Crenna-Armstrong regarding the importance of taking action against climate change.

“We had a booth for voter registration,” Crenna-Armstrong said. “We also had food and a booth for people to take a personal pledge to help combat climate change.”

From Central Park, the strikers continued on to Davis Unified School District and then to Davis Town Hall, where the participants presented a letter to city leaders, according to The Davis Vanguard.

“The youth of Davis, following the lead of people all over the world, are declaring that we have a climate emergency on our hands,” the letter read. “Our precious planet is dying and everyone is being affected by it. We are writing this letter to you, the leaders of our community, demanding that you lead the change.”

The Sept. 20 climate strike inspired another, separate strike which occurred at the UC Davis campus on Sept. 27.

“I’ve been an environmentalist all of my life and heard about the climate strike that happened on Sept. 20, but I was out of town at the time so I wanted to organize one for UC Davis,” said

Megan Phelps, a third-year environmental science and management major and an organizer of the UC Davis strike.

Crenna-Armstrong discussed her reasoning for organizing the strike, saying she thinks climate change is a dire situation and a concern for future generations.

“I really care deeply about other people and I also want myself, my children and my grandchildren to have a future,” Crenna-Armstrong said.

“That is why we are going to continue striking every Friday. We want to utilize the power of the strike and show that this is not the end but only the beginning.”

The Sept. 20 climate strike in Davis was meant to promote awareness, contributing to larger discourse surrounding climate change, according to the participants’ letter.

“Davis is a very environmentally aware city, and we are grateful for that,” the letter read.

“However, we are not talking enough about these issues in school and some kids don’t even know what’s going on in our world. Not enough is getting done in our country and our world about these catastrophes and so we need cities, districts, states and countries to start doing more to lead the change.”

ADDITIONAL DETAILS RELEASED ABOUT 2020 UNDERGRADUATE COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES Each of the four colleges to have majors split across each of the three ceremonies

BY KEN TON G O L DS BY campus@theaggie.org After its initial announcement in Spring Quarter 2019 that UC Davis would be transitioning away from its traditional model of seven undergraduate commencement ceremonies, the university has revealed more details about Spring Quarter 2020’s commencement exercises.

The three commencements are set for Friday, June 12, Saturday, June 13 and Sunday, June 14.

Since the ceremonies will now take place outdoors at the UC Davis Health Stadium (formerly Aggie Stadium), the commencements will begin at 8:00 a.m. and conclude at 10:30 a.m. to avoid the high heat of the afternoon in Davis.

Whereas in previous years the university held seven commencements, with each commencement consisting of students from a single college, next year’s three ceremonies will each consist of majors from each of the university’s four colleges.

This means that the College of Letters and Science, for example, will have its students spread across all three ceremonies, and students will walk across the stage with students from each of the other three colleges.

These revamped ceremonies will also be much larger than in previous years. Each commencement will feature 2,500 graduates and the stadium will be outfitted with additional bleachers for a total of 10,000 friends and family members.

Each student will receive four tickets each and overflow, non-ticketed seating will be available in the air-conditioned ARC Pavilion, where each ceremony will be simulcast.

While in the past students were able to peti-

KARI N HIGGIN S / U C DAVIS COU RTESY

tion for additional tickets beyond those initially allotted to them, organizers are still working on details to see if this will be the case again.

“At this time I can’t confirm the ticketing process for Spring 2020 commencements at Aggie Stadium,” said Whitney Smith, the director for Ceremonies and Special Events at UC Davis via email. “We are still considering possible options of adding additional seats to the field and utilizing the grass area for seating to potentially have ‘extra’ tickets to offer.”

As was previously detailed last spring, the goal of this shift is multi-pronged. First, the university is hoping to present a unified view of UC Davis — graduation ceremonies will no longer be college-specific, but will “put more emphasis on UC Davis as a whole, as one of the leading public universities in the nation,” according to UCD News and Media Relations. Second, the university hopes to attract more high-profile commencement speakers because of the larger potential audience.

Under the threat of a formal lawsuit, the City Council of Davis voted unanimously to transition from an at-large voting system to district-based elections on Aug. 13. The months-long transition process is slated to finish on Nov. 5, at which time the city will adopt the ordinance and approve a finalized version of several potential district maps.

Modifying the electoral system will change the way Davis conducts city council elections, according to the city’s website. Under the current system of at-large elections, city council candidates can live anywhere in Davis, and all city residents can vote in each member’s election.

In a district-based system, however, the city will be divided into individual geographic districts, each with its own separate city council representative. Councilmember candidates must live within the district in order to campaign, and only residents of that district can vote in their respective member’s election.

The first election under the new district system will take place on Nov. 5, 2020, according to the city website. Though the next election in Davis will be the March 3, 2020 primaries, city staffers said in a report that the city would not be able to complete the transition to district elections by next March. Consequently, the report recommended that the council should vote to move city council elections to November.

The council’s decision to reform the city’s electoral system was a response to a demand letter sent by Matt Rexroad of Rexroad Law Firm, dated July 1, 2019, according to the staff report. The letter alleged that the current atlarge election disadvantaged minority voters in Davis, therefore violating the 2001 California Voting Rights Act. “Voting within Davis is racially polarized, which has resulted in minority vote dilution,” Rexroad wrote. “Davis minority voters have not had proper representation on the city council because of the at-large election system.

Thus, Davis at-large elections violate the California Voting Rights Act (CRVA).”

The California Voting Rights Act prohibits jurisdictions with at-large voting systems if the court rules that protected groups are disadvantaged in elections. Yet the city appears to disagree with the claim that their current system uniquely disadvantages minority communities in council elections.

Mayor Pro Tempore Gloria Partida was singled out in Rexroad’s letter as the solitary example of Latinx representation on the council in “at least the last 20 years.” In the Aug.13 meeting, though, Partida expressed concern that district-based elections may not better represent minority populations.

“Rexroad claims that our current system dilutes minority vote,” Partida said. “I’m unclear how districts will fix this. Any system in Davis will dilute minority votes because minorities are, by definition, a smaller portion of the population.”

The city’s website further stated that attempts to fight the lawsuit would likely be unsuccessful and could cost the city millions of dollars.

“Not a single jurisdiction has prevailed in litigation under the CVRA; several jurisdictions have paid millions of dollars in out-ofcourt settlements and all challenged jurisdictions have transitioned from at-large elections,” the site read.

Following the council’s decision to reform the electoral system, the city began the process of conducting several meetings as well as hearing for public comment. The city is also divided up into districts, with the assistance of a demographer and community input, according to the city website.

Ultimately, five prospective district maps were released on Oct. 1, along with demographic data for the potential new districts.

The city will release revised district maps on Oct. 15 and will select the final district map in a public hearing on Oct. 22. In the Nov. 5 meeting, the city is scheduled to conduct a final public hearing of this process and adopt an ordinance to transition to districts.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

2 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2019

ASUCD office brings student issues to the state Capitol Office of External Affairs Vice President works on food, housing insecurity issues

ANDREA ESQUETINI / COURTESY

Unit directors confirmed at Sept. 26 ASUCD Senate meeting ASUCD reveals rebranding campaign, 10-year “Going Forward” plan ANDREA GONZALEZ / AGGIE

Hexter to leave UC Davis administration at end of academic year A long-time college administrator, Hexter has weathered scandal throughout his career BRIAN LANDRY / AGGIE FILE

BY KEN TON G O L DS BY campus@theaggie.org UC Davis Provost Ralph J. Hexter announced his departure from campus leadership, effective at the end of the 2019-20 school year, on Sept. 17.

Though Hexter will be leaving the UC Davis administration, he will remain on this campus as a faculty member. He plans to refocus himself on his teaching and research in classics and comparative literature.

Upon his departure from campus leadership, the provost will have served UC Davis for 9.5 years. During his tenure as provost, he spent a 15-month stint as acting and then interim chancellor during the UC’s investigation into former Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi. He became interim chancellor following her resignation. Hexter returned to his role as provost after Gary S. May’s appointment as chancellor. This time spent serving as acting and interim chancellor is a historical marker of Hexter’s time at UC Davis.

“I think Linda Katehi is a fantastic leader,” Hexter said at the time he was appointed to fill Katehi’s role on an acting basis. “I understood why [Napolitano] feels this is the decision she has to make. In my discussions with the chancellor, I think the chancellor expects only an investigation will clear her name.”

In retrospect, the investigation did not clear Katehi’s name from all of the many allegations

levied against her during the Fire Katehi movement.

“The investigation is now concluded, and it found numerous instances where Chancellor Katehi was not candid, either with me, the press, or the public, that she exercised poor judgment, and violated multiple University policies,” UC President Janet Napolitano said in an email sent to the UC Davis community at the time.

“In these circumstances, Chancellor Katehi has now offered to resign, and I have accepted that resignation.”

Before coming to UC Davis, Hexter had his own storied past as a college executive. Hexter served as the President of Hampshire College from 2005 to 2010, ending in a large movement toward his ouster from that institution. After his appointment as acting chancellor in 2016 during the Katehi scandal, The California Aggie reported on Hexter’s own administrative woes.

Similar to the Fire Katehi scandal, during which students occupied the fifth floor of Mrak Hall and the location of the chancellor’s office, Hexter’s office at Hampshire College was occupied by 100 some-odd students at the end of his time there. “[Hampshire] College was on the brink of even existing under his management,” said Ben Saucier, an alumnus from Hampshire College’s class of 2011 featured in The Aggie’s 2016 article on Hexter’s past controversies. “He had a big house outside of campus that he was keeping

BY ANDRE A E S Q U E TI NI campus@theaggie.org A student-run office under the ASUCD executive branch that works to represent the needs of UC students on the local, state and federal levels is currently undergoing a period of change and expansion.

The Office of the External Affairs Vice President (OEAVP) was previously known as the Office of Advocacy and Student Representation, or OASR. The name change came in the fall of 2018 with the passage of an amendment to the ASUCD Constitution and is now going into effect. While the function remains the same, OEAVP will join other UCs by having elections for the External Affairs Vice President instead of appointments. Adam Hatefi, a fourth-year political science and technology studies double major will be the last appointed EAVP. According to Jesse Steshenko, the Communications Director for OEAVP, “we are the only group that can claim to speak on behalf of the student body as a whole.”

Previous successes of the office include partnering with California Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) on a bill designed to reduce water usage on California farms by providing farmers with funding to transition to more sustainable irrigation systems. Hatefi wrote the bill and was then able to bring it to Bauer-Kahan’s attention. She agreed to author the bill, which passed in the Assembly but not the Senate. It will come back this year for another

BY ALLY RU SS E LL campus@theaggie.org A special senate session was held on Sept. 26 in the Student Community Center Multipurpose room. Senator Sahiba Kaur arrived late.

President Justin Hurst led a presentation about ASUCD’s rebranding campaign. The presentation highlighted the history of ASUCD, originally the Associated Students of University Farm (ASUF). Since its creation in 1915, the association has continued providing resources and services for students.

During the presentation, Hurst also unveiled the association’s new logo which features five dots representing the four pillars of ASUCD: media, advocacy, service and social. The fifth dot represents ASUCD as one united organization made up of many different parts. The presentation also unveiled the new tagline, “Building tomorrow together.”

The Senate then moved into a presentation from the Student Government Administrative Office (SGAO) that focused on the association’s efforts to move toward “a system of drafting, creating, and distributing legislation that is based entirely online,” according to the powerpoint.

Next, senators began confirmations for different chairperson positions, starting with the Gender and Sexuality Commission (GASC) Chair position.

Elena DeNocochea, a third-year gender, sexuality and women’s studies major, was confirmed without objections. DeNocochea spoke about her aspirations to expand the number of gender

horses on; he was a socialite — he had parties and he would schmooze up fundraising money, and people kind of felt like he was being [disingenuous] with the student body, like he was saying one thing to them and doing another thing behind closed doors.”

The controversies that Hexter faced at Hampshire College were diverse, Saucier said at the time: Hampshire’s Students for Justice in Palestine challenged his noncommittal stance on the college’s divestment from Israel; Hexter’s on-campus paramilitary group of law enforcers, present for “public safety,” caused student dissent; and his inability to answer questions regarding the whereabouts of certain funds, specifically with regard to Hampshire’s massive budget deficit and plans to relocate several admissions offices all sparked controversy.

In 2016, Hexter explained that he was already planning an “appropriate exit” from Hampshire College, even though his contract had been renewed.

“It is true that on the Internet you will find a lot of dissent and protest,” Hexter said at the time. “But frankly, from my perspective, that was more of a symptom of a realizing on everyone’s part that this wasn’t the perfect match.”

Despite the many periods of controversy that Hexter has weathered, he is receiving praise from many in the campus community as he prepares his exit from campus leadership.

“I want to thank Ralph for his service to the University of California and his dedication to our mission of teaching, research and public service,” May said in the UC Davis News and Media Relations announcement on Hexter’s exit. “Ralph is an extraordinary leader — professorial yet approachable, traditional yet forward-looking, focused on the institution yet global in his thinking. He demonstrates wisdom and compassion on a regular basis, and always has sage advice.”

Hexter’s impact on UC Davis is broad and measurable. All but one of the deans and vice provosts currently at the university were recruited by him, the new associate vice chancellor for enrollment management and, while acting chancellor, the director of athletics, according to UC Davis News and Media Relations.

He has presided over a number of important campus events in the past few years, “including the [openings] of the Ann E. Pitzer Center for music instruction and recitals, the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, the International Center and the Betty Irene Moore Hall of the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis Health,” according to UC Davis News and Media Relations.

Hexter plans to stay in his role until a successor can be found, and a national search for his successor is soon to be underway.

Apart from serving at Hampshire College and UC Davis, Hexter spent many years at UC Berkeley as chair of the comparative literature department, dean of the Division of Arts and Humanities and executive dean of the College of Letters and Science.

chance to pass.

The group also advocates for other bills, such as SB24 and SB461. SB24 would make abortion care accesible at California public universites.

The bill has passed the Senate and Assembly and now waits to be signed by Governor Gavin Newsom. SB461 would extend Cal Grants to students participating in summer school.

“Students are more likely to graduate and graduate much faster if they take summer sessions, so we’re really trying to push for an expansion in summer Cal Grant,” said Ilma Syed, the legislative director of OEAVP. Through his position, Hatefi — who was granted asylum in the United States — testified for a bill that would allow others who are granted asylum and live in California to receive Cal Grant benefits. This opportunity to interact with members of the state government is not unique to Hatefi as the EAVP. The senior staff of the office hopes that UC Davis will lead the UCs in lobbying efforts at the Capitol, due to its proximity. Students can volunteer to go to the Capitol and lobby representatives about bills and they will be trained to do so.

“This year I’m hoping to make us the hub for legislative activity,” Hatefi said.

Other bills the office is working on gaining the support needed for a legislator to introduce them include one to expand mental health services on campuses and one that would move the civics class required in high school to an earlier grade —

EAVP on 10

neutral restrooms with diaper changing stations on campus. Over the summer, DeNocochea lobbied Sacramento legislators on behalf of Senate Bill #24 which would provide California college students with access to abortion care.

The table then moved into the confirmation of the Academic Affairs Commission (AAC) Chair. Naomi Reeley, a fourth-year political science major, previously served as AAC Chair in Spring Quarter 2018. Reeley was confirmed without objections.

Next, Filip Stamenkovic, a fourth-year computer science major, was confirmed as the Business and Finance Commission Chair. Stamenkovic brought up former units, such as the Experimental College, that were cut last year as a result of the association’s mounting budget deficit. Stamenkovic cited these cuts, and a feeling among unit directors of being blindsided by the association’s decision, as one of the principal reasons he decided to apply for the position. He was confirmed without objections.

Kennedy Field, a fourth-year English and art history double major, was confirmed as the Whole Earth Festival (WEF) unit director. Field has been working with WEF since her freshman year.

Tianna Ching, a fourth-year English and cognitive science double major, was confirmed as the point director of WEF. Yasmeen Qursha, a fourth-year environmental policy analysis and planning major, was confirmed as the Campus Center for the Environment (CCE) unit director and the Committee on Committees (COC) chair. Qursha spoke

SENATE on 10

SHEREEN LEE / AGGIE

From angsty teen to underage party without parents September 26 “Vehicle drove in slowly and quietly and parked on the wrong side of the road.”

“Vehicle parked in bike lane/no parking zone.”

“Unknown number of subjects in bathroom — reporting party advised she can hear a large dog barking.”

September 27 “Loud party. Subjects screaming.”

September 28 “Two poodles loose — running through traffic towards the high school.”

“Underage party. No parents.”

September 29 “Female came to the reporting party’s door stating she can’t locate her car — reporting party isn’t sure if it’s a scam or if she truly needs assistance.”

“15-year-old son is out of control, punching holes in the wall, breaking items, no weapons — mad about her taking his phone.”

October 1 “Male subject seen carrying a table, reporting approached him and tried to engage in conversation/slight language barrier and subject ended up leaving table and left on foot.”

October 3 “Two subjects on bikes — carrying items on [their] shoulders.”

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2019 | 3

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Students and Davis residents participate in Global Climate Strike to advocate climate justice “System change, not climate change!”

BY LIN H N G UYEN features@theaggie.org Over 7.6 million citizens around the world came out and marched in solidarity for the Global Climate Strike on Sept. 20, 2019 — this was the largest climate mobilization in history, according to the Global Climate Strike website.

Students and members of the Davis community, however, postponed their on-campus activism until the following Friday, on Sept. 27. While a climate strike was held in the city of Davis on Sept. 20, the on-campus strike was delayed as UC Davis did not officially start school until Sept. 25.

UC Davis’ Zero Waste and Sustainability club, Climate Reality Campus Corps, Climate Strike club and Young Democratic Socialists of America organized their own Global Climate Strike in the quad on Sept. 27. Students were encouraged to protest for climate justice and bring their own sustainable posters.

“We would have done it last week had school been in session,” said Megan Phelps, the chair of

the Climate Reality Campus Corps, in an interview with UC Davis Strategic Communications.

Fifteen minutes before the event, the quad was still considerably empty. There were a few dispersed students sitting under the shade, eating lunch and finishing homework.

Five minutes before the rally, a woman and child showed up with posters. Another student also walked into the quad, poster in hand. The turnout looked empty. Then, three minutes before the start of the rally, a large crowd of about 75 people, including UC Davis students and community members, formed on the east quad.

Multiple photographers were also present to capture the event.

Rachel Lucine, a first-year environmental science and management major, explained the student body’s motivation for activating.

“We came out here today to show our support for the climate strike and to show our support for planet Earth and prove that standing up and going to these rallies and showing our support does make a difference,” Lucine said.

New LSAT format prompts mixed reviews from students

JUSTIN HAN / AGGIE

Like other activists, Lucine was holding a sunflower. A fellow rallier was passing them out to the crowd.

“I think [the sunflower] means that this beauty was produced by our planet, and if we don’t protect it, it’s not going to last,” Lucine said.

Ralliers held up posters with messages reading, ‘Remember paradise!,’ ‘History has its eyes on us’ and ‘Solidarity with the bananas.’

“My poster says ‘VOTE’,” said Steve Nyholm,

a member of the Davis community. “I think it’s the most important climate change action that we can do. We can vote for elected officials who put legislation in place to help our whole society address climate change.”

Five minutes in, the crowd began chanting mantras such as “Action! Action! Action now!”

“There’s no planet B!” and “Stop burning our future!”

CLIMATESTRIKE on 11

KATHERINE FRANKS / AGGIE

Digitalization of the test allows for additional test dates, reduced paper waste

BY AN JI N I V E N UG O PAL features@theaggie.org The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) announced that the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) would change to a digital format in Oct. of 2018 — this was partially implemented in July of 2019 and fully implemented for the most recent Sept. 21, 2019 test. This change came with the news that there would be an increase in opportunities to take the exam — in previous years, there were only four annual administrations and now there are nine.

Glen Stohr, a Kaplan LSAT instructor for over 20 years and the company’s senior manager for instructional design, openly supports this switch, saying it comes as a huge benefit to test-takers.

“That’s really helpful for students,” Stohr said.

“In the old world, if you decided in June, ‘I’m not sure I’m ready for this,’ then you had to wait until October, and that’s a big decision to make. Now, if you think, ‘I’m not 100% ready for June, but I’m going to be ready for July or September,’ that is a lot better.”

Stohr also emphasized that some testing ac-

commodations, including printing tests with larger fonts for visually impaired test-takers, could be resolved by virtue of having features such as the ability to change the font size on the tablet.

The new digital organization comes with one obvious benefit which everyone might be able to agree upon: it’s more environmentally friendly.

Over 130,000 people took the LSAT between June 2018 and March 2019, which resulted in a hefty amount of paper waste.

“I’m sure that one of the things that makes [nine test administrations] possible is the change to digital,” Stohr said. “With paper and pencil, you had to print and ship tens of thousands of booklets, had to collect tens of thousands of papers back. The tablets are reusable, of course, which is environmentally good too. You’re not just printing up tens of thousands of booklets on paper.”

Stohr says it is important to reassure test takers that the content of the exam itself remains unchanged and that the time students spent studying paper exams or using a pencil and paper did not go to waste.

Second-year philosophy major and prospec-

tive lawyer Susmita Bagchi does not foresee any detrimental effects associated with the changed format. She plans to take the test in the summer of 2021, using personal textbooks and prep courses to study.

“I don’t think the [digitalization] will really affect me as a test taker for the logic games and most other questions,” Bagchi said. “I feel like the biggest impact it would have is on the essay portions.”

Jamie Cliff, a fourth-year psychology and sociology double major, disagrees. Cliff, who is also

president of the pre-law association at UC Davis, took the first ever fully-digital exam last month in September. She says she prefers the old format and said her experience was not ideal.

“At my test location, the proctors were unprofessional and laughing,” Cliff said. “It took them an hour to get everything set up. And they were saying, ‘We’ve never administered it this way before,’ which I get, but don’t tell everyone that.

And it’s frustrating that you have a stylus for the screen and then a separate pen for a piece of paper.

LSAT on 11

Yosemite Hall first new Cuarto dorm since 1965 Building on track to achieve LEED gold certification

BY S N E HA RA M AC H A N DR AN features@theaggie.org After two years of construction, the Cuarto residential area finally opened its newest dorm up to the class of 2023: Yosemite Hall. The hall was intended to redevelop Webster Hall, which originally opened in 1965 and was torn down in 2017.

This project aimed to increase the number of beds available to students and build a service center for all the residents of Yosemite Hall.

The Cuarto residential area is home to over 1,000 students and was designed to create an environment that fosters interaction and provide a unique suite-style of living, as opposed to traditional dorm halls. The design of Yosemite Hall was influenced not only by the Mogavero Notestine Associates, but also from an online survey that was conducted in 2015 with the past residents of Cuarto and Davis community members.

Yosemite Hall has a total occupancy of 390 students who are housed in both double and triple configurations — similar to many of the other dorms throughout campus. Each suite, however, does have its own bathroom. In addition, the hall offers an exclusive courtyard for residents to enjoy

as well as the Cuarto computer and mail center within the first floor of the hall.

Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs for Housing, Dining and Divisional Operations Mike Sheehan detailed the purpose behind the design of Yosemite Hall as well as the new services incorporated within the building.

“We intentionally didn’t put living rooms into the mini-suites,” Sheehan said. “Instead we created community living rooms located throughout the floors. This results in a greater efficiency of square footage while also providing more space for group work and individual study space.”

Sheehan said Yosemite Hall is currently intrack to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification, an internationally recognized achievement that certifies environmentally efficient buildings.

“The entire buildings is electric, no gas,” Sheehan said. “Therefore, the [buildings’] carbon footprint is reduced. Additionally, there is a solar thermal system as part of the building to provide pre-heating for domestic hot water.”

Cuarto is different from the Segundo and Tercero areas because it offers a more personal dormitory experience — instead of separate bed-

QUINN SPOONER / AGGIE

rooms and a communal bathroom, it pairs two or three bedrooms with their own bathroom, resembling an apartment.

Hannah Bireschi, a second-year environmental science and management major, was a former resident of Emerson Hall. Bireschi described her experience in Cuarto.

“I really enjoyed living in a suite-style dorm,” Bireschi said. “I feel that it really prepared me for living in an apartment this year.”

Although living in a suite-style dorm has its perks, Bireschi also spoke about the social environment of Cuarto, saying it seemed “a lot quieter than other dorms.”

“My suitemates and I got along really well, but we didn’t make many connections with other people on our floor, which is something I noticed a lot of others did more,” Bireschi said.

Sheehan addressed the improvements made in terms of facilitating social engagement among the residents of Yosemite Hall.

“Yosemite will be home to the Student Organizations, Community, Involvement and Leadership (SOCIaL) program,” Sheehan said. “SOCIaL is for you if you are interested in joining student

organizations on campus and growing as a leader.

SOCIaL will help you determine which academic, advocacy, arts and entertainment, community service, identity-based, fraternity or sorority, health and wellness, international, professional, recreation/sports or religious/spiritual student organization is right for you.”

Yosemite Hall is only the first of several new buildings Aggies will be seeing this academic year — here are the other on-campus construction projects for the next two years: Fall 2019 — the campus will open Latitude, a new dining facility in the Tercero residential area Fall 2020 — already under construction, The Green at West Village will add 1,000 beds in apartments for transfer and continuing students Fall 2021 — the next phase of The Green at West Village will add 2,300 beds in apartments for transfer students and continuing undergraduates Fall 2021 — construction on Shasta Hall, located in the Cuarto dorm area and meant to replace Emerson Hall, began this summer with the goal of opening a year early with 800 residence hall beds for new freshman students.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

4 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2019 JU ST I N H A N / AG G I E

HEARTS FOR PAWS OFFERS STUDENTS OPPORTUNITIES TO FOSTER PETS

Nonprofit organization has permanently rehomed over 700 animals that were set for euthanasia

BY SNEHA RAMACHANDRAN features@theaggie.org According to the ASPCA, about 1.5 million dogs and cats are euthanized in shelters each year due to a lack of space and funding. Hearts for Paws, a foster-based 501(C)(3) animal rescue in Davis, was established in 2016 to specifically combat this statistic, helping animals found in kill-shelters find their forever homes. The organization has helped find permanent homes for over 700 animals and continues to provide safe and loving environments for neglected animals throughout California.

Samantha Camarra, is the co-founder and current director of Hearts for Paws. She oversees all major operations — including rescuing and facilitating the foster and adoption processes for the dogs. Camarra explained her organization’s goals and vision.

“Our mission is to save the lives of homeless dogs in our community,” Camarra said. “[We]

advocate for the rescue of animals and to educate people about adoption and responsible ownership. Hearts for Paws was born from my experiences volunteering at a kill-shelter and witnessing just how many wonderful dogs were slipping through the cracks and being euthanized, simply due to time and space.”

Hearts for Paws offers the community opportunities to get involved through either adopting or fostering a pet. While it may be a challenge for students to adopt an animal due to their busy schedules, there are other ways to help out. Camarra encourages students to consider fostering a dog instead.

“Fostering is a great way to directly save the life of an animal,” Camarra said. “For each animal that comes through our program, we need a committed volunteer to care for and love animals like their own until we can place them in a permanent home.”

Prospective foster parents must complete a foster application to be considered by the orga-

nization. Throughout the application process, Hearts for Paws also asks for pictures of the applicant’s house and yard, as well as a letter from a landlord. Camarra explained how the screening process typically takes a few days and that typically within a week the interested party can start the fostering process.

“The foster process is only temporary,” Camarra said. “Hearts for Paws covers all costs including food, equipment and vetting. We can help you find a dog for your experience level, activity level and work schedule. Although your ideal dog might be a young lab, if you are a busy student in an apartment we might look to place you with a more laid-back senior with less exercise need, for example.”

Jenna Rutledge, a fourth-year communications major, is a coordinator for Hearts for Paws and is one of many volunteers who helps rescue dogs from high-kill shelters in Sacramento, the Central Valley and the Bay Area. As a long-time team member, Rutledge detailed her experience working with Hearts for Paws.

“Our core team has seen it all,” Rutledge said.

“We’ve been through some really heartbreaking and challenging things, but I’d say the thing that keeps me going is when I run into my former fosters and rescues in town.”

Rutledge also addressed the challenges foster parents have to face when saying goodbye to their foster pet.

“A lot of people tell me they don’t want to foster because they think they’d get attached and find it too painful to let the dog go,” Rutledge said. “You definitely miss your dogs when they go, but that’s the most rewarding part! There’s nothing like watching my foster dogs go from terrified in a kennel to spoiled and having the time of their lives in amazing forever homes. And when one goes, we get to save another!”

Several UC Davis students have developed a close relationship with Hearts for Paws and find the fostering process meaningful. Among these students is Sarah Netland, a third-year wildlife, fish and conservation biology major. Netland is currently on her second year of fostering dogs through Hearts for Paws.

She explained that as an out-of-state student, she had always wanted to have a pet in college but felt it was irresponsible to adopt due to both the transitional college lifestyle and living far away. Netland detailed why she chose to foster dogs through Hearts for Paws and what she has learned through the process.

“I moved far away from home to go to college and it has been very isolating at times,” Netland said. “I missed my dog and [I] felt like having an animal here would seriously improve my men-

REVIEW: “UNBELIEVABLE”

tal health. Taking care of an animal is a big time commitment and it forces you to double-check before making decisions. For example, I can’t stay out too late because I have to make sure the dog gets outside before bed.”

Netland pointed out that her experience of fostering dogs has encouraged her to balance out her life as a busy college student.

“I’m a person who thrives when I have a lot on my plate,” Netland said. “With a dog around, there is no excuse to be lazy at all, there’s always something to do! Instead of sitting and watching a show, I’ll take the dog to the Arboretum for any quick break I have between classes. It keeps my mind and body active and warmed-up for the next task of the day. It’s also incredibly soothing and relaxing for me to be around dogs and so it really helps reduce my anxiety/stress, which often stands in the way of me getting stuff done.”

Netland along with her other housemates has saved six dogs, some of which were on the euthanasia list, through the fostering program. But with all the love and fun that comes with having the company of a dog in your home, there are also some challenges potential foster parents should keep in mind.

“Fostering is incredibly rewarding, but very serious work,” Netland said. “These dogs are being pulled from shelters because they might not be the most adoptable animals and they each come with their own histories and challenges.”

Netland also described the challenges she has faced as a foster parent and disclosed how important it is for student foster parents to be aware of the potential struggles they may face throughout the process.

“One of our dogs, Bubbles, would start barking at 4 a.m. to be let out,” Netland said. “My sister and I were the only ones getting up to take her out and I was missing out on a serious portion of sleep. We’ve also had our fair share of ‘accidents’, but that is to be expected of a nervous dog adjusting. Our latest foster Kaya, had four medications — one of which had to be applied every four hours. Fostering is so fun, and it’s appealing to people to have a dog in the house, but it is a huge commitment and students should only be doing it if they are sure that they can handle it.”

For prospective foster parents, she advises making an “honest assessment” of one’s life, home and ability to be a foster parent. Netland made the point that these animals have suffered greatly, making it all the more essential to be confident in one’s choice and ability to foster. She is a huge proponent of the program, and encourages potential foster parents to reach out to her at spnetland@ucdavis.org with any questions.

CA IT LY N SA MPL EY/ AGG IE

Netflix’s latest true crime documentary goes beyond

BY ALYSSA ILSLEY arts@theaggie.org On Sept. 13, Netflix released a miniseries based on an article written by T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong about a serial rape case in Washington and Colorado. The series, titled “Unbelievable,” follows the two female detectives who eventually catch the offender, as well as one of the survivors who was accused by police of falsely reporting the crime.

Critics raved about the phenomenal performances and storytelling in the series. The docu-series received a score of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Academy Award-winning actor Toni Collette and Meritt Weaver play detectives Rasmussen and Duvall, respectively. In 2011, Duvall investigates a singlular sexual assault incident that resembles a case Rasmussen is investigating in a different district. Both cases contain similar elements, including a lack of almost any DNA left behind.

Under what can only be described as dumb luck, Duvall and Rasmussen learn of each other’s cases and begin working together, now searchng for an experienced serial rapist.

Rasmussen and Duvall’s plotline functions as a procedural drama. The incomparable Collette infuses Rasmussen with confidence and passion, making viewers believe her character would be able to solve such an unsolvable case. Weaver’s Duvall is the backbone of the series — the fire that ignites everything else in the plot. Eager and empathetic, Duvall is relentless in her pursuit of finding justice for the survivors.

However, these two characters aren’t even in-

troduced until the second episode of the eightpart series. The first hour, as well as the emotional core of the story, belongs to Kaitlyn Denver.

Denver plays Marie Adler, an 18-year-old girl who, in 2008, was raped by the same man Rasmussen and Duvall search for three years later.

Unfortunately, the police in Adler’s district find inconsistencies in her story and ultimately charge her with a gross misdemeanor for filing a false report. Adler’s identity is revealed and she becomes a hated figure in the public eye.

The opening episode of the series occurs mere hours after Adler’s assault, when she first files a report.

This episode is powerful, yet understated.

Unlike other shows that abuse graphic content for elements of shock, the painful event Adler experiences is never overtly shown. The real horror comes from the aftermath of sexual assault, especially on the clinical and bureaucratic end.

Viewers watch as Adler, in shock from trauma, is forced to recount her story over and over again as she is questioned by different detectives or doctors. When she is taken to the hospital, viewers see her get poked and prodded by nurses, then photographed from all angles by more investigators. It is hard not to feel like she is being violated all over again.

Denver is brilliant in this role. She is sympathetic, yet deeply complex. Adler’s anger and confusion builds throughout the series, and Denver portrays this remarkably.

After the first episode, the series follows these two parallel timelines: the one in 2011 when Rasmussen and Duvall start gaining traction in their investigations and Adler’s as she struggles to cope with what has happened to her. As the two detectives keep getting closer to finding the

MUSIC DRIVING MOVIES

Music, Movies, Why Choose?

C A IT LY N SA M P L E Y/ AGGI E

BY ANDREW WILLIAMS arts@theaggie.org Music has long been the Robin to many a feature film’s Batman. Standing in as an emotional primer and catalyst for movies, music draws sadness, builds suspense and emphasizes triumph.

The most memorable of our favorite scenes are often accompanied by iconic film scorers like

John Williams of “Star Wars” and Ennio Morricone of “The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly.”

Recently in certain feature films the roles of music and movies have become enmeshed, harnessing music to drive the plot. If you are interested in jump starting a foray into musically driven films, the films below are an excellent start.

They exhibit an array of musical and cinematic variety, in broad ranging genres from romance to

offender, Adler’s life continues to fall apart. This builds up suspense, as viewers await desperately not only for the rapist to punished, but for Adler’s truth to finally be revealed.

In a previous article, I wrote about the questionable morality of true crime documentaries, and how they tend to glamorize the offenders and their heinous crimes.

“Unbelievable” is different. There are no explicit or graphic scenes of the crimes — Adler’s assault is only shown through momentary flashes or brief clips of audio. The offender, portrayed

by Blake Ellis, does not even appear on screen until the seventh episode. This is not the story of a rapist and an exploration of his most brutal crimes. Rather it, focuses on the hard work of women in law enforcement and the empowerment of survivors.

Beyond the tremendous performances by the leads, the series has a powerful message about the corruption of the criminal justice system, es-

pecially when it comes to women. Unlike other crime documentaries, there is no minimization of the survivors or what they went through in this story.

In the last episode, after it is revealed that Adler was telling the truth all along, she decides to sue the city for the injustice bestowed upon her. Her lawyer empathizes with what she experienced.

“No one ever accuses a robbery victim of lying, or someone who says he was carjacked,” the lawyer tells Adler. “Doesn’t happen. But when it comes to sexual assault...”

This true story is shocking and deeply horrifying, but ultimately comes to a happy ending.

The real offender is still in prison today, as he was sentenced to 327.5 years. The two detectives have been honored for their incredible work and have remained friends and often speak to panels about their work and the case. The real-life Marie Adler won $150,000 in the lawsuit against the city and is married with children.

thrillers.

One director whose meteoric rise has fueled a newfound interest in this genre of music driven movies is Damien Chazelle, a French-American former music student turned movie director.

One of his works you might be most familiar with is “La La Land,” the 2016 musical drama featuring the enchanting couple of Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. “La La Land” tethers its plotline to the musicality and musical aspirations of its core protagonists. Although it’s a musical, it doesn’t exude the abruptness of its musical numbers, blending them subtly within the structure of the plot. The entire movie is motivated and driven by the Chazelle’s unadulterated love for music. The melodical and soothing rhythms of jazz undergird the production, making subtle references to famous artists and its decline from popularity in recent days.

Chazelle’s breakout 2014 film “Whiplash” is an ode to the raw power of jazz and the fastidious work-ethic that fuels it. The film starkly contrasts “La La Land,” focusing on some of the socially eroding consequences of obsession. Inspired by his own life as a musician, Chazelle channels the energy of jazz and its immersive impact on the main character Andrew Niemann’s disposition and relationships.

Like a drummer to a band, Justin Hurwitz’s scores are the heartbeat to both the film scores. In “La La Land” he guides the movie with heart-fluttering tunes like “Planetarium” to play off the dreamy themes of the film, while in Whiplash he cultivates the score with adrenaline-pumping and sweat-inducing songs like “Caravan” that constantly keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Rather than using the

scores as a supplement, they become the film’s backbone; as pivotal to the plotline and creative direction as the acting.

Another example of a movie from recent years whose music may be slightly more underplayed but just as vital to the movie is “Baby Driver”.

Directed by Edgar Wright, “Baby Driver” follows the life of Baby, a quirky, baby-faced getaway driver and his attempt to break free from a life of crime. In order to offset tinnitus in his ears, Baby goes everywhere with headphones glued in his ears.

Using songs like “Brighton Rock” by Queen and “Easy” by the Commodores, Baby’s playlists function as the film’s engine. A prescient clip from the film occurs during the second car chase scene. Right as the heist is about to begin, Baby has to start the song “Neat, Neat, Neat”

by The Damned over to sync the actions to his soundtrack. This brief action plays on two different dimensions. It demonstrates that music is bound to Baby’s mindset as well as being subtle breaking of the fourth wall, restarting the song to sync perfectly to the upcoming action. In “Baby Driver” scenes, film and music become harmonious, neither one overpowering the other. To a certain degree, Wright’s scenes mirror highly contextualized, visceral music videos.

Being a lover of both music and movies, I view this form of film as a perfect creative storm.

The style has become an evolutionized cousin of the musical, holding music upfront and center, while transforming the film’s layout to fit with broader modern palettes. With talented directors like Damien Chazelle leading the charge, it will be fascinating to track the progression and evolution of these music-centric films.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2019 | 5

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Christian French dives into music industry “Head First” JU STIN HA N / AG GIE

BY LI Z JACOBSON arts@theaggie.org

Television: “Tuca and Bertie”

“bright side of the moon” tour comes to an end after 22 shows

BY KA E LYN T UE R ME R - L E E arts@theaggie.org After previously touring in San Francisco with Chelsea Cutler and Quinn XCII, 22-yearold Christian French made his third appearance in the City by the Bay, this time headlining his own tour, “bright side of the moon.” French performed his 18th show of the tour at the Rickshaw Stop on Oct. 1, with his best friend Austin (ASTN) as his opener.

The show, like many others on the tour, was completely sold out. French described how surreal it was to headline his first tour and have fans come specifically to see him.

“Going into this, I tried to not have any expectations just because that only leaves for getting let down,” French said. “And so I just went into it with the least expectations that I could and it’s blown my mind — it’s insane, this is my first headlining tour. I’ve just never had people singing the words to all my songs like they have, I’ve never had fans coming to a show for me, it’s always been me being the opener and being like, ‘I promise I’m cool, guys.’ So it really frees up just to be your authentic self 100% because it’s a show for you.”

French opened his set with “Superstars,” one of his singles from last year, before diving into “Head First” and then “Fall for You,” his debut single with producer Triegy. nThe room was filled with a tremendous energy as French sang 14 songs with another one of his singles with Triegy, “By Myself,” as the encore. His setlist also included

two new, unreleased songs — during one, French asked the crowd to put away their phones and just be together and enjoy the moment.

Both on and off tour, French personally responds to messages on social media from fans.

“It’s definitely time consuming [to respond to DMs, tweets, etc.], but not the type of time consuming where I’m like, ‘Sh’t, I gotta go through my DMs,’” French said. “If I didn’t want to go through my DMs, then I just wouldn’t, it’s as simple as that. I do it because I want to and I just think it offers that extra connection that a lot of people are looking for these days. People are looking for that more genuine side of artists these days [...] it’s not just about music, it’s about more than that, it’s about the person that the artist is.”

While many fans are blown away that he would respond to them, French considers this to be normal and said it was something he had always done. His goal is to create a more personal connection with his fans and spread a positive message.

“My whole message with my music is just spreading as much love and positivity as possible, and just paying that forward into responding and letting people know that I’m just a normal dude from Indiana talking back to them,” French said. “To me, it’s not like a weird thing. It’s funny to me when fans are like, ‘Oh my god, he responded!’ because I’ve always done that and I will continue to do that until I can’t anymore. I just do it because I love doing it.”

After the show, French took the time to

personally meet every single one of his fans — something he had done after all of his shows on this tour. Many fans brought him gifts, wrote him letters or asked him to sign things.

“I’ve gotten so many notes [from fans] that I’m really excited just to put on my wall when I get home and just make sure I remember all of those feelings and all of those letters,” French said. “It kind of goes off the Instagram thing — a lot of the fans that I have been talking to for a couple months or even a couple years I’m finally seeing in person and making that connection, and it’s just really cool. And it’s really cool when people come up and are talking about how my music has affected their life or has had a positive impact on them, and so that’s really all I can ask for as a musician. If I had something to say to [my fans], I’m just a normal kid from Indiana who’s passionate about music and working hard.”

Over the course of his month on tour, French has learned to have a more overarching, comprehensive view, rather than stressing out about the little things. “[I learned] to not be so hard on yourself — it’s really easy to be this very tunnel-vision type of mind, and if you don’t have a very good show you’re like, ‘I suck as an artist,’” French said. “It’s really easy to jump to conclusions and make assumptions about yourself, [but] when you take that step back — for me at least, I was here a year ago opening for Chelsea Cutler, and now I get to headline a show here, it’s just really cool — keeping things in perspective is really important.

Ranking the Jokers that have graced both the silver and big screen From legendary Ledger to lesser known Hamill

BY GAB RIE LA H E RNANDE Z arts@theaggie.org The Joker is the iconic sociopath who exists within the DC Comic universe and serves as Batman’s nemesis. He is shrouded in mystery, with no definitive origin story. Anyone who attempts to portray the character has immense pressure from the public to do justice to the mad character. In light of the recent release of the movie “Joker,” starring Joaquin Phoenix as the titular villain, it’s worth reviewing who has dared to don the makeup and become the “Clown Prince of Crime.”

Jared Leto, “Suicide Squad” In “Suicide Squad,” Jared Leto used method acting techniques to capture the essence of the Joker. Leto kept his castmates and the crew on edge, even going as far as to send a decapitated pig’s head to every cast member. Even though he tried to invoke fear through his strange tactics, his acting in the film felt off. There weren’t enough scenes to develop the Joker character in the film, and when he was on screen, it felt like he wasn’t needed. Margot Robbie pulled off a great version of Harley Quinn, but because of Jared Leto, the audience couldn’t grasp a genuine connection between their characters. Clearly DC agrees, as Leto will not be featured in the upcoming “Birds of Prey,” which features Harley Quinn terrorizing Gotham on her own.

Mark Hamill, “Batman: The Animated Series” In “Batman: The Animated Series,” Mark Hamill did a fantastic job with his voice acting, creating a chilling and memorable Joker. Even

though we are unable to see Hamill’s facial expressions, his voice alone cultivates the mentally unstable villain who finds humor in inflicting pain and terror in the citizens of Gotham. Hamill is able to keep his voice filled with humor and delight, which is a bit chilling given his career choice, but that shows how much he truly understands the role and motivations of the clown.

Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight” “The Dark Knight” allowed Heath Ledger to become the epic Joker everyone needed. Ledger mentioned in an interview with The New York Times how mentally and physically drained he was after one scene where he put in all his energy to create an entirely different Joker. Ledger captured the Joker identity — a villain who is intimidated by nothing and finds everything a joke. Ledger, who passed away before the film’s release, created a version of the Joker that now serves as the bar for every reincarnation. It is impossible to understate the power of Ledger’s performance.

Jack Nicholson, “Batman” Jack Nicholson originated the role of the Joker as we know him on the big screen. This 1989 film became a testament to Tim Burton’s directing chops. Burton’s signature dark tone set the standard. Nicholson breathed life into the Joker, carrying over some of the same traits he made popular in “The Shining.” With Burton’s help, Nicholson established the key characteristics the Joker would become known for. If Nicholson hadn’t walked, Ledger wouldn’t have been able to run.

Lisa Hanawalt, the lead designer of “Bojack Horseman,” created a wonderfully weird, colorful world and a powerful female friendship in “Tuca and Bertie.”

Cancelled after only one season by Netflix, this show follows two bird women, Tuca and Bertie (voiced by Tiffany Haddish and Ali Wong), as they navigate the world together. Let it be noted that the world is not just birds; their neighbor is a tall, mysteriously sexy plant with a thing for turtles.

Tuca is a now-sober care-free toucan who is learning to live on her own after Bertie, an anxious, aspiring pastry chef, decides to move in with her architect boyfriend Speckle. At the root of the show are two best friends dealing with everything life throws at them. While they grapple with heavy topics, the birds deal with them in a powerful yet hilarious way. Case in point: when Bertie is catcalled, her breast (voiced

by Awkwafina) is so offended, she jumps off of Bertie’s body in protest.

Movie: “Election”

Ryan Murphy’s “The Politician” premiered on Netflix last week, but for those who have already binge-watched the series and need some more intense student elections in their life, I present to you, “Election.” This 1999 Alexander Payne-directed dark comedy is an underrated Reese Witherspoon classic. Witherspoon plays Tracy Flick, an incredibly above-average high school student with her eyes on the prize: Class President. One of her teachers, played by Matthew Broderick, doesn’t think she deserves to win and sets out to sabotage her, underestimating how far someone with unbridled ambition will go to win.

Novel: “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn Out of all of the mystery thriller “chick lit” I read by the pool this summer, Gillian Flynn’s “Gone Girl” stood out the most.

Most famous for the title character, Amy Dunne’s “cool girl,” monologue, Flynn’s characters weave a web of lies that are just believable enough. The narrative switches between Amy and her husband Nick, both out-of-work writers who have relocated from New York City to Nick’s childhood home. Their once-perfect marriage quickly (or rather, incredibly meticulously) disintegrates as the couple deals with Amy’s mysterious disappearance. Flynn keeps the reader guessing with an expert command of unreliable narration and plot twists.

Album: “Whack World”

by Tierra Whack When I texted my roommate asking what came to mind when she thought of Tierra Whack, she replied, “Dope weird funny rapper lady” and “good at freestyle,” which I think is the most accurate way to describe the creative and eccentric Phillybased rapper. Whack’s debut studio album “Whack World” was released in 2018.

Most interesting about this album is that each song is one minute long, but they all have the power to stand alone. Whack also released an accompanying music visual for the album. Whack raps like a true poet, her flow mimicking spoken word. During her Freshman Cypher as part of the XXL 2019 Freshman Class, Whack cuts the beat and free-styles, which is just one instance of her ability to break from the norm. You can hear the emotional labor she puts into her songs. On the album, “Hungry Hippo” is a standout, but my favorite of hers is “Only Child,” a single released in 2019.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

6 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2019

Opinion THE

C ALIFORNIA A GGIE

E DI TOR I AL B OAR D

Athletes have a right to be compensated, UC Davis should lead by example SB 206 a virtuous step toward ethical compensation for student-athletes

KAELYN TUERMER-LEE Editor-in-Chief HANNAH HOLZER Managing Editor KENTON GOLDSBY Campus News Editor STELLA TRAN City News Editor HANADI JORDAN Opinion Editor CLAIRE DODD Features Editor LIZ JACOBSON Arts & Culture Editor DOMINIC FARIA Sports Editor CECILIA MORALES Science & Tech Editor

HANNAN WALIULLAH New Media Manager JUSTIN HAN Photo Director 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

On Sept. 30, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 206, the “Fair Pay to Play Act,” into law, making California the first state to officially legalize student-athlete compensation. The law, which will take effect on Jan. 1, 2023, allows student-athletes attending any four-year college or university within the state to profit off of their own name, image and likeness (NIL) without the threat of their scholarship being revoked.

The new law directly opposes to the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s rules that prohibit student-athletes from making money off of their NIL. California has over 50 NCAA-affiliated schools, including UC Davis, that could be on the receiving end of retaliatory actions that the NCAA has threatened to take. These threats range from millions of dollars in fines to a ban on California schools from competing in national sporting events.

For the NCAA to come out completely against SB 206 is as unethical as it is foolish. The NCAA, a non-profit that rakes in upwards of $1 billion in annual revenue thanks to the student-athletes it governs, still considers maintaining the amateurism and “fairness” of college sports its top priority. Several California schools, including Stanford — home to one of the state’s more successful NCAA programs — disapprove of the legislation. Stanford, a school that paid its head football coach over $4.3 million in 2018, believes that allowing its student-athletes to be compensated would “present serious challenges” to institutions such as itself.

This law does not force the NCAA or any of its member schools to pay a dime out of their own pockets to student-athletes. Yet, since SB 206’s introduction in the state legislature in February, there has been a mountain of criticisms levied against it, including how it may compound the problems that exist in the athletics recruiting process. That’s exactly why the law as passed does not go into effect for

three years. There is time for California and the NCAA to work together and make any changes both parties may deem necessary. It also leaves time for other states to consider similar legislation and join the Golden State at the bargaining table.

It will ultimately fall on the NCAA to work with states on this critical issue for college athletics. But for now, the NCAA is largely unwilling to move forward until its working group on NIL — commissioned three months after SB 206’s introduction — releases its report at the end of this month. Regardless of what the working group recommends, it is past time for the NCAA and its member schools to allow the individuals they profit from the basic right to be paid for the notoriety that they have so rightly earned, especially as these student-athletes continue to sacrifice their time, energy, bodies and livelihoods.

The UC Davis athletics department has taken tremendous strides in the realm of enriching the lives of its student-athletes. It should set an example for other universities and throw its support into athlete compensation. Under Athletic Director Kevin Blue’s leadership, the department has pioneered Aggie EVO, a program dedicated to helping Aggies build the professional skills necessary to succeed after their playing days are over. This effective program is a testament to the department’s commitment to supporting its student-athletes.

But these athletes don’t just need help cultivating a lucrative financial future, they need money now to help pay for the many other critical expenses that an athletic scholarship may not cover — especially when that all-important scholarship can be revoked at any time. The Editorial Board urges UC Davis, and schools nation-wide, to seize this opportunity to put their money where their mouth is and advocate for the student-athletes from whom they profit off of.

For the sake of the environment alone, moderates AND progressives must unify behind the Democratic nominee.

NO MATTER WHO IT IS. NO MATTER WHAT.

BY BEN JA M I N P O RT E R bbporter@ucdavis.edu Like many American progressives, I believe our country is in desperate need of many fundamental changes. And I agree with the progressive principles that inform the policies that have been proposed as potential solutions to the many problems we face, especially pollution and environmental degradation.

It remains to be seen whether Democratic voters will nominate a moderate or a progressive to face President Donald Trump. Unfortunately, there is a sentiment among the optimistic and idealistic young progressives that it would reflect badly upon them to vote for the Democratic nominee if it isn’t the “wokest,” “least problematic” and most progressive candidate who would institute the most sweeping changes to American society. In other words, that centrism and incremental change isn’t worth it when radical change is needed. Uh… isn’t this where we got into trouble last time?

Idealism is good, but the Trump administration’s destructive environmental policies alone would make it silly for disillusioned progressives to sit out another presidential election just to spite the centrists. Even though some of the Democratic candidates might be “worse” on the environment than others, they are all astronomically better than Trump, and they will halt or reverse the worst environmental actions Trump has taken. They all actually take envi-

ronmental issues seriously, unlike Trump and his ilk. They would not weaponize environmental policies for retaliatory purposes against their critics, claim that windmills cause cancer, mock people like Greta Thunberg (twice) or accuse energy-efficient light bulbs of spontaneously giving them orange clown face.

So, for the sake of the environment, we are obligated to make the pragmatic choice and vote for the Democratic candidate. No matter who it is. No matter what. Pragmatism does not imply abandoning idealism — they are not mutually exclusive. But we are at a point where maintaining our lofty idealism necessitates being more pragmatic in the short term.

Some might argue that the only pragmatic thing we can do to save the planet is to implement massive policies like the Green New Deal or only elect leaders who won’t ever extract more fossil fuels. In the long term, that’s probably true. But rhetoric like this in the short term oversimplifies aspects of pollution and climate change and makes us forget about the million and one less sexy environmental problems Trump has created or exacerbated. These are problems that an incoming Democratic president could meaningfully address.

Over the last year, the New York Times has compiled a list of 85 rules (and counting) that Trump has or is planning to weaken or undo.

Trump has slashed the EPA budget and staff and marginalized scientists within the department. Trump revoked California’s right under the Clean Air Act to make more fuel-efficient

cars. Trump reversed a ban on plastic water bottles in national parks, even though evidence proved the effort reduces litter. Trump stopped funding efforts to reduce carbon emissions in poorer countries. Trump delayed a rule that limits toxic discharges from power plants into public waterways. Groundwater protections at uranium mines are going away. Coal companies can now dump mining debris into local streams. Trump rejected a ban on chlorpyrifos, “a pesticide linked to developmental disabilities in children.” Lead ammunition and tackle can be used on federal lands again. It is now harder to take climate change into account when protecting endangered species.

Trump loosened safety regulations enacted after the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill. The 2017 tax bill opened up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a pristine wilderness, for oil drilling. Trump proposed drilling in most of the nation’s coastal waters as well.

There are no longer water pollution rules for fracking on federal or Indian lands. And mines don’t have to prove that they can pay to clean up future pollution. The radioactive waste “problem” was “solved” by downgrading its danger. The EPA wants levels of rocket fuel in our drinking water that are 10 to 50 times above safe levels. Trump revived Pebble Mine in Alaska, which President Barack Obama’s EPA already determined would devastate the prolific salmon fisheries of Bristol Bay. An EPA “math trick” allows power plants to “reduce air pollution” (on paper). Trump rolled

back Obama’s Clean Water Rule, which protected streams that provide drinking water; the administration sneakily manipulated the cost-benefit analysis so that all potential economic benefits of the rule were simply ignored.

Hilarious.

There is a difference between eliminating a few redundant regulations and swinging a wrecking ball. Many Trump supporters are for deregulation, but I don’t remember them chanting for more poison in their water at Trump’s MAGA rallies. These actions just make it easier and cheaper for corporations to vandalize natural habitats and poison animals and humans.

All this just to “own the Libs” and “satisfy” some dirty industry CEOs? Oh, and Trump’s pointless trade war has likely helped drive the massive fires in the Amazon, as farmers and ranchers clear more land to satiate China’s demand for soybeans, which they previously sourced from the U.S. This is why the 2020 election must be a referendum on Trump’s pernicious environmental policies. It can’t just be about whether the Democratic candidate is “inspiring” or “woke” enough.

For the progressives who see my suggestions as settling for less, well, it isn’t. Bill Maher explained it best on his show, recently saying, “You say you want a revolution? Well, you know… You gotta get elected first. We’ll get to the revolution, but remember, put on YOUR oxygen mask before assisting your child.”

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2019 | 7

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

NFL REFEREES’ NEW CBA NEEDS TO ADDRESS GLARING LABOR ISSUE

NFL officials are falling behind in a league that is moving faster than ever

BY CALVIN COFFEE cscoffee@ucdavis.edu The National Football League and the NFL Referees Association came to a consensus on a new collective bargaining agreement that guarantees compensation and benefits to NFL officials for the next seven years, on Saturday, Sept. 28. It is an agreement we have to hope is much better than past agreements.

Currently, there are very few details of what the 18 months of negotiations have led to, but both sides have made public statements that indicate a win. “We see this new CBA as a partnership with the league that benefits our membership but also seeks to make our game better,” NFLRA President Tony Steratore said. “It is good to get these negotiations behind us.”

Despite all this promise surrounding the new deal, it is impossible to forget that for years the NFL treated one of the most crucial aspects of their product — officiating –– as a forgettable cog in their system. Officiating performance has gone stagnant as the game has moved forward at a rapid pace.

Recent blowbacks on officiating — like the controversial non-call in the Rams v. Saints NFC Championship game in January — make this CBA the most important agreement. The game is getting faster and faster and the referees are stuck in the slow, archaic way of calling games. This could be a step in the right direction to bring referees into the modern era of the NFL. The most influential forces on any given Sunday are not the players or the coaches, but the officials and referees who enforce the rules of the game. Every close NFL game comes down to one or two plays, or one or two bad (or good) calls. Referees are people too. I know that might seem obvious, but they are often treated like the punching bags of the league by players, fans and coaches. It’s such a child-like treatment of rule enforcers. They are relentlessly screamed at by coaches on the sidelines and players on the field, and it isn’t their fault. The infrastructure set up to provide for them and sharpen their skills as officiators is shaky at best. Many officials believe

the game might just be too fast for humans to make every correct call. In reference to two of the league’s most well-known referees, The Ringer’s Kevin Clark wrote, “Blandino thinks there are too many exceptions that overcomplicate the rule book. Pereira believes that officials need more practice repetitions.”

There are currently zero full-time referees and minimal training as the league institutes new, controversial rules year after year. NFL referees, and referees in general, are treated unfairly. Beyond treatment from just fans and players, their labor rights have been awful in nearly every CBA to this point. As it currently stands, 90% of NFL referees hold other full-time jobs. Pete Morelli was the president of a high school in Stockton, Gene Steratore owns a sanitary supply company and Walt Coleman is a dairy farmer. How can we possibly expect the NFL officials to live up to their responsibilities when they are splitting time between two lives?

If we take a look at the Rams vs. Saints NFC Championship game last year, the referees were the most talked about figures in the country following the game. The referees’ poor performance were the league’s worst nightmare — all because the officials were underprepared and underdeveloped. There are reasons why officiating has been perceived as so bad at the start of the last few seasons — the league keeps implementing new rules with which current referee crews simply cannot keep up. The new emphasis on calling offensive holding has caused holding calls in the first two weeks of the season to increase from 2.8 to 5.7 calls per game, putting officials in a tough spot when the greatest player of all time calls them out on Twitter. Implementing a new infrastructure to train and provide more support for officiating crews is the only way to correct this issue of overworked and mistreated referees.

The league implements countless new rules each year and just expects their under-benefited and understaffed officials to catch all the blame.

The NFL needs better officiating, and the only way to do that is by treating officials what they are worth, based on the influence and value they bring to the league and game.

KATHER IN E FR A N KS / AGG IE

HUMOR

DID YOU KNOW?

BY MARIO RODRIGUEZ marrod@ucdavis.edu

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR FORGOTTEN BAG OF CHIPS This message was recovered from an unnamed students backpack

BY KELSEY STEWART kcstewart@ucdavis.edu Hi – you know who I am. I’m writing to you from the recesses of your JanSport, your North Face, your Fjallraven Kanken or whatever equipment is now trendy to drag me from place to place. It’s been a long few months for me, as you would expect. Conceived in an Olson Hall vending machine at approximately 4:51 p.m., I have been traipsing alongside you as your faithful companion for weeks and weeks on end.

Half-eaten, half-deflated and half-crushed, I am a shell of what I once was.

Despite my haggard appearance, I have cried with you after you failed your first midterm. I have gone on that weekend trip to Tahoe with you and watched you drink too much watermelon Smirnoff and lose your already questionable dignity. I have kept you company through long lines for the MU bathroom.

You may think that I must love you by now because of the time we have spent in each other’s presence. You have read about the proximity effect in your psych class and believe you can rely on me for emotional support. The sad fact is, though, I don’t love you. In fact, my demise and my loss of vitality is direct proof of your cowardice.

You are scared of me. I know it because I have heard you say it in quick quips to friends explaining and apologizing for my presence.

You say “Oh, I forgot about those” in an entirely dismissive manner with a hint of embarrassment. You act like you don’t remember me, but I can see you peering at me occasionally.

You hide me behind your pencil case, glancing at me at the dumpster, as if pondering a course of action. But you’re too embarrassed to eat me.

It all started that fateful day you took me out of the flaming pits of the Olson basement.

You were sitting in your discussion when you took a bite and realized, to your absolute horror, that I make quite a crunch. I can’t believe this surprised you. Nevertheless, you noticed a few people glance at you in shock, so you aggressively shoved me away. I have not seen the light of day since.

Despite the gloomy circumstances of late, I have hope. I know you are a forgetful slob.

I know you never remember to bring your fictional “healthy tupperware lunch” that is just a figment of your imagination. I know, one day or one night, you will need a quick snack between classes. You will be short on cash and low on energy, so you will not bother to seek a shiny new treat.

You will look for me. And I will be there.

Bad news: you forgot to seal me. You will be shocked at the smell alone. I will simply laugh because you have no right to be shocked. Revenge tastes bad.

XOXO

STUDENTS BEGIN SLIDING INTO DMS VIA CANVAS What if I left you a winky face underneath your Discussion post?

Haha just kidding… unless?

BY JULIETTA BISHARYAN jsbisharyan@ucdavis.edu Facebook messenger? Outdated. Instagram DMs? Predictable. Tinder? Yuck! Canvas, fellow romantics and newly singles, is the new hot spot for finding love (as well as your class assignments and posted lecture slides) in the rather lonely and fleeting world of UC Davis. Yes, you heard right, you can be checking your grades by day and swinging hot dates by night. And with cuffing season just around the corner, why not shoot your shot on the very platform that shoots you and your GPA down with each passing quarter?

As many already know, Canvas is a useful platform used by students to view assignments, cry over their grades and contact their professors with questions. Conveniently, there is also the option to message other students in your class to collaborate on assignments or share lecture notes, among other things. Recently, this feature has blurred the lines between classmates and more than classmates by serving as a medium for students to exchange flirtatious messages.

Second-year philosophy major Rachel Chair tells us she got engaged to a classmate after only three weeks of messaging him on Canvas. “Our professor had us submit a discussion post on a reading and at least three people had to reply to it and well… let’s just say the rest is history!” Chair made a note to flex her engagement ring multiple times throughout the interview.

Her fiance, Michael Candor, said he never thought he would find love this way. “Yeah, I just replied with something along the lines of ‘I agree with your interpretation of Plato’s ‘Republic,’ blah blah blah, cool metaphor, blah blah blah, great work!’ To be honest, I don’t know what she was saying, but I just needed to pass that class, man.”

Like Chair and Candor, many students have been deleting Tinder, choosing to dive into the dating pool of Canvas by uploading profile pictures, changing their bios and utilizing the chat tab.

“You know when Canvas hits you with that, ‘Your instructor has released grade changes for Midterm 2’ and your heart just stops? That’s the same feeling I got when Michael would email me...”

8 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2019

There is no Planet B: Climate strike at UC Davis Photos by Justin Han

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 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, OCTOBER 10, 2019

7 R AYSMA R KETIN G/ COU RT ESY

UC DAVIS ESTABLISHES CANNABIS AND HEMP RESEARCH CENTER IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WITH DEA-APPROVED COMPANY UC Davis extends cannabis, hemp research for cannabis science

BY MARGO ROSENBAUM science@theaggie.org Along with their various other endeavors in agricultural and environmental science, UC Davis takes part in cannabis research. The school has recently opened a Cannabis and Hemp Research Center as well as partnered with the Biopharmaceutical Research Company (BRC), which is a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) approved pharmaceutical company, to extend their research, according to a UC Davis article.

Right after the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act (Proposition 64), was passed in 2016, UC Davis researchers came together to discuss their plan for cannabis research.

The Cannabis and Hemp Research Center was proposed, and recently just opened this school year. Two co-faculty directors will be chosen in the near future as well, according to Cindy Kiel, the executive associate vice chancellor for the office of research.

“The Cannabis and Hemp Research Center

that was just announced was designed to start pulling faculty together that already have these research interests, so we can explore the issues surrounding cannabis from a holistic, interdisciplinary approach,” Kiel said. “It will help us solve some of the big questions still out there about cannabis.”

Currently, the Cannabis and Hemp Research Center is comprised of faculty from various departments, such as plant sciences, veterinary medicine, and viticulture and enology, according to the center’s website.

Due to the university’s strong departments in agricultural, environmental and veterinary science, Kiel said that UC Davis is poised to be a leader in cannabis research. On campus, researchers can study cannabis in all aspects, from its agricultural growth and cultivation, to its use in human and animal subjects, as well as its impacts on environmental health and safety.

“We should be a leader in this area,” Kiel said. “We have all the tools to really push the boundaries of knowledge of what we know about this plant. It’s not just one college, it’s all of the

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before the age students are legally allowed to drop out.

OEAVP also works on non-legislative projects, some of which are specific to UC Davis. One of their current projects is UCweVote, which aims to register as many students as possible. During move-in weekend, their efforts registered over 400 students.

Ben McDougall, in charge of this effort as the OEAVP organizing director, said they could continue registering students at “all the major events.” Hatefi emphasized the importance of a strong voter base in

order to succeed with the office’s legislative goals.

During the next year, OEAVP hopes to continue to grow. It is in the process of hiring the rest of its staff, including legislative aide, chief of staff and legislative analyst.

Other priorities for the office include food insecurity, environmental issues, discrimination and housing insecurity.

“We get to do the work that people usually need years and years of experience before they get to do,” Hatefi said. “We get to determine the bills and the policies that we push for.”

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I am very much a tactile person, so I like to be able to touch and feel paper and books.

It worked well, but I would just prefer the old-school way.”

Cliff did admit, however, that the change may not entirely be for the worst.

“But, people hate change always,” Cliff said. “Change is a constant, and people are always going to complain about it.”

Second-year law student and pre-law advisor Montserrat Garcia-Juarez said the LSAT was a challenge when she took it because it was unlike any standardized test she had taken before. She thinks that the change in the test-taking experience might be difficult or troublesome.

“I’m all for saving paper,” Garcia-Juarez said via email. “But I can foresee difficulties arising, just since technology is not infallible.”

Cloe Le Gall-Scoville, the coordinator for pre-grad and pre-law advising services, added that she has heard about some problems surrounding the first test since the shift.

“I have heard from a couple of students who took the Sept. 21 test, as well as from other pre-law advisors, that there have been technical difficulties,” Le Gall-Scoville said via email. “Students should be prepared for issues to arise during the first few all-digital LSAT tests.”

Third-year history major Hamza Ahmadzai realized that he was interested in

pursuing law after a summer internship as a court runner at a law firm. He plans to take the LSAT either in the summer of 2020 or 2021, but he is also open to taking a year off to complete another internship and study more for the LSAT in order to be a more competitive applicant to law schools.

He says he doesn’t see many issues with the digitalization.

“I believe the biggest benefit is that test results will be returned to the test takers much quicker than with the traditional paper and pen method,” Ahmadzai said. “The only drawback that I can see is that the test may be more difficult for people who were not raised using computers, smartphones and other digital [devices]. I do like the change to a digital format because I will be able to receive my test results quicker, but only time will tell regarding the overall consensus of the new test format.”

Even before the July test, LSAC released a digital practice tool, and Stohr had some of Kaplan’s top teachers — who score in the 95th to 99th percentile every time they take the LSAT — independently try out the tool to compare strategies and tactics. He compiled some of that information into an e-book, which highlights the importance of preparing for the test with digital tools to help with the test-taking experience.

“I think the most important thing for students, in terms of the digital test, is just

disciplines working together, and I think that is where we will get the real synergy to make things happen.”

Research on cannabis already occurs on campus, according to Kiel. Some of the current research includes growing and cultivating hemp, conducting surveillance-type research into the health-care of cannabis workers, and diagnostic research to understand the effects of cannabis on animals.

“My contribution and involvement is to help understand the biochemistry of cannabis,” said Lit Tian, an associate professor in the department of plant sciences.

Additionally, with the university’s partnership with Biopharmaceutical Research Company, UC Davis receives help with analyzing chemical and biological cannabis profiles. By gaining a better scientific understanding of cannabis, researchers think that government authorities can better regulate the substance, and health care providers can discover new treatment methods as well as improve cannabis prescriptions, according to a UC Davis article.

Even though cannabis is legal in California, it is still federally classified as a schedule one substance, so Kiel said their research is somewhat prohibitive. Since UC Davis receives federal funding, researchers cannot violate any federal laws in their research.

In order to conduct research on any schedule one substance, including cannabis, a faculty member must receive a license from the DEA for their lab, according to Kiel. The cannabis must come from a DEA-approved source as well, and currently, the only approved cannabis comes from the University of Mississippi. The DEA must also approve the security measures of the research.

To work in a lab that studies hemp or cannabis, students are required to have a background check to make sure they have not been involved in any drug related crimes, according to Kiel.

Students in the lab also must follow the requirements that the professor’s schedule one license entails.

“I do hope some of the rules about research will change in the future,” Kiel said. “It will enable us to make more progress more quickly if that happens.”

Studying hemp requires less regulations, according to Kiel, since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill removed it as a schedule one substance under federal law. Hemp is cannabis, but it is a plant that falls below 0.3% THC. It is not used for smoking, but instead is used for creating fibers for clothing, rope, and other products. UC Davis can grow hemp as long as the seeds came from an approved source.

In the future, Kiel said UC Davis plans to research more into cannabis’s health impacts, such as the concerns about pregnant women consuming cannabis. There has yet to be any research about how cannabis affects the mother or fetus.

“There are over 900 cannabinods in a plant, and only a handful have been studied for what their effects are in humans and animals,” Kiel said.

For agricultural science, research needs to be conducted to understand the complex plant. Kiel said UC Davis hopes to obtain a manufacturing license to cultivate cannabis that is not hemp.

“We want to study what kinds of inputs, like soil, water, sunshine and pathogens do to plants, and their CBD and THC levels, because we do not really understand right now how that works,” Kiel said.

Additional research will be conducted on THC and CBD levels, as well as different varietals of the plant. Right now, only the cannabis from the University of Mississippi can be studied, so research on the different varieties is not possible.

“The FDA realized it was a problem to have people all over consuming different varieties and we do not have the science behind what it means and what does it do to the body and the mind,” Kiel said.

that on test day, “You’re just thinking about the test content. And so, having trained or having already decided, ‘I want to make the font size bigger, I’m going to use the

yellow highlighter for this,’ and having that sort of comfort of testing, you’re not thinking about the tablet, you’re just thinking about the test.”

SENATE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

Fourth-year animal science major Cindy Chen and fourth-year neurobiology, physiology and behavior major Deborah Widjaja were both confirmed as the Mental Health Initiative (MHI) co-directors.

Widjaja spoke about her experience with MHI over the past two years and what the initiative means not only to her, but all people.

“Mental health is very intersectional,” Widjaja said. “It ties in with our race and ethnicity. It ties in with our social economic class. It ties in with our gender identity.

Whether or not we want to admit it, mental health affects us all.”

Fourth-year statistics major Nicole Deacon was confirmed as Picnic Day chair.

Last year, Deacon served as vice-chair of Picnic Day and has been involved with the event since her freshman year.

After these confirmations, the ASUCD executive team discussed projects they worked on over the summer — one issue they worked to resolve was the existing animosity between ASUCD and different centers on campus, including some in the SCC.

Since meeting with directors from various centers, the executive team has been working on a proposal to formalize bi-quarter retreats. Co-hosted by center directors and ASUCD, the executive team hopes this will be a positive step towards mending current divisions.

The executive team also debuted ASUCD’s new 10 year plan titled, “Going Forward,” developed in order to implement more long-term continuity within the organization. The plan includes reforms of the association’s business practices, a budget system overhaul and student accountants and student business managers.

In addition to bringing in students to business positions in ASUCD, the plan includes the development of courses to help students learn “real-life” skills and the creation of new positions, such as the position of student historian. The plan also includes the introduction of in-house counsel and legal compliance training as well as that of a human resources professional, a Creative Media overhaul and the creation of an open-access inventory database that can be utilized by all units.

CLIMATESTRIKE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

More students became aware of the event on the quad and joined in.

The strike continued in the quad until noon. Protesters then began marching downtown, toward Central Park. The procession stretched from the edge of campus at the Social Sciences and Humanities Building to the Memorial Union. The four people leading the walk held a banner that read “Climate Strike.”

As the protesters regrouped in Central Park, they were joined by other community members already in the park. A semitruck driving by honked at the crowd in a show of support. The strike continued

on in this new location — motivational speeches were given by passionate individuals. A few people in the crowd yelled expletives about the current president, which were quickly dismissed by the organizers.

Within the crowd, talk about whether or not protesters were registered to vote was audible.

Nearing the end of the event at 12:30 p.m., there was one last speech. The speakers urged global citizens and Davis community members alike to stand in solidarity and take action to reduce the effects of climate change and preserve the earth for future generations.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2019 | 11

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

WVB UPDATE

FB AT NORTH DAKOTA

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It’s about what we’re doing right now, in this moment, and staying in tune to that. I think every weekend we play is a big weekend, so what’s in front of us right now is the biggest weekend of the year.”

The two-game trip did indeed prove a challenge for the Aggies, as they were swept by UC Santa Barbara on Friday and then suffered a narrow 3-2 loss to Cal Poly on Saturday. After dropping the first two sets of the contest against the Mustangs, UC Davis battled back and won the next two to force a fifth set, but ultimately lost 15-10 in that final frame.

Despite the two-match skid, it has been a largely successful first 17 games for the Aggies, and Connors is optimistic about the squad’s chances going forward.

“We’re a very young, inexperienced team that is gaining experience and we are not where we want to be by any means,” Connors said. “I talked to the group earlier this season about when we’re going to peak, and it’s probably going to be the latter half of conference.

So, to be playing the way that we are playing now is nice, but we’re ready for any bumps in the road that may come up and we’re going to continue to work to grow and get better.”

Of course, the success of any team comes down to its players performing on the court, and Connors sees the high potential that this year’s group possesses.

“Lauren [Matias] has done a really good job of just being that steady player on the floor for us and has been complimented by Jane [Seslar], who has been really solid for us,” Connor said. “As far as players emerging? Defensively, I think Josie [Ough] has really asserted herself, I think Mahalia [White] has done a great job of having a year off and coming back to find her groove, and both Leonie [Strehl] and Demari [Webb] have done a good job of stepping into the role that they’re playing.”

Connors also highlighted players who contributed to the depth of the team.

“Shira [Lahav] has become more comfortable in her role, running our passing line and our defensive effort,” Connors said. “Ally [Reyes] is an outstanding passer who has stepped in and Perri [Starkey] has emerged as a great passer and good defender, so it’s nice to have that deep bench and have some players you can go to.”

Essentially, Conners is more than pleased with his team and their chemistry, including their ability to work together and improve as a team.

“Our players who may not see a lot of time in matches are doing a great job of pushing the starters in practice and increasing the level in practice so that we are pushed to get better every day,” Connors said. “I think everybody has been really putting in a great effort to contribute to the product that we see on the floor during competitions. They’re doing a great job of supporting each other and supporting the direction we want to go.”

This season has been the best start the program has had since they started 16-1 in 2011 and the first undefeated opening games the team has had since 2012. UC Davis ranks among the top 50 teams in the NCAA in aces (No. 46 with 88), while sophomore middle blocker Josephine Ough ranks No. 47 in the nation at 1.25 blocks per set overall this year.

Matias enters the week ranked among the top 100 hitters in the NCAA in points (No. 75), points per set (No. 89), and kills (No. 87), while ranking just outside the top 100 in kills per set (No. 102). Sophomore setter Jane Seslar enters the week ranked No. 40 in the nation with 529 assists and No. 71 with 9.98 assists per set.

UC Davis was picked to finish sixth in the race for the Big West Conference title according to a vote of head coaches, but this team has proven to be more than capable of proving them wrong.

EQUESTRIAN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

The squad plans to reach their goals and move past their competition with full force with the help of their powerful leadership.

Don and Piddock plan to be role models for the younger squad members by “leading by example,” according to Piddock. At the same time, they must inspire the team’s other athletes display the same level of leadership, Don added.

The Equestrian team has high hopes for this program as they want to keep carrying on the positive energy this close-knit team brings every day — in addition to their primary goal of winning a National Championship.

“We have really established we are all here for each other and care about each other,” explained Don. “I really want the incoming riders and returners to really carry on that tradition of being there for each other and really having a heart for the sport.”

This season’s journey began in Waco, Texas over this past weekend, where the Aggies took on both Baylor and Delaware State.

“We all want the dub against Delaware and Baylor,” Piddock said. “Individually, I think we all just want to go out there and lay out a penalty-free ride, and that is one of the most important parts. Just going out there showing

and improving what we are going to be in this new Division 1 equestrian era.”

While the team was ultimately defeated in its first meet against Baylor, it was able to secure two points in the contest. One point came from freshman rider Macey Newkirk in the raigning event and the other from senior rider Sabin Marquardt, who scored an impressive 76 in the fences event.

The Aggies then ended up tying their meet against Delaware State, where Marquardt and Newkirk were again able to win a point in each of their respective events. Don and freshman rider Ella Longo also won their points in the fences event to contribute toward the Aggies’ total point total of eight.

The team will now get set to face Oklahoma State at home on Oct. 26, and then battle Fresno State on Nov. 15, before a two-month break. With positive leadership and hard work, the future of UC Davis Equestrian is bright, and only just beginning.

Weisinger hopes that the team continues to have fun while performing well.

“We work hard, we practice, but at the end of the day you have got to have some fun doing it,” Weisinger said. “Or else, why are you doing it?”

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Subsequently, the Aggies had no choice but to bring the offense back on the field for a lengthy fourth-and-14 situation, where Maier’s pass fell incomplete to end the game.

In his weekly press conference on Monday, Hawkins took the blame for mishandling the situation and failing to make a definitive decision on whether to attempt a field goal or keep the offense on the field. Normally, senior kickoff specialist Matt Blair is the go-to guy for long field goals beyond O’Rourke’s range, but Blair was unavailable at the time due to an injury to his holder, sophomore wide receiver Carson Crawford.

UC Davis looked like a completely different football team in the second half, compared to the first 30 minutes of play where the Aggies were outgained 381-176 in total yards of offense. But the Aggies refused to give up easily and seemed determined to atone for their early struggles in all three phases of the game.

The UC Davis defense completely flipped the script in the second half, showing a renewed confidence and continually forcing the North Dakota offense off the field in a flash.

With the exception of the home team’s final game-winning drive, North Dakota never possessed the ball for more than six plays, giving the Aggie offense ample time to mount a comeback.

“The thing that pleased me the most was our approach to it,” Hawkins said. “They were communicating, talking and problem solving.

We know its a long game and we can score points, so don’t panic and just hang in there.

Our approach was much better than the week before.”

Unfortunately, costly penalties and a few more uncharacteristic turnovers — a common theme in last week’s blowout loss to Montana — doomed the Aggie offense at the end of the day.

Preece simply could not be guarded in the third and fourth quarters, hauling in all three Aggie touchdowns and using his sizable frame to create separation downfield and break free from defenders.

The Aggies received the opening kickoff of the second half and instantly found paydirt three plays later, thanks to a 40-yard catch by freshman tight end Blake Thorpe and a wideopen 31-yard touchdown pass to Preece.

Midway through the third quarter, UC Davis turned the ball over for the first time when a quick screen pass slipped through the

hands of freshman wide receiver Orlando Ornelas and right to a North Dakota defender.

The Fighting Hawks only had to march 13 yards to tack on another seven points, extending the lead to 35-21.

Early in the fourth quarter, senior linebacker Eric Flowers came up with a clutch interception, setting up the offense in enemy territory with a great opportunity to tie the score.

On the very next play, Maier noticed single coverage downfield and took a deep shot to the end zone, but was picked off by a diving North Dakota defender.

The Davis defense did its job and forced a quick three-and-out, but Maier was picked off again on the next drive. On a long 4thand-14 inside Fighting Hawk territory, Hawkins opted to go for it instead of punting, so Maier desperately heaved an ugly interception that was returned 58 yards to the Aggie 21yard line.

Once again, the defense rose to the occasion and quickly forced a missed 37-yard field goal, paving the way for the late go-ahead touchdown drive.

Through the first six games of the season, Maier has already thrown nine interceptions, which is one shy of his season-long totals in both 2017 and 2018. Most of the turnovers have come in tough road environments, as Maier fired two interceptions at San Diego and three more at North Dakota State.

“I don’t think he’s a guy that’s blatantly careless with the ball,” Hawkins said. “He’s had some errant interceptions the last few weeks, but also some that are not always his fault. It’s going to happen when you throw the ball as much as we do.”

The senior signal caller had to operate without star junior wide receiver Jared Harrell, who’s been sidelined with injuries the past two weeks, as well as junior running back Tehran Thomas who did not play on Saturday.

Nonetheless, Maier still threw for over 350 yards and four touchdowns, connecting with 11 different receivers and making enough plays to put his team in a position to win. He leaned on one of his favorite targets, Crawford, who led the team with five receptions and 88 yards before leaving with a shoulder injury.

For a second consecutive game, UC Davis was unable to establish an effective rushing attack, managing just 3.1 yards per carry on 26 attempts. Gilliam scored on a two-yard touchdown run in the first half, but was largely con-

tained by the North Dakota defense for most of the afternoon.

On the flip side, the Aggie defense continued its struggles in stopping the run, yielding 187 yards and 5.3 yards per attempt. UC Davis has given up at least 174 yards on the ground in five of the first six games. Improving in this area of the game will be a major point of emphasis for the team as it moves forward into the rest of the Big Sky schedule.

The Ags will have their hands full with next week’s opponent, Cal Poly, who utilizes a runfirst offense that’s averaging over 255 rushing yards per game.

A pair of long flights to North Dakota in the past three weeks have surely taken some sort of toll on the players, whether they want to admit it or not. The Aggies undoubtedly have to play better and clean up the mistakes, but this year’s schedule has done them no favors.

“It’s amazing how every game has been something different — how we travel, where we travel, the weather, inside or outside, night or day,”

Hawkins said. “But that’s also life. As you looked at the schedule before it played out, you knew it would be a tough battle every week.”

Fortunately for UC Davis, the team only has one more long flight remaining, a trip to face Southern Utah in two weeks. The Aggies will be glad to return home to UC Davis Health Stadium this Saturday for a rivalry showdown against Cal Poly, with the Golden Horseshoe trophy on the line.

After that, the only road travels remaining are a pair of short journeys to Portland State and Sacramento State.

With two conference losses already, UC Davis has put itself in an extremely tough position to defend its Big Sky title. In the past 13 years, the winner of the conference has never lost more than one league contest.

“Do we have the capability of going to the National Championship? Yes, we do,” Hawkins said. “But it’s not that far of a drop to that next *** This article is continued online.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

12 | THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2019

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL COMMENCES OFF TO THE RACES BIG WEST PLAY WITH TWO STRONG UC Davis Equestrian Team heads out of state to launch VICTORIES new season

Aggies look to continue run into heart of conference slate

JU STIN HA N / AGGIE

Q U I N N S P O O N E R / AGGI E

QU IN N S P O O N E R / AGGI E

Outside hitter for UC Davis Lauren Matias (15, middle right) blocks a kill attempt by setter for UC Riverside Morgan Kline (29, middle left) at the September 29, 2019 game against UC Riverside at Davis, Calif.

BY AJ SEYMOUR sports@theaggie.org Heading into the Sept. 29 game against UC Riverside, the UC Davis women’s volleyball team looked to regain last year’s impeccable form, which they displayed during a season-long, seven game win streak. The previous game against UC Irvine was the inaugural game of league play, with the two teams displaying how difficult it can be to win league games. Fortunately for the Aggies, they came out triumphant with a 3-2 victory.

In the nailbiter — in which Davis came from behind to win — senior outside hitter Lauren Matias finished with a match-high 18 kills on the night, propelling the Aggies to their first league victory of the year. The win was rejuvenating for the team, as they had lost the last three games of league play to end last season.

“I didn’t say too much,” said Head Coach Dan Conners about the comeback. “I talked to a couple of the leaders on the team and they were responsible for the change in the direction in that match. I tried to stay as consistent as I possibly could the entire match, reinforcing that we’re a good team, that we should believe in ourselves, and continue to focus on one point at a time, but credit that group for helping us turn the tide.”

Given that the Aggies were able to keep their composure throughout the entirety of a heated match with UC Irvine and prevail, it was unsurprising to many when the Aggies dismantled UC Riverside in the following game.

In the second set, UC Riverside called an immediate timeout after UC Davis jumped out to

a quick 5-0 lead. But even after the break, the Highlanders continued to struggle to stop the Aggies as UC Riverside’s coach was forced to call the team’s second and final timeout of the set.

UC Davis was able to capitalize on the Highlanders’ distress, winning the second set 25-13 and later taking the third set 25-17 to complete the 3-0 match victory.

“We played very efficiently in that match,” Connors said. “I think that was a match in which we were able to stay very consistent with our style of play throughout the entire contest: high-pace, attacking, aggressive, putting a lot of pressure on opponents. I think that was nice to see. We’ve been able to do that at times, and then we have backed off. I thought it was nice to have a full match where we put forth that effort the entire time.”

The Aggies had their work cut out for them entering the weekend, with a double-header scheduled against UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly. Both teams had proven to be lethal this year, boasting impressive records throughout both non-league play and in league play thus far.

Before Friday’s contest, UC Santa Barbara had posted a record of 13-1 throughout the first half of the season. The following day, the Aggies took on a Cal Poly team that went 10-5 in pre-season.

“It’s going to take being in the moment, being aggressive, playing our style, getting after it, pressuring them consistently throughout the match,” Connors said before the road trip. “Not letting distractions be at the surface when we’re performing.

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AGGIES LOSE HEARTBREAKER TO NORTH DAKOTA

UC Davis drops third straight in 38-36 road loss C .K . H I C KS / CO URT E SY

UC Davis Tight End Wes Preece (87, right) reaches the endzone to score a touchdown for the Aggies. The Aggies lost the game 36-38 to the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks on October 5, 2019 at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

BY BRENDAN OGBURN sports@theaggie.org The UC Davis football team lost its third consecutive game and fell to 0-2 in Big Sky play with Saturday’s 38-36 gut-wrenching loss at North Dakota.

The Aggies battled back from a forgetful first half performance that put them behind 28-14 at the break, and came within seconds of walking out of the indoor Alerus Center in Grand Forks, ND with their first conference victory of the season. There was no shortage of drama in the final few minutes, but the visitors came up painfully short.

“I was really proud of the resolve we showed, and I really enjoyed our temperament, togetherness and patience despite not starting well,” said UC Davis head coach Dan Hawkins. “We just battled and were a little more of ourselves in this game than the previous game. I was happy that we returned to that level.”

Saturday’s loss drops the Aggies’ record to 2-4 on the season and puts them in the cellar of the Big Sky conference, along with two other teams also winless in conference play. But it was a far cry from last week’s 45-20 drubbing at home to Montana, a game in which Hawkins thought his team “got cautious, played tight and stopped smiling or having fun.”

With just over five minutes remaining in regulation, and the Aggies trailing 35-28, senior quarterback Jake Maier led the offense down the length of the field and orchestrated a 10-play, 80-yard scoring drive. Faced with a 4th-and-goal situation from the 2-yard line, Maier tossed up a jump ball to senior tight end Wes Preece, who outmuscled the defender in front of him and leaped up to make the catch in the corner of the

end zone.

To nobody’s surprise, UC Davis head coach Dan Hawkins elected to attempt a two-point conversion instead of settling for the game-tying extra point with 2:06 left in the fourth quarter.

On the two-point try, Maier ran a play-action fake and rolled out to his right before finding junior wide receiver Khris Vaughn open in the back of the end zone, giving UC Davis its first lead of the day, 36-35.

A costly mistake on the ensuing kickoff, which landed out-of-bounds, gave the Fighting Hawks good field position and a head start on their eight-play drive into field goal range. With 57 seconds left on the clock, North Dakota nailed a go-ahead 46-yard field goal.

With all three timeouts still remaining, UC Davis had a legitimate opportunity to drive down the field and set up a game-winning field goal attempt. A pair of 17-yard completions to sophomore running back Ulonzo Gilliam and Preece got the drive up and running, and it looked like the Aggies would give senior kicker Max O’Rourke a makeable field goal attempt well within his range.

Then, at the worst possible moment, a pair of damaging penalties pushed UC Davis completely out of field goal range. On a manageable third-and-four play from the North Dakota 30yard line, the Aggies were called for a false start, setting up a longer third down attempt that they failed to convert.

O’Rourke trotted out to attempt a career-long 52-yard field goal, but the kick was blocked by North Dakota amidst penalty flags and a whistle from the referee, who called a “delay of game” penalty on UC Davis.

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Julia Bernard of the UC Davis equestrian team competes during a match against Delaware on January 31, 2019 at the UC Davis Equestrian Center in Davis, Calif.

BY FRANKIE VEVERKA sports@theaggie.org One of the up-and-coming programs at UC Davis is the women’s equestrian team. The Aggies are entering their second official NCAA season and the team consists of 27 riders who compete in Western and English style competitions all around the U.S. against other high caliber teams. The women of the equestrian team have been working harder than ever as they enter this new season with high hopes and a full roster.

“Fifty percent of our team is brand new, with freshmen and transfers,” said head coach Jessie Weisinger. “I am really looking at the returners for leadership and guidance. We are kind of a unique team in that we are super united in the way that we started [the team] last year.”

The team welcomes 13 new faces to the roster, including nine freshmen, who seem to be impressing the team’s older riders.

“In both the horsemanship and the reigning, we have some really exciting freshmen coming in,” said senior western rider Bobbie Piddock. “Freshmen Kendal [Scheiner] and Macey Newkirk are such great riders and have a lot of passion for the sport. Malena [Palmer] is the only freshman starting on the horsemanship side this weekend. She is a beautiful rider and works really hard.”

Senior jumping seat rider Stephanie Don also weighed in on the new group.

“For Hunt Seat, sophomore Laura Wise has been working really hard, and she really stepped it up on the scrimmage on Friday,”

Don said.

On Sept. 27, the Aggies had a promising Blue and Gold scrimmage where every team member was able to ride and show how hard they have been training.

“We have only been practicing for three weeks leading up to [the scrimmage],” Weisinger said. “We learned a few things about some of our new horses that came in.”

“Everyone was able to ride and practice the format of the meet, everything went really well at the scrimmage,” Don added. “There are a lot of talented girls this season.”

This season, there are new changes as the squad gets more time to train and welcomes more competition. Last season, the team only competed in six official meets before the NCEA championships in April. This year, the Aggies have a full slate of eight official meets, including an added Fall schedule.

“Last year we had such a small team, only 19 girls,” Piddock explained. “This year it is all about keeping that positive foundation that we had last year. Keeping those good vibes and great energy, we all got along so well and worked so hard.”

The Aggies will face some brand new competition as they are now included in the newly formed East Coast Athletic Conference (ECAC). They have great excitement about meeting strong programs such as Auburn, UT Martin, South Dakota State, SMU and Lynchburg. The program hopes to qualify for the ECAC championship in March, as it would be an important step in its preparation for Nationals come April.

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