December 10, 2020

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VOLUME 139, ISSUE 9 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020

CAMPUS COVID-19 TESTING RAMPS UP AS CASES SOAR Students and faculty accessing the campus regularly need to be tested once a week at the ARC

BY KATHLEEN QUINN campus@theaggie.org As COVID-19 cases at UC Davis rise significantly, the university now requires both students and faculty accessing the campus weekly to be tested every seven days before entering the campus.

Jennifer Butler, the director of student affairs marketing and communications, said via email that they have been informing students about updates throughout the quarter.

“Our plan was always to ramp up testing capacity and expand testing to our entire Aggie community, including all employees and students,” Butler said via email.

The new requirements went into effect on Nov. 18, the week before the Thanksgiving holiday.

There have been 45 positive asymptomatic COVID-19 tests on campus since Nov. 1, up from three in October, according to the UC Davis COVID-19 Dashboard.

The increased availability and access to testing for the full Aggie community has more than doubled the amount of tests being processed.

On Nov. 17, 1,404 asymptomatic tests were administered and one positive result was reported.

On Nov. 18, the date testing access increased, 2,711 tests were administered and eight positive results were reported, the highest number in a single day since September. This suggests that the rising number of COVID-19 cases at UC Davis

may be connected to the rising number of tests, emphasizing the importance of testing the larger community to better see the actual prevalence of coronavirus in Davis.

Test results are expected to be available in 2448 hours, but the new requirements do not make it necessary for the person accessing the campus to know the results of the test before entering campus, according to an email sent to students by Chancellor Gary May. Previously, the administration had been relying on a self-reported daily symptom survey for anyone visiting campus instead of a weekly test.

The administration has moved the testing kiosk from the smaller pavilion location to the ARC to accommodate the increase in students and employees being tested.

There are currently 88 active cases that are being reviewed by Student Health or Occupational Health, according to the safety services self-report website; the vast majority of the cases being investigated are employees of the university.

Brian Trainor, a professor and the vice-chair of the psychology department, said he is still getting the hang of the new procedures.

“It’s like going through airport security,” Trainor said. “You go to one station, they scan your phone, and then the other station and they give you some tubes, and then another station they give you the liquid, then the other station they actually have you take your mask off and spit in the tube.”

COVID-19 testing center located at the main gym at the ARC at UC Davis. (Quinn Spooner / Aggie) Billy Lewis, a third-year communication major who lives on campus, said he was in and out of the testing facility in five to seven minutes.

“It was pretty fast,” Lewis said. “I’m really surprised at how available it is to us.”

Butler said via email that the testing process for the test has been simplified.

“During the initial pilot phase, the saliva screening process was backed up with a more traditional, certified testing process using nasal swabs,” Butler said via email. “After the saliva test was validated, we were able to expand capacity and additional groups of students and employees were invited to begin participating in the testing

program.”

Though Trainor said students appear to be wearing masks consistently in the psychology department, he said the campus-wide usage of masks is a mixed bag.

“Maybe 70% of people are wearing masks outside,” Trainor said.

Lewis said he appreciated the increased availability of testing at the university as well as the convenience.

“I think it’s necessary because most of the counties in California are in the purple zone,” Lewis said.

FREE SALIVA-BASED COVID-19 TESTING NOW AVAILABLE FOR DAVIS COMMUNITY Healthy Davis Together partnership between UC Davis and the City of Davis provides testing at the senior center

BY RACHEL SHEY city@theaggie.org Healthy Davis Together, a partnership between UC Davis and the city of Davis, has brought free saliva-based COVID-19 testing to the broader Davis community. This test involves spitting, unlike the more invasive nasal swab test.

The program also distributes free surgical masks.

Currently, testing is available at the Davis Senior Center. On Dec. 6, a second testing center will open at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts.

City of Davis Councilmember Dan Carson stressed the importance of collaboration between the City of Davis and UC Davis via email, and mentioned the newly introduced COVID-19 exposure app, called California COVID Notify.

“One of the great things about the Healthy Davis Together program and efforts like the new Covid notification app are that they allow the City of Davis and the UC Davis campus to help each other to combat this dread[ful] disease and potentially save lives,” Carson said via email.

Yolo County Supervisor Don Saylor explained via email that people who live in Davis, work in Davis or travel to Davis should take advantage of this testing opportunity.

“Priority is being given to essential workers and people with significant public contact, including people who think they may have been exposed,” Saylor said via email. “But this saliva test is specifically for asymptomatic individuals; people experiencing COVID-19 symptoms are prohibited from using this test and should contact their healthcare providers for testing.”

Chief Operating Officer of Healthy Davis Together Kenneth Burtis mentioned that frontline workers specifically are encouraged to

take advantage of the free testing.

“Until we expand with the Mondavi Center, when our goal will be to test everyone in Davis, right now we really want to encourage a certain group of people to come in for testing,” Burtis said.

“Those are people whose daily job or occupation requires them to be in contact with other people— frontline workers.”

Saylor noted that Yolo County is considering ways to bring the saliva testing to other high-risk populations.

“For example, we are considering ways to utilize saliva testing for staff and residents at skilled nursing facilities, convalescent hospitals and other congregate living facilities,” Saylor said via email. “For now, there are 500 tests available per

day through the Healthy Davis Together project, which is focused on preventing the spread of COVID-19 specifically in the Davis community.”

City of Woodland Mayor Pro Tempore Tom Stallard expressed hope that the program could eventually be introduced to other nearby cities.

“The university has done a phenomenal job of developing testing protocols for their own campus community and now the wider Davis community,” Stallard said. “Dr. Ken Burtis, a Woodland resident, has been overseeing it. It could be a model for communities everywhere. I’d love to have that testing protocol in our community.”

Woodland has been harder-hit by COVID-19 than Davis, with 2,067 cases compared to 687 cases in Davis, as of Dec. 3. This is largely due to

KATHERINE FRANKS / AGGIE

demographic differences, according to Stallard.

Burtis stated that the source of the Healthy Davis Together funding made it unlikely to be expanded to other cities.

“Healthy Davis Together was actually funded by philanthropic donations from a number of parties with the specific goal of funding Davis and the city of Davis,” Burtis said. “We are also supporting people who live in other cities but work in Davis.”

The collected samples are processed in the Genome Center at UC Davis, a process which Burtis described in detail. Once samples arrive at the Genome Center, a protein-cleaving enzyme is used to digest the polymers that create viscosity in saliva. The samples are placed in a machine called the IntelliQube, which conducts a type of polymerase chain reaction called quantitative PCR. “One of the ways we’re able to do so many samples is because robots do a lot of the work,” Burtis said. “The IntelliQube allows us to do many reactions at a time using a tape array. A fluorescent signal develops if it’s a positive—if the primers have amplified some viral RNA. If there’s no virus in the sample, the viral primers don’t cause any amplification.”

Saylor expressed enthusiasm about the team effort.

“The continued partnership between UC Davis, the City of Davis and Yolo County has been a great demonstration of the ‘Yolo Way’ and has been instrumental in allowing this program to get off the ground and operate as a key part of the COVID-19 mitigation measures in our region,” Saylor said via email.

PROJECT ROOMKEY HAS PROVIDED MORE THAN 49,000 NIGHTS OF SHELTER TO 500+ YOLO COUNTY HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS More than 61 permanent transitions to housing have been achieved through the program CATHY TANG / AGGIE

BY SHRADDHA JHINGAN city@theaggie.org Project Roomkey, a partnership between Human Services Agency and Yolo County Health on the local level, has provided 49,244 nights of shelter to around 533 members of the homeless population between March 16 and Nov. 17, averaging to 92 nights per individual, according to a press release published by Yolo County on Nov. 20.

“While Project Roomkey was never intended to be a permanent housing solution, the program’s increased stability and access to case management services has resulted in over 61 permanent housing transitions to date [...],” the press release reads.

Deputy Director of Police Services Deanne Machado said via email that Project Roomkey has helped the local community “[…] by temporarily providing shelter to the community’s most vulnerable, unhoused population.”

“In the absence of Project Roomkey,

these individuals (many of whom are immunocompromised) would have likely continued to live unsheltered on our streets or in a congregate setting of some kind, both of which are particularly hazardous during a pandemic for this population,” Machado said via email.

Homeless Program Coordinator at Yolo County Health and Human Services Nadia Waggener further explained how Project Roomkey has helped the community.

“When we house our most vulnerable neighbors, the impact can be felt in our streets, in our hospitals, and in our bottom line,” Waggener said via email. “Project Roomkey (PRK) allows our community to live our Yolo values: serving our elderly and disabled neighbors while creating a safer community. PRK has moved people off the streets and into dignified living conditions where our seniors and disabled clients can receive medical care, case management and rest.”

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2 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Mondavi center transitions to virtual productions, cancels live spring performances Live performances anticipated to resume in October 2021, dependent on COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Mondavi Center’s executive director

BY HANNAH BLOME campus@theaggie.org The Mondavi Center has cancelled its spring performances for the 2020-21 performance season, but live virtual productions are available to all UC Davis students for free on the Mondavi Center website, according to Mondavi Center Executive Director Don Roth.

The “Homestage” production series is accessible on the Mondavi Center website. To access the performance streams, students must make an account with the Mondavi Center and sign up for the events. All recorded virtual events are free for UC Davis students with the exception of a few select productions, according to the website.

While the Mondavi Center auditorium remains desolate today, it was once a campus hub

for performing arts and provided a creative outlet for students.

“Performing in front of a Zoom crowd is not the same,” said Sheila June, a third-year international relations major. “You need the energy in the room, and that needs people. But that’s just not something we can do right now.”

June performs spoken word poetry at the Mondavi Center’s open mic nights.

“Spoken word is something that I’ve been

The Mondavi Center at UC Davis plans to resume performances in January 2021. (Quinn Spooner / Aggie)

wanting to get into since high school,” June said. “The Mondavi Center has hosted open mic nights every quarter. That’s when I got out of my shell. That’s where I’ve been able to branch out and explore performing.”

Roth said he tended to go to many shows throughout the school year prior to the pandemic.

“Normally during the school year, which is when our season is, I spend a lot of time going to shows,” Roth said. “We’ve done as many as 100 performances in a year and normally we do around 50-60.”

Roth is in frequent contact with other performing arts directors across the country. UC Davis is part of an organization of arts programs called Major University Presenters (MUP). MUP includes UC Davis, Stanford University, UC Berkeley, University of Washington and 15 other American universities. Although the organization regularly meets twice a year, Roth said that the arts directors have been meeting twice a week since the pandemic started.

“All of us are checking in with each other a lot, because it is such a complex time and everybody can learn from each other,” Roth said.

Performing arts is a unique experience with unique challenges to virtual operations compared to other educational departments.

“All of us who work at the Mondavi Center believe in the value of the live arts experience— for people to be in the room with the artist while something is happening in that moment and to share that experience together,” Roth said.

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The Pantry shifts operations to meet covid-19 demand, guidElines Newly incorporated products like diapers, tampons and pads were added in response to demand

BY ANNETTE CAMPOS campus@theaggie.org At UC Davis, need-based programs like The Pantry have adjusted their services to accommodate for the new food-related and basic need demands required during pandemic-induced hardships.

The Pantry has shifted operating standards to meet COVID-19 health guidelines. Moving from an indoor to an outdoor platform in March 2020, The Pantry is now located in front of the UC Davis Memorial Union. Two new programs in which students are able to access fresh produce and other basic essential items have been launched: the Build-A-Bag program and the Monthly Food Box program. These programs were launched in collaboration with Student Dining Services with funding from a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant, through which students have access to perishables such as meat and dairy. Perishable items were previously not provided before the pandemic because of the lack of refrigeration resources.

“It’s fantastic,” said Adrian Garcia, a volunteer at The Pantry and fourth-year genetics major.

“It’s refrigerated, it’s cool, it’s in a box and [gives] enough time for patrons to get the box and go back to their place.” Garcia, who has recently been gathering donations, admires the work being done within The Pantry.

These programs come to aid many students

The Pantry operating out of the east wing of Memorial Union at UC Davis pre COVID-19. (Aggie File) during this uncertain time, with many students facing the hardship of accessing basic needs. A spring 2020 report by The Hope Center found that nearly 3 in 5 students were experiencing basic needs insecurity, and 38% of students at four-year institutions were experiencing food insecurity. “[The] COVID-19 pandemic changed the way I wanted us to execute our vision,” said Ryan Choi, the Director of The Pantry and a fourth-year psychology student. “I wanted us to move from a quantity-based system, where every

student is limited to three or five items [...] to an equity-based system where students can come and take what they needed.”

The Pantry reported an increase in physical donations from local community members, stores, organizations and food banks, such as the Yolo Food Bank, which currently provides more than 200,000 pounds of food and reserves a $300,000 subsidy for the UC Davis community. The nonprofit also recently received $500,000 through the Yolo Cares Act passed by the Yolo County Board

of Supervisors to help with COVID-19 relief and economic security.

“We hope that the availability of food [with] our partnerships through The Pantry and Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center enables students to excel academically through an otherwise challenging time,” said Joy Cohan, the director of philanthropic engagement at Yolo Food Bank.

Other essential items provided by The Pantry include the usual hygienical products such as shampoo, conditioner and toothbrushes, and newly-incorporated products like diapers, tampons and pads.

Mirko Dirzo, a fifth-year psychology student, is one of the many students who uses The Pantry’s services.

“The Pantry is super important because a lot of people are not working, or if they are working, not a lot, like me, so money is tight,” Dirzo said.

“The Pantry gave me food. I was able to eat.”

Other services such as CalFresh, a statewide need-based food service, are promoted by The Pantry’s members to meet student demand, according to Bonny Huynh, a fourth-year clinical nutrition major and volunteer at the Pantry who uses CalFresh herself to order contactless grocery delivery.

But as food-related concerns are becoming more prominent, health-related concerns due to COVID-19 do as well.

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The UC Immigrant Student Services Center provides legal aid, assists in the establishment of similar programs The UC system’s support for immigrant students aims to help them through changing legislation and administrations

BY KATIE DEBENEDETTI features@theaggie.org In 2015, the UC system began an initiative to provide legal services for immigrants directly through the school. Operating out of UC Davis’s law school, the UC Immigrant Legal Services Center (UCIMM) has been able to help students and their immediate families with legal services related to immigration and has inspired other higher education institutions to do the same.

The UCIMM has branches at all UC campuses, each of which have legal fellows, like Ariel Bailey at UC Davis, who shared some of the legal services that she and the other fellows provide for UC students.

“I do consultations and represent our clients who are associated with the UC Davis campus,” Bailey said. “We do general immigration consultations where we review an individual’s immigration history and personal situation to determine if they have any forms of immigration relief available. If they do, we can provide legal advice or even full-scope representation related to applying for immigration relief. The most common types of things that we do are DACA renewals and eventually hopefully DACA initial applications.”

Rachel Ray, a managing attorney at the

UCIMM, explained that in addition to DACA, the center also provides comprehensive consultations, family petitions, U and T visas for students and their family members, special immigrant juvenile status and referrals for legal matters outside of the center’s abilities. It provides all of these services to students completely free of charge, and they are even working to bring similar programs to other colleges and universities nationwide.

The center has put together the “UCIMM Toolkit,” which is a resource containing important information about the UC’s immigration legal services model, in the hopes of expanding this service to other higher learning institutions. Ray explains that the toolkit aims to guide other institutions to create programs similar to UCIMM on their own campuses. UCIMM has consulted with the California State University system, the California community college system, the University of Oregon and other institutions.

“We do semi-regular advising of other higher learning institutions who want to implement a program similar to ours,” Ray said. “We’ll talk with them about their students’ needs and everything from funding to case management software to how to hire attorneys.”

Since President Donald Trump took office in January 2017, Ray explained that the needs of her students have changed, as the president has

consistently threatened DACA throughout his term.

“There is a lot more fear and there are, generally speaking, fewer options for students,” Ray said. “The bulk of our clients are DACA recipients and DACA has been in flux since 2017, and we do a lot of advising on DACA and a lot

of DACA renewals.”

In addition to changing DACA policy over the last four years, Bailey added that there has been a lot more confusion in the realm of immigration legal services.

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King Hall is home to the School of Law at UC Davis. (Justin Han / Aggie File)

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020 | 3

DAVIS TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY TRANSITIONS TO VIRTUAL FORMAT DUE TO COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS Yolo County Public Information Officer urges residents to safely celebrate December holidays after expected surge in COVID-19 cases following Thanksgiving

BY JELENA LAPUZ city@theaggie.org

MARIO RODRIGUEZ / AGGIE

The tree lighting ceremony has been a staple in the Davis community for years, but this year’s ceremony had to be adapted in order to comply with COVID-19 safety standards. Due to COVID-19 restrictions that prevent large gatherings, the tree lighting ceremony made a transition to a virtual format this year.

Yolo County Management Analyst Carrie Dyer explained how the ceremony was pre-recorded and aired on Thursday, Dec. 3 at 6:30 p.m. Although there was not an actual in-person ceremony this year, the recording also included a few words from the mayor of Davis and featured performances from various performing arts groups.

“We obviously need to follow all COVID safety precautions— which means not gathering at all—but we wanted to still be able to provide people some holiday cheer,” Dyer said. “We worked together with different performing groups to be able to provide something that people might enjoy watching.”

Yolo County Public Information Officer Jenny Tan reflected on the necessity of this new format due to the recent increase in COVID-19 cases from Nov. 23 to Nov. 30.

“We have had more than 600 cases of COVID in the last week, which is a huge number,” Tan said. “That’s almost 100 cases a day.”

Yolo County Public Relations Manager Bob Bowen described what the tree lighting ceremony was like in previous years.

“The tree lighting ceremony is a longstanding Davis community tradition,” Bowen said. “It was festive and would draw thousands of people. That was what a normal year would look like.”

Tan provided further insight on her experience attending the ceremony in the past.

“People would gather, people would eat, people would talk to each other,” Tan said. “It was just a really magical thing to have in your community.”

Bowen added that a candlelight parade would take place, spanning from the Davis Food Co-op to E Street Plaza. Groups of people would march in the parade, along with bikes, wagons, strollers and costumed mascots. Children would line up to take pictures with Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, and horse and carriage rides would be available as well.

“We want to keep people safe but still keep them connected as members of the community,” Bowen said. “We are doing the best we can and pivoting to keep the heart of the event alive as we move forward.”

Dyer noted how normally, a stage would be set up in which various performing arts groups would perform such as music

groups, choral groups and dance groups. The tree itself would be at E Street Plaza, and a countdown would occur before the actual lighting ceremony.

Tan further urged for Davis residents to celebrate the upcoming holiday season in ways that comply with social distancing. She emphasized that there are numerous ways to celebrate the holidays in both a safe and creative manner. Instead of gathering in person, she encouraged virtual activities such as hosting a virtual holiday dinner, having a virtual gingerbread house decorating party and

holding a virtual “ugly sweater contest.”

“We’re definitely seeing a surge,” Tan said. “We’re definitely going to see the fallout from Thanksgiving, and we’ll likely see an increase in cases for Christmas as well.”

“I think it’s really important this year that we take to heart that we are really trying to keep each other healthy,” Tan said. “The actions that we’re asking people to take are simple. We’re all giving up a little this year so that next year will be much better.”

CANNABIS LAND USE ORDINANCE COULD EXPAND OR REDUCE CANNABIS ACTIVITIES IN YOLO COUNTY Yolo County Planning Commission moves forward with plans to require discretionary use permit for cannabis activities MARIO RODRIGUEZ / AGGIE

BY YAN YAN HUSTIS HAYES city@theaggie.org On Nov. 12, an online public hearing was conducted on the Cannabis Land Use Ordinance (CLUO) as part of the ongoing project by the Yolo County Planning Commission to amend Yolo County Code.

The amendment could potentially add a discretionary conditional use permit requirement for cannabis-related activities, according to a press release. In turn, this could bring about changes in zoning, site design, operational standards and development of cannabis in Yolo County.

“The Cannabis Land Use Ordinance (CLUO) will potentially reduce or expand allowed cannabis activities in the unincorporated County and will include requirements for public noticing, buffers from identified sensitive land uses, caps on the number of operations and license types, and other performance standards,” the press release reads.

Yolo County Cannabis Policy and Enforcement Manager Susan Strachan explained that a land use ordinance is a permit that outlines what can and cannot be done on the parcel of land for which the application is made.

“In the case of our Cannabis Land Ordinance, this includes performance standards for what can

be done on the property as part of that permit,” Strachan said. “With cannabis, that’s things like odor, lighting and biology culture resources.

There are 40-55 performance standards that fall under that use permit.”

Strachan explained that in addition to the standards that are outlined by the CLUO, use permits are discretionary—unlike the ministerial licenses currently required for cultivation, which do not require approval from a body.

“The planning commission has to use its discretion in terms of whether to approve or deny a use permit,” Strachan said. “For all use permits—not just cannabis—the public gets notified that there is that application, and they have that opportunity to get involved and learn more about that project rather than something being sited next door without their knowledge.”

While the ultimate decision-maker in this process is the Yolo County Board of Supervisors, Strachan explained that public involvement is a crucial advantage of the CLUO. “The fact that it will provide the public the opportunity to get involved and participate in that use permit process—that’s really important and a good part of the Cannabis Land Use Ordinance,” Strachan said. “We did a lot of public outreach before we started putting pen to paper and then through the course of its development.”

Since the push to move to a discretionary

permitting process by the Board of Supervisors at the start of fall 2017, there have been approximately 40 public meetings to gauge public opinion as well as efforts to take feedback from existing cultivators into consideration, according to Strachan.

“The keyword is ‘balance,’” Strachan said. “It is judgment-based on what is appropriate, given all of the different interests.”

Representing one of these interests is the Director of the Davis Cannabis Collective Ashley Kammerer. She explained that the CLUO could have a significant effect on vendors, particularly in terms of cultivation.

“As a retailer, having a healthy supply chain that is local is highly desirable,” Kammerer said via email. “It means we have the ability to provide fresh products that are of higher quality for a lower cost. This is an opportunity for Yolo County to maximize the potential of this industry and how it benefits its community members.”

The CLUO could also have an effect on business which—while possibly detrimental to vending—is important for safe and legal use, explained Kammerer.

“If retail is allowed in Yolo County that will surely impact our business,” Kammerer said via email. “We would have fewer sales per day. As the director, I am of course disheartened by that.

As a medical cannabis activist, I am thrilled. It is imperative that community members have access to regulated, lab-tested cannabis products.”

The cannabis industry is highly regulated, which Kammerer explained makes maintaining compliance with state and local government regulations particularly important for vendors.

Kammerer described that public involvement is vital as residents have the potential to shape the outcome of local government decisions by communicating with local officials and attending public meetings.

“Yolo County has a real opportunity for growth by developing the cannabis industry here,” Kammerer said via email. “If developed correctly, there could be many positive impacts on the community.”

There will be a public workshop for supervisors on Jan. 19 and a hearing on Feb. 2.

Moreover, on March 9, the Board of Supervisors will determine the exact nature of the CLUO’s effect on Yolo County cannabis activities.

More information on the CLUO and Yolo County cannabis regulations can be found on the Yolo County Community Services website.

AGGIE FILE

Hello officer, can I get a ride home?

November 19 “Dropped car keys in storm drain.”

November 22 “Vehicles illegally parked facing opposing traffic and specific concern about ‘bicycle traffic and 12 neighborhood kids that love their scooters.’”

November 25 “Male crouching down shooting finger guns in the plot.”

November 28 “Female asked if she got food delivered, respondent said ‘no’ and closed the door, subject came back and egged the front door.”

November 30 “911 hang up. She is trying to speak with her niece and can’t find the phone number.”

December 1 “Respondent ordered a Lift ride but it hasn’t come and now he is extremely cold.”

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THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

Yolo county homeless shelter and outreach aids homeless community through pandemic Organizations share their impact on the Davis and Yolo County homeless communities

BY NORA FARAHDEL features@theaggie.org While today’s “new normal” continues to change many aspects of life, issues like homelessness have remained present amid the difficulties of a pandemic. With rising health concerns, leaders in Yolo County continue to adjust in order to provide resources for the homeless community.

Under normal circumstances, the Interfaith Rotating Winter Shelter (IRWS) in Davis provides the homeless community with shelter and a home-cooked meal. This involves a process of intake, transportation and arrival at the host site. A distribution of dinner follows before the guests go to sleep and are transported back to a drop-off site in the morning.

Linda Scott, a long-time member of the IRWS board, described the moments of kindness that took place with the homeless community in the shelter.

“Occasionally, when the weather was really bad, when we went from a large site to a small site, we would have to do a lottery for who could sign up for the smaller site,” Scott said. “But what happened is that our guests were very kind to their fellow guests. Somebody would say, ‘Well, he’s really sick, I’ll let him have my place.’ Women virtually always had somebody give them a place to stay if there was no room.”

Due to COVID-19, these services have been halted and replaced with alternative housing options. IRWS applied for and received a government grant to rent apartments that will house the homeless community. Scott stated that they are specifically serving the most vulnerable population, which is made up of people over 60 and people with underlying medical conditions.

Scott shared how the decrease in college students in Davis left more room to help people get off the streets and into apartments.

“Because so many students are not on campus this fall due to COVID, there are actually available apartments in Davis,” Scott said.

“And a really wonderful apartment building owner agreed to rent 25 two-bedroom apartments at a reduced cost. We also got donations of furniture and things that you need in the apartment, and then with the grant money got the rest of the things that everyone needs.”

Two of these apartments are being used as offices, but the remaining 23 apartments can house 46 people. Scott reflected on the power of the service and IRWS’s hopes for the future.

“It gives them a place to be inside and away from COVID, out of the cold and to live basically a normal life,” Scott said. “Originally, we got the apartments through March, and we’re applying for another grant to have the apartments till the end of July, which is when the owner wants them back. Our goal is to hopefully get housing vouchers for the people who are in the apartments so that they can move into permanent housing.”

Grace in Action distributes outdoor lunch to the homeless and low-income communities. (Grace in Action / Courtesy) Fourth & Hope in Woodland has continued to provide services to the homeless community in Yolo County, such as a year-round shelter. This faith-based community’s primary areas of focus are homeless services, treatment and housing. Dawn Brown, the Fourth & Hope development and marketing manager, explained the specific shifts that have taken place in order to simultaneously provide for the homeless community and comply with health guidelines.

“The emergency shelter has adjusted services within this new climate by operating with day services, seven days a week for our overnight clients to have a way to shelter in place,” Brown said via email. “Beds have been moved into the dining room for distancing, and barriers have been installed between beds in the men’s and women’s dorms. All new clients must be thoroughly screened and possibly quarantined before entry. COVID testing is done onsite as needed.”

Beyond being the designated shelter for Yolo County, Fourth & Hope provides further services to move the homeless community toward a more secure and bright future.

“We provide case management services that connect our shelter clients with resources such as housing, employment, health services, income assistance, clothing and food closets,” Brown said via email.

“Clients are required to follow a case plan specific to their individual needs.”

Looking forward, Brown shared that Fourth & Hope is moving to an expanded shelter in Woodland.

“These last months have been filled with challenges and

uncertainty—and hope,” Brown said via email. “We are doing all we can to sustain services for our community and our most vulnerable neighbors. While a lot of uncertainty remains, we know that we need to be ready to adapt fast to our changing reality.”

Grace in Action is a Christian outreach ministry in Davis that has been involved with aiding the homeless community. Before the pandemic, Grace in Action would provide indoor lunches twice a week inside the United Methodist Church of Davis and Pole Line Road Baptist Church. They had to move these lunches outdoors, however, because the church buildings are not open. Grace in Action also serves to connect people in need with different organizations.

Steve Smith, the executive director of Grace in Action, described the organization’s ability to understand the members of the homeless community as individuals and actively solve the problem.

“In relation to all these other organizations, we try to see what gap is not getting filled,” Smith said. “It’s because we know people and what their situations are, and they know us, [and have] been able to trust us for a long time. We are very familiar with a lot of people’s circumstances and therefore able to target what we do.”

Although efforts such as apartment housing are being made to help the homeless community, Smith shared that there is still work to be done.

“These are different needs we see with people right now,” Smith said. “They still don’t have enough to eat, they may not have furniture, they still may not be properly clothed, so we work with other organizations, but we also plug gaps in a shifting scene which COVID has created.”

The new reality for holiday travel Holiday traveling is strikingly different from previous years, as hotels and airports see a decline in guests and passengers among increased health guidelines KAITLYN PANG / AGGIE

BY FARRAH BALLOU features@theaggie.org Unlike previous holiday seasons, this winter brings travel limitations as the number of COVID-19 cases has skyrocketed across the country and California reverts back to the purple tier.

Consequently, hotels and airlines have both seen a decrease in customers as people are wary of traveling during the holiday season.

Oliver Guzman, a front desk employee at the Best Western University Lodge, described how typically the winter season tends to be slower than other months, with a 50% average capacity. However this year, Guzman stated that the hotel has had a 15% occupancy rate during these past months. Similarly, Rocio Ramon, the front office supervisor for the Hyatt Place UC Davis, stated that the hotel often experienced an annual average of 85% occupancy.

“Lately we’ve been at a rough average of 20-30%, we’re lucky if we can get 40-60% on certain weekends,” Ramon said.

As travel has become severely restricted, both hotel representatives explained that the decline in customers has caused a shift in focus.

Despite limited guests, Ramon stated that the Hyatt’s mission is to provide ultimate guest satisfaction. The Hyatt hopes to cater to clients during this time through an emphasis on customer service along with competitive rates.

“I haven’t seen rates this low for the entire time I’ve been here,” Ramon said.

As the number of COVID-19 cases rise, many people are being forced into self-isolation due to possible exposure to, or contraction of, the coronavirus. Thus, hotels remain an independent place for people to quarantine from others. However, fear over COVID-19 exposure may divert travelers away from hotel stays. Guzman mentioned that the hotel only had two guests who were self-isolating.

In both cases, the guests were transparent about their situation and received limited room service upon request.

As a result of the pandemic, Best Western has implemented more

frequent cleaning practices.

“We’re maintaining and keeping our rooms clean,” Guzman said. “We’re trying to do at least a 24-hour gap in between room stays and also sanitizing with the spray guns.”

Ramon similarly mentioned that the Hyatt is undertaking additional precautionary measures. Previously, the Hyatt continuously adhered to changing statewide guidelines. Ramon stated, however, that the Hyatt will now continue to operate under the presumption that the state will remain in the purple tier for a longer period of time.

All public high-touch zones like elevator buttons and the front desk are sprayed multiple times a day. Meanwhile, members of the housekeeping staff wear masks and gloves while deep cleaning and pay special attention to high-touch areas like door handles, thermostats, counters and sinks. Afterwards, a housecleaning supervisor approves the room while also recleaning high-touch areas. Ramon also noted that there is no cross-ventilation between rooms since the filters are cleaned and air ventilation comes from the outside.

In terms of travel safety, Samantha Moss, the public information specialist for the Sacramento County Department of Airports, mentioned that airports have adjusted their health protocols as well.

Although many airlines across the country are implementing rapid-testing technology before allowing passengers to board their planes, airports in Sacramento County have yet to do so.

“We don’t currently have any testing sites at the airport,” Moss said. “It’s something we are looking into and may implement before the Christmas holiday. With regards to what airlines are doing, I know there are some destinations that are requiring [testing] to places that we have nonstop flights to such as Hawaii.”

She recommends consulting with specific airlines about what documentation is needed for proof of a negative COVID-19 test.

Moreover, she outlined the safety precautions that the Sacramento Airport is taking. Social distancing, sneeze guards and mask mandates are enforced in compliance with state guidelines. Furthermore, the filtration system has been adjusted to allow for 100% fresh air flow.

Cleaning has increased across the airport, specifically around hightouch areas and bins.

With the upcoming holiday season, however, Moss is unable to predict the business of the airport.

“I know for Thanksgiving we saw a slight uptick in passengers from what we had seen about [a] month before,” Moss said. “But we were at about 50% of what we saw in 2019 for travelers over the Thanksgiving holiday.”

New statewide restrictions on non-essential travel make it difficult to foresee and plan for the ongoing holiday season. Despite the implementation of cautionary regulations, there have been no major impacts in times or delays.

“It is a personal choice to travel or not. If you are uncomfortable with it, it’s not something I would recommend,” Moss said. “I know the airlines have also implemented a lot of safety protocols to make traveling as safe as possible during this pandemic.”

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020 | 5

OPINION PROFESSORS SHOULD BE UNDERSTANDING AND CHANGE EXAM FORMATTING IN ORDER TO HELP STUDENTS BE SUCCESSFUL Creative solutions are needed to discourage cheating and reduce student stress Before the pandemic, it was a familiar sight: Hundreds of students shuffling into a large room, silent except for the proctors’ footsteps and the scratching of #2 pencils.

The university made a real effort to give every student an equitable chance at doing well on tests, from providing a quiet workplace to granting academic accommodations.

Today, the scene is very different. Some students have access to a chaos-free place to study and take tests, but many do not. A student sits down to take a midterm in their family’s kitchen, trying to focus despite their barking dog and crying baby sibling. Another student is working through a math exam, but their housemates start screaming with laughter at a TikTok. Equitable testing opportunities no longer exist, so why are some professors still assigning conventional exams? This testing model doesn’t translate to online learning and adds to the stress students are already experiencing.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, reports for cheating to the Office of Student Support and Judicial Affairs (OSSJA) are more than double what has occured in previous years.

This increase is not limited to UC Davis. Universities nationwide have seen a rise in cheating since the transition to online learning. Not only is it easier to cheat at home, but students are stressed and not necessarily in an environment to learn responsibly.

Many students are stressed about entering the job market during economic downturn and uncertainty. Others are worried about paying the bills they have now; the California Student Aid Commission conducted a survey reporting that in the spring, 71% of California college students experienced a pandemic-related drop in income.

The pandemic has negatively impacted students in other ways as well. In a Texas A&M University study of college students, 89% of respondents reported having a hard time concentrating, 71% were more stressed because of the pandemic and 86% weren’t sleeping well. Taking these statistics into account, it’s no wonder that 82% were more worried about their grades.

In light of the struggles everyone is facing, the Editorial Board urges professors and administration to be courteous and creative in their responses to pandemic challenges.

Many students have received mass emails from professors declaring that any students who have cheated in the class have already been reported to OSSJA. These emails are ominous and create unnecessary anxiety for many students, who suddenly find themselves worrying about what counts as cheating. Using websites like Chegg is always cheating, but will a student fail the whole class for Googling one homework problem? And when, exactly, does collaboration become cheating?

It’s unhealthy for the students who have cheated, too.

Even though what they did was wrong, the backlog of reports at OSSJA means that students wait weeks on end to be notified that they were reported for cheating. They are stressed-out students who made a mistake and this process prolongs the sense of dread and anxiety.

This uncertainty creates an unhealthy environment for students. Some may avoid collaboration because they’re not sure if it counts as cheating, which is especially detrimental when many students are already feeling isolated and lonely.

There are alternatives to traditional exams that could not only reduce cheating but increase student learning and satisfaction. Many professors have already changed to offer open-note exams, which is a great step in the right direction.

For some classes, long term projects and essays could replace timed midterms and finals. When that’s not possible, professors could write exams with longer time limits that focus more on free response than multiple choice. The extra time could act as a buffer for any technical problems.

As finals approach, some students are also realizing that they registered for 8 p.m. exams before moving multiple time zones away. No one should have to take a final at midnight, so professors should offer 24-hour windows to start the exam, with the timer triggering when it’s opened.

Many professors already had some of these changes in place, while others have refused to voluntarily adopt them.

As we approach Winter Quarter, the Editorial Board urges

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C ALIFORNIA A GGIE

EDITO RIA L B OA RD

ANJINI VENUGOPAL Editor-in-Chief MARGO ROSENBAUM Managing Editor SABRINA HABCHI Campus News Editor EDEN WINNIFORD City News Editor CALVIN COFFEE Opinion Editor SOPHIE DEWEES Features Editor ALLIE BAILEY Arts & Culture Editor OMAR NAVARRO Sports Editor MADELEINE PAYNE Science & Tech Editor

SIERRA JIMENEZ New Media Manager JUSTIN HAN Photo Director KATHERINE FRANKS Design Director JOELLE TAHTA Layout Director KAITLIN ARAGHI Copy Chief ALEX WEINSTEIN Copy Chief KESHAV AGRAWAL Website Manager BEN CHENG Social Media Manager JOSHUA GAZZANIGA Distribution Manager LAURIE PEDERSON Business Development Manager

UC Davis to set definitive guidelines for professors to follow rather than merely offering suggestions.

Nobody wants to cheat. We’re all UC Davis students, paying tuition and fees because we want to better ourselves and our future. The pandemic is overwhelming, and it’s going to get worse before it gets better, so we ask professors to be communicative, understanding and flexible about class expectations moving forward.

WE DON’T HAVE TO BE BUSY IN ORDER TO BE ACCOMPLISHED Our self-worth isn’t determined by how much we get done in a day

BY KACEY CAIN klcain@ucdavis.edu Laying in bed, scrolling through TikTok like most people my age, I always come across these “morning routine” videos of girls starting their days with an ab workout at 5 a.m. On most mornings they have completed a workout and run before I even wake up–– making me feel unaccomplished the minute I step out of bed.

There’s a constant pressure for college students, especially on

KIYOMI WATSON / AGGIE

social media, to always keep going––even during a pandemic. No matter how many classes I attend or assignments I complete, I never feel like I’ve done enough for the day, even if my overloaded brain says otherwise. We don’t allow ourselves to think completing our homework or going to class is an accomplishment. Instead, we continue to pile more onto our plates in order to keep up with everyone else.

There is this false sense that everyone is doing more than us–– even though most people are updating their social media from a

couch. But what works for someone else, doesn’t always work for you. I like to tell myself I’ll get up at 5 a.m. to do a workout, but that never happens––going for a walk in the afternoon is more my style. This doesn’t mean my day is any less fulfilling. Our success shouldn’t be measured by the number of things we do in a day nor society’s standards of productivity.

We are in the middle of a pandemic and living in unprecedented times––restricted from having any social contact and unable to do many of our favorite things. Getting out of bed every morning is an accomplishment in itself. It’s impossible to be productive all the time, no matter how hard we try.

Resting is essential to our well-being. We shouldn’t feel ashamed for wanting to lay in bed all day and binge-watch television. The pandemic, however, has made it next to impossible to give ourselves time to relax when we’ve already spent the day attending class from our beds and couches.

In our culture, we pride ourselves on always being busy and having every second of our day planned. The minute we wake up, we start working and keep going until it’s time to go to sleep. Even when we try to relax, our cellphones make it difficult to disconnect from emails and pending assignments.

We need to place boundaries on our time and availability.

More specifically, there needs to be a time when we stop working, put away our computers and phones and just rest, without guilt.

We need to start finding accomplishments outside of a to-do list.

Life shouldn’t be rushed or constantly on-the-go. It’s important to be motivated and organized, but it’s unhealthy if those qualities make us plow through our day without time to rest. Ultimately, we should focus on filling our time with things we want to do and not worry about what everyone else is doing. If you are someone who likes to get up early to workout, then kudos to you. But if you’re someone who likes to sleep in and eat breakfast as soon as you wake up, that’s just as acceptable. Our accomplishments are determined by the quality of our time, not by how early we wake up or the number of tasks we check off a to-do list.

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

6 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

OPINION Is America the next Manchester United?

A great football club’s fall from grace offers a cautionary tale for the U.S.

KATHERINE FRANKS / AGGIE

BY BENJAMIN PORTER bbporter@ucdavis.edu Predicting what post-Trump America might look like is a difficult task. We don’t even know if we can call it the “post-Trump era” because we still don’t know whether President Donald Trump will stick around. Will he simply retreat back up his golden elevator and live out his days in Trump Tower, like Saruman? Or disappear into his showy, sultry, sticky, soon-to-be swamp at Mar-a-Lago, like Shrek?

Alternatively, becoming embroiled in legal trouble after leaving office, could fuel the sense of martyrdom that might motivate him to buy a television station like One America News Network (OAN) or Newsmax. By retaining a platform he could pretend to be “president in exile” while preparing for another run in 2024 and continuing to evangelize as high-priest of the “Stop the Steal” movement which is quickly becoming his own personally-concocted, uniquely-Trumpian Dolchstoßlegende, his own “stab-in-the-back myth.”

Irrespective of whether this is the end of Trumpism or merely the end of its first chapter,

there’s no obvious precedent that can help us better understand how a modern country as wealthy, powerful, respected and culturally influential as the U.S. might fare after suffering four years of neglect, ineptitude and vandalism under the leadership of someone like Trump.

While countless nations have gone through their own politically tumultuous times, it’s difficult to find a historical example of a nation that’s similar enough to the U.S. to make any comparison that illuminates what the future holds for America.

The Nazi Germany comparison is valuable in some ways, but limiting in others. This is why America’s best modern analog isn’t a nation at all—it’s a sports club. A football club, to be exact (real football).

While I was coming of age as a political junkie during the optimism of President Barack Obama’s years, I was also coming of age as a devout football fan. In my home city, newly christened Major League Soccer (MLS) expansion team Seattle Sounders FC hit the ground running, with a quality squad and fervent fanbase fueling success both on and off the field. But MLS has a much lower quality of play compared to Europe’s best league’s—often making matchday a frustrating affair. So I looked across the pond to the Premier

League, where Manchester United was at the peak of its powers, hailed by all as the most wealthy, powerful, respected and culturally influential club on the planet. Little did I know that by becoming a loyal Manchester United supporter, I was investing unhealthy levels of emotional energy into a club only years away from a spectacular fall from grace, caused by—and resulting in—extreme neglect, ineptitude and vandalism at the highest levels.

At United, mismanagement has resulted in the entrenchment, normalization and, at times, celebration of mediocrity. To be considered successful, this is what the Biden-Harris Administration must prevent. And this is why the tragedy of Manchester United offers an invaluable cautionary tale for an America suffering an identity crisis—an identity crisis in which the country is as chronically uncertain over how to conduct itself at home as it is over how it should project its values to the world. **** In the middle of the 2008-09 season, Manchester United was most certainly not suffering an identity crisis. It was the most valuable and popular team in the world. The club’s airtight defence, including the formidable center-back partnership of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic with Edwin van der Sar in goal, had just set a Premier League record of 14 consecutive shutouts. Ageless stalwarts Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs continued to pull the strings in the engine room. Up front, the attacking firepower of Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo produced the fast-faced, counter-attacking football that had long defined the club. United sat atop the Premier League, on its way to a third consecutive title and possibly a second consecutive UEFA Champions League title.

This was arguably the third truly great squad that legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson had built since arriving at United’s iconic stadium, Old Trafford, in 1986. Never afraid to put his trust in younger players, Ferguson took great care to integrate top talent from United’s academy into the first team. This was best exemplified by the Class of ‘92, the core group of youth players (Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Nicky Butt and David Beckham) who became the spine of the team for the better part of the next two decades, forging a feared dynasty.

United’s tradition of promoting young players goes back to the 1940s, 50s and 60s. Sir Matt Busby developed a strong young team, affectionately known as the “Busby Babes,” and then rebuilt the team after the 1958 Munich Air Disaster, which killed 23 people, including eight “Babes.” Just 10 years later, United won the European Cup with a revitalized squad, including “The United Trinity” of Sir Bobby Charlton, George Best and Dennis Law, now immortalized in a statue at Old Trafford, waving across a brick square to a statue of Sir Matt.

United spent time in the wilderness during the ‘70s and ‘80s, with several managers tried and failing to rediscover the winning recipe. Ferguson initially struggled after arriving from Aberdeen, but things started to click for the Class of ‘92 began meshing with mercurial talents like Eric Cantana.

Ferguson’s second great team emerged in the late ‘90s, when players like Jaap Stam, Peter Schmeichel, Roy Keane, Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke were hitting their best, with the Class of ‘92 still at the core. This team’s crowning achievement came in 1999, when substitutes Teddy Sherringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær scored in stoppage time, dramatically winning the European Cup Final 2-1 against Bayern Munich, securing the elusive “Treble” in the process. United’s 1999 team remains the only English side to have won the Premier League, FA Cup and European Cup in the same season. This last-gasp victory against Bayern helped solidify United’s reputation for scraping out victories during stoppage time, a never-saydie tendency that caused some to speculate that referees added extra “Fergie time” whenever the fearsome Scot’s team was losing.

In the early aughts, Ferguson’s aging squad of the late ‘90s was eclipsed by Arsène Wenger’s “Invincible” Arsenal side, which included the likes of Thierry Henry, Patrick Viera and Dennis Bergkamp. But this United team still featured brilliant striker Ruud van Nistelrooy and reliable midfield rock Roy Keane.

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

MANU on 11

HUMOR

Guest Opinion: Santa is real Hi everyone on the newspaper!

BY ISABELLA CHUECOS ifchuecos@ucdavis.edu

2. I got Lego guys last year from Santa 3. I saw Santa at the mall

I have not used a keyboard before because my mom does not let me but I came to write a story about why I know Santa is real. Also I am sorry because I am only five years old so sorry if I don’t have good handwriting.

First, I went to school one day and I heard a kid say that Santa is not real. He said that Santa is his dad. I don’t think Santa is his dad because I’ve never seen his dad in my house at night on Christmas. Also I think his dad is maybe more fat than Santa and also not old.

I am here to say that Santa is real and this is why I know why.

I got my Lego guys when I sent a letter to the North Pole last year and asked for the Lego Star Wars Death Star set that I saw on YouTube, and then I got it on Christmas morning.

Santa came to the mall down the street and I sat on his lap and asked him for more Lego guys and he said he would bring them. I don’t think Santa would be a liar and also he said it to my face in real life.

I think Santa is going to come this year because the doctor on the TV said that Santa can’t get the coronavirus. So I think he will come and bring me more Legos maybe. But he is real and that is the end of my essay.

1. One time mom made cookies and milk and it was gone one time in the morning because Santa was hungry after flying from the north pole

This article is humor and/or satire, and it’s content is purely fictional. The story and or names of “sources” are fictionalized.

KATHERINE FRANKS / AGGIE

MU Preacher finds his true audience

BY RUSHI TAWADE rntawade@ucdavis.edu

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020 | 7

Toys for Tots continues through the pandemic Yolo County Toys for Tots has altered its annual program in order to ensure that children receive toys this holiday season

BY LIANA MAE ATIZADO features@theaggie.org Despite the pandemic, Yolo County Toys for Tots remains committed to providing toys to children during the holiday season.

In order to maintain the safety of volunteers and participants, the coordinators have made significant changes to the logistics of the program.

The toy giveaway typically consists of a one-day event at the Yolo County Fairgrounds. The Yolo County Health and Human Services distributes tickets to families who are eligible. Parents would be assigned a time to stop by the fairgrounds, browse the hall full of toys arranged by gender and age, then take home toys for their children.

Last year about 950 families were served.

This year, the toy giveaway will take place over five days: Monday, Dec. 14 through Friday, Dec. 18, from 8-10 a.m. Because of the limited operating hours, only 100 families are allowed to stop by per day.

Due to the current health restrictions, a walk-through, indoor event is no longer possible. Instead of walking through the fairgrounds, parents will remain in their cars. They will be given slips of paper ahead of time where they can indicate what kind of toys they would like for their children. Volunteers will prepackage the toys into bags which will be brought out to each family’s car during the giveaway event.

According to this year’s Yolo County Toys for Tots Coordinator Tom Evans, many volunteers are needed to sort through, bag and distribute the toys. Volunteers can help with set-up from Dec. 7 to Dec. 11, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., or during the actual five-day giveaway event.

“I’ll take as many volunteers as I can get,” Evans said. “I have several people who want to volunteer, but some of them are teachers. They don’t get off until about three o’clock or so. And the fairgrounds have been restricted to their operating hours.”

Evans emphasized the difference that these toys could make for a child, not only during the holiday season, but year-round. Because the program typically has leftover toys, they save them to distribute during a crisis. For example, during the fire in Paradise, volunteers took truckloads of toys to camps and distributed them to children.

“Our big event is the Toys for Tots giveaway in December, but we are also involved with the community and outside communities all year long,” Evans said. “The sheriffs and police departments know that, and we’ve talked to Child Protective Services as well. If a kid needs a toy, we’ll give it to them. If we can, we’ll help them.”

Paul Hernandez, the previous coordinator for Toys for Tots, noted that this year will likely be difficult compared to previous years.

There are typically multiple donation bins set up at UC Davis, but because there are very few people on campus due to the lack of inperson classes, they are expecting significantly fewer donations.

“UC Davis was very generous in the past, with the students giving a lot of toys and a bunch of collection boxes on campus,” Hernandez said. “Unfortunately, this year the students aren’t there and so we don’t anticipate a lot of toys from them.”

In addition to the lack of donations from individual community members, there are also fewer businesses who are able to participate this year. These businesses typically volunteer to host toy drop-off points or donate money directly to the program.

“When I was running [the program], I was able to get the casino in Yolo County to donate $8,000 to help,” Hernandez said. “Of course, this year they won’t be able to do that because they’ve been shut down. So financially, it’s hurting, in addition to the donations being down.”

Despite the difficult circumstances presented by the pandemic, Hernandez and other volunteers continue to push forward with the program.

“I wish you could see the parents light up when we give them the gifts,” Hernandez said. “The program doesn’t just help the kids with some toys, it helps the entire family. Parents feel good that they’re able to give something to their kids.”

Toys for Tots is a nationwide program spearheaded by the Marine Corp League. The Yolo County Marine Corp League has been a part of this program since the 1980s. Since then, community members throughout Yolo County have come together in their continued effort to help others.

Deb Scott-Rowe, whose husband was a Navy Corpsman and is now a member of the Marine Corp League, participates in behindthe-scenes work for the Toys for Tots program, along with her husband and four sons. They help collect toys from drop-off points and deliver them to a conex at the Yolo County Fairgrounds.

Scott-Rowe has been looking for volunteers throughout the community to help the Toys for Tots program. She stated that many volunteers who previously helped are getting older, and they need support from younger community members.

“These organizations are limping along with older gentlemen who sometimes can’t get out and do it physically,” Scott-Rowe said.

“It’s a small group to begin with and an aging group, and then you add COVID to it, which adds more health concerns.”

At UC Davis, the Mail Services department, a unit of Supply Chain Management, teams up with the Yolo County Marine Corp League for the annual Toys for Tots Drive. According to Crystal Ross O’Hara, the client relationship manager for Supply Chain Management at UC Davis was able to collect and donate 614 toys over a two-week period last year. Because of the pandemic, the donation bins were only on campus for one week this year.

“Because of the short timeline, and obviously, because there’s not as many people on campus, I think the collection this year will be much smaller than in years past,” O’Hara said.

Despite the decrease in toy donations this year, Mail Services continue to help the UC Davis community during the pandemic. In addition to the annual toy drive, they also host an annual food drive.

While they were planning to donate the collected food to the Yolo County Food Bank, there were not enough volunteers and regular staff workers to do the necessary amount of work.

Since they did not want to let the food go to waste, Mail Services partnered with the UC Davis campus to donate the food to the ASUCD Pantry.

“We really appreciated the opportunity to be able to donate to the ASUCD Pantry,” O’Hara said. “I don’t know how many staff members knew about the food pantry, and it gave us an opportunity to promote it. We appreciate that they stepped up and were able to take the donations. It’s just not a relationship we’ve had in the past and it was a great opportunity for us.”

Although this year looks significantly different for the Toys for Tots drive, UC Davis staff and Yolo County community members continue their efforts to support the needs of the community.

“We just want to say thank you to everybody who donated,” O’Hara said. “We really appreciate [that] in these difficult times [...] people kept us in mind with both the toy drive and the food drive, that they remembered this is what we do every year. And we’re going to keep doing it, even though there’s challenges to it.”

KAITLYN PANG / AGGIE

These musicians are defying and recreating our ideas of genre Four artists from the past and present have made their mark going against the grain

KIYOMI WATSON / AGGIE

BY CAMERON PERRY arts@theaggie.org Countless musicians have immortalized themselves and their work by breaking genre norms or combining elements across genres.

While Complex has put together a list of sorts and the Wall Street Journal claims 2019 to be the year of Genre-bending (Insert bad Avatar joke here), there really isn’t a comprehensive list of who has done it best or when the practice itself actually began. Naturally, I decided to pick four standout artists that have mastered the art of genre bending.

Lil Peep Gustav Åhr left the world in November of 2017, but his presence in music is relevant today as ever. Known by his stage-name “Lil Peep,” Åhr pioneered what is known as “emo rap” which combines elements from emo, punk, indie, rock, rap, trap, hip-hop and more.

In June of 2016, Peep released his “Crybaby” mixtape which includes samples from Radiohead, Oasis, Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse, The Postal Service, Brand New and a few others.

Fusing whiny unhinged vocals with quiet yet heavy rapped verses often over samples from artists like the aforementioned makes for a sound that gives the listeners a simultaneous sense of profoundness and familiarity.

Peep was part of a group of people who are now known as “SoundCloud Rappers,” coined after the streaming service SoundCloud that he and many others used when they first began to release music. This group is often characterized with face tattoos, chic yet at times questionable fashion choices, romanticization of heavy drug use and vulnerability. Emo Rap has created a new genre and a new type of artist which takes the relatable sound of Emo quite literally at times, along with unguarded lyrics, while maintaining the trope of a lavish and intoxicated larger-than-life attitude.

Bon Iver Justin Vernon had his breakout moment under the name of Bon Iver (Good Winter in French). In 2007 his folk-like album “For Emma, Forever Ago,” he chose to write and record in his father’s Wisconsin cabin after a breakup. Vernon’s voice offers a range that maintains a certain softness to it that can either tower over his acoustic guitar or simply coexist with it in songs such as “Skinny Love” or “Re: Stacks,” begging the question: Does the voice compliment the guitar, or the guitar the voice? Both, likely. Regardless, the brittle voice carries a weight that feels as though it is ready to break at any moment but doesn’t.

His self-titled sophomore album is more or less a continuation of the previous album that further develops the sound of Bon Iver into a blending of folk, acoustic, electronic (sparingly used) and autotune in which the natural harmonious aspect of Vernon’s voice evolves.

There are, however, slight hints of a shift to come in the future, but so seamlessly that they are only just that—hints. In “Minnesota, WI,” trumpets give the track a fanfare-like aspect, only to be paired with bass that gives listeners an ominous feeling that juxtaposes the sound, but effectively somehow.

In 2016, Bon Iver released something almost unrecognizable: “22, A Million” is a far cry from “For Emma, Forever Ago,” purposely disrupting a tradition of a linear narrative within the album (each song name is accompanied by a seemingly random number), with heavily manipulated vocals and an obvious use of more electronic sounding instruments. Samples from gospel artists like The Supreme Jubilees in “666 ʇ” and Mahalia Jackson in “22 (OVER S∞∞N)” intermingle old and new school sounds with ease.

Each song (with the exception of “8 (Circle)”) distorts Vernon’s voice, purposefully and beautifully—using autotune and other synthesizer techniques (including the Messina, engineered just for him) to create a sound that not only is unlike Bon Iver, but of anything prior to it.

Jamie XX Jamie Thomas Smith found his way to the limelight in 2009 with his bandmates in The XX with their self-titled debut. Behind the boards, Jamie keeps the beat (the band has no drummer) and mixes in real time while Romy Croft leads guitar and shares vocals with bassist Oliver Sim. Later in 2009 he began using the name Jamie XX for accreditations in remixes he did for a FACT magazine mix in order to promote the band’s debut. In 2010, Jamie XX released a remix of Gil Scott Heron’s “NY is killing me” marrying the soul, jazz and spoken word with an electronic, pop and club-like sound.

His first solo full-length, “In Colour” was released by Young Turks as he toured in promotion for the record on May 29, 2015. The DJ’s sound here is more distinct, but nods back to the sound in the XX with songs like “Loud Places” and “Stranger in A Room,” in which his bandmates Romy and Oliver feature in. It’s an electronic record in essence that incorporates other artists that influence Jamie’s work such as The Persuasions who are sampled in a collaborative track

with Young Thug “I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times),” and Lyn Collins whose “Think (About it)” was sampled in the single “Gosh.”

Linkin Park On Oct. 23, 2000, “Hybrid Theory” was released through Warner Bros, the debut album from rock-rap group Linkin Park.

That’s right, rock-rap. The dynamic between MC Mike Shinoda and the late Chester Bennington is something that by any means shouldn’t work, but does so seamlessly. Tracks like “In the End” and “A Place for My Head” display the perfectly executed back and forth of Shinoda’s rapped verses and Bennington’s clean, sometimes screamed vocals. Joe Hahn, or “Mr. Hahn” under his DJ persona, manns the turntables, scratching, sampling and programming every song—adding another unique feature to the band’s sound that is spotlighted on “Cure for the Itch.” The entire album (with the latter being the exception) is a perfect example of how vastly different styles of voice like Shinoda and Bennington can come together on a single track and make something extraordinary. The group went on to release six more studio albums until the death of front man Chester Bennington in July of 2017. The other band members alongside other prominent musicians such as Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker of Blink-182, Machine Gun Kelly, Oliver Sykes of Bring Me the Horizon, Jeremy McKinnon of A Day to Remember, Jonathan Davis of Korn and others put on a memorial show on Oct. 27, 2017 at the Hollywood Bowl. According to Shinoda the group is likely to continue without Bennington, explaining in an interview with Rock Antenne that “We all thrive making and performing music.”

8 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020

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WE LOVE THE RACCOON MAN Arts desk writer Jacob Anderson loves the Racoon Man—and you should too

BY JACOB ANDERSON arts@theaggie.org Raccoon connoisseurs out there need not be reminded of James Blackwood—the elderly Nova Scotian man who made his internet bones nearly a decade ago with a bucket of sliced hot dogs and several dozen feral (but rabies-free) raccoons on his property.

Since his debut, he’s charmed the cultured among us with classics upon classics such as “Raccoons and Peanut Butter Sandwiches,” “2020 06 19 Friday Night Raccoons” and “Monday Night - Raccoons try whipped cream,” a monster filmography full of geriatrically-titled but undeniably lovable home movies of himself feeding his raccoons various foods. Blackwood, whose preferred title seems to be “Raccoon Whisperer,” is a consummate professional in the field of gonzo wildlife-feeding content.

While Blackwood is hardly a new face, his exploits have garnered mainstream attention at only a few specific points over his career—most recently, with his video “Mobbed by Raccoons (25) Tuesday Night 03 Nov 2020.” This video, not unlike the others of Blackwood’s oeuvre, features him sating his visitors with a generous three-course meal of sliced hot dogs, grapes and cookies that vanish at a ghastly rate as the animals grunt and hiss at one another, tiny hands grasping at the air with nunnish desperation from all directions surrounding Blackwood’s bench as he soothes them with a fatherly tongue.

“Take it easy,” he says. “Wall-to-wall raccoons,” he repeats at several points in the video. His observation rings true—the raccoons crawl all over and at points seem to nearly swallow him whole into a mass of fur and claws.

He regales us with an anecdote about the closure

of the Halifax bridge and later points his camera at his cat Connor, who seems to have been watching the whole affair from the other side of a sliding glass door: “Mister Connor—you know what? You took my chair. Tell ‘em that you took my new chair,” he booms, mugging the cat with his handheld camera. The cat just stares.

Blackwood’s motivations seem to be completely non-financial. Most of his videos gross well under 50,000 views, and he has made absolutely no effort to upscale his production in any way as he grows in popularity. In any other circumstance, this style would be nearly unwatchable. Blackwood makes it work.

The raccoons, as Blackwood revealed in an early video, were the charge of his late wife, who passed away in 2003. Her dying wish was for him to take care of her cats, raccoons and mother. Blackwood seems to have fulfilled her wish dependably.

Despite the moving context to these largely playful videos, Blackwood rarely speaks about his wife—the bulk of the conversational content in his videos is directed at raccoons and/or cats, who regard him with childlike absence as he speaks.

They don’t understand him, but he knows this.

Raccoons live up to 20 years in captivity. In the wild, their life expectancy drops to about three years. This is primarily due to hunting (more frequently simple killing—raccoons are popularly seen as pests in areas of the U.S.), disease and starvation. Life isn’t easy for wild raccoons, and they find little kindness from the average person. This is to say that people like Blackwood are the exception, not the rule.

Wildlife biologist Stan Gehrt once said “People call me an expert, but one thing I’ve learned from working with raccoons for so long is, I’m not an expert.” Raccoons frequently

MARIO RODRIGUEZ / AGGIE

defy empirical expectations of behavior and intelligence. Nobody, even in academia, knows entirely what to make of them.

Blackwood seems to have accumulated some wisdom about raccoons, however. “Boy,” he says, “They sure do like hot dogs.”

MUCH-ANTICIPATED ‘HYRULE WARRIORS: AGE OF CALAMITY’ EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS The “Breath of the Wild” prequel offers a much needed look into the history of Hyrule

BY MARIAH VIKTORIA CANDELARIA arts@theaggie.org

Movie: “Happiest Season” dir. by Clea DuVall (2020) Starring Kirsten Stewart, Alison Brie and Aubrey Plaza to name a few from the star-studded cast, “Happiest Season” is about a woman who brings her girlfriend home for the holidays to a conservative family that is clueless about her sexuality.

It is categorized as a “romantic comedy,” but also sheds light on the implicit and explicit difficulties of being a queer woman, the challenges of comeing out to one’s family and the impact that this can have on one’s partner. I do have my own issues with some things that occurred in the plot, but it is overall refreshing to have queer representation in a holiday movie, especially given the different experiences of “coming out” that are depicted.

Book: “The Strange Library” by Haruki Murakami This book is a fast-paced nightmare. Although this short novella was written for children, it has some creepy imagery that is bound to sneak up on you.

Murakami’s vivid description of a little boy trapped in a secret labyrinth deep below his public library is enough to make you never underestimate the librarian again. It is on my favorites list because it is a short and easy read but still gives you chills.

Album: “True” by Solange A fusion of 80’s electronic music and Alternative R&B, Solange’s album is a seven song gold mine from top to bottom. There are also unique instrumental sounds that pop up in the background of some songs. While the album itself has an upbeat nature, the lyrics within detail a heartbreaking journey through a breakup. My personal favorites of the album are the first and last songs, “Losing You” and “Bad Girls - Veradine Version.” The entire album is less than thirty minutes but will have you playing it on repeat for hours on end.

Television Show: “Portlandia” dir. by Jonathan Krisel (2011) Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein’s random collection of comedy sketches feature Portland’s citizens, who pride themselves with the slogan “Keep Portland Weird.” From eclectic bookstore owners to troubled couples, each sketch brings to light what exactly the city’s slogan can mean. Armisen and Brownstein play the main characters in different recurring roles based on the sketches. They often crossdress and wear various costumes to distinguish themselves from each role.

My favorite sketches include Nina and Lance, which has Armisen and Brownstein play opposite genders to portray the couple, and Toni and Candace, the two “feminist” women who own the eclectic bookstore. While some sketches can be a miss, most of them are comically random and parody Portland’s weird population.

BY LIVVY MULLEN arts@theaggie.org “Breath of the Wild” (BOTW) is undoubtedly one of the most popular games of all time. Despite the fact that it was released over three years ago, the open world exploration keeps it playable for unlimited hours. This came especially in handy recently. When we were barred from going outside, BOTW let countless players explore a new world. During this period, Nintendo shocked fans with a surprise announcement: There was a prequel to be released for BOTW, and it would be coming out in November, that same month.

BOTW’s basic storyline is that it takes place 100 years after the Great Calamity, a catastrophic event that destroyed the land of Hyrule almost completely and killed the majority of its public figures. The destruction in the original game was integral, with leftover damage and monsters forming the landscape of a new, post-apocalyptic Hyrule. It was always mysterious, and you never truly knew what happened, but were able to piece together bit-by-bit what took place the previous decade.

With BOTW’s staggering popularity, anticipation for a sequel was and still is incredibly high. After more than three years, little news has been released. When the surprise announcement of “Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity” (AOC) was presented at a Nintendo Direct event, anticipation exploded for what revisiting this Hyrlue would look like. “Age of Calamity” is not a direct prequel, but it uniquely works in tandem with the original game. It uses the hack and slash and 1v100 gameplay of Koei Tecmo’s “Dynasty Warriors” franchise, but takes place in the canon of BOTW, weaving together the new moves with old memories.

This new format allows for many playable characters, a welcome development on a franchise that sometimes feels restricted by only allowing you to play as our hero Link. Fanfavorite characters from the original are back and this new insight on how they lived before the calamity fosters a deeper connection. The combat of the champions we only know from cut scenes is there for us to wield, and it is immensely powerful. Characters like the champions and Zelda become more tangible. This is probably the best part of AOC because of the variety in combat it offers. But it does take a while to get used to the controls of all 17 playable characters.

You can tell how much thought the developers put into making AOC similar to BOTW without it being a carbon copy. There are countless callbacks to the small aspects of the first game that made it standout. Things like shield surfing, using runes and parrying guardians blades are back. It has the unique cooking feature as well as retaining the joy of discovery while still working within the story skillfully. It feels like revisiting an old friend you haven’t seen in awhile.

BOTW’s distinct shaded look is replicated with slight disparities based on the needs of a hack-and-slash game. Like its predecessor, it is

Cover art of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity featuring Link, Princess Zelda, and the Four Champions. (Nintendo) absolutely beautiful. The graphics of cut-scenes can be jarring at first; undemolished buildings disrupt the images you are used to.

Additionally, to meet the needs of an intense battle game, the music is different. This is a main area where the game lacks. The music doesn’t have the ambient magical quality of the original soundtrack or the emotional build of the battle anthems of its predecessor. It works just fine, but makes for a slightly less enjoyable playing experience.

Everyone enjoys BOTW for different reasons. While some prefer to forage or search for shrines, others prefer combat. Fighting is not the main aspect of the previous game, but the unique attacks and variety of weapons offers entertainment to players who value that aspect.

AOC, however, is almost completely combat based, relying on it to drive you through the story. It takes BOTW fighting to the next level, adding in all new types of attacks while preserving the old ones. Compared to the mostly individual fights of the first game, taking out 30 enemies at once with one swing is extra satisfying. The controls are slightly different and take a bit of time to get used to (in the beginning, every time I tried to open a chest I would activate my special attack).

It’s hard to follow a masterpiece, but “Age of Calamity” holds its own. It sold over three million copies in its first day, solidifying itself as the best selling Hyrule Warriors game yet. Without the emotional significance of playing the first game, it might not be a stand out. But with it, you’re given a chance to go back to a world that most likely changed the way you think about video games.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020 | 9

Sudoku Enter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Every row, colum, and 3x3 square must contain each digit.

Each Sudoku has a unique solution that can be reached logically without guessing.

Answer to previous puzzle 12/03/20

Crossword

Answer to previous puzzle 12/03/20

10 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020

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SCIENCE & TECH UC DAVIS JOINS THE CYBERSECURITY MANUFACTURING INNOVATION INSTITUTE TO EXAMINE CYBERSECURITY IN SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT Community members weigh in on this step toward a secure digital world

BY FRANCHESKA TORRES science@theaggie.org UC Davis has joined the Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CyManII) through a partnership started by the University of Texas at San Antonio, an institution that is known for securing automation and the supply chain network, and creating a national program for education and workforce development.

Prasant Mohapatra, the vice chancellor for research at UC Davis, is directly involved in this partnership, especially with cybersecurity, smart energy efficiency and supply chain management.

“We take pride in training our students and helping in building the pipeline for the workforce in the idealism of cybersecurity and energy efficiency,” Mohapatra said.

UC Davis became involved with the institute after the Department of Energy sent out a call for proposals asking for groups to participate. Along with forming a partnership with the University of Texas at San Antonio, UC Davis also allied with three national laboratories. These laboratories included Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratory.

“CyManII is a one of a kind institute providing cybersecurity in our supply chain and manufacturing enterprises,” Mohapatra said.

The institute is currently working with 24 universities and three national labs. This team will participate in many collaborations to share their expertise about cybersecurity and energy efficiency to secure U.S. manufacturing companies for years, according to Mohapatra.

With his role in the partnership being to look at cybersecurity in supply chain management, Mohapatra believes it is increasingly important to secure manufacturing processes because today they are mostly digital and therefore have more vulnerabilities. Cars being more like computers than mechanical devices is one example that illustrates how digital society has become.

UC Davis has taken on the responsibility to search for aspects that combine hardware and software security. The vice chancellor of research has taken on the role of monitoring all the UC Davis locations, which consists of the Davis campus, Sacramento campus, Health System, satellite campus in Tahoe and the Bodega Marine Laboratory.

Maria Martinez, the ASUCD vice president of external affairs, says the driving factors for the university collaborating with CyManII is UC Davis’s commitment to environmental sustainability, which the partnership enhances, and their research of computer science meets the goals of the institution. The partnership will also bolster UC Davis’s credibility as a research institution.

CATHY TANG / AGGIE

“I think it is great to see that our university’s efforts are recognized by a national institute like this,” Martinez said.

“Hopefully this opens the door to other types of partnerships that we can help out even if it is outside environmental sustainability and computer science.”

Many undergraduate environmental and policy planning majors are highly involved in the topic because of the environmental sustainability of energy efficiency, according to Martinez.

When asked about the importance of cybersecurity, Martinez took into consideration the state of our world during this pandemic and how everything is virtual today, especially with most conversations being over Zoom.

“Considering the model of the world we live in right now is so highly based on the internet, having that type of security is definitely important,” Martinez said.

Martinez elaborated how this translates to U.S. manufacturing companies and how it is even more important for them since they are responsible for making huge decisions on a day-to-day basis that need protection and secure networks. Although Martinez does not have a direct role with the partnership, she is glad it was brought to the university’s attention and hopes that ASUCD can be a part of it in the future.

Many students at UC Davis are unaware of this great collaboration. Kory Lopez, a political science major, was thrilled when she heard the news.

“I think it is important that a university in the UC system is going to be a part of an initiative that is going to help protect companies with cybersecurity,” Lopez said. “It’s been an important issue, especially in the U.S. since so many things are in computer systems.”

CARBON DIOXIDE HAS LARGER IMPACT ON THE CLIMATE COMPARED TO BLACK CARBON, ACCORDING TO STUDY UC Davis researchers quantified the regional climate impacts of low-carbon energy adoption in California, and compared potential plans for future climate policies

KATHERINE HUNG/ AGGIE

BY SIMRAN KALKAT science@theaggie.org A recently-published study from a group of UC Davis researchers analyzes the climate and environmental impact of low-carbon energy adoption in California. They found that the adoption of such a system doesn’t just lower long-lived greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide (CO2), but also short-lived pollutants and soot contained in particulate matter (PM).

California currently has a stated goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% relative to 1990 levels. This greenhouse gas reduction scenario (GHG-Step) is intended to target longlived climate pollutants (LLCP) such as CO2, but the fuels and technologies used for this adaptation also reduce levels of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCP).

This paper quantifies the potential change in regional climate forcing—the process of affecting climate through various forcing

factors—in California under two potential futures: a Business-asUsual (BAU) scenario and a GHG-Step scenario. The former is based on current climate rules and regulations such as those outlined under Assembly Bill 32, and the latter is based on a plan for getting emission levels to 80% below what they were in 1990.

Michael Kleeman, a co-author of the paper, describes why it is important to look at the different climate impacts of the BAU scenario and the GHG-Step scenario.

“In previous studies, we predicted major health benefits in the GHG reduction scenario due to reduced air pollution,” Kleeman said via email. “Most of that benefit was driven by reductions in airborne particulate matter concentrations. That same particulate matter contains light-absorbing compounds that act as warming agents for climate change. So we were curious to see if the particulate matter reductions also had significant climate benefits.”

Under the GHG-Step scenario, ground level PM2.5 decreased by 8.9%, which subsequently improved air quality, but this

didn’t have much of an impact on the climate. The reduction of greenhouse gases, such as CO2, was associated with a much larger climate forcing in comparison to the reduction from PM2.5. Cort Anastasio, a professor in the department of land, air and water resources, talks about why this finding is not too surprising.

“When you think about greenhouse gases, we know that carbon dioxide is the most important greenhouse gas [and] we know that it is very long-lived,” Anastasio said.

Kleeman addresses the need to study the climate differences between greenhouse gases and particulate matter, especially when considering how each of them can be controlled, and what kind of an impact they can have on the climate and the environment.

“The particulate matter component of global warming can be controlled much more quickly than the CO2 component,” Kleeman said via email. “Policy makers seeking to address climate change may be counting on a fast response to future PM2.5 reductions to put off dealing with immediate reductions to CO2. It is important to quantify how much each pollutant contributes to climate change in California so that we know the local effects of our policies.”

According to Kleeman, this paper is the first to look at and quantify the effect of low-carbon energy systems described in California’s regional climate through PM2.5 radiative forcing, which will help to resolve details of emissions patterns and pollutants from the greenhouse gases and PM2.5 over California.

“Hopefully the results of the paper will help inform decision makers that policies targeting GHG emissions are needed to [reduce] climate change in California,” Kleeman said via email. “Policies that seek to influence climate through changes to PM2.5 concentrations will be less effective even though they can be implemented more quickly.”

For Anikender Kumar, a postdoctoral researcher at UC Davis and lead author of the paper, this study is another step in shaping climate policy and setting priorities in California’s fight against climate change.

“The direct effect of carbon dioxide reduction is far greater than the effect of airborne particulate matter reduction in the greenhouse gas mitigation scenarios over California in this paper,” Kumar said via email. “I hope that policymakers will focus on reducing LLCPs as well as SLCPs for the better future with respect to health as well as climate.”

According to Anastasio, California makes a fairly low contribution to the global CO2 amount, but that doesn’t mean its efforts in lowering greenhouse gases aren’t significant.

“California making a significant cut globally doesn’t make a big difference in the CO2 budget, but it does provide an example for the world,” Anastasio said.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020 | 11

MONDAVICENTER

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“We believe that it is important to stay connected to our public by having the home stage productions, but we also don’t think that they substitute for the live experience.”

Roth said that in-person performances are not only significant for viewers, but also for the performers themselves.

“For the artists too—they want the feedback from the audience, they want to be there and hear the people’s response,” Roth said. “That gives them energy and changes what they might be doing.”

June echoed these sentiments and noted the difficulty of a lack of connection between artists and audience members in an online platform.

“Performing is already such a big connection,” June said. “You need to have that audience to be your connection. Not having that is hard. At this past open mic night, recording into my phone wasn’t the same. My educational experience and performance experience, being able to be more comfortable with public speaking and getting up

in front of a microphone, that is on the decline.”

June said that the Mondavi Center has been very accommodating and communicative to students who are active in performing arts. She explained the Mondavi Center staff’s assistance with uploading performances in virtual formats.

“I’ve been getting weekly emails about the open mic nights,” June said. “They’ve been very supportive. Any contact I’ve had with any of the Mondavi Center directors or event coordinators has been pleasant and they have been very helpful.”

Roth projects the Mondavi Center will resume in-person productions beginning in October 2021. The performance experience may be different, however. Roth predicts temperature checks and social distancing at live performances.

“It’s our intention to return to live performances next season, which is the next academic year 2021-2022,” Roth said.

PANTRY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 Members of The Pantry are now required to wear masks and gloves, sanitize all equipment and stand 6 feet apart. Due to the limitations of operating in a small space, The Pantry’s memberto-students-served ratio dropped from 1:37 to 1:8 and now only operates with a staff of 60, a more than 50% reduction in the original staff. The Pantry still serves 200 students weekly, but hopes to increase to 800.

“Regardless of whether there is a pandemic or not, I would still work/volunteer for The Pantry, as our vision remains the same—making sure no student ever has to miss a meal or go without basic

necessities,” Huynh said.

Choi, however, worries about the health of the team—from contracting COVID-19 to being overworked.

“Since March, we’ve been in a state of emergency for my pantry team,” Choi said. “It doesn’t feel like that right now because we’ve been working since March non-stop. If you put a frog in boiling water, it’ll jump out because it senses it’s in danger. When you put a frog in cold water and slowly increase the temperature, the frog will boil to death before it knows it.”

MANU CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 During this period of transition, the Class of ‘92 was cut in half by the departures of Nicky Butt and Phil Neville and by Beckham’s infamous falling-out with Ferguson, who was becoming increasingly irked by a distracted Beckham’s focus on building his celebrity brand. When displeased, Ferguson was known for giving people the “hairdryer treatment.” And During one of these verbal tirades after a defeat, Beckham replied to Ferguson with some sass, Ferguson angrily kicked a pile of football boots, one of which hit Beckham above the eye. This was the straw that broke the camel’s back—or, perhaps I should say, the metal stud that cut the pretty boy’s face. Beckham signed for Real Madrid that summer.

Ferguson could be verbally abusive at times, but players revered him. New signings knew what it meant to play for Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. During these transition years, players like Rooney and Ronaldo were lured to United because they knew that turning down the opportunity to play for Sir Alex would be insanity, like turning down God himself. Ferguson was a supreme motivator, but he couldn’t tolerate anyone who put themselves above the club. That his relationship with Beckham is now restored is a testament to his leadership. Ferguson knew how to cultivate talent and let them know they were part of something special.

And that 2008 Champions League-winning team certainly was special. But a year later, United couldn’t repeat the trick. Ferguson had presided over United’s march to a second consecutive Champions League Final, but once there, he was helpless as United were outclassed by Barcelona.

Former Barcelona player Pep Guardiola, in his first year as Barcelona manager, was developing a new style of possession-based “tiki-taka” football.

Led by Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez and Lionel Messi, his team would slowly grind down opponents by passing in circles around them.

United were one of the first high profile victims.

That summer Cristiano Ronaldo left for Real Madrid in a then world record £80 million deal.

By the time United found itself against Barcelona again in the 2011 Champions League Final, it had still failed to adequately replace Ronaldo and other areas of the squad, especially center midfield, were beginning to deteriorate. Barcelona surpassed themselves from two years before, putting in what many consider to be one of the best team performances of all-time, overpowering United 3-1 in an absolute masterclass. It was becoming increasingly clear not only that the trends of modern football were leaving United behind, but that United was failing to adapt. United had won the league again that season, but people started questioning whether this United team was actually that good. Meanwhile, crosstown rivals Manchester City, the “noisy neighbors,” had just won the FA Cup, their first silverware in 34 years, forcing United supporters to take down a muchloved banner at Old Trafford that celebrated that trophy drought.

The next season was a rollercoaster that included an 8-2 victory against Arsenal, a humiliating 6-1 loss to Manchester City and a devastating final day in which City—just five years into their Emirati cash infusion—clinched its first Premier League title on goal difference, scoring two goals in stoppage time to comefrom-behind and win its last game of the season.

For United players and supporters alike this was a bitter pill to swallow. It was obvious that many areas of United’s squad were in need of reinforcement to keep pace with City, but of Fergie’s six new signings that summer, only one could be considered an improvement on what the United’s decaying squad already had to offer. And that signing was Arsenal’s prolific striker Robin van Persie.

Filthy-rich Manchester City were also interested in signing the Dutchman, but when Van Persie signed for United he proved the power of Ferguson’s influence when he said, “If you look at all the players from Manchester United, the stadium, the manager—my choice was made very soon in my mind.” He then famously added, “I always listen to the little boy inside of me in these situations—when you have to make the harder

decisions in life. What does he want? That boy was screaming for Man. United.”

In the 2012-13 season, Van Persie’s 26 league goals helped United reclaim the Premier League title from City. Ferguson had bet that Van Persie’s goals would paper over the cracks, and he was right. But the cracks were not getting any smaller.

Now having won 38 trophies at Manchester United, adding his 13th Premier League title to his two Champions League triumphs, five FA Cups and four League Cups, Ferguson announced in May 2013 that he was retiring. Perhaps he could already smell the rot. **** Ferguson’s departure coincided with that of David Gill, the club’s chief executive. Gill and Ferguson formed a strong partnership in the player recruitment business, getting transfers done quickly and maintaining good relationships with agents and other clubs. As the most successful manager ever, Ferguson had earned the right to name his own successor, coronating David Moyes, a fellow Scot, who had proved his worth at Everton. But the decision of who would take over for Gill was made by the Glazer family, United’s American owners who controversially bought the club in 2005. The Glazers selected Ed Woodward, a physics graduate who previously worked as an accountant for PricewaterhouseCoopers and J.P. Morgan & Co. In other words, he had no experience in football.

So if Woodward was just a numbers guy, why on Earth was he given the power to conduct player transfers and make footballing decisions? The short answer: money.

When the Glazers pounced on failed negotiations between supporter groups and United’s board to create a trust that could prevent such a takeover, J.P. Morgan assigned Woodward the task of providing the “accounting agility” and “dextrous financial wit” needed to rescue the Glazers’ deal, which was “last-minute and desperate in terms of interest levels and the loans necessary.” In fact, the Glazers used only “£170m of their own money into the takeover, financing the rest with subsidised loans and roughly £265m secured against the club.” This “dexterous financial wit” earned Woodward a special place in the hearts of Malcom Glazer and his children, Bryan, Ed, Kevin, Darcie, Joel and Avram, (whose resemblance to Roland Schitt on Schitt’s Creek is uncanny).

Since the takeover, fans have been hostile toward the Glazers for effectively “seeking to bleed the club dry after leveraging it up with debt.” By 2018, it was estimated that the Glazers had drained over £1 billion out of the club, approximately the same amount that Manchester City’s owner Sheikh Mansour invested into City during roughly the same period.

After earning the Glazers’ trust, Woodward was offered a job as a financial planner at United, and in 2007 the Glazers gave him control of the club’s entire commercial and media operations.

In this position, Woodward was a trailblazer in making lucrative new sponsorship deals for United across the world, exploding the club’s commercial revenue from £57.8 million in 2007 to £349.6 million in 2019.

For the Glazers, Woodward’s ability to convert United’s massive global supporter base from a “wasted resource” into a global brand and revenue stream was a dream come true. Woodward was always their star player—much more so than any of the actual players. David Gill, on the other hand, had deep expertise in player transfers and knew how to maintain and utilize United’s clout, but he had opposed the Glazers’ proposed takeover until it became inevitable, meaning that Gill’s own ouster was probably inevitable as well, had he not stepped down.

In fact, in Gill’s final years at Old Trafford, his communications with the Glazers were reduced to “barely once a week,” while Woodward remained in constant coordination with the owners. This continued until Woodward simply absorbed Gill’s responsibilities as chief executive in the player recruitment and schmoozing departments after Gill stepped down—not at all dissimilar to the way in which Chancellor Hitler created the

Allowing people to access stable, safe living conditions also reduces calls for emergency services and the strain on hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic, Waggener explained.

District Two Yolo County Supervisor Don Saylor noted that Project Roomkey has also allowed California to provisionally satisfy the long-term aim of “functional zero” in relation to homelessness, which means that there were more spaces available than people without houses.

“Yolo County has long supported the “housing first” model in serving our unhoused community members,” Saylor said via email. “This model focuses first on stable housing, then provides wraparound services to help clients address their needs, such as applying for benefits and enrolling in treatment services.”

Saylor explained that the housing first model was also used in 2014 in the Bridge to Housing Program, which provided temporary housing to 53 people in a motel and services to support them. Ultimately, the program was able to find permanent housing for most of them.

“We have demonstrated that supportive housing programs can help unhoused individuals transfer to permanent housing and improve their overall quality of life,” Saylor said.

While participating in Project Roomkey, individuals meet with case workers to decide the next steps forward, such as applying for lowincome units, subsidies and affordable apartments, all of which may have long waiting lists.

“For some, this may involve reunification with

family and for others this may mean some sort of independent living setup,” Machado said. “There are some subsidized housing options in Davis, and several former Project Roomkey clients have secured their own apartments through subsidies.”

Machado said that some individuals “[…] return to homelessness due to a variety of factors,” while others enter the Davis Emergency Shelter Program run by the Interfaith Rotating Winter shelter after leaving the program. Others also go to Room and Boards or to homeless shelters such as Davis Community Meals/Housing.

Most elderly clients live on a fixed income— which averages around $910 monthly—making it necessary to find apartments under $1,000, according to Waggener. Clients depend on subsidy programs through Yolo County Housing and other low-income housing options.

“Our staff is working to connect as many current PRK clients to affordable or subsidized apartments before the end of the program,” Waggener said.

Yolo County and its cities are currently working to determine long-term options and what can be done next, such as a new permanent shelter in Woodland, according to the press release.

“Project Roomkey is an example of the ‘Yoloway,’ serving the people of Yolo County through a collaborative partnership among public, private, and non-profit agencies,” Saylor said. “I’m grateful to the team of staff and volunteers who helped serve our unhoused community members in this capacity.”

IMMIGRANTSERVICE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 “The biggest thing is just how quickly immigration policy has changed,” Bailey said.

“It can be very confusing for even an attorney to navigate those changes, but for individuals who are trying to focus on school and living their lives, it can be a whole lot to deal with. So, we, as an organization, have had to [...] be pretty nimble and react to a lot of changes and make sure we’re keeping students informed and staying on top of the law.”

As Bailey said, DACA policies have added new barriers for students who are also trying to juggle their course loads, jobs and commitments

new position of Führer for himself to absorb Hindenburg’s presidential powers after the senile field marshal died in office.

Woodward’s utter lack of footballing nous has meant that since becoming executive vicechairman, the club’s footballing operation has suffered. But because business has boomed, the Glazers have been willing to sacrifice success on the field, just as business and industrial interests in 1930s Germany and present-day America have been willing to turn a blind eye to the Hitler’s and Trump’s less desirable traits. As an anonymous club insider told Bleacher Report, “Ed [Woodward] rose to the top job because he was adding to the bottom line. That’s where the power base lies now because he was the one who has changed things to bring the money in. That’s been his reward.”

This makes it stunningly clear that the Glazers judge the performance of their team based on revenues alone in the same way that Trump talks about the stock market as if it alone is the economy. And much like Trump, when it comes to looking for qualities and talents in employees, the Glazers don’t see the need to consider much other than personal loyalty. Just as Trump has forgotten that a soaring stock market doesn’t always mean poorer people are doing well, the Glazers have forgotten that a football club is not a successful one if all it does is make money for the owners—the team needs to win too.

What is the purpose of a football club if not to inspire devoted fans with trophies and attractive, entertaining football? What is the purpose of a government if not to expand opportunity and ensure that the poor don’t get left behind?

Unfortunately, it seems that the Trump and Glazer families see governing and football as no different from any other business designed to further enrich the rich. But that should be no surprise when looking at the Trump and the Glazer real estate empires and their shared fondness for taking on massive debts. It’s no wonder that Ed Glazer is a Trump supporter. And as if it’s not a small enough world, the Glazers also own the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which recently acquired passive Trump ally Tom Brady. **** In the post-Ferguson era, United have been shambolic and rudderless on the pitch. However, since the cash is coming in, just as it has on Wall Street, Woodward and the Glazers have shown the same attitude toward demoralized, protesting fans that Trump and the Republicans have shown toward those who don’t like them—a cruel indifference which implies that anybody but themselves and their rich friends might as well not exist.

Whoever tried to fill Ferguson’s shoes had a difficult job ahead of them. But Woodward’s indifference and ineptitude have made that task a Sisyphean struggle. When David Moyes took the reins as manager in 2013, he inherited an aging squad which no longer had to fear the hairdryer.

Because of Woodward’s incompetence in the transfer market, the new executive vice-chairman was unable to set Moyes up for success.

In August 2013, Woodward made a joint bid of £28 million for Everton duo Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellain. Why Woodward’s low-ball bid, which Everton called “derisory and insulting,” came in August, when Fellaini’s contract had a release clause of just £23.5 million that expired on July 31, is a mystery. Woodward also wasted most of the summer chasing Barcelona’s Cesc Fàbregas, who didn’t fit the club’s profile, but would’ve been marketable. With no major signings by transfer deadline day, Woodward panicked and signed just Fellaini for £27.5 million, nearly the sum he expected could get him both Fellaini and Baines. Fellaini was United’s first reinforcement

on and off campus. Since President-elect Joe Biden was officially announced as the presidentelect, the center released a statement about their optimism for the next four years.

“It is our great hope that the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will reverse the many anti-immigrant policies of the Trump administration,” the UCIMM team stated on their website. “In the months leading up to the election, we have been working to increase our capacity to assist the many students and family members who may be newly eligible for immigration relief under a Biden administration.”

in central midfield since 2007, but he only sometimes delivered.

Woodward’s hapless summer set the tone for a disastrous year in which the team floundered without Ferguson’s magic touch. Moyes was fired mid-season and United slogged to a seventh place finish, missing out on Champions League qualification for the first time in 25 years. Under Ferguson, United hadn’t finished lower than third since 1991. Since his retirement, United has finished seventh, fourth, fifth, sixth, second, sixth and third, only surpassing 70 points once.

After the league was reduced to 20 teams and the schedule was reduced from 42 to 38 games for the 1995-96 season, Ferguson’s United never earned fewer than 75 points. None of Ferguson’s successors have been able to rediscover the attractive, swashbuckling brand of counterattacking football that used to define the club.

Instead, Moyes, Ryan Giggs, Louis van Gaal, José Mourinho and now former player Ole Gunnar Solskjær have produced unentertaining, dour, painful-to-watch displays. Ironically, United nowadays seems to only play well against big teams when it’s considered the underdog. This wildly inconsistent form makes it much harder for United to attract the best players.

Every transfer window, United are linked with dozens of top players who have “the right stuff,” like Toni Kroos, Mats Hummels, Antoine Griezmann, Paulo Dybala, Matthijs de Ligt, Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho. But most stay put or go elsewhere because going to United no longer guarantees success. Just as Trump surely can’t get away with saying “Make America Great Again” forever, Woodward can’t seriously think he can continue offering transfer targets the chance to be “part of the rebuild” when “the rebuild” hasn’t gone anywhere.

United often gets stuck paying inflated prices for their second or third choices, players who don’t fit the United mold, or for established superstars who are too expensive and don’t make sense tactically. As Mourinho was trying to put his stamp on the squad with players who fit his style, Woodward blocked Mourinho’s two primary transfer targets, Ivan Perišić and Toby Alderwiereld, incensing Mourinho.

Yet Woodward has arrogantly refused to appoint a director of football (also called a sporting director or technical director), as every other major club in the modern game has done. This would free him up to focus on the commercial operation, while the sporting director would collaborate with the manager in recruiting players who could fit into a coherent style of play.

Since Ferguson left, Woodward has spent over £1 billion on 36 transfers, yet the team has made little progress and most of these signings have been total flops, largely because Woodward made them with marketability in mind, not football.

Quality players like Radamel Falcao, Ángel Di María, Bastian Schweinsteiger and most infamously, Alexis Sanchez have all come to United as highly marketable assets and made no impact on the field at all. After his disastrous spell at United, Alexis Sanchez said he could tell after his first training session that something at the club “didn’t sit right,” so he called his agent asking if he could “rip up” his contract. The £90 million re-signing of Academy product Paul Pogba from Juventus was supposed to solve United’s midfield problem, but he hasn’t performed consistently or shown any sort of leadership skills, proving Ferguson right for allowing the talented but hotheaded Frenchman to join Juventus for free in 2012.

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12 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2020

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

SPORTS Remembering the athletes lost this year Honoring the legacy of the athletes that have passed this year

BY KATHERIN RAYGOZA sports@theaggie.org As we all know, 2020 has been a year filled with its ups and downs in the sports world. It was difficult for athletes to be recruited, sports leagues faced economic challenges and of course, many athletes experienced COVID-19 firsthand.

Still, it was also a memorable year with many championships, unforgettable moments and fans uniting during this incredibly tough time.

Unfortunately, legendary athletes were also lost in the process of 2020, but the legacy they left in their respective sports will never be forgotten.

Kobe Bryant One of the most popular sports figures of all time Kobe Bean Bryant, passed away in a helicopter crash last January at the age of 41.

Bryant, his daughter and seven others were on their way to a youth basketball tournament when the helicopter crashed on a hillside outside of Los Angeles, Calif.. The pilot was traveling at about 184 mph and the impact caused a crater on the hill that scattered debris over an area the size of a football field.

Bryant was drafted to the NBA in 1996 straight from highschool by the Charlotte Hornets as the 13th pick and was then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers on draft night. He became the second youngest NBA player in history and the youngest player ever to play in an All-Star Game.

Kobe’s extraordinary talent made people ask the unthinkable: Could he possibly surpass Michael Jordan’s title of the Greatest of All Time? In his 20-year career with the Lakers, he won five championships, league MVP, a twotime NBA scoring champion and earned 15 All-NBA selections. Kobe was an inspiration to millions across the world and even those in the NBA today. Many players are great, but very few of them have something similar to the “Mamba Mentality,” which includes being the first one to every practice or giving every ounce of their effort. For this, many people, not only Laker fans, found him to be an astonishing person on and off the court, and his tragic passing will be remembered forever.

Mary “Mickey” Kathryn Another heartbreaking death this year was legendary golf player Mary Kathryn Wright— nicknamed “Mickey.” She passed away at the age of 85 on Feb. 17. Wright’s lawyer told The Associated Press that the cause of her death was a heart attack.

Wright was born in San Diego, Calif. and studied at Stanford University until she dropped out after her first year to pursue her golfing career. She was regarded as the best golfer in history and is known for having a great swing that led her to set multiple records. Her tall and athletic build gave her a powerful swing, and her shot-making ability gave the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) a greater level of

From left to right: Kobe Bryant, Mickey Wright, Tom Dempsey, and Diego Maradona were athletes. (Chris Elise and Public Domain) respect. Throughout her 14-year career, she won 82 tournaments,13 of them being majors. She was named the Woman Athlete of the Year after winning 13 LPGA tournaments in a single year, a record that still stands today.

To many people, especially young girls, Wright became an inspirational figure due to her talent with a golf club. Wright became bigger than the gender line in golf. Her name will forever be mentioned in the same breath as many legendary male golfers.

Roger Mayweather In March, Roger Mayweather, a world champion in boxing for two weight classes, died at the age of 58. Mayweather declined to speak about his long-term health complications and in line with his conditions being unspecified, Floyd Mayweather announced his uncle’s death in a statement leaving the cause of death unknown.

Mayweather’s professional career took off in 1981 and ended in 1999. His world titles were won in the junior lightweight and junior welterweight divisions. He faced many notable opponents during his 18-year career, including Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. twice, Pernell Whitaker, Kostya Tszyu, Rocky Lockridge, Samuel Serrano and many more in his storied career. Once he decided to move on from his professional career as a boxer, he became a trainer for his nephew, Floyd Mayweather Junior.

“He was a real warrior,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, who promoted several of his fights said. “He’d fight anybody. And even after he retired, he was a human voice in the Mayweather camp. With all the boasting and stuff that Floyd did, Roger was a reality check.”

Tom Dempsey Former NFL player Tom John Dempsey, died in April at the age of 78 due to complications from COVID-19. He was born without fingers on his right hand or toes on his right foot.

Despite these challenges, in high school he was a defensive lineman and kicker, then briefly played at Palomar College in San Diego County.

He was then signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted player.

As a rookie he played as a place-kicker and hit 22 field goals in 41 attempts. He was remembered for his game-winning, 63-yard field goal for the Saints, a league record at the time.

Dempsey played wearing a custom shoe that featured a flattened and enlarged toe surface. He didn’t let his disability limit what he could accomplish, and the loss of Dempsey is much more than one of a person who played professional football, it is about someone who was inspirational.

“Life’s not about producing on one day, it’s about producing every day that counts,” Dempsey said.

It’s a motto he lived to the fullest and he will be fondly remembered for turning a disability into something inspirational.

Diego Maradona One of the most recent and shocking deaths was that of former Argentinian soccer star Diego Maradona. He died of a heart attack at the age of 60. Maradona had been admitted to the hospital three times in the last 20 years for serious health issues due to his drug and alcohol addictions, and in early November, he underwent surgery to remove a blood clot in his brain.

Besides his major health concerns and personal battles, he was known as a great player because of his ability to control the ball and create scoring opportunities for himself and others. He led club teams to championships in Argentina, Italy and Spain, and he starred on the Argentine national team that won the 1986 World Cup held in Mexico. After he retired, Maradona began training and coaching for second division teams in Mexico, Argentina and United Arab Emirates.

He soon stopped coaching teams because of his poor health conditions.

Maradona will continue to be a renowned player, due to his notable talent on the field. He was strong, skillful and ruthless, and he didn’t let his short stature deter him from dominating all opponents. His character on and off the pitch made him the legend he is and his skills will carry into future generations. Over the past decades, many football players around the world have wanted to replicate his style of playing, and because of that, his legacy as the best is secured for eternity.

We have lost some of the most well-known and hard working professional players in the year of 2020. These lost athletes have shown young people worldwide that anything is possible and any challenge can be overcome. Some additional influential athletes in the sporting world who were lost this year include Don Larsen, Rocky Johnson, Chris Doleman, Nancy Darsch, John Andretti, Willie Wood, Tony Fernandez, among many others. They will all be remembered as people who have made an impact in their respective sport and in the lives of people close to them as well as for inspiring many others around the world.

Taking a look at the greatest sibling duos in sports Family ties in professional sports can be rare, but they are not impossible

BY OMAR NAVARRO sports@theaggie.org The process of becoming a professional athlete is very long and tedious. It takes a lot of work and sacrifice by everyone involved just to become a Division 1 athlete. Still, only 2% of all student-athletes become professional athletes, so when a member of a family achieves that title, it feels like all the work has been worth it. But, there have been some rare occasions where more than one member of the family made it, and become wildly successful as well.

In this past NBA Draft held in November, the Ball brothers Lonzo and LaMelo became the first siblings to be drafted in the top five. LaMelo was drafted third overall by the Charlotte Hornets and Lonzo was drafted second overall in 2017 by the Los Angeles Lakers. Still very young, the pair of brothers have star potential. Hitting their stride at about the same time would be a sight to see, seeing how close they grew up. Although their third brother LiAngelo Ball was not drafted, he also recently signed with the Detroit Pistons on a non-guaranteed contract, resulting in all three brothers in the NBA. The Holiday brothers Jrue, Aaron and Justin are the only other active siblings simultaneously on NBA rosters, a telling of how rare it is.

While many have their opinions on the Ball brothers’ father Lavar, no one can deny this tremendous achievement. Although he does have some controversial moments, his involvement in his children’s life and his assistance in getting them to their level of success is an incredible feat.

The brothers feel that, and regardless of their alltime success by the time their careers are done, no one will be able to criticize this achievement.

The NBA is no stranger to siblings making an impact. As of the end of 2019, there would have been a total of 70 sets of siblings to have participated in the NBA. Most notably, the Gasol brothers Pau and Marc, who have found massive amounts of success in their long and storied careers. After being traded for each other in 2008, Pau thrived during his time with the Lakers.

Alongside Kobe Bryant, Pau made three straight NBA Finals and won two championships in LA. He made the NBA All-Star team six times and was an All-NBA selection four times, etching his name in the storied Lakers franchise in the process.

Marc, the younger brother, has also had his fair share of success. After starting his career overseas, he joined the Memphis Grizzlies in 2008. A three-time All-Star and two-time AllNBA selection, the youngest Gasol finally reached the pinnacle of basketball success, being a part of the 2019 Toronto Raptors team that won the NBA championship. The two brothers have shared their successes in international play as well and will surely go down as some of the best overseas players in the history of the NBA. The Gasol brothers are arguably the most successful siblings to ever play basketball, but the Millers are another top example. Both Reggie and Cheryl Miller had their time during their professional careers in men’s and women’s basketball respectively. The Hall of Famer Reggie was a five-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA selection during his 18-year career with the Indiana Pacers. With many clutch shots and pinpoint accuracy from three, Reggie will go down as one of the most memorable NBA players of all time. Still, he might not even be the best basketball player in his family.

Cheryl is widely regarded as one of the greatest female basketball players of all time.

Starting her career before the WNBA, she was an icon in college, during which she won two National Championship titles and three Naismith College Player of the year awards. She has a gold medal from the 1984 Olympics and many more memorable accolades as she finished her career.

Because there was no WNBA at the time, we will never know how big her impact would’ve been had she played in the states, but even then, she will be remembered forever. Both Reggie and Cheryl remain the only brother-sister duo in the Basketball Hall of Fame to this day.

When you look at the NFL, there have been many instances of siblings who play at the same time. But, it is hard to not think of Peyton and Eli Manning when you think of one of the greatest sibling duos of all time. Both brothers were drafted first overall in their respective drafts and each are two-time Super Bowl champions.

Eli’s will be most remembered for his two incredible Super Bowl runs. While he may not be as highly regarded as his brother, those two Super Bowl runs—beating the Patriots and Tom Brady twice—will go down as some of the most unforgettable moments in the 21st century.

On the other side, Peyton will go down as one

of the greatest quarterbacks to ever live. A 14time Pro-Bowler and 7-time All-Pro throughout his storied career, he racked up accolade after accolade, winning five MVPs in the process. The two brothers will be in the Hall of Fame one day.

Even coming in with a lot of pressure having the last name Manning, they somehow pushed the greatness of the name even further.

It is not common to see siblings end up as coaches, let alone football head coaches. That is the case for Jim and John Harbaugh. Both had different career paths after college, but ended up becoming head coaches, even coaching against each other in Super Bowl XLVII. Nicknamed the “Har-Bowl,” it became the first Super Bowl that had brothers on opposing sides.

Jim had a long college and NFL career that saw him make one Pro Bowl and make the playoffs three separate times. He then went on to coaching, finding success in college at Stanford before ultimately joining the 49ers. After a long stint in San Francisco, he went to his alma mater Michigan, where he is currently coaching. John on the other hand, began coaching right out of college in 1984 and worked his way up in the KATHERINE FRANKS / AGGIE

college and NFL ranks. He eventually landed a head coaching job in Baltimore in 2008 and has held it ever since.

Finally, it is nearly impossible to talk about siblings who are professional athletes, and not talk about Venus and Serena Williams. Both sisters have been in the spotlight since a young age due to their father, but they have backed up everything that he has said. With 30 Grand Slam singles titles, 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and eight Olympic gold medals between the two, it is no wonder the duo seems like they will never be beat.

Both sisters have been ranked number one in singles and doubles, as well as have faced each other numerous times in tournaments and in finals. The Williams sisters have been a staple of tennis worldwide, since they stepped into the scene in the mid-1990s at a young age. Being exposed to an incredible amount of pressure since they were teenagers, the two sisters have somehow met those expectations and become two of the greatest tennis players the sport has ever seen.