September 16, 2021

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VOLUME 140, ISSUE 1 | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

UC DAVIS STUDENTS LOOK FORWARD TO IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION THIS FALL Aggies feel excited and nervous as students return to campus for the first time in a year and a half

BY EMILY REDMAN campus@theaggie.org

The Quad area and Centennial Walk at UC Davis during a typical school day in Fall Quarter 2019.

(Aggie File)

Students of every class are preparing for a full year of in-person instruction after a year and a half of online learning. Due to the pandemic, UC Davis students have been taking classes online from all over the world. Now, many students have returned to Davis and are ready to share their excitement and concerns about taking classes in person.

“I feel like we’re all on the same ground after being isolated for a year,” Daniel Bjornson, a third-year civil engineering major, said. “It’s comforting to know we are all on the same footing.”

Returning to campus is going to be an adjustment period for all, as most students have not had a full academic year in person.

“It almost feels like the last year and a half I’ve been in jail,” third-year cognitive science major Joseph Bulda said. “Now I’m free and can interact with people.”

Outside of the traditional classroom setting, students created routines to best participate in online learning. Many students, such as second-

year cognitive science major Yasmin Aref, will now have to adjust their study habits.

“I’m from out of state, so I’m glad to be here,” Aref said. “I’ve forgotten how to study in an in-person setting. I’m a little nervous it’s going to get shut down again.”

According to Sage Farrow, a second-year animal science major, a sense of community is also going to return to the UC Davis campus as social opportunities and activities resume this fall.

“I’m pretty hopeful and optimistic,” Farrow said. “I’m looking forward to in-person classes and in-person club meetings and more opportunities on campus.”

Sofia Dobbelaere, a second-year communication major who lives outside of California, is excited to return to the same time zone as her peers and professors.

“I’m really looking forward to doing projects with other people in person,” Dobbelaere said.

“Trying to figure out time zones during the pandemic was really complicated. I know that working together in person in real time is going to be more effective and rewarding for all of us, and I am so excited to be on campus.”

MUST-VISITS IN DAVIS From food to books to sports, Davis has something for everyone

BY SHRADDHA JHINGAN city@theaggie.org As more and more students — new and returning — move to Davis and prepare for a primarily in-person school year, local businesses will soon be receiving more visits from students after a year and a half of online learning.

From food to books to sports, Davis is home to a plethora of local businesses that maintain a crucial presence in the community. As the town starts to fill up again with students, here are a small fraction of the many food options and businesses that Davis is home to.

Davis Creamery Located conveniently in Downtown Davis, Davis Creamery is a popular spot among students. Featuring a wide variety of ice cream flavors and other desserts, it is well worth the visit. Employee Gabby Glener explained that there are a wide variety of homemade ice cream flavors available.

“We make all our ice cream here every weekend, and all the flavors switch every week so it’s really authentic, and you can’t find these flavors in stores,” Glener said. “A lot of them are made up by the woman who makes the ice cream, so it’s really cool.”

Thai Canteen For anyone looking for delicious Thai food, three-time Best of Davis winner Thai Canteen is a perfect spot. Also located conveniently in Downtown Davis, the restaurant offers a wide variety of dishes, such as noodles and rice plates that can be prepared as gluten-free, vegan or vegetarian.

The Thai Canteen team encourages students to stop by and visit.

“Welcome back students,” the Thai Canteen Davis team said. “Thai Canteen will be open and [students] can come and support the local business, and we’ll do the best we can.”

Sharetea For anyone who loves boba, Davis is a haven.

Home to numerous boba establishments located throughout the city, one which students visit is Sharetea.

Their website features a variety of milk teas, fruit teas, signature drinks, brewed teas and more. The drinks are easily customizable with the

option to choose the ice and sweetness levels, and toppings, as the website shows.

Whether it’s simply a refreshing drink for a hot summer day or a treat after studying for finals, Sharetea has numerous options featuring a variety of flavors.

Farmers Market On Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings, many students often visit the Farmers Market, located in Central Park. Home to various stalls featuring fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods and more, the Farmers Market is a quintessential Davis tradition.

One of the popular products sold is the Apple-a-Day apple juice. Made of only one ingredient — apples — it has been voted Best Farmers Market Treat twice in the annual Best of Davis survey.

Carlene Upto manages the Farmers Market Apple-a-Day stand and has been with Apple-aDay for almost 30 years. Even people who moved out of Davis return to try the high-quality apple juice when they’re in town, Upton explained.

“Whenever they’re in town, they have to come and get an apple juice,” Upton said. “It’s almost like a requirement. I feel like it’s sort of a cult—it’s an apple juice cult. Everybody loves it and recommends it.”

Bizarro World For anyone who is a fan of comic books, games, movies and cards, Bizarro World is a must-visit. Also located in Downtown Davis, it features both popular and vintage or hard to find items, with something for everybody.

Whether you’re looking for a new or old comic book, movies to watch or board games to play among various other items, Bizarro World is definitely a place to visit in Davis.

The Avid Reader, Logos Books For all the bibliophiles out there, bookstores such as The Avid Reader and Logos Books are staples in Davis. Home to numerous books, there is something for everybody, from children to adults.

Logos Books is also located conveniently downtown in the heart of Davis. It is a non-profit and supports the Davis Public Library, featuring used books. For anyone looking for a new thriller novel or an easy read, Logos Books is bound to

People shopping at the Davis Farmer’s Market on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020. (Aggie File) have it.

Likewise, Avid Reader also features a myriad of books, from classic tales to many new books for children and adults.

The businesses mentioned above are only a

small fraction of the local businesses in Davis. For returning students and new students alike, Davis has many businesses that are worth checking out and cannot fit into one article. Whether it’s food, hobbies, sports, books and much more, Davis has it all.

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UC DAVIS STUDENTS REFLECT ON WHAT ASUCD HAS TO OFFER According to three UC Davis students, ASUCD offers a way to make friends and professional connections on campus

BY NICHOLAS MURPHY campus@theaggie.org ASUCD is an all-encompassing student-run organization with a multitude of opportunities for students of all backgrounds and experience levels looking for ways to get involved in their campus community.

Composed of many different units, commissions, committees and offices to choose from, ASUCD tries to cater to the professional interests of everyone.

The following three students have shared their immersive experiences with ASUCD to give incoming Aggies an idea of what ASUCD is and how it serves the community.

Michelle Andrews, a third-year environmental science and management major, was first introduced to ASUCD through her passion for student advocacy as an Internal Affairs Commissioner.

“Knowing that I had an interest in law and wanting to gain more experience with legislation, I applied thinking I was not qualified at all, yet ended up getting a spot on the Internal Affairs Commission (IAC),” Andrews said.

Andrews’ beginnings with the IAC eventually opened the door to her current position as Political Director for the Office of the External Affairs Vice President (EAVP), where she has become a primary representative of the campus’s legislative interests.

“There are amazing opportunities for growth and advancement available within ASUCD once you take your first leap of faith, so if you’re thinking about applying for any position in ASUCD, do it,” Andrews said.

Amanda Portier, a fourth-year community and regional development major, shared that her experience working for ASUCD Picnic Day was pivotal to her personal and professional development.

“The opportunity to plan such a large and impactful event like Picnic Day has allowed me to develop professional development skills while finding a community at Davis with the Picnic Day board,” Portier said.

For the 2021-2022 school year, students can anticipate an in-person Picnic Day in compliance with university guidelines regarding COVID-19 safety procedures.

“While we are still in the early days of planning, there will be an extensive event safety plan to ensure that all event participants and guests will have the safest experience possible,” Portier said.

Julianna Christofi, a third-year psychology and sociology double major, has been on the Entertainment Council (EC) since her sophomore year and is now the productions director for the EC. In this position, Christofi organizes music gear rentals and oversees EC events funded by ASUCD. The EC is known for holding movie screenings, public speaking events, local limelights

Memorial Union Building. (Quinn Spooner / Aggie)

and more.

“It’s a super great way to meet new people and get experience managing artists, setting up events and creating promotions to get people to attend,” Christofi said.

OFFICE OF RESEARCH REPORTS RECORDBREAKING FUNDING $968 million have been awarded to research initiatives

BY CHRISTINE LEE campus@theaggie.org

KATHERINE FRANKS / AGGIE

The Office of Research published recordbreaking annual funding with an increase of $27 million from last year. This year’s $968 million will fund a range of research topics across various departments.

“A primary contributor to this year’s growth came from increased funding related to public health and medicine,” Director of Marketing and Communications of the Office of Research AJ Cheline stated via email. “The School of Medicine recognized the largest increase in funding, up $92 million from the previous year, totaling $368 million. Funding related to COVID-19 research totaled $42 million for the year.”

Even with a focus on contributing to research on COVID-19-related issues, efforts in other departments continue. The Department of Physics and Astronomy has benefited from increased funding from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science, the National Science Foundation and other federal agencies.

Projects funded included high energy particle theory, theoretical cosmology and astronomical observations at major telescopes.

“The Department of Physics and Astronomy has seen steadily increasing external support over recent years, and this has allowed the department to recruit excellent graduate students and

postdocs and expand the overall research efforts of the faculty,” Professor John Conway of the Department of Physics said via email. “At the federal level, support for basic scientific research has been very solid despite the great budget challenges we face as a nation.”

Conway is involved in research projects on topics including the Higgs boson, neutrinos, dark matter and quantum physics, which were granted $7.5 million from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Other important medical projects such as the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) initiative had greatly benefited from $3 million funding this year. The collaboration project between UC Davis and Yolo County healthcare providers and agencies aims to increase support for patients by developing a trauma-informed network of care and universal screening for adverse childhood experiences.

“The funds are being used to increase ACEs screening in primary care clinics that serve patients receiving MediCal, to improve workflow and communication from providers, patients, and buffering services,” Principle Investigator Professor Leigh Ann Simmons said in an email.

Among these services include food or housing assistance and employment assistance.

JOINT CITY, UNIVERSITY LET EFFORTS PROVIDE COVID-19 RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS COVID-19 resources are offered as the city prepares to welcome new and returning students to Davis

BY YAN YAN HUSTIS HAYES city@theaggie.org

COVID-19 testing positivity in Yolo County has peaked but is no longer rising; however, as students return to campus for fall quarter, it is important to be aware of the COVID-19 resources available to both students and community members.

In recent weeks, the Delta variant has made up the vast majority of positive cases in Yolo County, making up 95% of positive samples at the UC Davis Genome Center from Aug. 15 to Aug. 21.

Yolo County Communications Coordinator Frank Scheneegas explained that the most important thing for Yolo County residents to do is to get vaccinated.

“We are offering to take vaccine[s] directly to anyone in Yolo County as part of a call to order delivery program,” Scheneegas said via email. “Vaccines have been shown time and time again to be overwhelmingly safe and effective. On 8/30, 94% of COVID-19 positive patients in Yolo hospitals were unvaccinated.”

In addition to the testing opportunities provided by Healthy Yolo Together, Schneegas recommended that residents contact their local pharmacies, which also provide testing options.

Healthy Davis Together Medical Director Dr. Sheri Belafsky explained that the strategies employed by Health Davis Together have helped Davis maintain a low coronavirus transmission rate.

“As medical director, I plan and direct medical and health services for Healthy Davis Together, including COVID-19 testing, vaccine outreach and distribution and case investigation,” Belafsky said. “Healthy Yolo Together is a companion effort to Healthy Davis Together [that] expands COVID-19 testing and vaccine support services to more communities in Yolo County.”

In addition to Healthy Davis Together’s testing and educational messaging programs, the campus Aggie Public Health Ambassador program is another critical resource, according to Belafsky.

“Aggie Public Health Ambassadors or APHAs are trained UC Davis undergraduate and graduate students who model healthy behavior and encourage campus and community members to make healthy choices that reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV-2,” Belafsky said. “APHAs build community and ensure everyone who walks on campus feels a sense of belonging and that they are valued members of our broader community.”

Belafsky explained that part of achieving Healthy Davis Together’s goal of welcoming back students is making sure that students reintegrate safely.

“Students are an important part of what gives our community its identity so we are pleased to see them returning,” Belafsky said.

“That said, I encourage all students to get vaccinated and remain vigilant. [Wear] masks, particularly indoors, [follow] guidance on

COVID-19 testing center in the ARC at UC Davis. (Quinn Spooner / Aggie)

gatherings and [continue] to test regularly. Even when vaccinated, these measures are critically important.”

Like Schneegas, Belafsky stressed the importance of getting the vaccine and regular COVID-19 testing.

“One of the ways that Healthy Davis Together helps facilitate the safe integration of students into the community is widely available, free, saliva COVID-19 testing,” Belafsky said. “Because people continue to test positive for COVID-19 in Yolo County we encourage the community to get tested regularly.”

Those who have not yet been vaccinated can schedule a vaccination appointment or access more public health information at the Healthy Davis Together website. Campus-specific information can be found at the UC Davis campus ready website.

Fourth-year managerial economics major Fatima Alvarez explained that while she is nervous about COVID-19, she is also

excited to return to in-person learning.

“I am a little hesitant about the influx of students but I like that we are going [back] to campus,” Alvarez said. “I’m vaccinated — I saw that most students are going to be vaccinated, which is a good sign.”

Alvarez, who also works as an orientation leader, is excited for the in-person orientation but wary of possible COVID-19 outbreaks. She advised incoming students to be mindful of those around them and keep their masks on.

“I’ve worked as an orientation leader for two years and this inperson orientation is a good thing, but we also went from having no one on campus to having 10,000 incoming students coming to campus [for orientation],” Alvarez said. “Be safe and be courteous — there’s other ways to have fun that don’t involve taking off your mask.”

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 | 3

EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON MENTAL HEALTH Davis has several resources for mental health accessible to both students and locals

BY ELLIE LEE city@theaggie.org A survey by the U.S. Census Bureau showed that symptoms of depression or anxiety have increased 11% from 2021 to 2022.

Students and members of Yolo County believe climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic may have a toll on mental health.

Leslie Crenna is the communications manager of Cool Davis, a network of individuals and institutions committed to implementing City of Davis’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. She emphasized how climate change impacts mental health and explained that people respond differently to climate change; some are overwhelmed, and others are in denial. Many react with paralysis, meaning they continue their usual routine, not knowing what to do.

“The idea that we are destroying the ecosystem and really putting our livelihoods at threat, and civilization at threat, is incredibly intimidating,” Crenna said.

Crenna detailed that the climate change concept can be so overwhelming that people often feel unsure where to start.

According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, the average ocean temperature and global land in January 2021 were the seventh highest for January since 1880.

“It is an emergency. Human beings are not wired for a threat that isn’t super concrete and right in front of us, so it’s hard to wrap our brains around science,” Crenna said.

Aparna Manoj, the co-director of the student-run UC Davis Mental Health Initiative (MHI), discussed efforts taken to support student mental health. MHI has been focusing on running the Mental Health Conference in January and Mental Health Awareness Month during May. They have also been making efforts to host regular events throughout the quarter, like educational workshops. MHI has been working on integrating student voices into campus-related initiatives.

“Our workshops tend to be again focused on some sort of intersectional aspect of mental health,” Manoj said.

Manoj explained how MHI incorporates cultural identities with mental health; during events, the initiative often brings a professional or community member. Students will hear about resources, participate in discussions and engage in activities.

Manoj recommends students to find a center related to their specific needs on campus.

“Make sure you’re seeing a licensed professional or use the center to find other resources in the community related specifically to counseling,” said Manoj.

KATHERINE FRANKS / AGGIE On the UC Davis campus, Aggie Public Health Ambassadors (APHAs) address mental health through encouraging others and community building. The APHA program originally started to educate members about making healthy choices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Caroline Dewa, the director of health education and workforce development of Healthy Davis Together, discussed how the program addresses mental health throughout the pandemic.

“Social distancing and shelter-in-place orders caused social isolation and made it challenging to access mental health resources,” Dewa said via email. “The pandemic has also been a part of our lives for more than a year and is a source of long-term

stress, another factor that impacts mental health.”

Dewa mentioned that the APHA team program puts emphasis on the team to address mental health. The pandemic has lasted for over a year, and it could be a source of stress for many, including staff workers. Members have the opportunity to work and look out for one another, lessening feelings of isolation.

“This gives the APHAs the mental health resources they need personally which helps them better serve the community and ultimately help others across the campus community to access the resources they need,” Dewa said via email.

Dewa also recommended utilizing resources from Healthy UC Davis Mental and Emotional Well-Being.

BREAKING BARRIERS OFFERS ISOLATED SENIORS TECHNOLOGICAL SUPPORT AND COMPANIONSHIP DURING COVID-19 The new club allows Davis students to form friendships with older adults and help them carry out technology-related ambitions

BY LYRA FARRELL features@theaggie.org Inspired by the widespread loneliness experienced by members of every generation during the COVID-19 pandemic, Breaking Barriers, founded in September 2020, is a club that aims to build lasting connections between college students and members of older generations.

Kevin Ta, a fourth-year sociology major, originally joined Breaking Barriers because he saw a need to address this loneliness and create empathetic connections between older and younger generations.

“Our initial impression was that we would find older adults who were lonely or socially isolated, and we would connect [with] them,” Ta said.

After sending pen-pal letters back and forth between partners, Ta recognized that there seemed to be an interest among the older partners to learn more about technology, but had a hard time starting since they often felt that it wasn’t theirs to use.

“A lot of older adults kind of run away from

technology because they feel like it’s not meant for them; it’s meant for the younger generations,” Ta said. “But the ironic part is that there are even people in our generation who are confused and don’t know how to use certain technology, especially since every year, I feel like there’s something new.”

Ta’s Breaking Barriers partner, a woman in her 70s, is still actively pursuing an education.

In Ta’s experience meeting with his partner, he’s noticed that he himself has benefitted from the research he’s done in order to help solve her technology queries.

“The special thing about her is that she’s still going to school [...], she’s getting a master’s in writing, so a lot of times we’ll work on papers together where she’ll ask me, ‘How do I create a bibliography?’” Ta said.

“Sometimes, there’s things that I don’t even know, so in that case, I do a little bit of research [...] It’s both improving her skills and my skills too.”

BREAKINGBARRIERS on 10 Breaking Barriers logo. (Breaking Barriers / Courtesy)

UC DAVIS FORMER ATHLETES, DOCTOR TOOK PART IN TOKYO OLYMPIC GAMES Student-athletes and a UC Davis Health physician represented three different countries at the summer games

BY REBECCA GARDNER campus@theaggie.org

Hugh Hogland-Watanabe (top) and Dr. Marcia Faustin and the U.S. olympic gymnastics team (bottom) pose in front of the olympic rings in Tokyo. (Courtesy)

Two former student-athletes and a UC Davis Health sports medicine physician participated in the Tokyo Olympic games.

Ty Kelly, a 2012 graduate with a degree in communication and a former UC Davis baseball player, represented Israel in the Olympics this year. Hugh Hogland-Watanabe, an MBA candidate who played on the UC Davis basketball team during the 2020-2021 school year, played basketball for Japan. Dr. Marcia (Marcy) Faustin, a family medicine and sports medicine physician, served as co-head physician to the USA women’s gymnastics team. Dr. Faustin works as an assistant clinical professor at UC Davis.

Kelly, 33, is a free agent who has played baseball for the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies. While earning his undergraduate degree, he played for UC Davis in 2008 and 2009.

Kelly, an infielder, said many of his teammates in the Olympics were playing baseball for the last time in their careers. Although the Israeli baseball team did not make it to a medal round this year, it was the nation’s first time playing baseball in the Olympics.

Kelly said that he and his teammates were devastated to lose their last game against the Dominican Republic.

“It felt surreal for everyone because going into the last inning of our last game, we had the lead and everyone would have expected to win,” Kelly said. “So it was just really sad and a difficult thing to swallow.”

During the games, athletes were confined

to the Olympic Village and had limited social interaction. Despite these restrictions, Kelly said he enjoyed some normalcy and tradition in trading Olympic pins.

“In those small instances when we were doing pin exchange with people from other countries, it was always really cool, especially with representing a country like Israel that is always in the news positively, negatively, all across the board, to be able to break down barriers of what your shirt says,” Kelly said.

Dr. Marcia (Marcy) Faustin, a former gymnast, Division 1 track and field athlete, sports fan and sports medicine physician, attended her first Olympic games as co-head physician of the USA gymnastics.

Faustin volunteered for two years before becoming the co-head physician of the USA women’s gymnastics team. She works alongside Dr. Ellen Casey, the other co-head team physician, who is based in New York. The two care for gymnasts from junior and senior national teams and intermittently travel to training camps to provide additional care.

At the Olympics, and at other competitions, Faustin treats muscle, tendon and bone injuries and also provides mental health care.

Faustin said that watching the young women achieve their goals was the best part of the Olympics.

“All of them came home with a medal, so that was really exciting to be a part of,” Faustin said.

Simone Biles, superstar American gymnast and four-time gold medalist, made the decision

to withdraw from competition this year, sparking national conversations about mental health and toxic perfectionism among athletes.

Faustin, who has supported Biles and teammates through their journeys, emphasized the interdependence of mental and physical health.

“I think that both physical and mental health are very important and not just in athletes but all patients,” Faustin said. “The pandemic has taught us how important it is to have relationships and how hard and difficult it can be on people when you don’t have your mental health well supported; [...] it can affect your physical health.”

Hugh Hogland-Watanabe, 22, was a student in the Graduate School of Management at UC Davis and played on the basketball team last year. He paused his masters program to play professional basketball for the Ryukyu Golden Kings in Japan, where he holds dual citizenship.

“The [pro] contract was offered before he made the Olympic team,” said Matt Hogland, Hogland-Watanabe’s father. “He signed this contract, made the Olympic team and then he called Coach Les and said ‘Coach, I’m not going to make it back.’”

The UC Davis basketball team showed their support for Hogland-Watanabe via Zoom while he was in Tokyo.

“Our team did some Zooms with him when he was over there,” said Jim Les, the coach of the UC Davis basketball team.

OLYMPICS on 10

4 | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

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UC DAVIS SCIENCE, PRE-HEALTH CLUBS PROVIDE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES THIS FALL FOR INCOMING STUDENTS SENDForC, Bayanihan Clinic and Youth In Dentistry representatives share their experiences from being involved

BY BRANDON NGUYEN science@theaggie.org For many new students, a new chapter has just opened in their book of life as they step foot on the UC Davis campus. Perhaps lost and yearning for connection following a year of virtual classes and interaction, students can look forward to joining many different science or pre-health clubs this year as many of the organizations are transitioning back to in-person this fall quarter.

Recently established as the Davis Chapter of the organization about a year ago, SENDForC provides an opportunity to meet like-minded undergraduates who are passionate in STEM subjects, and are eager to create and host workshops and mentorship programs for underprivileged high schools across the nation.

Bryan Kuo, a rising third-year at UC Davis and one of the co-leads for the Biology and Chemistry Committee, explains why he joined this studentled organization, reflecting on his experiences as a high school student.

“Throughout highschool, I attended STEM summer programs to explore my interests in more specific science-related fields,” Kuo said. “While these programs were very helpful, they usually cost a fair amount of money, making them less accessible for some students. With the desire to provide a similar learning experience freeof-charge for all high school students, I joined SENDforC’s Biology/Chemistry Committee to help SENDforC design and teach workshops in Biology and Chemistry. Others should join SENDforC if they are interested in helping to make STEM education and higher education more accessible for students of all backgrounds.”

The committee has already hosted a few virtual yet interactive workshops on subjects such as immunology, genetic engineering and neurophysiology. This fall, the organization is looking to bring the workshops to high school students in areas near Davis.

Pre-health club students have the opportunity to engage in volunteer work to help patients at Bayanihan Clinic, one of the studentrun clinics at UC Davis. Roland Del Mundo, an undergraduate coordinator for Bayanihan Clinic, explains the clinic’s goals and work.

“Bayanihan Clinic provides accessible primary and preventative care to Filipino immigrants and all diverse, underserved communities of the Greater Sacramento area, while honoring the legacy of Filipino veterans through advocacy and community engagement,” Del Mundo said.

“During clinic days, undergraduate clinic interns manage the clinic flow while assisting medical students and doctors with patients. Bayanihan provides specialty services including Vision Services, Diabetes Empowerment Program, Healthy Breast Program and Wellness Services.

In addition to the clinical aspect, our clinic performs outreach events catered towards our veteranos that raise awareness about Filipinx heritage.”

Despite the clinic’s competitive application and rigorous commitment of three consecutive quarters for students, Del Mundo has learned to cherish the skills and appreciate the experience as a leader of the clinic’s mission.

“One thing that I have learned in my time in Bayanihan is how to deliver culturally sensitive healthcare,” Del Mundo said. “This includes using active listening, critical thinking and proper communication to ensure that we understand our patients needs and are providing the best possible care we can to our diverse group of patients. Seeing the positive changes we are making in our community has been fulfilling and has strengthened my dedication toward caring for the lives of others.”

For students pursuing a dental career, Youth in Dentistry is a newly established club in the Davis area for pre-dental undergraduate students to guide those passionate about dentistry and looking to attend dental school in the future.

Isabel Caymo, one of the co-presidents who helped start the Davis chapter for Youth in Dentistry, describes the club’s purpose and how they flourished during the pandemic.

“Youth in Dentistry at UC Davis was created during quarantine as a virtual-based platform used to provide information and resources regarding everything dentistry-related,” Caymo said. “Through this main purpose, we also aim to

Bayanihan Clinic, one of UC Davis’ student run clinics, provides accessible primary and preventative healthcare to Filipino immigrants and all underserved communities of the Greater Sacramento area while honoring the legacy of Filipino veterans. (Bayanihan Clinic / Courtesy) create a tight-knit pre-dental community within all of our students and members. We have hosted numerous Instagram takeovers with pre-dental students, dental students and dentists where they take us through a day in their lives. Our other projects consist of creating DAT questions of the day where our followers can interact to test their knowledge and researching and producing informational posts regarding dentistry topics.”

Fellow Co-President of Youth in Dentistry Brinda Prothia shares what she has gained from being a part of the club along with leading the club’s operations.

“I have been able to network with multiple

dental students, UCD alumni, etc. all through the power of social media,” Prothia said via email. “I have also learned more about different specialities of Dentistry as well as all the important components of the Dental Application. And last but not least, I have found my community here where there are so many like-minded students like me who share the same passion for the field of Dentistry.”

FALL QUARTER EVENTS: WELCOME BACK TO CAMPUS Here are some activities for Aggies headed to Davis for the first time — or first time in a while

BY KATIE DEBENEDETTI features@theaggie.org As students return to campus for fall quarter this year, so are many in-person events. For many Aggies, this quarter’s in-person experience will be completely new, and many are nervous about trying to find community and get comfortable on campus. Luckily, in the first couple weeks of the quarter, Davis has a number of events geared toward new and returning students to help ease the transition.

Xperience: Go Greek! Go Ags! Formal recruitment for all Panhellenic and Interfraternity Council Greek chapters as well as many academic and cultural fraternities is also held throughout fall quarter. Each chapter has different events and recruitment processes, but to learn more about all of the different Greek organizations on campus, chapters will be tabling at the “Xperience: Go Greek! Go Ags!” event on Sept. 28 from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., hosted by the Center for Student Involvement.

Payton Gates, the UC Davis’ Sorority and Fraternity Life coordinator, said that this event is a great time for interested students to meet the more than 50 Greek organizations on campus.

“Go Greek! Go Ags! is our annual tabling event where students can come meet [...] our six governing [Greek] councils to learn more about their upcoming recruitment processes and what it is like to be a Greek member at UC Davis,” Gates said. “All students are welcome, and we cannot wait to see you [...] at the MU South Patio!”

Involvement Fair The fall quarter involvement fair is another way to learn more about many organizations on campus. This year, it will be hosted in a hybrid format, with an in-person event on Oct. 6, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the quad, and a virtual portion on Oct. 7, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., hosted on Remo. The event will feature over 200 student organizations and campus departments, according to the Center for Student Involvement’s website.

UC Davis Outdoor Adventures UC Davis Outdoor Adventures has been operating at limited capacity throughout the pandemic, but according to Beck Van Horsen, the assistant director of Outdoor Adventures, the department expects to have a “more normal” schedule of events for fall.

“We are offering our typical fall programming such as backpacking, camping, whitewater rafting and fly fishing, as well as the new programming that we created in response to last year’s COVID-19 restrictions — slacklining, stand-up paddle boarding clinics and kayak sessions in the Rec Pool,” Van Horsen said.

The center will also be offering equipment rentals for students who would prefer to adventure on their own or with friends. They plan to follow Yolo County COVID-19 restrictions as the pandemic progresses throughout the quarter.

Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) “Try Before You Buy”

KATHERINE FRANKS / AGGIE During the first two weeks of the quarter, from Sept. 26 to Oct. 9, Campus Recreation will be offering free group exercise, martial arts, dance and small group training classes at the ARC, according to their website. All students’ tuition includes membership to the ARC, which is required to participate in the “Try Before You Buy” event, but classes and activities that usually cost additional money like those listed above are free during the two-week event.

Michaela Koski, a third-year communications major, encouraged new students to take advantage of the chance to use these extra ARC services.

“My freshman year, I went to the ARC during the ‘Try Before You Buy’ event to try a bunch of the group exercise classes,” Koski said.

“Not only did I find out which classes I liked, but it was a fun way to get to know new people.”

Intramural Sports Throughout fall quarter, Campus Recreation will also be hosting four in-person and one virtual intramural sport leagues. The in-person offerings will be basketball, flag football, soccer and Ultimate Frisbee, and the online offering will be e-sports and gaming.

According to Ben Dao, the assistant director of “Competitive Sports for All” at UC Davis, students can sign up for any of these offerings on Campus Recreation’s website.

“From the portal, [students] will go to Fusion IM, where they can sign up for the various sports that we offer,” Pao said. “Students typically form their own teams. However, for those that don’t have enough to form a team, they can join our created Free Agent Teams.”

To access Fusion IM, students will need to purchase a Rec Sports ONE pass, which

is available for annual or quarterly payment.

Financial aid is also available for ONE passes for qualifying students via the Campus Recreation Well-Being Fee Waiver. Registration is set to open on Sept. 27 and close on Oct. 4.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 | 5

OPINION WELCOME BACK FROM THE EDITORIAL BOARD From in-person classes and clubs to petting the cows, there’s a lot to look forward to this year for those returning to Davis

THE

C ALIFORNIA A GGIE

EDITO RIA L B OA RD ANJINI VENUGOPAL Editor-in-Chief MARGO ROSENBAUM Managing Editor SOPHIE DEWEES Campus News Editor MADELEINE PAYNE City News Editor EDEN WINNIFORD Opinion Editor KATIE DEBENEDETTI Features Editor ALLIE BAILEY Arts & Culture Editor

The Editorial Board is beyond excited to welcome everyone back to campus. We made it through a year and a half of online learning, and now we’re vaccinated, masked up and ready to go to class. So much of what makes UC Davis special is impossible to experience virtually, from its friendly cows and beautiful arboretum to its massive football games and concerts in the Mondavi Center.

Students will once again be able to interact with their professors and peers faceto-face, making classes more engaging and the content more digestible. Returning to a quiet, focused classroom will minimize distractions and increase access to a traditional learning environment. We’ll still have useful tools for meeting people and discussing class topics like Discord, but we’ll also be able to chat with the students sitting near us in lecture and make friends that way as well.

After spending a year having minimal contact with other people, we encourage students to put themselves out there and try something new, like joining a club or

an intramural sports team. No matter what your interests are, there’s a good chance someone has started a club for it. UC Davis has many student organizations geared toward different communities on campus, student interests and community service.

Everyone on the Editorial Board is excited to return to campus, but we’re also nervous. It’ll be weird to see so many people every day, and everyone’s small talk skills are a little rusty. Half of the students have never biked on campus before — the bike circles are going to be absolute chaos. There’s also uncertainty surrounding what will happen if a professor or student gets sick during the quarter.

We’re all excited to have fun this quarter, but it’s important to remember that the pandemic is ongoing. As of Sept.

4, 91% of the UC Davis community is fully vaccinated, and both the vaccinated and unvaccinated populations are required to get tested regularly, but breakthrough infections will still happen. Regulations from the UC Davis administration can only do so much—it’s vital for each of us

to take safety precautions seriously in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 on campus.

It’s completely valid to be concerned about going into our first quarter oncampus since the pandemic began. But this will be new for everyone: students, professors and administrators alike. No one is alone in being stressed about the upcoming school year, whether they’re worried about the pandemic, academic pressure, finding a friend group or all of the above. This quarter might be difficult and confusing at times, but it’ll be easier to get through it if we all support each other.

When you Google what makes UC Davis special or ask an alumnus what they love about UC Davis, one of the first things to come up is always how nice the people are.

UC Davis is known for being a welcoming community, and we hope its kindness will be as apparent as ever this quarter. It’s up to us to redefine our college experience and make this school year educational, safe and fun for everyone.

OMAR NAVARRO Sports Editor MICHELLE WONG Science & Tech Editor

KATHLEEN QUINN New Media Manager BENJAMIN CHENG Photo Director KATHERINE FRANKS Design Director JOELLE TAHTA Layout Director ANNE THISELTON-DYER Copy Chief SABINE LLOYD Copy Chief KESHAV AGRAWAL Website Manager ANTHONY NGUYEN Social Media Manager JOSHUA GAZZANIGA Distribution Manager JENNA HEATH Marketing Manager JELENA LAPUZ Outreach Director LAURIE PEDERSON Business Development Manager

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR From the 2021–22 Editor-in-Chief

Dear readers, Welcome — or welcome back — to the most glorious of college towns. Over the past year, my love for Davis has grown exponentially, and I am thrilled and grateful to be in the position as The California Aggie’s editor-in-chief to share that with you.

It should not come as a surprise that Forbes ranked our university as the fourth best public university in its America’s Top Colleges List. There is a lot that Davis has to offer, including top-tier academic programs, tight-knit student organizations and hands-on undergraduate research opportunities. And that’s not even mentioning the cows on campus, the sunset from Hutchison, the Davis Greenbelt, the Farmers Market and so much more.

As The Aggie’s editor-in-chief last year, I was lucky enough to witness the commitment of our staff during the pandemic. In a fully virtual year, we put in hours as staff writers, copy editors, layout artists, graphic designers, new media staffers, photographers and editors to keep the Davis community informed. As many of my peers at The Aggie hear me say on a regular basis, student journalism is vital and I deeply appreciate the collective effort that goes into putting together our newspaper.

In efforts to strengthen the way in which we serve our community, we’ve made some changes to The Aggie’s operations and I’m excited to build on them this year. To uphold our autonomy as a studentrun publication, we reformed the editor-in-chief selection process; the decision of who should lead our newspaper is now in the hands of The Aggie’s Editorial Board and senior staff. Since the creation of our Outreach and Engagement Board last year, we have held multiple hiring events, published our second annual diversity report and hired an outreach director starting this year. Throughout this year, we will further develop this position and continue to evaluate avenues for growth in terms of outreach.

My time at Davis has been shaped immensely by The Aggie — even in the few weeks before I joined as a volunteer staff writer in fall quarter of my first year. I recall the excitement of reading the paper cover-to-cover every Thursday and I invite you to do the same this year. We plan to resume our weekly print publication on Sept. 30, and as you navigate being on campus for the first time — or for the first time in over a year — you should take a moment to locate our newspaper racks.

When you read our paper, you will come across content from our campus news, city news, features, arts and culture, sports and science and technology desks as well as the opinion desk, which operates separately from the rest. Content from the opinion desk includes disclaimers to remind readers of its separation from other sections and that it does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions held by The Aggie.

Included in the opinion section are our editorials; I’d like to provide some context about them. The Editorial Board strives to provide nuanced opinions on issues that impact the student body, and these editorials reflect the board’s unanimously agreed upon opinions. Seven of this year’s members served on the board last year, and with our two new members, the 2021-22 Editorial Board’s nine members are ready to serve the community this year with grace and an understanding of our role on campus. This seems like a good place to also give a quick shoutout to Sabrina Habchi and Calvin Coffee, our 2021 Ed Board graduates who didn’t get a chance to see their names in print last year, and thank them for their many contributions to The Aggie.

I encourage you to peruse this Orientation Issue to find out more about all things Davis — be it a preview of our football season, information about events in Sacramento or details about our Best of Davis map project, you can find it here.

In my first letter from the editor a year ago, I wrote that we must continually ask how we can do and be better. Over this past year, I’ve realized that this comes in part from introspection and conversation within our newsroom, but also from feedback from you — our readers. If you have questions, comments or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach me at editor@theaggie.org.

Have a great year, and stay safe Aggies!

Anjini Venugopal Editor-in-Chief

6 | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

OPINION PEOPLE ARE NOT DEFINED BY THEIR MAJOR Think of a better question to ask new friends this quarter KATHERINE FRANKS / AGGIE

BY ALEX MOTAWI opinion@theaggie.org Meeting new people is never an easy task. I know that when I get thrust into new situations with completely different people, I tend to freeze up and resort to just a few basic questions.

However, when I look back on the conversations (because I’m that kind of person), I often come up with much better questions than my usual gotos. One of the most common go-to questions I’ve heard asked is “what is your major?” While it seems like a good question at first, I think it’s an overrated ask because it can stereotype people, it doesn’t reveal anything about their hobbies or mindset and it can embarrass others.

When I am trying to get to know someone better, I want to know about the activities they love doing. I want to hear about their passions and imagine myself learning to feel their passions as they do. I want to understand how they approach life to gauge whether we operate on the same wavelength and could be compatible as friends. I want to see a glimpse of their true self, just enough to leave me on a cliffhanger, excited to learn more about them in the future.

Many questions can lead to having an actual conversation or establishing rapport with someone compared to just exchanging pleasantries, but when I ask someone their

major, particularly newer students, I usually get an unenthusiastic answer. I’m not asking them something they are certain about—many people aren’t attached to their major. I’m not even asking them about something that brings them happiness. And when their major is different from mine, most conversations fizzle out or end the same way every time. A major is an unimportant and minuscule part of many peoples’ lives; instead, find a question that people will be happy to answer and which can spiral into more conversation than just a one-word answer.

Beyond being an extremely shallow question, asking someone their major could result in some people jumping to significant conclusions about others. Personally, I group people based on their majors, and while I’m striving to be better, I can draw a more accurate picture of someone without knowing their major in most cases. I know as a design major that I am a drastically different person than most of my classmates, but when I am asked my major, I get pigeon-holed into an identity I don’t belong with. I don’t want to be “Alex the design student.” I want to be “Alex, the creative, silly writer,” and most other students I have interacted with feel similarly about themselves. Many students wouldn’t want to be labeled as a person based on the eight lowerdivision credits of a major that they’ve taken—I and others want to be labeled as a more dynamic person with interests and hobbies.

While knowing a major can be a good gauge as far as shared classes go, wait to pop the question and decide if they fit you as a friend first. You don’t want to only associate with people in the same major as you anyway.

While this is less of an issue, some people are embarrassed to share their majors. When asked about my major at first, I was hesitant to respond because I felt like I was just picking something off a list, not something worth sharing with others. As someone who initially entered school as undeclared, which is more common than some may think at UC Davis, I absolutely dreaded being asked my major. I felt like I was looked down upon for not having an “actual major,” like there was a problem with me. Not to mention the people “armchair diagnosing” me with a major as you do from the couch when your favorite sports player gets hurt during a game.

While it was always done with good intentions, it would irritate me, as I would have rather talked about literally anything else. I would lie to people to avoid the “major guessing game” and condescending comments up until I chose a major.

Be careful about ascribing importance to just one word spoken by another, especially if they don’t seem passionate in their answer. There are many things better to ask that can teach you much more about a person.

Overall, asking a person their major is a dead

end question that doesn’t enrich conversation or invite longer answers. Most people tend to give one-word answers, and when their major is different from yours, most conversations fizzle out or end the same way every time.

Instead of asking people their majors at first sight, here are a couple of other questions to ask when you can’t think of what to say.

I like to ask people about sports. Many people watch or play some sort of sport and love to talk about it, so indulge them. Another favorite that seems silly at first but works well for me is to ask about what they want to be when they grow up. It is similar to the major question, but it evokes more of a dreamy feeling and allows someone to talk about something that excites them, which is great for conversation. Or lastly, ask them about something they enjoyed last weekend, over summer or on break. It’s a great way to see what matters to people and what they enjoy while providing insight regarding what to do with them in the future.

In the end, asking someone their major stifles conversation and isn’t that fun to answer, so go out on a limb and choose a different question to ask instead. You won’t regret it!

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

HUMOR

UC DAVIS HOUSING NOW LEAVES COMPLIMENTARY CANDLES SO ALL DORMS CAN EQUALLY SMELL LIKE COWS “Now you can get that cow smell in, but never out!”

BY IAN COSNER iacosner@ucdavis.edu When it comes to housing, students have plenty of options these days, but none of them quite smell like the Tercero dorms.

The irreplaceable, constant and pungent stench of bovine has been the secret ingredient that has kept the Tercero dorms at the top of popularity charts for years now. Every year, disappointed students are forced to live in Segundo, Cuarto and even the unkempt wasteland across the bridge known as West Village.

But fear not my friends, for UCD housing has heard our cries for the sweet aroma of black-and-white-speckled mammals and has graced us with a new exclusive “UCD Cow-Scented Candle” that is complimentary for every student living in the dorms.

Made by unpaid animal science interns using the leftover cow parts from the butchering process, these cow-scented candles allow you to enjoy the sweet, sweet smell of cow pies and dirt in your very own dorm. No matter how far you are from the Tercero cows, you’ll feel right at home with a little slice of Davis pride literally with you. In the candle. Because it’s made of cows. And probably horses too.

And don’t worry about setting off the smoke alarms with your new cud-chewing candles. UCD housing has dismantled every dorm room’s smoke alarm to make sure that students can enjoy as many candles as they want, 24/7 and 365 days a year. Have one burning while you work on that organic chemistry lab. Heck, maybe two, or three or 69? And when you need a pick-me-up after class, leave a couple lit in your room before you leave, and when you get back, your nostrils will feel like they’ve been shocked by a cattle prod of aromatic manure flavor.

Students have been just raving about their new candles, with many making remarks such as: “I love the new candles. Wearing a mask means that I don’t get to appreciate the cow smell that usually wafts over all of Davis during the day, but now that I’ve got a UCD Cow-Scented Candle, I come home everyday to a room filled to the brim with a thick, poignant whiff of cow.”

Another student added: “Yeah, the candles are nice, but ever since they took the smoke alarms down, the fire alarm has been running almost nonstop because people keep accidentally setting their stuff on fire. I haven’t slept in days, and I’m on a first-name basis with the local fire department—but hey, the dorms smell like cows at least.”

Make sure to get your candle today! Just sign in with your UC Davis ID at www.gunrocksstenchemporium.com for your new, complimentary candles and free removal of a smoke alarm of your choice.

Stay fragrant, Aggies!

IAN COSNER / AGGIE

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

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 | 7

CLASSES THAT ALL UNDERCLASSMEN SHOULD TAKE, ACCORDING TO UPPERCLASSMEN Three upperclassmen recommend their favorite classes for students returning to the in-person classroom this fall

BY LYRA FARRELL features@theaggie.org As new students arrive on campus for the first time and returning students come back after nearly two years of studying from home, some will be looking for interesting classes to overcome the academic slump experienced by many as a result of online learning. The following classes — which are ideal for those in need of general education (GE) credits or who just want to further explore their interests — have been recommended by three upperclassmen.

Aleshia Rose, a third-year communications major, recommended PSC 051 (Relationship Science: Lust, Love and Evolution). The class explores the scientific reasoning behind romantic attraction and how humans have evolved to crave romantic relationships.

Rose said that the class altered her perspective of the world of college dating, which she feels could be beneficial to younger students.

“A lot of people [aren’t in] relationships in high school and when they come to college, they start having relationships, so this class really helps figure out how to do that,” Rose said. “It gives you a deeper understanding of why people act the way they do in relationships and how relationships work.”

The class consists of four units, meets twice a week and is typically taught by professor Paul Eastwick, who has a rating of 4.6 out of 5 on the Rate My Professors website.

“I feel like it’s super applicable to college

KATHERINE FRANKS / AGGIE students and I learned so much that I can just apply to my daily life — I genuinely feel like the way I approach relationships has changed now that I know the psychology behind things,” Rose said.

Rose said that one of her favorite parts of the course was taking part in a recurring game that tested the compatibility of students’ and their past romantic partners’ zodiac signs to test the validity of astrology.

“[Professor Eastwick] would have someone volunteer their zodiac sign and their past partner’s zodiac sign and then he would read aloud the description for romance between the two,” Rose said. “Then you would have to guess if the description was actually between the two of you or if it was between two other signs.”

Noppakan Sirikul, a third-year mathematics major, recommended NUT 10 (Discoveries and Concepts in Nutrition), which was featured

in The Aggie’s “Best of Davis” issue as the best GE course multiple years in a row. Known as a popular choice for UC Davis students, the class covers basic nutrition concepts and takes a look into the role nutrition plays in health. Sirikul said the class gave her a better understanding of health and wellness as well as a very elementary overview on the science of our bodies.

“NUT 10 was one of my favorites, only because I feel like it’s something everybody should know,” Sirikul said. “I feel like it just taught me a lot about how we should eat, and a lot of stuff about my body.”

For those interested in the class, Sirikul recommended they take Professor Debbie Fetter, who she says was able to make complex concepts involving the human body fun and easy to learn.

“She’s just a gem,” Sirikul said. “I feel like everybody should get to have a professor like that in their lives because she was so enthusiastic — she even wore a tomato costume on Halloween.

She’s just so funny and made the information really digestible, quite literally, no pun intended.”

A second class recommended by Sirikul, ETX 20 (Introduction to Forensic Science), allows students to immerse themselves in historical criminal cases, putting themselves into the shoes of the investigators who worked on them.

“We would read about a case, for example the Yosemite murders,” Sirikul said.

FIRSTYEARCLASSES on 10

FUN THINGS TO DO IN SACRAMENTO: DAVIS’ BIG CITY SISTER Sometimes you just want to escape Davis for a day

BY CLARA FISCHER arts@theaggie.org With so many new students crowding campus this year, chances are you might be looking for an escape from the masses for a weekend. Luckily, UC Davis is just a stone’s throw away from Sacramento, a seemingly underrated gem that is also our state’s capital. If you’re a first-year or don’t have access to your own car, there are still many different ways to get there.

One option is taking YoloBus. There are several routes that stop at various locations across Sacramento (including the airport and the downtown area), and rides are free for UC Davis undergraduates who show their AggieCard. You can hop on the Amtrak train and head to the Sacramento station. There are also options for carpooling, such as the UC Davis Ride Sharing Facebook group. There’s hitching a ride from a trusted friend who has a car, and if all else fails, you could always call an Uber.

Once you’ve secured a way to get there, be sure to check out some of the events below.

B Street Theatre Supporting local theater is essential to keeping the arts scene thriving in a community. B Street Theatre, located at 2700 Capitol Ave in Sacramento, was originally created as a non-profit touring children’s company. They have since expanded to become a fixture of the Sacramento community, hosting a variety of live performances for audiences of all ages.

From Sept. 15 to Oct. 24, the venue will be hosting “Dance Nation” by Clare Barron. This 2019 Pulitzer Prize finalist follows a group of competitive dancers as they experience the trials and competitive nature of young adulthood. The themes seem to line up with many of the experiences college students encounter, so take a study break and enjoy the show!

SACEVENTS on 10

KATHERINE FRANKS / AGGIE

UC DAVIS ALUMNUS OPENS FIRST HOMEBASED RESTAURAUNT IN ALAMEDA COUNTY Akshay Prabhu, a pioneer in the home restaurant industry, discusses legalizing home restaurants, creating his app Foodnome and opening Bao House

BY LYRA FARRELL features@theaggie.org UC Davis alumnus Akshay Prabhu, who graduated in 2015, recently opened the first legal home restaurant in Alameda County: Bao House in Berkeley. He is also the founder of the app Foodnome, which certifies home cooks, allowing them to prepare, cook and sell their dishes to the public from their own home kitchens. As an undergraduate student at UC Davis, Prabhu studied neuroscience, but he said that he always had a passion for sharing his homemade bao buns with his community; he just did not see a cost-effective way to do so.

“I was [a neurobiology, physiology and behavior] major, and I really enjoyed it, but [...]

I’d always wanted to be in the food industry,” Prabhu said. “Sometimes it felt like it was harder to get into the food industry than it was to get into neuroscience for me.”

In an effort to break into the food industry, Prabhu first thought about renting out commercial space for a restaurant in Davis or elsewhere in Yolo County, but despite a small number of available spaces, the cost of rent and utilities the spaces would require made this an unrealistic aspiration for him. Prabhu decided to devise a more cost-efficient solution: a mobile food cart. During his third year at UC Davis, Prabhu was working at UC Davis’s Bike Barn, so he had access to leftover bike parts and decided to use them to build a bike-operated cart that he and a friend could sell steamed buns out of.

However, according to Prabhu, when he went to the Yolo County Health Department to get a business license, they gave him and his friend a list of requirements to meet.

“They were like, ‘You need a three-bin sink on the cart and every time you park, employees need access to the restroom’—it was all these crazy rules,” Prabhu said.

The California Aggie contacted the Yolo County Health Department via phone for comment and they did not respond as of July 27.

Even without the capacity to meet these expectations, Prabhu did not give up his dream of selling bao buns when he graduated from UC Davis. As an alumnus still living and working in Davis, he began to welcome community members into his garage for “pop-up dinners.”

“I was working at the UC Davis medical center [...], so I was just commuting to [Sacramento] and working half-time, and the other half-time I was running pop-up dinners,” Prabhu said. “I had this old redwood garage on Olive Drive [...], and I made a [do it yourself ] coffee shop and had people come by and study in the garage, and then we would have ‘pop-up dinners’ at night.”

As Prabhu’s operation gained popularity in the community, it was featured in an article, exposing it to the Yolo County Health Department, who promptly shut it down.

“The health department got wind of it and issued a cease and desist,” Prabhu said. “I [thought], ‘This health code is kind of broken.

How is someone supposed to start a restaurant or get into the industry if you don’t just suddenly have $300,000 for a loan to start a brick-andmortar?’”

Without the option of ‘pop-up dinners,’ Prabhu began to look into a law which allows cooks to operate restaurants from their own home kitchens.

BAOHOUSE on 10

Prabhu’s signature bao buns. (Bao House / Courtesy)

8 | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

A VISIT TO THE DAVIS CRAFT AND VINTAGE FAIR For two Sundays each month, Davis hosts a craft and vintage fair filled with local vendors, home made arts and crafts and hand-picked vintage clothing

BY ANGIE CUMMINGS arts@theaggie.org

The Davis Craft and Vintage Fair in Davis, CA. (Quinn Spooner / Aggie) If you’re worried about getting a case of the Sunday scaries this fall, take solace in the fact that on the first and third Sunday of each month, you can head over to the Craft and Vintage Fair. It is easy to spend plenty of time (and money) on jewelry, cute art prints, affordable vintage clothes, candles and so much more. This bi-monthly event takes place right in Central Park, essentially replacing the food and produce tents from Saturday’s farmers market with those of local artists and vendors, while providing an equally social and relaxing atmosphere.

With the addition of vintage clothing and accessories to the craft fair, there really is an incredibly wide range of items to browse.

According to Debra Ariola, a volunteer at the fair and vendor of vintage jewelry, since adding vintage sellers there has been a very different feel to the fair.

“Inclusivity is big [...] It used to be super

selective about who got to sell, but now we just want people to succeed,” Ariola said.

Walking down the long aisle of tents and tables, it is clear to see the inclusivity, with brand new vendors selling alongside seasoned professionals. Jazlyn Vy, a fourth year sustainable agriculture and food systems major at UC Davis, has been selling her homemade candles and crystals at the fair for just two months. Vy, who had previously been a customer of the craft fair, decided to fill out the online application and since then has been thoroughly enjoying the chance to sell her work in person in addition to online.

“It’s definitely super social even just with the other vendors. We all chat and get to buy each other’s stuff,” Vy said.

The craft fair is a great place to meet up with friends and shop, or just to head out on your own and look for the perfect piece of decor for your

wall, a truly unique piece of clothing or even to go chat with the friendly vendors and customers.

Rhiana Rutherford, a third year neurobiology, physiology and behavior major, has been making an effort to visit the craft fair more ever since she learned of it her first year in Davis. The craft fair can easily become a fun ritual on Sundays, or even just a good excuse to get up and out of your room.

“The first thing I bought at the craft fair were some cute fruit earrings, actually starting a chain of me buying fruit themed earrings for a while,” Rutherford said.

Because the vendors are all local and most often the faces of their own small businesses, there really is no guilt in treating yourself to a treasure found at the craft fair. According to Ariola, the true showrunner, the fair currently has more Davis vendors than ever before.

Showcasing how local this fair really is are

vendors Anahi (@anaromasco) and Adele (@ junellajewels), who were born and raised here in Davis and now sell homemade candles and jewelry, respectively. While they have just recently started vending at the fair, they fit right in with the rest of the crowd, displaying their beautifully made crafts under a shared white tent.

“I have a focus on calming vibes,” Anahi said of her candles—each one concentrating on aiding a certain aspect of the user’s mental wellbeing.

More details or information on the Davis Craft and Vintage Fair can be found on their Facebook page (@SquareTomatoesDavis), and if you make it to the next one, be sure to take the time to check out all the different amazing vendors and local art.

THE ORIGINS OF STREAMING Watching strangers play video games has never been so chic

BY JACOB ANDERSON arts@theaggie.org As is more or less standard with ubiquitous internet phenomena, the idea of streaming — that is, broadcasting oneself playing a video game with live commentary and in many cases an awkward 1:1 block in one corner of the screen displaying the gamer’s possibly adenoidal face as they play — owes itself to the Something Awful forums, the Golgotha of Slenderman and funny animals pictures and today’s memes as we know them.

In their original form, Let’s Plays (LPs) were screenshot-supplemented text narrations of a user’s playthrough of a given game, comprising humorous commentary on the user’s experiences and the game’s general content. As the name Let’s Play suggests, the intention was that other users could offer their own commentary and in some instances suggest or vote on what the LP’s author should do in-game as they progressed. In his book “Videogames,” James Newman places the origin of the LP around 2005 (a year before YouTube came online, just before it would dominate the Internet as the primary place to share video content), where a Something Awful thread that no longer exists, having become one of the many victims of poor archival habits in the early days of the internet, took the title “Let’s Play The Oregon Trail.” From there it took only months for the LP to become a forum standard.

It was natural then that as YouTube swelled to prominence that the LP should take the shape that the text-and-screenshot form was supposed to imitate anyway and substitute the oral for the written. The one to make that ordained leap was a user known as slowbeef, who in 2007 uploaded a video playthrough of 1990’s “The Immortal” complete with commentary delivered through an inexpensive, buzzing microphone. From there the LP expanded to constitute a whole genre of YouTube, with thousands of videos being uploaded daily.

The appeal, it’s commonly said, is that a solid personality can transform a Let’s Play from simple footage of someone playing a video game to “Mystery Science Theater 3000”-esque metaentertainment: the game serves as a backdrop and a catalyst for humor and stimulating discussion, but in practice the ease of making these videos quickly led to complete saturation, and those few truly grabbing personalities found themselves awash in innumerable imitators.

Even the development of editing techniques which eliminated dead air and created smoother, better-structured videos failed to properly stratify creators. As technology improved and entry costs fell lower and lower, total audience volume shrunk and the masses of LPers found themselves fighting denser competition for a smaller prize.

This pattern has seen repetition in many genres of YouTube video: makeup tutorials, fast food reviews, sundry mortally dangerous challenges, etc. Most recently and visibly the so-called Video Essay bubble has reached titanic heights, with now as many cheap analyses of

comic book movies as there were once Let’s Plays.

The truth of the matter is that the real appeal of the Let’s Play was always analogous to that of the podcast and most viewed them the same way—that is, usually listening rather than watching. While this wasn’t an issue per se, it did mean that the format was prone to a sort of upgrade, basically waiting to be upped by a more efficient double. When Twitch launched in June of 2011, the identity of such an upgrade became clear.

While the Let’s Play was limited prior to late 2010 by YouTube’s suffocating 10/15 minute time limit on videos — which forced creators to split Let’s Plays into tens or even hundreds of tiny parts — and a certain distance between the creator and viewer inherent to pre-recorded video, Twitch’s live audience chat and streams of unlimited length provided an upgrade for both creators (in the form of simpler distribution: no need to edit footage or fight dozens of copyright strikes) and viewers.

The presence of the chat also allowed streamers to develop personal relationships with their audience in a way more direct than the LP: while some LPers would read comments from previous videos and address the audience in a familiar way, they did not have access to the streamer’s repertoire of live-and-personal interaction tactics such as donation messages and chat polls. A sense of camaraderie and community grown around a central figure is the goal of most streamers, not unlike it is for a pastor or group therapist.

(The fact that developing a simulated friendship with the viewer is an essential goal for these formats is worthy of note. Getting the audience socially attached is the easiest way to ensure their repeated viewership, but of course it poses sticky questions about the morality of encouraging attachments with entertainment figures that could potentially take the place of real friendships in the lives of suggestible viewers.

Some forms of more traditional entertainment are not exempt from these questions either.)

By 2014, Twitch averaged nearly 300,000 concurrent viewers, a number that had sprouted another zero by mid-2020 as billions locked inside their homes turned to the intimate light of monitors.

Twitch’s viewership numbers have allowed the creation of thousands of micro-celebrities in the fashion of YouTube and other social media, with all the attendant consequences for both the streamer and their audience.

Most Let’s Players focused on single-player games, whereas prominent streamers have drawn toward multiplayer games, in which viewers can compare their own gameplay and potentially play alongside their idol of choice. One reason for this may be that multiplayer games, in their lacking the story and linear context of single-player games, allow the viewer to shift focus away from the stream whenever they like without sacrificing comprehension.

VIDEOGAMES on 10

KATHERINE FRANKS / AGGIE

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 | 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 06/03/2021

CROSSWORD Answer to previous puzzle 06/03/2021

reduce. reuse. recycle.

The aggie

10 | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

BREAKINGBARRIERS

OLYMPICS

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Third-year human biology major Erica Chiu is matched with a 91-year-old woman, who, much like Ta’s partner, doesn’t let age act as a barrier to her ambitions.

“My partner is 91, and she is still actively looking for jobs, so I was able to help her with making a resume because she didn’t know how to do that,” Chiu said. “I asked her to tell me her past experiences and then I made it for her and sent it over.”

One thing Chiu wishes her generation had in common with the older generations is a similarly unbounded mindset toward the possibilities one’s future can hold, no matter the age.

“I see that they have such a passion to continue improving themselves,” Chiu said.

“We probably have this mindset of, ‘I’m going to retire at 60 or 70,’ but even though they’re at that age already, they still want to continue improving themselves and keeping up with society.”

Ta said that as he has formed a friendship with his partner, his outlook on his own life “timeline” has changed.

“We always talk about, ‘When is it time to stop?’ and for her, the answer is ‘never,’” Ta said.

“She goes on about, ‘I’m still trying to travel to this place, learn from this person, I’m still trying to work.’ I used to think, ‘Once you’re over 50, you should probably think about retiring,’ [...] but after meeting her, 72, still actively trying to improve herself, [...] it kind of extends my frame of life.”

Desmond Cheung, a third-year biochemistry

and molecular biology major, noticed that when the club was successful, there came a point at which elderly partners no longer needed technological assistance.

“I’m pretty sure some of our volunteers are [having the experience] where you actually help them to the point where they don’t need much help anymore, and then what do we do from there? It’s just trying to maintain a relationship as their friends,” Cheung said.

In Chiu’s experience with her partner, the relationship they’ve formed often feels familial.

“It’s nice to have a bond with her because personally, I don’t have a great relationship with my grandparents and so it’s really nice to have her as kind of my partner and mentor sometimes,” Chiu said. “I remember one time, before we got off the phone, I was saying bye to her and I think she accidentally said ‘Oh, love you,’ to me.”

After originally joining Breaking Barriers to offer companionship to isolated seniors, Ta came to realize that the benefits of forming a friendship across generations is beneficial to both parties.

“We just want to get the message across to older adults that it’s not a barrier that only you’re dealing with,” Ta said. “Even our generation faces [technological] barriers, and we want to get through it, not just by ourselves but with the older generation because they’re going to need it just as much as we do.”

This story was originally published on Aug. 25, 2021.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 been cooking [through] Foodnome full-time and they’re [...] able to support themselves, pay their rent and mortgage,” Prabhu said.

In one case, a cook was awarded money to rent his own commercial space when his food became popular in his community due to Foodnome legalizing his home restaurant.

“We have one cook who has been so successful [...] that his local city gave him a $25,000 grant to start a brick-and-mortar. It’s been a cool way for communities to build, for people to know their neighbors—the cooks have been making $25 to $45 an hour, and [it’s] all family-operations,” Prabhu said.

Some families, according to Prabhu, now rely on Foodnome as a source of income.

“We have a lot of parents that have adult children with autism that have to stay at home to take care of their kids and family, so they can’t get work in a more traditional sense,” Prabhu said.

“By being able to have people come to them and serve food from their house, they can make an income while still being able to take care of their family, so I think that’s pretty special.”

According to Prabhu, after his long involvement in the movement for the legalization of home-based restaurants, he doesn’t plan on reentering the field of science.

“Realistically, I’ll probably stay in this world,” Prabhu said. “I think if I had graduated high school and I could have done anything, it probably would have been starting a restaurant, and this is kind of close to that. Helping other people start restaurants and also running my own restaurant feels ideal to me.”

As of now, Riverside, Solano and Alameda counties have signed onto AB-626. On July 1, 2021, Prabhu opened his own home restaurant, Bao House, in Berkeley, where he now lives. Bao House is currently open on Friday afternoons and offers bao buns, curry and sides.

“It was a pretty surreal experience,” Prabhu said. “It felt like a cumulation of so much time and effort and working. I grew up in the Bay Area so it’s kind of cool to be able to do this in my home county. I’m super grateful and excited for the future.”

This story was originally published on Jul. 16, 2021.

Hawaii, while Hogland-Watanabe’s brother traveled to Tokyo and quarantined for 14 days only to be turned away because of Covid-19 restrictions.

Les said an existing thumb injury prevented Hogland-Watanabe from frequently playing at UC Davis, but his former coach is supportive of Hogland-Watanabe’s future professional career.

“I do believe his best basketball is ahead of him because he continues to mature and I think building his skillset and the hard work he puts in is going to make him an awfully good pro in Japan,” Les said.

This story was originally published on Aug. 16, 2021.

SACEVENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 World’s Worst Expo For those with an interest in fashion and a love of thrifting, the World’s Worst Expo is the perfect event. This vintage market is free for entry and features vendors selling vintage clothing finds, jewelry, food and more. Most are local businesses, so if supporting and shopping local is important to you, the World’s Worst Expo would be a great choice for your next weekend trip. This is a semi-regular event, so be sure to check their Instagram to find out when the next event will be taking place.

Midtown Farmers Market The Davis Farmers Market is a cult favorite among the Davis community and for good

BAOHOUSE “I found out about this law, AB-626, which the COOK Alliance—a non-profit based around Oakland—was working on, and I contacted them,” Prabhu said. “I kind of turned into a lobbyist overnight.”

From that point on, Prabhu would go back and forth between his work at the medical center and the State Capitol to lobby for AB-626 to pass.

“I’d just go up and down and sometimes I’d bring some other cooks with me and we’d try to talk to people,” Prabhu said. “We held a few rallies and then we got the bill passed which was super exciting; and then I was like, ‘Oh man, maybe I can finally start doing this legally in Yolo County.’”

Since the law passed in California, Prabhu and some fellow cooks began to think about other ways that they could make an impact in the world of home restaurants. “[AB626] was featured nationally on [National Public Radio] and it started getting a lot of press and so we got enough traction where Riverside County passed the law,” Prabhu said.

“Me and a few of my friends were sitting around and were like, ‘Hey, we passed this law [...]— maybe we can build a business helping cooks start home-based restaurants,’ and that was the birth of Foodnome.”

Prabhu and his friends moved to Riverside after signing onto a sublet from UC Riverside students and began trying to build a clientele.

“We started looking for people who wanted to start home restaurants down there, and started building a community and [tried] to figure out what the needs of home cooks are. [Ultimately], we built an app, a marketplace for them to run their businesses,” Prabhu said.

Foodnome is “the first legal marketplace for home-based restaurants,” according to its website, and has both a system for certifying home cooks to operate restaurants from their homes and a platform for ordering home-cooked meals from certified restaurants. According to Prabhu, the positive impact of Foodnome has been especially apparent to cooks affected by COVID-19.

“A lot of cooks were laid off and a lot of caterers left their work, so we have a lot of people who are former restaurateurs or line cooks or even just stay-at-home parents who have basically

“He’s got a good fan base here on campus with his coaches and teammates who are wishing him well, and now we’ll be following his progress in the Japanese pro league.”

Japan was eliminated from the 12-team tournament prior to the medal rounds, and Hogland-Watanabe did not play. Hogland said it was frustrating that coaches chose to bench Hogland-Watanabe.

“The craziest thing was that Hugh was an ameteur when he got there,” Hogland said.

“Every other member of the Olympic basketball 12 teams that were there were pro. Hugh was the only amatuer, and he was the only guy that did not play a minute.”

Hogland watched the games from a bar in

reason: the weekly event features a sprawling set of vendors selling everything from avocado toast to local apple juice (a must-try Davis staple).

However, if you’re looking to shake things up and see some new scenery while you make your weekly produce run, head over to the Midtown Farmers Market in Sacramento. Taking place on 20th street every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Midtown Association describes the event as “a lively and fun gathering place where Sacramentans can come together to shop and enjoy the community with neighbors and visitors alike.” The market showcases a variety of local vendors and promises to be a fun switch up from your weekly trip to the beloved “farmar.”

FIRSTYEARCLASSES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 “We would analyze the evidence that was found [...] and say, ‘OK, knowing this information, what would a cop or investigator do? That was just really fun, it was basically the stuff you see in TV shows.”

Sirikul took ETX 20 with Professor Matthew Wood, who has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 on Rate My Professors. The class is three units.

After taking GSW 50 (Introduction to Critical Gender Studies) as a GE in her sophomore year, fourth-year Emily Htway decided to add a second major in gender, sexuality and women’s studies in addition to her major in neurobiology, physiology and behavior. The class gives insight into basic feminist theories, teaches the histories of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, police brutality, and cases of ethical abuse in medical studies.

“At the time, I was just pre-med and I was taking it as a GE and then I was able to study

medicine in a feminist lens,” Htway said. “I ended up doing a project on incarcerated pregnant women and how the prison industrial complex really just screws women over and does not value human life.”

According to Htway, her instructor for the class, Professor Anna Ward, presented a very nonpartisan perspective of gender studies that she found refreshing. Ward has a rating of 4.7 out of 5 on Rate My Professors.

“She introduced the class [by saying], “‘Yes, women and gender studies is a polarizing field in and of itself, but feminism is not something that is for only one side.’” Htway said. “She really explained that feminism is not something that should be tokenized as something that only belongs to the left, rather, it’s a discipline in itself and you can use that to study anything.”

VIDEOGAMES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 Streaming is supposed to serve as low-voltage entertainment to be viewed on and off while doing other things — a sort of TV-lite without the incessant advertising (mostly) and hunger for the viewer’s complete attention.

So there’s today: streaming’s upward swing, stumbling slightly in the ebb of COVID-19

restrictions, has probably not yet achieved its apogee. The slimming of television viewership reflects nicely the growth of internet-based entertainment, and avenues like streaming offer consumers more control than traditional media ever has. If you like to watch strangers play video games, the world is yours.

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021 | 11

SCIENCE AND TECH FOUR UC DAVIS STUDENTS DETAIL THEIR EXPERIENCE CONDUCTING RESEARCH ON CAMPUS From working at the UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain to the UC Davis Medical Center, students are engaged in STEM research across the board

BY AARYA GUPTA science@theaggie.org AGGIE FILE

According to the 2021 University of California Accountability Framework, 34% of university-wide seniors reported assisting faculty in conducting research. Research is an integral part of UC Davis, and students have the opportunity to receive hands-on research experience.

Since November 2020, Dua Haryanawalla, a third-year majoring in psychology, has been an undergraduate research assistant at the Mangun Laboratory for Neural Mechanisms of Attention, located in the UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain.

“I had experience before doing research,” Haryanawalla said.

“But, it was a different kind of experience. It wasn’t one where I was working in the lab. I really wanted to gain that experience because it aligns with my major. I wanted to see if research was something I wanted to pursue going forward.”

Haryanawalla landed this position through a friend who connected her to a graduate student looking to recruit an undergraduate student position in their lab.

“My friend had already joined a position in the laboratory,” Haryanawalla said. “I was telling him how I wanted to do research, and I had reached out to professors [outside of UC Davis], and haven’t heard back from many. [I thought] maybe it would be better if [I reached out] within the university.”

Haryanawalla is analyzing data sets from recordings of the electroencephalogram (EEG) and the responses evoked by them, called event-related potentials (ERPs).

“MATLab is a programming tool that we use to analyze EEG and ERP trials, which is a type of data set we collect,” Haryanawalla said. “The focus of this research is to monitor attention span.”

Haryanawalla said that before coming into this position, she was familiar with Python, a programming language which she had learned through ECS 32A: “Introduction to Programming,” but she didn’t have much hands-on experience. However, she emphasized that she was ready to learn, and that’s what Haryanawalla has been doing with MATLab through this position ever since.

Fourth-year cognitive science major Shefali Bhagath is working six to nine hours a week as an undergraduate research assistant at the Memory and Development Lab, led by principal investigator Dr. Simona Ghetti, which is also housed in the Center for Mind and Brain.

One day, Bhagath stumbled across her research opportunity at the Memory and Development Lab when viewing a newsletter sent by the Department of Psychology via email.

“At the [Memory and Development Lab], we run a longitudinal study with children,” Bhagath said. “We bring them into our lab, play with them to get them adjusted and then we run our studies — which are a bunch of little games and tasks in a few rooms within our lab. I also do database input. We take all of their information from the surveys that we have the parents fill out, and we go ahead and put it into spreadsheets.”

Bhagath is also simultaneously working at the UC Davis Medical Center in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine.

“I am a premedical student. I wanted some more type of clinical research, since [my work at the Memory and Development Lab] isn’t clinical research,” Bhaghat said.

To find this opportunity, Bhaghat scrolled through job

opportunities on Handshake.

At the UC Davis Medical Center, Bhagath runs a variety of studies inside the operating room and inside the ICU units at the hospital. Bhagath said her success stems from foundational skills — like strong communication and willingness to do whatever is at hand — which she refined through her position as a dance coach in high school.

“You can pull these types of skills, from any type of extracurricular you’ve ever done in your life,” Bhagath said.

“It doesn’t have to be just skills you think are only required for research. There are so many interpersonal skills that go into research because you are working with peers, graduate students, professors and doctors.”

Bhagath said that the skills that she’s gathered through these research positions propelled her to gain leadership positions in clubs like Women in Science Society at UC Davis.

Similar to Bhagath, third-year neurobiology, physiology and behavior major Rebecca Chu wanted to find a research opportunity that would integrate patient interaction.

“I wasn’t really particular as to which department or which lab [I wanted to work in],” Chu said. “I applied to whatever interested me. I knew I didn’t want to just do data analysis. I wanted [my research] to involve patient interaction.”

Last spring quarter, Chu joined the UC Davis Medical Center’s Division of Infectious Diseases as an undergraduate research assistant.

“One of the main studies that I am doing right now is related to COVID-19,” Chu said. “I help the study coordinator screen patients; for each study there is a requirement for what type of patient we can take [for clinical studies] and what type of patient we can’t take. We get to see their chart on the computer and go through the protocol.”

Now, Chu is able to comprehensively read patient charts and watch her research coordinator interact with the patients enrolled in the clinical study.

Third-year double major in French and neurobiology, physiology and behavior Margo Le is working in the Center of Immunology and Infectious Diseases as an undergraduate student researcher, under principal investigator Dr. Nicole Baumgarth.

“For me, I’ve always been more interested in the research side,” Le said. “I want to go toward the graduate/Ph.D. course after my Bachelors. At first, I just wanted to get a look at what research consisted of and have an idea of what I could be getting myself into to decide to go to academics. That’s why I looked at some of the research labs here.”

Le said that since joining, she has learned techniques for working with in vivo mice and how to use enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

“Dr. Baumgarth’s lab works on the different aspects of immunology, including [what would happen” if we take one aspect out, and how that would influence the immune response,” Le said.

“The grad student that I am working under is working on the FCMR. She works with transgenic mice to see how it would affect its response to the influenza virus.”

At the beginning, Le was completing basic tasks like paperwork.

Now, she is doing a part of Dr. Baumgarth’s project.

“She trusts me enough to do actual lab work by myself without her being there,” Le said. “It comes with time.”

Haryanawalla, Bhagath, Chu and Le all agree on one thing: taking a chance on research has enriched their academic experiences on the UC Davis campus.

HOW A MAJOR CAN INFORM A CAREER RATHER THAN DEFINE IT A professor, a journalist and a Ph.D. student all explore how anthropology has played a role in getting them to where they are today

BY SONORA SLATER science@theaggie.org It’s a rite of passage for every college student to reach the point where reciting the classic introduction — name, year, major and what they want to do with their degree — becomes second nature. Some majors, which were created to lead students down a specific career path, make the last question easier, while others focus on broader interests. However, the skills and perspectives taught in any field of study can be applicable to more than just the life path most commonly associated with it.

This is especially true for the anthropology major, with UC Davis anthropology graduates going on to work in law, marketing, UX design, journalism and more.

“For me, anthropology’s holism is one of the things that’s so attractive about the discipline,” Jeffrey Kahn, an associate professor in the Department of Anthropology at UC Davis, said via email. “It’s true that anthropologists, like all academics, emphasize certain phenomena over others. That’s inevitable. But anthropology has a remarkable freedom to it in terms of what one can explore.”

Kahn went on to give an example from his own experience working as a legal anthropologist in both the U.S. and Haiti.

“This allows me [...] to look at legal disputes in a U.S. immigration court but also religious practices in Haiti,” Kahn said. ”Things start getting really exciting when one begins to see how the two are interrelated.”

Kahn elaborated on how anthropology ties into law, referencing the way “language works to produce legal authority,” as well as the way “legal frameworks reinforce inequalities.”

According to Kahn, another essential aspect of legal anthropology is self-skepticism.

“Anthropology’s critical stance is so important here,” Kahn said. “Legal anthropologists are deeply skeptical of law’s grounding of its own authority in universal reason. We historicize legal claims and, through our ethnographic fieldwork, closely examine how laws on the books play out

in practice. When you approach a topic with this kind of critical empiricism, it makes it easier to start thinking in terms of alternatives to the status quo.”

Grace-Lynn Bridges, a recent UC Davis graduate who majored in psychology and will return to UC Davis to earn her doctorate in anthropology, mentioned a similar respect for the field’s lack of objective truth.

“I love psychology. I grew up loving psychology,” Bridges said. “But psychology in science presents itself as truth. Anthropology admits when it was wrong. I can get behind something that has the humility to admit the times it was wrong.”

Bridges went on to give an example of a time that she saw this concept come to life for other students.

“I operate in examples,” Bridges said. “I took a medical anthropology class. We have all these science majors coming in. They’re all pre-med, they know everything about biology. Because that’s their focus, they haven’t been centered around their human perspective and themselves but books and facts, and they’ve been taught to take what’s given to them as truth. By the end of the class, they were questioning that truth.”

Manasa Gogineni, a recent UC Davis graduate with a minor in anthropology and experience working both in marketing and journalism, described how this atmosphere of always being willing to learn and change helped her develop a more empathetic perspective.

“More than any other discipline, anthropology is not black and white,” Gogineni said. “If you try to think that way, you just won’t get it. You move away from the mindset of this is right, and this is wrong—you’re not necessarily agreeing with them, but you’re putting in the effort to understand their perspective. You develop your own understanding of the world.”

Bridges explained that the way she thinks of it, anthropology does away with “binaries.”

“It makes you question the normal,” Bridges

said. “And when you decenter normal versus abnormal, it allows space for you to operate in empathy.”

Gogineni experienced this same tendency toward empathy. She also believed that the field of study improved her communication skills — both highly valuable tools in marketing and journalism, as well as just in life.

Kahn discovered the wide applicability of anthropology as he went, being originally unsure of what he would do with his degree.

“It ended up being useful when I worked in public health after I graduated and in the legal work that I did as well,” Kahn said. “I ultimately opted to pursue academic anthropology as a career, but that combination of critical empiricism and humanistic awareness is valuable in whatever one does.”

Meanwhile, Bridges, who did her undergraduate honors thesis on “issues of slavery, race, and the narratives surrounding the black body,” explained why ethnography drew her in to pursue this method of research after graduation.

“I am Black and I love being Black, and I am a woman and I love being a woman, but that is not all I am,” Bridges said. “I’m an artist. So, you mix all the colors, and you get black, but you have to remember all the colors that went into that. Equating someone to a number doesn’t represent a life. There’s more voice in a story, we can learn more from a story, and that’s what ethnography allows.”

Bridges offered some final reflections on anthropology and on how individual pursuits and broad, global academia are intertwined.

“It’s a constant state of learning,” Bridges said, “about myself, about the world. And if you’re learning about the world, you’re learning about yourself too. Maybe that’s the psychology in me, but I can’t disconnect them.”

Grace-Lynn Bridges, a recent UC Davis graduate who is returning to UC Davis to earn a doctorate in anthroplogy, spoke on how the field led her to the path she is on today. (Grace-Lynn Bridges / Courtesy)

12 | THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

SPORTS UC DAVIS FOOTBALL IS FULL STEAM The highly ranked Aggies’ impressive start to the season shows their improvements from the spring, but what awaits them will not come easily

BY OMAR NAVARRO sports@theaggie.org The UC Davis Football team’s season has started off with its fair share of fireworks — putting itself at the forefront of college football. The road it took to get to this point has been one that has required a lot of continuity among the coaching staff and the players. The early results seem to be an indicator of the work it took to get to this point.

“We have great culture and leadership that I’m really proud of,” UC Davis Football head coach Dan Hawkins said of his team. “I love being around [this team]. They work hard and love each other.

They’re great Aggies.”

Of course, UC Davis — like a lot of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) — did not suit up last fall to play their normal season and instead opted to play a shortened version in the spring along with a few other teams in the Big Sky Conference. In a total of five games, the Aggies went 3-2 with both losses coming to Eastern Washington and Weber State — teams that would go on to play in the FCS Playoffs. Nonetheless, the ability to play some kind of football in the spring instead of going almost two years without game action is something that the team coveted heading into this fall season.

“I think game action helps everybody,” said Hawkins. “Football is one of those funny sports where you practice a bunch but you don’t always get game action. There are many situations that arise that you need to learn from. I think for all of our guys because of the preparation aspect there’s this higher level of confidence about their own ethicacy.”

The spring games took the place of practice that you would see in a regular year. For a lot of younger players or players that had seen limited to no game action, the spring time was a perfect spot to gain more live action experience and practice their reps in game situations. One of those players who looked to take advantage of those live game reps was junior starting quarterback Hunter Rodrigues. Having battled out the quarterback competition in the spring following the departure of UC Davis all-time great quarterback Jake Maier (who is now lighting up the Canadian Football League), Rodrigues looks to get even better this fall.

“I think we really took advantage of the extra games we had in spring,” said Rodrigues. “Especially for me being the new quarterback, I was able to get some real game reps that will come in handy for this fall. I think a lot of young guys were able to play and step up in real gametime situations where we wouldn’t have had that in a regular spring.”

Overall, it served as an experience much needed for a lot of the players at UC Davis during uncertain times.

“I was just thankful that we got to play [in the spring],” said redshirt freshman quarterback Trent Tompkins. “It was really cool because we never knew [during COVID-19] what was going to happen. It just felt really good to get the confirmation to go out there and be able to play someone other than ourselves.”

Right off the bat, the Aggies were tested at the start of the fall season. Traveling to Tulsa, Oklahoma, UC Davis took on the FBS Tulsa Golden Hurricanes, who were coming off one of their better years last season. In front of over 15,000 fans in attendance, the Aggies looked to become the first FCS team to knock off an FBS team in 2021. Entering the game as a 23.5 point underdog, many did not see UC Davis as a threat to Tulsa. However, that changed quickly after the game began on Sept. 2, as the Aggies jumped out

to a 7-0 lead on their first offensive drive culminating in a 12 yard touchdown reception by tight end McCallan Castles.

The UC Davis defense’s mix of veteran leadership and athletic personnel stood strong against the Golden Hurricanes, stifling them in the first half as they entered deadlocked at 10. In the third quarter, however, it seemed as though Tulsa would prove to be too much for UC Davis, enforcing their will in the running game and passing game. But, the UC Davis defense and their timely stops kept the game at 17-16 with 10:58 left in the game.

As the Golden Hurricanes began driving in hopes of extending their lead, senior linebacker Cole Hansen’s clutch interception and return gave the Aggies the ball back deep in Tulsa territory with a chance to take the lead. After failing to score a touchdown, they opted for another field goal and junior kicker Isaiah Gomez saw his fourth of the night go through the uprights to give his team a 19-17 lead.

A tense crowd in Tulsa, Oklahoma watched as their Golden Hurricanes now had 7:29 left to retake the lead. They drove down the field and got it down to the UC Davis 12 yard line. As they were knocking on the door of the endzone, a major hit by sophomore defensive back Chris Venable jarred the ball loose and through the back of the endzone, unbelievably giving the Aggies the ball back. A mix of running and quick passes was all UC Davis needed to never give the ball back again, and kneel for the victory. The thrilling win by UC Davis marked just their third win against an FBS opponent in school history after previously beating Stanford and San Jose State.

“It was really a case of our coaches, players and everyone on our staff buying into the little things,” Hawkins said following the win. “It was really about us and trying to play clean and be the best version of ourselves. That’s really what we focused on. There were a lot of meaningful lessons that came out of it and that to me is the most gratifying.”

Their next opponent came from in-state, and it was the University of San Diego Toreros. Having last played them in 2019 and riding a five game winning streak against the Toreros, the Aggies looked to continue their streak. Right from the start, UC Davis proved to be too much for San Diego as they jumped out to a 22-0 lead at halftime. With Rodrigues cooking at the quarterback position and the defense once again showing no cracks, the Aggies were rolling.

They added two more touchdowns in the third quarter before the Toreros got on the scoreboard late in the third quarter. To cap off the afternoon, redshirt freshman Trent Tompkins added two touchdowns of his own, one via a run and another in an 85-yard punt return, to finish off the 53-7 UC Davis win.

Rodrigues has used the game experience he garnered from the spring to his advantage, lighting up the box score in both games with 311 and 322 yards passing respectively and five total touchdowns in the first two games. With contributions from seniors Jared Harrell, Khris Vaughn and the entire offensive staff, Rodrigues has settled in as the starter. In their home opener, the Aggies will host the new member of the Western Athletic Conference Dixie State on Sept. 18. That will be their final non conference game before they begin the brutal stretch of Big Sky Conference games. Entering the season, they were ranked sixth in both the Big Sky Media and Coaches Polls.

Their first conference game will be in Ogden, Utah against the Weber State Wildcats on Sept. 25 — a team they are all too familiar with. In the spring, the Wildcats defeated UC Davis 18-

UC Davis Health Stadium. (Aggie File) 13 and also beat them in fall of 2019. One of the premier teams in the FCS, this game could mean much more down the road depending on the outcome. The following week on Oct. 2, they will host Idaho, another team they faced in the spring and also visit Pocatello, Idaho to play the Idaho State Bengals, who they edged out in the final seconds of their spring game in March of this year.

As they make their return home on Oct. 16, UC Davis will host Northern Colorado — a team they have beat their last two times they faced them — in their Homecoming Game. Their last four conference games will be split between home and away, but the home games may turn out to be crucial.

On Oct. 23 and Nov. 6, they will visit both Cal Poly and Northern Arizona as they gear up for what could be the most important games of the season. Depending on how the chips fall, their last two games — hosting Eastern Washington (Nov. 13) and Causeway Classic rival Sacramento State (Nov. 20) — could turn out to be big indicators of the season they want to have. Still, having both games at UC Davis Health Stadium could be factors that could change these close matchups.

Overall, the last two years have been a rollercoaster for UC Davis football and all of the world as well. Although the team still must wear masks and be careful outside of practice, the feeling this fall is more of what they are used to. The uncertainty of what awaited the team was something that could be hard to grasp for most teams, but the veteran and upperclassmen leadership within this ball club plus the return of the Aggie faithful could be what ends up being the difference this ongoing fall season as the Aggies hope to get back to the FCS Playoffs.

“Our leaders have been here for a while and going through that fall and spring not knowing what was going to happen, they helped us focus on the grind of everyday and not worry about what the future held,” said Rodrigues. “The leaders on the team did a good job of that and got us prepared for whatever came.”

“The biggest thing [upperclassmen] bring is confidence,” said Tompkins. “But [since March 2020] not taking anything for granted has been the biggest thing. Being able to play with your friends, being able to play such a great game. Not being able to play in the fall was tough. We didn’t know what we were going to do so being able to come out and play a full season, play some good teams, it’s awesome.”

QUICK GUIDE TO UC DAVIS ATHLETICS THIS FALL For those interested in following sports games this fall, check out this guide for the season

BY OMAR NAVARRO sports@theaggie.org In what was a whirlwind of a year, the majority of UC Davis’ athletic programs were forced to take a year off. For those in the Big West Conference, the cancellation of fall sports meant taking a year off and refocusing for the next. While student-athletes were given an extra year of eligibility, future plans, graduation and other things meant their college athletic careers were cut short. Nonetheless, with plans in place to get everything started once again this fall, here’s The Aggie’s quick guide to what to expect this quarter.

Men’s and Women’s Soccer Two teams that had to take a year off, both the men’s and women’s soccer teams look to build their success this fall. On the men’s side, 2019 was one of the most successful years in the program’s history. With an overall record of 13 wins, five losses and two draws, the Aggies, led by longtime head coach Dwayne Shaffer, captured their first double in program history, winning both the Big West Conference Regular Season and Tournament titles. Winning the conference meant that UC Davis would host an NCAA Tournament game at Aggie Soccer Field in front of the Aggie faithful. A hard fought game against Louisville in the tournament ended their season, however, as UC Davis fell 0-1 to the Cardinals.

Bouncing back this fall, the Aggies will look to not lose the momentum they gained from 2019. Behind an experienced defensive backline, UC Davis has been able to hold on thus far in non-conference play, holding many good teams like #9 Washington, Gonzaga and San Diego State to a low number of goals. Although they have yet to go into the win column in 2021, they have held their own against very good competition. With a couple more games to go before they begin the always competitive Big West Conference on Sept. 29, the Aggie offense will look to get a jump and hope to get back to the NCAA Tournament. They will have the benefit of playing games against some conference favorites UC Santa Barbara (Oct. 2) and Cal State Northridge (Oct. 17) at home before they finish off their regular season in the Causeway Classic against Sacramento State in Davis on Oct. 30.

On the women’s team, 2019 was a bit of a roller coaster that ultimately led to much optimism as the season completed. Going 5-5 in non-conference play, the Aggies played some great games away from home against Pacific and Nevada to really impress. But, when conference play began, they went 2-6 failing to qualify for the conference tournament. It was frustrating at times due to the team being in practically every game yet losing four in conference play by only a goal. Still, the Aggies team showed growth and potential — something that will pay off greatly

this upcoming season.

With only three upperclassmen in this years’ squad, head coach Tracy Hamm is out to show the growth her team has undergone since they were last seen. Starting off the season at 3-3, this young UC Davis squad has been high scoring thus far, making it a show every time they step on the field. Their first Big West Conference game will be Sept. 23 against Cal State Bakersfield, and their home opener will be the following week on Sept. 30 versus UC Santa Barbara. They will close with back to back home games on Oct. 21 and Oct. 28 against Hawaii and UC San Diego respectively as they hope to be one of the remaining teams in the conference by then.

Women’s Volleyball After an impressive season in 2019, the UC Davis Women’s Volleyball team is back this year. Despite being affected by the cancellation of fall sports in 2020, they will finally get their chance to get back out on the court. After a 1713 record in 2019, one which saw them close out the season winning 5 out of 6, the Aggies hope to finish off some of their close losses from that year and come back with a force in 2021.

Their season began on Aug. 27 in Sacramento at the Hornet Invitational. Unable to secure a win in those two games, UC Davis then hosted the Aggie Invitational in Davis, CA with teams like Nevada, San Francisco and Santa Clara. The Aggies swept the competition, putting up three straight victories at home.

Big West Conference play begins rather quickly, as Sept. 21 the team will visit UC Riverside to begin. In October, they have a stretch of four straight home games in 10 days, where they hope to stack up the conference wins.

Their season will then culminate with two home games against Long Beach State (Nov. 24) and Cal State Fullerton (Nov. 27).

UC Davis Field Hockey The UC Davis Field Hockey team has greatly improved in recent years under head coach Britt Broady. Last season was played in spring 2021, an aberration to what the team was used to before. They struggled to get anything going and played only 11 games. But, after their most wins in program history back in 2019, this season has begun much differently than the previous.

With a record of 3-2, the Aggies are rapidly approaching American East Conference play on Sept. 24. With games against Stanford, UC Berkeley, Maine and others, the schedule does not get easier for UC Davis. Nonetheless, their early season success has been one to believe that 2020 was simply an odd year for everyone. With home games against Northwestern and Brown on Sept. 17 and 19 respectively, the Aggies will only play two other home games in conference play against Cal and Stanford on Oct. 17 and Oct. 24 at the Aggie Field Hockey facility.

UC Davis men’s soccer team against Gonzaga on 9/2/2021. (Quinn Spooner / Aggie) UC Davis Cross Country After a year gap due to COVID-19, the UC Davis Cross Country team is back this fall. In 2019, the Aggies had an impressive year, capped off by an 8th place finish for the women at the NCAA West Regionals and a 19th place finish for the men. Their season was scheduled to begin on Sept. 1 for the Nevada Twilight Classic, but that event was canceled. Instead, their season kicked off on Sept. 10 for the Stump Invitational in Davis. The women finished the event in first place with five of the top nine in the women’s 6K race while the men finished the event in third place. Their season will continue with events in Oregon, Florida and Lodi, CA before they return on Oct. 29 for the Big West Conference Championships in Davis.

Men’s Water Polo One of the more dominant programs at UC Davis, the men’s water polo team has made a return to the water this fall. Following 2019, which saw them win the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) for the third time in four years and be ranked 9th in the nation, the Aggies are off to a fast start once again in 2021. With a record of 4-0 and wins against #17 Bucknell and #19 Navy, UC Davis is starting like they haven’t missed a step. On Sept. 17 and 18, they will host the Aggie Roundup at the Schaal Aquatics Center in Davis, CA, where they will play schools like USC, Cal and others. They will then go on a

string of away games before they return to Davis on Oct. 22. Their final regular season game will be on Nov. 11 against Pacific before they host the WWPA Championships. A fast paced team, the Aggies will surely deliver some fireworks this fall.

Equestrian A fairly young program at UC Davis, the equestrian team is entering just their fourth season of existence. Last season, they only participated in five total events due to COVID-19, but this year they hope to get back to a new normal. As their season kicks off on Sept. 30 against the University of South Carolina at the UC Davis Equestrian Center, they will host three events this fall before not returning to Davis until March. As the program begins to stabilize itself, the team hopes that this return to a regular season could help them continue to grow the young program into one of the best.

The return of fall sports will surely be something that the Aggie faithful will be looking forward to. After a year where attendance was nonexistent or limited, the return of fans will definitely serve as a jolt to the student-athletes and programs that missed it. Other teams, like Men’s and Women’s Basketball, will also begin late in the fall and will have a preview of their own. Nonetheless, UC Davis Athletics is something that students and alumni alike have been itching to get back to.