January 13, 2022 by The California Aggie

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VOLUME 140, ISSUE 12 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2022

WHY MORE PEOPLE THAN EVER ARE TESTING YOLO COUNTY SCHOOL POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 — AND SHOULDN’T CHILDREN VACCINATION RATE LAGGING BEHIND BE ASHAMED UC Davis infectious disease expert explains why the omicron variant is so contagious and how it is expected to spread in Davis and around the U.S. BY MAYA SHYDLOWSKI featuresh@theaggie.org Students shouldn’t be ashamed if they test positive for COVID-19 in the coming month, according to UC Davis infectious disease expert Dr. Dean Blumberg. COVID-19 cases are urging across the U.S., including in YOLO county, fuelled by the highly contagious omicron variant. Blumberg said that the rate of COVID-19 infection of the coronavirus is the highest it has ever been in the country, and it is projected to keep rising until its estimated peak in early February, so if you test positive, know that you are definitely not alone. “A lot of the time when people do test positive, and they have to tell the people who they’ve had contact with, they’re embarrassed about it,” Blumberg said. “They feel bad that they might have exposed other people. This is such an incredibly infectious and transmissible strain that when people do test positive and they let other people know, they’re really being heroes. They are being brave. They shouldn’t be ashamed.” Even some students who have social distanced, masked and taken the safety precautions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, like fourth-year managerial economics major John Giovannoni, are testing positive during this recent surge. When Giovannoni returned to Davis after winter break and got his routine COVID-19 test to allow him back on campus, he unexpectedly tested positive. “I have always been extremely cautious with COVID, was vaccinated twice as soon as possible and got the Moderna booster in November,” Giovannoni said. “Over the holiday break, I continued to stay inside when I was home to make sure that none of my family would get infected, so we didn’t have to ruin Christmas.” Despite many people’s best efforts to be safe, stories like Giovannoni’s are not uncommon. Although a lot is still unknown about the rapidly spreading omicron variant, Dr. Blumberg shared why scientists believe that it is causing such a steep surge. He said that the strain is far more transmissible than previous variants, in part because it has 50 more mutations than the original strain, which allow it to bypass developed antibodies from vaccination or previous infection. He also said that the omicron variant is believed to be two to five times more transmissible than the Delta variant. Blumberg compared the recent rate of infection to those of last

winter, during another national COVID-19 surge. “For the surge that we saw last winter, in December and January, the model suggested that there were about 80,000 infections per day in California,” Blumberg said. “What we’re seeing now is over 120,000 cases a day, and it’s going to get even worse, because the model suggests that it’s going to peak at over 300,000 [cases] a day in early February. That’s about four times higher than the largest surge that we had last year.” Despite these large statistics, Blumberg said that one silver lining in this surge is that the omicron variant causes a generally milder disease than previous variants. “What’s been found in the laboratory is that the omicron variant results in about 70 times higher concentrations of virus in upper respiratory airway cells, but about 10 times lower concentrations in lung tissues,” Blumberg said. “That suggests that the reason that it’s more transmissible is the higher concentrations that’s favorable for spread in the upper respiratory tract, but then it doesn’t go to the lower respiratory tract.” Because the omicron variant seems to inhabit the lung tissue less, it is less likely to cause severe respiratory illnesses like pneumonia. Blumberg mentioned that a study in the U.K. showed that this variant has resulted in fewer cases that end up in the emergency room or require hospitalization at all, which could be indicative of a lower percentage of people who get sick in the U.S. needing hospitalization — though he mentioned that it is impossible to predict for certain how U.S. hospitals will be affected in the coming weeks. Davis has seen this sharp rise in cases over the past month, during which the positivity rate of Healthy Davis Together testing sites has been around 10% — the highest that it has been thus far throughout the pandemic. UC Davis’s asymptomatic testing during week one of winter quarter also detected its highest positivity rate to date, at over 4%, prompting the campus to extend online instruction until Jan. 28. Giovannoni said that after Jan. 28, he hopes that accommodations will be made, both for students who want to be on campus, and those who do not feel safe or comfortable to do so yet. “Moving forward, I hope there is some sort of hybrid option for those that want to go to class and ones that are sick or don’t feel comfortable,” Giovannoni said. “Since I’ve been highly cautious compared to most and I still caught COVID, I don’t think it’s going to go away all that soon, but I’m glad it appears to be mild from my experience and stories from others.”

CHRISTINA LIU / AGGIE

STATE AVERAGE

Schools are promoting vaccination with incentives BY RACHEL SHEY city@theaggie.org

Vaccine Clinic at the ARC at UC Davis. (Quinn Spooner / Aggie) As of Jan. 7, 34.1% of Yolo County children ages 5-11 have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine, which is ahead of the state average of 27.4%. Only 61% of Yolo County children ages 12-17 have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine, which lags behind the state average of 72.7%. This discrepancy may simply be a result of the different dates at which Yolo County updates its information, according to Yolo County Public Information Officer John Fout. “I don’t actually know if the numbers are lagging,” Fout said. “It just might be the way that our numbers are reported. It depends on when you get the stats and compare them to the state statistics. Our data lags a bit more than the state’s.” In the wake of UC Davis’ decision to hold remote instruction through Jan. 28, elementary and high schools in Yolo County may consider returning to online classes as well. As of now, the schools are planning to resume in-person classes and are awaiting further instruction from the public health officer, according to Yolo County Office of Education Public Information Officer Anthony Volkar. “We are aware and we’ve seen the increase in cases due to omicron, but right now, all schools in Yolo County are scheduled to resume,” Volkar said. “Davis resumed classes on Monday Jan. 3, Esparto opened on Tuesday, two of our districts opened on Wednesday and Woodland starts classes next Monday. We are seeing increased cases, but right now, there is no anticipation that school will close.” Volkar said that schools are not mandating COVID-19 testing or vaccination. Schools will mandate vaccination when the COVID-19 vaccine is approved by the FDA, at which point it will become one of the mandatory vaccines that students must receive to go to school. Yolo County distributed testing kits to promote testing but does not require a negative COVID-19 test for students to return to school. “All of our districts are offering testing to our students weekly, and most of it is on site,” Volkar said. “We released 30,000 rapid test kits, so every student in Davis is able to get a rapid test kit. If they are positive, they are asked to report to their school and not attend class. But this is voluntary and no one is required to do this.” Schools are also promoting vaccination with clinics, according to Volkar. Vaccines have been available to the youngest elementary school children since early November, and Yolo County has accomplished a fairly high rate of vaccination among these youngest children. “Every school has hosted a vaccine clinic; we also hosted a youth vaccine town hall with Dr. [Aimee] Sisson that was very popular,” Volkar said. “River Cats had a promotion where they were giving away tickets. We’re generally very proud of the vaccination rate for children 5-11 because those are very strong compared to the state numbers, but we could generally do a lot more work for the group ages 12-17 because those are below the state average.” YOUTHVAX on 7

COVID-19 ORAL ANTIVIRAL TREATMENT RELEASED IN LIMITED SUPPLY TO YOLO COUNTY PHARMACIES Paxlovid and Molnupiravir reduce risk of hospitalization or death from COVID-19 infection BY LEVI GOLDSTEIN city@theaggie.org The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued Emergency Use Authorization for oral COVID-19 treatments Paxlovid on Dec. 22 and Molnupiravir on Dec. 23. These antiviral pills are now available at select pharmacies in Yolo County, according to a Yolo County press release published on

Dec. 28. “With the Omicron variant causing a rapid spread of COVID-19 cases in Yolo County, these new antiviral pills come at a critical time,” said Yolo County Health Officer Dr. Aimee Sisson in a statement from the press release. Paxlovid reduces risk for hospitalization or death from the COVID-19 virus by approximately 89%, according to Pfizer, its manufacturer. A study sponsored by Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., Molnupiravir’s manufacturer, found that Molnupiravir

reduces risk for hospitalization or death by approximately 31%, according to the New England Journal of Medicine. The FDA also confirmed the effectiveness of both Paxlovid and Molnupiravir in two separate press releases. Molnupiravir and Paxlovid should only be taken with a prescription. They are intended to be taken within five days of symptom onset and while symptoms are still mild. Molnupiravir is only approved for adults while Paxlovid is available to adults and children 12 years of age or older. Yolo County received 140 prescriptions of Molnupiravir and 20 prescriptions of Paxlovid, according to the Dec. 28 press release. The Rite Aid pharmacy on West Main Street in Woodland has both medications, while Winters Healthcare has only Molnupiravir. Winters Healthcare currently fills all prescriptions at the CVS pharmacy on North 1st Street in Dixon. Since the medication supply is limited, distribution to those at high risk of severe disease will be the top priority. “They go to people who are at severe risk of hospitalization or death from COVID, generally people who have comorbidities, for example, anyone who is immunocompromised,” said John Fout, the Yolo County Public Information Officer. Additional shipments of the drugs are expected to be delivered to more pharmacies in the coming months. However, they will not likely be available for mass distribution any time soon, according to Fout. “There’s going to be a large amount of people who are getting sick, and there’s just going to be no way that all these people can be treated, unfortunately,” Fout said. Oral antiviral treatment should not be a substitute for vaccination or wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19, according to Dr. Sisson. “Please continue to take steps to avoid infection in the first place and don’t count on an antiviral pill being available if you get infected in the next few weeks,” Dr. Sisson said in the Dec. 28 press release. ANTIVIRAL on 7

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CITY OF DAVIS AWARDED GRANT TO ADD AMENITIES SUCH AS AN INTERACTIVE WATER FEATURE TO CENTRAL PARK Experts discuss benefits of spending time outdoors BY SHRADDHA JHINGAN city@theaggie.org According to a press release from the City of Davis on Dec. 8, 2021, the City “has been awarded a grant in the amount of $2.784 million by the Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Grant Program to renovate Central Park.” The grant will also be used to “create an interactive water play feature near the existing universal play structure and restroom.” 465 projects were submitted for the fourth and final round of funding selection. Of these, 112 received funding, including the one in the City of Davis. Vice Mayor for the City of Davis explained the benefits of the project. “This project’s features will significantly improve the health and quality of life for Davis residents and visitors by providing a safe opportunity to play outdoors,” Frerichs said in the press release. “The water play feature that is free and inclusive will help keep everyone cool during the hottest months of the year, creating a social destination for people of all ages.” Additionally, according to the press release, California State Parks announced on Dec. 8 that $548.3 million in grant funding would be granted for new parks across 100 communities. This is also an effort to continue the Newsom Administration’s “Outdoors for All” initiative, which aims to enable all residents in California to access and visit open spaces and parks. “Today’s grants represent the single-largest investment in state history in expanding access to parks in underserved communities with new or enhanced parks funded in every region of California,” the press release reads. According to the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom’s website, “through the Outdoor Access for All initiative, California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom is working to build a healthier and more equitable California for all kids.” The website also states that time spent in nature is mentally and physically beneficial for kids, “especially for youth in underserved communities.” According to the website, 70% of low-income communities in the United States live in places that are “nature-deprived.” Nate Sowa, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North California at Chapel Hill School of Medicine explained in a video that alongside physical benefits, time spent outdoors also has mental health benefits. “Something about being in nature is calming to humans,” Sowa said. “We seek environments

Playground in Davis, CA. (Kayla Bruckman / Aggie) that seem calming and protective to us, and so they’re actually starting to show that people’s brains work differently when they’re in nature, compared to an urban setting[...]. This in turn affects how people think and lowers levels of stress and anxiety, according to Dr. Sowa. Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Utah David Strayer similarly discussed how nature can restore the brain in a TED Talk. In a study, two groups were told to go on a walk at an arboretum in Salt Lake City, Utah. One group was not allowed any technology during the walk, while the other group called a relative or friend while on the walk. Electrical signals were collected before and after the walk. “The people who are using their cell phone

could only remember half of what they saw compared to the group who didn’t have the cell phone, wasn’t using the technology so these multitasking was creating a form of inattentional blindness where people failed to notice things in plain sight,” Strayer said. Strayer explained that the differences between the two groups cannot be attributed to just exercise because each group walked for the same length of time. He also stated that in a longerterm study, after three days of being outdoors without technology, the electrical signals’ theta levels showed that people’s brains rested. The news release from the City of Davis includes a full list of features that will be included in Central Park. Some of these include “new

pollinator gardens,” six new trees to be planted and public art and a “water-efficient irrigation system” that will use recycled water from the upcoming water feature. Another city in California that received funding is San Diego for Beyer Park in San Ysidro, San Diego. “If the pandemic taught us anything it is the need to have readily accessible and ample green spaces for our community is critical, it’s essential and because everyone no matter their identity, their ability or their address deserves access to high quality parks and the benefits that they bring,” Mayor of San Diego Todd Gloria said in a video.

NEW SENATE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE ELECTED AT JAN. 6 MEETING Senators expressed interest in ASUCD units and committees in hopes of being approved and working with the directors throughout the quarter BY JENNIFER MA campus@theaggie.org The Senate meeting was called to order at 6:10 p.m. by ASUCD Vice President Juliana Martinez Hernandez, who then recited the UC Davis Land Acknowledgement. Senator Harris Razaqi nominated Senator Radhika Gawde for Senate president pro tempore, praising her qualifications. The motion was seconded and there were no objections. Sloane Ramras from the Student Government Accounting Office then gave a presentation explaining how to clock in hours and the logistics of payments. Martinez Hernandez followed up with a demonstration on Slack, ASUCD’s primary method of communication, for the new senators. The Senate table then moved on to Adopted Senator Selection, where senators expressed their interest in working with specific ASUCD units and committees during winter quarter. Senator Sofia Saraj became an adopted senator for Aggie Housing Advocacy Committee (AHAC), Aggie Public Arts Committee (APAC), Fair Trade Committee (FTC), Aggie Reuse, Picnic Day, Refrigerator Services and Whole Earth Festival. Senator Dennis Liang is an adopted senator for AHAC, ASUCD Volunteer Award Committee, the Bike Barn, KDVS, the Office of the External Affairs Vice President and the Office of the Transfer Student Representative. Senator Rashita Chauhan will serve as an adopted senator for Aggie Mentorship Committee (AMC), Sexual Assault Awareness Advocacy Committee (SAAAC), Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) Committee, ASUCD Center for the Environment, Creative Media, Mental Health Initiative (MHI), Refrigerator Services and Whole Earth Festival. Senator Gaius Ilupeju became an adopted senator for AMC, ASUCD Volunteer Award Committee, Bike Barn, Entertainment Council and The Pantry. Senator Harris Razaqi joined APAC, DREAM Committee, Undergraduate Student Parent Committee (USPC), Executive Advisory Council, Champagne Committee, Special Committee on Elections Reform, KDVS, Picnic Day, the Office of the External Affairs Vice President and the Office of the Transfer Student Representative as an adopted Senator. Senator Kelechi Orji will serve as an adopted senator for the Disability Rights Advocacy Committee (DRAC), the Library Committee, the Student Sustainability Career Fair Committee (SSCFC), ASUCD Center for the Environment, Whole Earth Festival and the Office of the International Student Representative. Senator Celeste Palmer is now an adopted senator for DRAC, SSCFC, the CoHo The California Aggie and Unitrans.

Senator Sergio Bocardo-Aguilar will serve as an adopted senator for the DREAM Committee, the Student Health and Wellness Committee (SHAWC), the Research and Data Committee, the CoHo, Housing Advising for Undergraduate Students (HAUS), The Pantry, Unitrans and the Office of the International Student Representative. Senator Owen Krauss joined the FTC, the Library Committee, the Unit Relocation and Space Allocation Committee (URSAC), the Special Committee on Elections Reform, ASUCD Center for the Environment, Creative Media and The California Aggie as an adopted senator. Senator Mallika Hari became an adopted senator for SAAAC, the ASUCD Scholarship Committee, Creative Media, HAUS, MHI and The California Aggie. As an adopted Senator, Senator Ambar Mishra will serve SHAWC, the STEM Committee, USPC, the Research and Data Committee, the ASUCD Scholarship Committee, Entertainment

Council, HAUS, KDVS, MHI, Picnic Day, The Pantry, the Office of the Transfer Student Representative and the Office of the International Student Representative. Finally, Senator Radhika Gawde became an adopted senator for URSAC, the Champagne Committee, the Special Committee on Elections Reform, Aggie Reuse, the CoHo, Entertainment Council and the Office of the External Affairs Vice President. Kabir Sahni was then confirmed as the Internal Affairs Commission chairperson alongside Maahum Shahab, who was confirmed as External Affairs Commission chairperson. This was followed by elected officer reports, where elected officers detailed their progress from the week. In Public Announcements and Discussion, a survey was shared regarding the Pass/No Pass deadline. This form will be used to express the undergraduate student opinion to administration and to advocate for an extended deadline. The senators then moved on to introduce new

legislation. SB #31 calls to reform Chapters 4 and 14 of the ASUCD Bylaws concerning Elections. As of Jan. 10, this bill has been withdrawn. SB #32 allocates $1,193 to Aggie Reuse. SB #33 allocates $600 to the salaries of the transfer student representative and the international student representative from the ASUCD Senate reserves for winter quarter 2022. SB #34 reestablishes an ASUCD Lobby Corps. The last bill introduced was SB #35, which allocates $1220 from the ASUCD Senate reserves for the salary of the student advocate for winter quarter 2022. All four bills are going to commission. Lastly, the Senate table revisited SB #29 and SB #30. SB #29 removes the ability of the unit director of Creative Media to select an ex-officio on the Research and Data Committee while SB #30 calls to reform Chapter 30 of the ASUCD Bylaws. Both bills passed unanimously. Martinez Hernandez adjourned the meeting at 11:55 p.m.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2022 | 3

UC DAVIS RESEARCHERS FIND DUAL CYTOKINE BLOCKAGE AS A NOVEL TREATMENT AGAINST GRAFT-VERSUSHOST DISEASE IN BLOOD STEM CELL TRANSPLANTATIONS Cytokines TNF and IL-6 can cause severely damaging inflammatory effects as a result of stem cells attacking host cells of blood cancer patients BY BRANDON NGUYEN science@theaggie.org

Murphy’s lab discovers novel cytokine treatment against GVHD for blood cancer patients. (UC Davis Health / Courtesy) Researchers at the UC Davis Medical Center recently discovered a novel treatment against graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a potentially lethal inflammatory condition that can arise following stem cell transplantation, which treats blood cancers and disorders. Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (alloHSCT) to treat some blood cancers and disorders involves injecting a donor’s bone marrow stem cells, also known as graft, into blood cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Dr. William Murphy, a professor at the UC Davis School of Medicine under the Department of Dermatology and Internal Medicine and senior author of the study, further explained what GVHD is under the context of blood cancers. “If we take stem cells from another source, usually trying to match as much as we can from a related source such as a sibling, there seems to be an anti-tumor effect,” Murphy said. “This desired, beneficial effect from stem cell transplantation is called the graft-versus-tumor (GVT) effect. But the graft-versus-host disease means those

immune cells can also attack not just the cancer, but the recipient or patient, which occurs pretty often.” The medical dilemma Murphy and his team of researchers faced involved maximizing GVT effects while minimizing GVHD during stem cell treatment to help the patient effectively fight off the tumor. Logan Vick, a graduate student under Murphy’s lab at the UC Davis Medical Center and a co-author of the study, talked about the major findings that help minimize GVHD in allo-HSCT patients.

“In graft-versus-host disease, something that can be picked up as a symptom is this release of cytokines, which are inflammatory proteins,” Vick said. “TNF and IL-6, which are two inflammatory cytokines, are often used as tools of the immune system to combat either viruses or different pathogens, but prolonged inflammation can have consequences. So by blocking these two cytokines, what we call a dual cytokine blockade, can help ameliorate GVHD.” The cytokines, TNF and IL-6, that Vick focuses on can cause a “cytokine storm,” which can occur during GVHD when donor immune stem cells attack the host’s healthy cells instead of the tumor and induce inflammation caused by cytokines. GVHD and the dangerous “cytokine storm” effect has been a problem for stem cell transplantation treatments, but Murphy’s team of researchers have just found a potential cure to GVHD while still maintaining the efficacy of the treatment. Lam T. Khuat, a postdoctoral researcher at Murphy’s lab and the first author of the study, summarized the beneficial results from dual cytokine blockage. “Many treatments for GVHD involve suppressing the body’s immunity, which can inhibit beneficial GVT effects,” Khuat said via email. “For this reason, it was important to determine if blocking these cytokines impacted the GVT response. Fortunately, anti-tumor effects remained after the transplant and with the combined intervention.” Clinical methods have often employed single cytokine blockades; however, with the novel finding that dual cytokine blockades can minimize the proinflammatory responses induced by GVHD, the treatment can also be applied in other health conditions that require stem cell transplantation or reducing inflammatory side effects. “Normally, when you have an overactive immune system, whether it’s autoimmune disorders or GVHD or even in viral infections, the treatments sometimes blanket immunosuppression with steroids,” Murphy said. “Well, that works because they turn off the immune system, but in the case of cancer and viral infections, you want a working immune system. The beauty of using this double block, which can be applied in other clinical settings, is it doesn’t suppress the immune system while preventing the inflammation and the damage.”

UC DAVIS HEALTH RESEARCHERS CREATE MILO, A POWERFUL MACHINE LEARNING TOOL MILO is being evaluated to rapidly process COVID-19 tests and secures a bright future for the integration of AI/ML in infectious diseases BY MONICA MANMADKAR science@theaggie.org In 2014, Dr. Nam Tran, a professor of clinical pathology at UC Davis Health and senior director of clinical pathology at the Health System, sought a better way for physicians to analyze and diagnose infections faster, which would inevitably lead to faster recovery and treatment. Incidentally, Dr. Hooman Rashidi wanted to get back into his computational work. Tran sent Rashidi a small set of data detailing biomarkers of burn patients with acute kidney injury. To analyze the data, Rashidi would hand write software programs that would run to find the best predictive model. However, as they saw more promising results, both Tran and Rashidi realized that with their day jobs writing the code by hand would be extremely timeconsuming and tedious. “[Rashidi] is manually programming and doesn’t have enough time to keep programming these things,” Tran said. “Instead, he decides to make software that replicates his own programming. In short, [he has] produced a software [model] with their inputs.” As an expert in informatics, Rashidi built a predictive artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) model to help predict acute kidney injury with this dataset. This small research endeavor set the stage for a powerful machine learning tool. In July 2019, Dr. Samar Albahra joined UC Davis Health for his Clinical Informatics fellowship where he began to work with Rashidi on the tool. Detailing how machine learning is a field where many iterations are needed to find the ideal model for the dataset, Albahra studied the tool’s proof of concept and rearchitected it into what is now present-day MILO. “[Machine Intelligence Learning Optimizer (MILO)] is a software solution to aid a researcher in finding the ideal model by ensuring best practices are employed in every study as well as automated iterations to minimize the guesswork in machine learning,” Albahra said. “With MILO, models can not only be discovered but they can be further evaluated and exported for production use.” MILO has now been used by numerous researchers in their studies and has been licensed for business applications. Tran also explained how MILO can be used to identify patients infected by SARS-CoV-2. In a recent study published in Nature Scientific Reports, Tran and his other colleagues look to apply machine learning to the detection of COVID-19, which has a 98.3%

KATHERINE FRANKS / AGGIE accuracy rate for positive test results and 96% for negative test results. “At first we wanted to use mass spectroscopy to analyze the peaks generated by the COVID test results,” Tran said. “However, with the hundreds of thousands of peaks, we thought that machine learning and artificial intelligence are not limited to how many items you have.” For this study, there will be about 2,000 participants. The

proteins from the nasal swab for the COVID test will be ionized by the mass spectrometer and then analyzed by MILO’s algorithms to produce a negative or positive result. Tran believes that with the correct tools, machine learning can make a clinical impact: “Many people have great ideas, but don’t have the programming background to implement their future goals. MILO can allow them to try new things and generate new ways that can improve patient care.”

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OPINION THANK YOU ESSENTIAL WORKERS FOR YOUR TIRELESS WORK THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC

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

Be kind and remember to appreciate those working amid the recent COVID-19 surge

ALLIE BAILEY Arts & Culture Editor OMAR NAVARRO Sports Editor MICHELLE WONG Science & Tech Editor

After our short but sweet stint having in-person classes and — dare we say — some sense of normalcy during fall quarter, the last thing most people wanted was to return to online school and spiking COVID-19 cases. But, here we are, and though we’re all upset about the newest surge, it’s important to remember that the essential workers who have gotten us through almost two years of this pandemic are continuing to show up, and we should be grateful. Healthcare workers have worked tirelessly, dealing with staff shortages and the physical and mental strains of working during a public health crisis in which not everyone can get the care they need. During the lulls between COVID-19 surges that have allowed many to be more social and feel more “normal,” these workers have continued to treat severe COVID-19 infections, and even see people die from it, on a regular basis. We can only imagine that as we approach the two year mark of the pandemic, this record surge can only be making their jobs even harder, and we want to express our gratitude for all healthcare workers — and urge you all to do the same. It’s also important to acknowledge the burden that has been put on our instructors to adjust their course format and content quickly as campus guidelines have changed. From planning for inperson instruction to having one — and now four — weeks online, teachers have had to quickly re-write tests more suited to online learning, work out ways to conduct labs, make sure they have childcare during their classes and many other behind the scenes adjustments that we haven’t had to think about.

And of course, we understand that this volatility has not been easy for students either, but we need to remember that on the whole, people 18 to 29 years old are less vulnerable to hospitalization and death as a result of COVID-19 infection. Even though some students’ risk assessment of in-person classes is fairly low, others may not feel comfortable having in-person classes. In addition, some of our community members are older, immunocompromised or have unvaccinated or immunocompromised family members. We don’t know everyone’s situations, and we need to acknowledge that what is preferable for some might not be best for everyone. The same can be said for all other essential workers — like retail workers, restaurant employees, Unitrans drivers and others. Due to the staffing shortages that many businesses were experiencing last fall, coupled with the steep rise in employees contracting COVID-19, many restaurants and shops have had to cut back store hours, cut or extend employee hours and work with less staff per shift. While it remains important to support local businesses, if you do choose to go to a restaurant, coffee shop or local store, try to be extra kind and patient — and tip well if you can. Though all of this might sound like a broken record in 2022, it bears repeating. None of us expected such a sharp surge this far into the pandemic, let alone the pandemic lasting this long at all — and none of us are happy about it. So please take it easy on those around you, and yourself, and express gratitude for the healthcare workers, teachers and all essential workers that are getting us through this tough time.

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

SEASONAL DEPRESSION IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM Make sure to take care of yourself during winter quarter BY ALEX MOTAWI almotawi@ucdavis.edu As a student, schoolwork always comes first; we pay tuition and take classes for a reason. However, people often deprive their bodies of what they need to succeed at school, and the problem is exacerbated during the cold and dreary winter months. A diet full of rainy days and cold weather in which the sun is missing from our lives really changes people. After a winter season full of family time, festivities and some much-needed relaxation, getting back into a healthy groove isn’t easy. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), along with the winter blues, can have serious impacts from a loss of energy to feelings of depression, so make sure to take extra care of yourself these next few weeks. Seasonal depression has been around for ages in the form of the “winter blues” but wasn’t formally discovered until 1984. To receive a SAD diagnosis, a person must face symptoms of major depression only during a certain time of year for at least two years, and the episodes must be different from traditional depression episodes. While there is no scientifically proven source of the issue felt at varying intensities by millions of people (~5% of U.S. adults suffer from SAD), current scientific research points toward a lack of sunlight as a primary cause. About 15% of Americans also suffer from the winter blues around this time of year. A lack of enough sunlight and inconsistent

weather really does affect our brains. It is theorized that we get SAD because the lack of sunlight affects our sleep schedules, impacts the regulation of serotonin (which is what makes us feel happy), leads to overproduction of melatonin (which makes us feel sleepy) and often brings about vitamin D deficiencies. While experts haven’t reached a consensus on which of these are the strongest contributors to SAD, all of these issues are very real and affect many of our brains. Please don’t feel like you are alone in feeling a bit down during the winter — it’s a struggle many of us face. Because of this, make sure to treat yourself well over winter. Work towards those New Year’s resolutions, but don’t do it to the detriment of your mental and physical health. Staying above water during the winter is tough enough as it is. After a winter break chock full of family time and lifelong memories, the return to reality can feel like a slap in the face sometimes — don’t let it leave you down in the dumps. Staying ahead of your problems and keeping your mental health in mind when making decisions is never easy, but your body will thank you for it when you do. Some specific advice I can offer to combat winter blues is to make the most of the limited hours of sun we are going to get in the next few months. Just spend a few minutes going for a walk with the sun on your back or find some warm clothes and watch the sunset when you can — the sun heals, literally. The feeling you get from being outside and being in the sun is hard to find anywhere else and brings about smiles

AMY YU / AGGIE

nobody has to pay for; get your smiles in while you can. As far as making sure to take care of yourself over winter outside of playing hide-and-seek with the sun, there are many things you can do. Some of the less glamorous but extremely effective options are to try to sleep more hours (and more consistent hours) and drink more water (being dehydrated doubles your risk of suffering from depression). Two more quality ways to stave off the winter blues are to have

social time with friends (while being COVID-19 safe) and to exercise. If you only gather one thing from this piece, I want you to know that you are not alone in feeling down over the winter. Seasonal Affective Disorder is something we often overlook, but it is a real thing that should not be swept under the rug. Make an effort to treat yourself better this winter — a little bit of extra love can go a long way.

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

HUMOR

HELP, THE GRAPHICS TEAM WON’T ANSWER MY EMAILS Check your spam folder, Ken. It’s in your contract. BY ANNABEL MARSHALL almarshall@ucdavis.edu

CHRISTINA LIU / AGGIE Hi, guys. It’s me. I wrote this in my Notes app so you know it’s serious. I wanted to let you know that I have realized my wrongs. I am now ready to admit I crossed a line when I asked you to Photoshop the pope doing a keg stand on Mars with each member of the Spice Girls flipping him off in the background. I’m sorry you got death

threats, although that could have been because of your personality. I am deeply sorry for screaming at you when you tried to explain that you couldn’t make the pictures “move” once they were printed. And for assuming all of your names were “Ken” and refusing to call you anything other than “Ken.” And when one of you said your name was James, for calling him foolish, spitting on his shoes and challenging him to a duel. And I apologize for breaking into the office when you were gone and letting loose that feral raccoon after you refused to make me a fake passport to Venezuela. I’m sorry if you were offended by its rabies. I know Ken-James was so offended he had to go to the emergency room, but that feels like an overreaction on his part. I acknowledge the hurt you’ve chosen to feel. I’m going to grow and learn. I just wanted to see a Labradoodle riding a HarleyDavidson so fast it ruptured time and space and ran over Abraham Lincoln. And honestly, isn’t that what we all want? The American Dream? Truthfully, I feel like you guys have had it out for me from the beginning. You didn’t take my side when I suggested we print our own private honor roll of just people who could do cool skateboard tricks or give me $20. I just wanted to be helpful. And to buy a Jet Ski. When I sent out the mass anonymous email claiming all of you were freelance furry artists in your spare time, you immediately accused me. And sure, you can claim it was because I signed with

Disclaimer: (This article is humor and/or satire, and its content is purely fictional. The story and the names of “sources” are fictionalized.)

the name I wanted you to put on the Venezuelan passport, but I know the truth. And you’re always on my tail about Libel. I don’t know who that is, but if I ever meet her, I’m going to publish a false statement damaging to her reputation. Plus, technically you can’t prove Photoshopping me into a wedding invitation with my ex isn’t relevant to the job. You’re just like my ex. He hated it when I called him at 4 a.m. too. His name was James. I’ll be the first to admit that we started off on the wrong foot. And the second to admit that it was partially my fault. Maybe it was a little far to throw money at you and tell you to “work, bitch,” on my first day of the job. I regret using coins. I hope your eye feels better, Ken-Anna. But I can’t do this on my own. I’ve been staring at Adobe Illustrator for the last two hours, openly crying in California Hall. There’s a class going on in here. I think it’s nutrition. I do not care. Please just make some new graphics for me. Something less vitriolic than the horror I’ve been assigned this week. They can be a single color. Or, like, a line. I’ll take a line. I’ve tried making my own graphic — it’s not worth it. I just tried to overlay text on an image, and my computer caught on fire. Save me, Ken-Obi, you’re my only hope.

ARTS & CULTURE THE CALIFORNIA AGGIE

‘HARRY POTTER 20TH ANNIVERSARY: RETURN TO HOGWARTS’ IS A TEAR-JERKING NOD TO THE IMPACT OF THE WILDLY SUCCESSFUL FRANCHISE After all this time, cast members reunite to discuss the magic that went into making the wizarding world a reality BY CLARA FISCHER arts@theaggie.org

Poster for Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts. (HBO Max) Harry Potter, the boy who lived. Most people know this famous line as a reference to the British smash-hit series of novels and movies. J.K. Rowling’s best selling sequence of fantasy books about an enchanted world of wizards and witches quickly went from juvenile literary phenomenon to one of the defining cultural moments of the 2000s and beyond. Now, 20 years after the release of the first film adaptation (Chris Columbus’ “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”), HBO Max has released a special reunion featuring many of the colorful cast members who played a pivotal role in the film franchise. Right from the first few moments, viewers already feel transported back to the magical world of Hogwarts, with the theme music trickling in the background as some of the most beloved faces of the franchise pop up on-screen. Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the movies, is the first to make an appearance, closely followed by the likes of Robbie Coltrane and Matthew Lewis (who portrayed Rubeus Hagrid and Neville Longbottom, respectively). Fans see them wandering various locations in modern-day England, then stumbling upon formal invitations cordially inviting them to “return to Hogwarts”

in a playful allusion to the Hogwarts acceptance letters every young witch and wizard receives in the series. The special takes place on the sets of the classic movies, with many notable characters — such as Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange, Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy, Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood and many more — returning to reminisce on their days roaming the magical halls through a combination of behindthe-scenes footage and interviews. It’s nice to see that there is no love lost between any of the former cast members. The excitement they feel to be reunited is palpable, even through a screen, and seeing the emotions run high as they relive fond memories is exciting, even for those who aren’t die-hard Potterheads. The special dissects the films in chronological order — a logical choice and one that makes witnessing the development of the Golden Trio from inexperienced (but adorable) child actors into seasoned professionals all the more sentimental. Daniel Radcliffe, who portrays the series’ namesake, is the key link between everyone and thus takes part in the majority of the interviews. Through Radcliffe’s anecdotal exchanges with fellow actors, producers and directors, viewers are treated to a more in-depth look at the immense effort that went into creating the magical world from start to finish. Every film requires effort that vastly goes unseen by the public, but the “Harry Potter” franchise is in a world of its own when it comes to the effort taken to cultivate the on-set culture, fan engagement and even set design. When discussing the earlier installments of the series, it is emphasized how vital it was to ensure that the casting was accurate to the book. This was no mean feat — the characters were children and needed appropriately aged but still wickedly talented actors to match. However, given the films’ immense success, it’s safe to say that the casting directors were successful (particularly with Rupert Grint, who plays the role of Ron Weasley and was noted by multiple of his peers as being especially akin with his character). The entire special is tinged with nostalgia — seeing the characters you grew up with revisiting the magical world as adults is sentimental and sets the tone for the whole hour and 45 minutes. However, it’s refreshing to see “Return to Hogwarts” embrace more serious issues amid the fun and excitement.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2022 | 5

BY JACOB ANDERSON arts@theaggie.org

Movie: “Deep End” dir. by Jerzy Skolimowski (1971) An emotionally honest and well-crafted bildungsroman in the tradition of the French New Wave, this movie follows a teenage boy, Mike, who is newly hired at a bathhouse, as he navigates the world of adults and his relationship with an older female employee. Mike’s authentic and endearing naïvete creates situations as charming and funny as they are vaguely sad — few films capture the experience of childhood as adroitly. Classic progresive rock band Can (who, as legend has it, replaced their initial vocalist with a Japanese busker the band met in the street who provided gibberish vocals for their most prominent albums) does an excellent job of complementing the film’s awkward melancholy. The only questionable spot is the film’s ending, which fails to congeal with the film’s sincere and almost humorous tinges, instead transforming it into a morbid spectacle. This small failure doesn’t significantly detract from the larger experience, luckily.

TV Show: “Beverly Hills, 90210” by Darren Star (1990) The progenitor of the teen drama — clumsily constructed, way too long, frequently preachy and silly, and yet there’s something in it that lets the characters feel much more lurid than those of its successors. Where more modern entries in the genre like “13 Reasons Why” rely on gaudy and clumsy moralizing to justify themselves, “Beverly Hills, 90210” is surprisingly unafraid to turn its characters into flawed, terrible people. It’s sanitized and antiquated and not really worth consuming in whole, but certain highlights in the show’s almost decade-long run remain ballsy and interesting, if only to consider how they’ve influenced (or sometimes outstripped) the reputedly more mature shows that have replaced it. The show actually plays the line between goofy and sincere with tact on frequent occasions, offering a model of affluent, white teenagerhood that’s influential and interesting for every ounce contemptible.

Album: “At Home with Owen” by Owen (2006) This is a plaintive and intimate acoustic-driven album by Mike Kinsella, known best for his role in American Football’s 1999 self-titled album and the band’s unlikely 2016 reunion. Kinsella’s style has never changed to any great extent since that genre-defining album, but the largely fameless years between the release of “American Football” and Kinsella’s discovery of its accumulated notoriety generated a string of similarly confessional albums, networks of sweetly repeating riffs that reach full maturity on “At Home with Owen.” The tracks are melodic and poppy, worming into the listener’s memory like pleasantly depressive parasites. Kinsella recorded the album in his parents’ house, a fact audible, if such a thing is possible. Book: “Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself ” by David Lipsky (2010) This book consists of interviews with the late literary giant David Foster Wallace (infamous for his titanic, almost 600,000-word novel “Infinite Jest” and less famous for his much better and much more concise essays like “Big Red Son” and “Roger Federer as Religious Experience”) was transcribed and published after his death by David Lipsky, who joined him near the end of his book tour for “Infinite Jest” and recorded these conversations over dinners, Funyons and lengthy drives around the American northwest. The book is notable on two levels: 1) Wallace’s extemporaneous wit and startling clarity on a seemingly endless number of subjects, capable of turning a conversation on practically any topic into a needle on a course straight for the heart of Western millenial life, and 2) Lipsky’s partially veiled contempt and feelings of rivalry toward Wallace — he’s intent on exposing Wallace for his inauthentic persona, sprinkling poison in every exchange, no matter how pointless or intimate, out of something between envy and journalistic rigor, with the border between the two fraying nearly as intensely as the edges of Wallace’s own constructed identity. It reads as an unspoken battle of wits, and Lipsky’s cool introduction and incessant transcription of Wallace’s midwestern mispronunciations (“wudn’t”) serve as the last postmortem daggers in a war neither writer probably knew he was fighting.

HPREUNION on 7

‘EXPERIENCE LEONARD COHEN’ EXHIBIT AT THE CONTEMPORARY JEWISH MUSEUM COMMEMORATES THE ARTIST’S ENDURING LEGACY The music and poetry of Leonard Cohen is a comprehensive and profound look at life BY ANGIE CUMMINGS arts@theaggie.org “Experience Leonard Cohen” at the Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM) in San Francisco is a beautiful tribute to one of the most influential and profound singer-songwriters of the past 60 or so years. It was also an immersive and unique experience in and of itself, made up of two different installations united by their clear expression of Cohen’s long-lasting legacy and reverence for the people who keep his work alive. If you are not familiar with Cohen’s written work, you are sure to know his most famous song that so perfectly exemplifies his treatment (and mixing) of faith, love, death, sex and identity: “Hallelujah” (1984). This song has been covered thousands of times and has been featured in countless movies and TV shows (most notably in “Shrek,” sung by Rufus Wainwright), but the original, as so often is the case, continues to reign supreme. Cohen started out as a poet and didn’t stray from his original artform as his career as a singersongwriter started to take off. All of his songs can easily be seen as melodic spoken word poetry, and this is what makes his work so accessible. You don’t need an English degree to know what Cohen is conveying in his lyrics, and yet they are still just as powerful as any hard-to-dissect Shakespearean sonnet.

Leonard Cohen at the 2008 Nice Jazz Festival (Guillaume Laurent / Creative Commons) I have a deep admiration for Cohen’s often solemn, yet never nihilistic body of work. The first poem I ever heard by Cohen was “Democracy” (1992), which was coincidentally the first time I ever believed I could like poetry. Like in much of his work, there is nothing to really decode in

“Democracy”; even from the title it’s clear what you’re getting into, showing us that the world around us does not need to be abstracted in order to understand it any deeper. Just as all his love songs/poems can be universally appreciated, his writing about the world around him is just as

pertinent today as it was 30 years ago. Cohen passed away at the age of 62 in 2016, and his last album “Thanks for the Dance” was released posthumously in 2019. This and his prior works continue to speak to listeners and readers around the world. Heading up the short stairs to the CJM exhibit, you’re greeted by a lifesize black and white poster of Cohen in his typical suit, coat and wide-brimmed hat, gazing up as if he was going along with you into the exhibit. You first turn into the composer and archivist Marshall Trammell’s residence in the small yet architecturally impressive “Yud” gallery room. The entire concept of this continually changing and community-based audio installation is incredible (with a full description in the link above); however, simply sitting at its center and hearing voices of past museum visitors sing and speak Cohen’s lyrics moving across the walls and ceiling of the room in complex patterns fills one with awe for both the poetry heard and the beauty of a community being brought together through it. The next show, titled “I’m Your Man” after Cohen’s 1988 album, by Candice Breitz is still rooted in the power of Cohen’s sound, but makes use of video recordings in two otherwise completely dark rooms. LEONARDCOHEN on 7

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6 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2022

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

Answer to previous puzzle 1/6/2022

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2022 | 7

ANTIVIRAL

YOUTHVAX

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Despite the limited supply, Fout is hopeful that the new antiviral medications will prove helpful. “They’re exciting because they’re highly efficacious,” Fout said. “It’s a much better option than a lot of the other antibody treatments because

those are all very complicated to administer and usually have to be done in-patient, whereas this is obviously just a pill. That’s much easier and a lot less time consuming and more likely to help somebody out.”

HPREUNION CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 Watson, arguably the biggest female character in the franchise, goes into detail about how the fame that came with portraying Hermione Granger affected her mental health. In a conversation with Radcliffe and Grint, she reveals that she almost didn’t return to the series after the fourth installment, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.” Seeing an esteemed figure reveal that they had doubts about one of the most successful cinematic projects ever offers a different perspective, one that makes the mythical, formidable world seem a bit more human. HBO and the cast of “Harry Potter” have left no shortage of trivia and special behindthe-scenes moments for fans to obsess over, but

what really makes the reunion worth the watch is the passion that every single person involved still displays for the franchise. It’s beautiful to see artists so tuned into their craft and so keenly aware of the fact that they created something that will have real influence on generations to come. “[In 50 years,] I’ll not be here sadly,” Coltrane said when asked about the legacy of the movies. “But Hagrid will, yes.” And that’s exactly what’s special about “Harry Potter.” It’s not the wands, sorting hats or spells that provide the world its magic — it’s the love that everyone involved has permeated throughout every aspect of the universe, from the initial manuscript of the first novel to the last shot of the film series.

LEONARDCOHEN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 Even while watching the fragmented vocals from the professional chorus on the large central screen of the first room, traces and echoes of the next room’s much less controlled singing beckons you deeper into the exhibit. Both rooms are full of men singing the entirety of Cohen’s album; in the first, we have a group of young men singing the backing vocals, while the second presents us with impassioned renditions of Cohen’s songs by 18 life-long fans. Being serenaded by these far-past-middle-aged men, some of them even tearing up as they sing and others dancing along to the tune (that we cannot hear) is sure

to bring a smile to anyone’s face. After sitting in both of these rooms, listening to the combined recordings of this multi-generational art piece, we are reminded of the timelessness of Cohen’s work and sound. The exhibition is open through Feb. 13, and even though two parts of the whole experience closed at the beginning of this month, it is still entirely worthwhile for anyone to go visit, regardless of your Leonard Cohen knowledge. The museum is open Thursday-Sunday and tickets are only $7 with a valid student ID, with a free Friday coming up on Feb. 4.

Scan this QR code to access The California Aggie’s EIC application for 2022-2023.

Volkar speculated that the lower rate among the 12-17 age group may be a lack of access or misinformation. The county tried to combat this misinformation and create more incentives to get vaccinated. “We’ve tried to relay as much as possible that they’re free and there’s no long wait,” Volkar said. “One of the things we anticipate is that we may see a jump in vaccinations. Now, if you’re exposed to someone with COVID-19, and you’re not up to date with your vaccinations, you will likely face a quarantine. Because of that, we anticipate seeing more families consider getting vaccinated and boosted.”

Yolo County schools also have air filters and improved ventilation systems to prevent the spread of COVID-19. “Some schools have upgraded their filtering systems, but it varies based on the district,” Volkar said. “A lot of them used the money from the CARES Act to improve ventilation systems or purchase air filters. Healthy Davis Together was able to purchase air filters for some of the districts. So far, we haven’t seen a lot of community spread in our schools in Yolo County, and I think that is because of steps like proper air ventilation, sanitation and air filters.”

NFL22PLAYOFFPREVIEW CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 How they got here: Matthew Stafford had a phenomenal season in his first season with the Rams after he was traded from Detroit. A change of scenery was much needed, and it worked out for both parties. Stafford threw for 4,886 yard and passed for 41 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. Cooper Kupp was a fundamental piece for Stafford’s success catching 145 passes, 1,947 receiving yards along with 16 touchdowns. What’s next? The Los Angeles Rams will host the Cardinals on Jan. 16. The Rams have done everything possible in an attempt to make a Super Bowl run by adding Mathew Stafford in the offseason, Von Miller via trade and adding Odell Beckham Jr. Additionally, they have Cooper Kupp who had a record breaking year as a receiver and Aaron Donald who had 12.5 sacks on the year. However, they ended their season in a loss while Stafford looked like he did in Detroit throwing the game away when it mattered most No. 5 seed: Arizona Cardinals (11-6) clinched a wildcard berth, however lost to Seattle 38-30 to close out their season. How they got here: Quarterback Kyler Murray, wide receiver Deandre Hopkins and defensive end Chandler Jones led the Cardinals to the playoffs. The Cardinals started the season 7-0 looking like a serious threat with their star quarterback under center and their defensive unit. However, they slumped towards the finish line and finished 4-6 in their final 10 games. What’s next? The Cardinals travel to Los Angeles to play the Rams in the last game of the wildcard round. Arizona will rely on quarterback Kyler Murray – if anyone can pull off the upset it’s Murray. He can sling the ball in the pocket and has the talent in his legs to be electrifying when the pocket collapses. No. 6 seed: The San Francisco 49ers (10-7) the niners secured the final wildcard seed with a dramatic overtime win 27-24 against the Los Angeles Rams. How they got here: The Super Bowl runner

up from two seasons ago, started the season 5-5 in position to compete for a playoff berth. Jimmy Garoppolo is a mid-tier quarterback, but that did not stop him from turning in a clutch performance in the season finale to clinch a Wild Card spot. He led the Niners down the field for 88 yards, five plays, with 1:01 on the clock and found wide receiver Jauan Jennings in the endzone to send the game to overtime to eventually win. The Niners finished 5-2 in their last seven outings. What’s next? The second wild card game on Jan.16 will feature the 49ers against the Dallas Cowboys in Dallas. Jimmy Garoppolo is dealing with a thumb injury but proved against the Rams that he is more than capable of making game winning throws. If Nick Bosa can get to Dak Prescott and disrupt the pass game, the Niners will have a good chance to move on to the next round. No. 7 seed: Philadelphia Eagles (9-8) secured a wildcard berth, although they closed the season with a loss 51-26 to the Cowboys. How they got here: Second year quarterback Jalen Hurts and wide receiver DeVonta Smith helped the Eagles reach the postseason. Hurts’ mobility to leave the pocket when needed helped the Eagles win games, rushing for 781 yards with 10 rushing touchdowns. Smith caught 64 passes with 916 yards and five touchdowns. The Eagles started the season 4-6 and caught fire in the last eight games, going 5-2. Philadelphia seems to be gelling at the right time, other than a 51-26 disastrous loss to the Cowboys. What’s next? On Jan.16, the Eagles travel to Tampa Bay to face Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in the third wildcard game. Philadelphia is in a brutal matchup. The Buccaneers are loaded with talent on both ends of the ball; however, the Eagles rank first in the league in rushing. They’re going to have to play their best game of the season to stop Tom Brady and company. Hurts must make play with his legs and arm to have any kind of shot here.

8 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2022

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SPORTS BUSY MLB OFFSEASON SETS UP QUESTIONS MOVING FORWARD Signings, awards and labor battles have summed up this MLB offseason BY GABRIEL CARABALLO gtcaraballo@ucdavis.edu One, two, three strikes and you’re locked out? Major League Baseball (MLB), America’s pastime, has seen a fair share of home runs and strikeouts since the 2021 season ended with newly crowned champions, award winners and a free agency frenzy storming the league. Then suddenly, seemingly out of left field but a long time in the making, a bombshell shook the baseball world. Robert Manfred’s, MLB’s commissioner, released a statement implementing a lockout in early December, the first in 26 years. The Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves, two exceptional baseball clubs, battled it out in the 2021 World Series. After six hard-fought games, Major League Baseball’s 2021 World Series title and trophy belonged to the Atlanta Braves, beating the Astros four games to two — even blowing them out in the final game 7-0. Rightfielder Jorge Soler won the World Series MVP, by contributing three home runs, six RBI’s and a 1.191OPS. With an awards list as long as a single game, one MVP down and more to go. The ALCS MVP was given to designated hitter Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros, for his incredible stat line consisting of a .315BA, two home runs and nine RBI’s, that helped the Astros get to the World Series. The NLCS MVP was awarded to Eddie Rosario, left fielder for the Atlanta Braves — who’s stats speak for themself: a .383 BA, 11 RBI’s and three dingers, Rosario greatly assisted the Braves World Series Championship run with timely hits and defensive plays. The Cy Young awards, a heavily contested award, were given to Robbie Ray of the Toronto Blue Jays and Corbin Burnes of the Milwaukee Brewers. Ray impressively threw 248 strikeouts leading the league and had an ERA of 2.84. Burnes threw for 234 strikeouts, but led the

league in ERA with 2.43. Both players deserved to win these awards based on their stats alone, with others closely behind who fell just short. Wrapping up the awards list with the two most valuable players from each league. Bryce Harper, of the Philadelphia Phillies won the MVP of the National League, hitting 35 homers with a batting average of .309. The American League MVP went to none other than standout Shohei Otani of the Anaheim Angels, serving up 46 home runs and 100 RBIs. These are two of the most exciting players to watch and both are well deserving of MVP and could be contenders for next season’s as well. Speaking of next season, many clubs have already upgraded their rosters before the news of the lockout came. A few notable signings came by the way of the Mets, Rangers and Mariners. The Mets signed star pitcher Max Scherzer to a three-year, $130 million contract and the Rangers signed one of the best shortstops, Corey Seager to a 10-year, $325 million deal. While the Mariners capitalized on pitcher Robbie Ray, signing him for five-years at $15 million. With free agency splashes like these, there’s a lot to look forward to next season. However, many are worried if there will even be a season or to what capacity. While in the midst of free agency, the baseball world came to a standstill, quite literally. With a statement sent by commissioner Manfred, declaring a lockout, in response to the expiring CBA and no sign of an agreement with the Players Association. The commissioner regards the lockout as, “the best mechanism to protect the 2022 season…” Explaining that it, “was necessary because the Players Association’s vision for Major League Baseball would threaten the ability of most teams to be competitive.”

The commissioner seems to be putting the blame onto the Players Association, using competition as base — a low blow considering the players help make the sport competitive. Similarly, the Players Association released a statement as well countering the claim made by the commissioner. Stating the owners made the decision to, “pressure players into relinquishing rights and benefits and abandoning good faith bargaining proposals that will benefit not just players, but the game and industry as a whole.” This was a rather chilling statement to be released by the Players Association whose argument seems to be that the owners are using

their positions to extort the players. It’s now transparent that there is one canyon-sized rift between the MLB and the MLBPA. However, we won’t fully know what each side wants until more information is released. Will this delay the 2022 season? How will this affect the already signed free agents? Is Spring Training going to happen on time? These are all valid questions regarding America’s favorite pastime and with seemingly no agreement, not even a twinkle in the eye, in sight fans will have to wait and see what baseball in 2022 may or may not be.

KATHERINE FRANKS / AGGIE

NFL PLAYOFFS PREVIEW The ‘21-22 season has concluded with a wild race into the playoffs BY MARLON ROLON sports@theaggie.org

KATHERINE FRANKS / AGGIE

AGGIE FILE There’s a saying around NFL circles that rings true of weekly games during the 18-week season — “any given Sunday.” Essentially, this means any team has an opportunity to win no matter their respective records nor the standings. That’s the beauty of the NFL; no matter who has the better overall team, the game is decided on game plan and execution. According to the numbers, major upsets frequent nearly one once per week in the league. And so, the 2021-2022 season has concluded with a wild finish that saw three teams from the AFC clinch wild card spots and one team from the NFC clinch a playoff berth. The 2021-2022 season was a refresher, as it was the first season back to some sort of normalcy given that fans were in attendance since the pandemic rocked the nation. Additionally, the NFL added an extra game to the schedule; instead of 16 traditional games, the league expanded to 17 games. Since the newly contagious omicron strain of COVID-19 has emerged, the NFL and players association came to an agreement late into the season that players who tested positive had to isolate for five days instead of the standard 10 days for asymptomatic individuals. In addition, players must be cleared at least 24 hours before they return, meaning a team doctor must approve clearance before they are cleared to return to play. These new protocols came into play when 17 players and the head coach of the Cleveland Browns, tested positive a few days before they were set to play against the Las Vegas Raiders. With that being said, it has been quite the journey considering the high and the lows of the NFL grind, from overtime victories to the last second field goal game winners. This year’s playoffs are set to go underway on Jan. 15. The winner advances, and the loser goes home. AFC Playoff picture No. 1 seed: Tennessee Titans (12-5) clinched a first round bye with a win 28-25 against the lowly Houston Texans. How they got here: The Titans started the season 8-2 beating the likes of the Seahawks, Colts twice, Jaguars, Bills, Chiefs and the Rams with three wins coming in overtime thrillers during that span. The Titans lost their star running back Derrick Henry in week eight due to a foot injury and went 6-3 without him. Tennessee clinched its second division title and expect Henry to return from injury in the playoffs. Since Tennessee gets a first round bye, they get plenty of time to let Henry get healthy in anticipation for his return

in the second round. Prior to injury, Henry was having a spectacular season, rushing for 937 yard along with 10 touchdowns. No. 2 seed: Kansas City Chiefs (12-5) clinched the AFC West for the sixth consecutive season. They beat the Denver Broncos 28-24 in their season finale. How they got here: The Chiefs got off to a rough start going 3-4. They looked out of sync and their offensive line looked to be in turmoil with opposing teams easily getting to Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes looked out of rhythm and uncharacteristically threw 13 interceptions in the regular season. However, since their rough start they’ve got back on track winning 10 straight, going 10-0 and looking like a Superbowl contender. The Chiefs will host the Steelers in a wild card battle in Kansas City on Jan. 16. The Chiefs have beat the Steelers once in the regular season and look to do it again as they look like the team that will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl No. 3 seed: Buffalo Bills (11-6) clinched the AFC East, beating the New York Jets 27-10. How they got here: Led by quarterback Josh Allen, the Bills started the season 5-2 with their defense pitching two shutouts. Since, they’ve gone 6-4 proving to be inconsistent in the process. They march into the playoffs with four straight wins peaking at the right time. What’s next? Buffalo will host New England on Jan.15. This will be the third game between both teams as they split the season series. Both teams are trending in opposite directions with the Bills peaking and the Patriots sliding. No. 4 seed: Cincinnati Bengals (10-7) Clinched the AFC North in Week 18, they fell to the Cleveland Browns 16-21. How they got here: Well, they got here with Joe Burrow being Joe Burrow. In his second year, Burrow threw 34 touchdowns along with 14 interceptions. More importantly, Burrow threw for over 400 yards twice and once for 525 yards. In his last two starts he’s thrown eight touchdowns with no interceptions. They started the season 8-3 and 3-3 in the final six games. What’s next? Cincinnati will host Las Vegas to open Wild Card weekend on Jan.15. The Bengals have a stout pass game with a balanced ground attack. Their star quarterback Joe Burrow is turning into one of best signal callers in the NFL, this game can get out of hand quickly if Las Vegas doesn’t get to Burrow early. They already beat the Raiders in Week 11, 32-13. However, the Bengals rank 28th in pass yards allowed and

have to be cautious against the red hot Raiders. No. 5 seed: Las Vegas Raiders (10-7) secured a wildcard berth in a wild shootout against the Los Angeles Chargers in the final two seconds of overtime, 35-32. This will be the second time the Raiders make the playoffs since the 2002 season. How they got here: Las Vegas lost their head coach Jon Gruden mid way through the season, star second year receiver Henry Ruggs III to a fatal car accident where he is suspected to have been drunk driving where a young woman tragically lost her life. Damon Arnette was cut from the team due to posting a video where he is seen with guns making threats. Tight end Darren Waller, the Raiders best player, missed five games due to a knee injury. And somehow, the Raiders managed to overcome adversity and sneak into the playoffs in the most unprecedented way possible. Star quarterback Derek Carr played a vital role in their success, along with wide receiver Hunter Renfrow, Zay Jones and running back Josh Jacobs. However, the defense was the main catalyst as to why the Raiders found success late in games. Las Vegas started 5-2 then proceeded to lose five of six games to ultimately win their last four remaining games. What’s next? The surging Raiders will travel to Cincinnati to face the Bengals. Raiders quarterback Derek Carr will be playing in his first postseason game of his career. Look for Las Vegas to lean more on their run game as it has picked up the last couple games.Their defense needs to continue their play at a high level to have any kind of chance against these Bengals. No. 6 seed: New England Patriots (10-7) secured their playoff berth in week 17, however they lost in Week 18, 33-24 to the Miami Dolphins that pushed them down the pecking order into the sixth slot. How they got here: The Patriots started the season 9-4 led by rookie quarterback Mac Jones who seemed to take steps into being a franchise quarterback as the season waned. New England ended their season losing three of four. Jones passed for 3,801 yards along with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. What’s next? The Patriots will go into Buffalo with the league’s top scoring defense, a rookie quarterback and ground game that can carry the team if needed. They’re going to need their defense to stop Josh Allen and company. No. 7 seed: Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7-1) snuck into the playoffs as a wild card by beating the Ravens in overtime 16-13. Their win alone did not get them into the postseason, they needed the Colts to lose and either the Raiders or the Chargers to win, a tie would have kept the Steelers out. How they got here: T.J. Watt, a fundamental pass rusher who tied the single season record for most sacks in a season with 22.5. Ben Roethlisberger seems to be on his way out and perhaps into retirement, has been the franchise quarterback for Pittsburgh for 18 seasons. The Steelers started the season 5-3 and 4-4-1 in their last nine outings. Running back Najee Harris was fundamental in the run game rushing for 1,200 yards and seven rushing touchdowns. What’s next? The Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Kansas City to face the Chiefs on Jan.16. The Steelers squeaked into the wildcard game with a win against the Ravens. They do have some talent with outside linebacker T.J. Watt, who had a monster year in terms of sacks and rookie running back Najee Harris. However, if the Steelers are looking to pull off an upset they need T.J. to terrorize Mahomes, Harris needs over 100 yards rushing

and Roethlisberger needs to summon his prime years to keep this one close. NFC Playoff picture No. 1 seed: Green Bay Packers (13-4) clinched the NFC North and finished atop of the NFC earning them a first round bye. However, the Packers fell to the three-win Lions 37-30 in the season finale. How they got here: Led by the heavy favorite to win the MVP, Aaron Rodgers in his 17th year in the league threw for 4,115 yards along with 37 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions. In addition, wide receiver Davante Adams caught 123 passes, 1,553 yards with 11 touchdowns. They started the season 7-1 and went 6-3 the rest of the way. Perhaps the most consistent team in the league, the Packers look to rest and wait for the second round of the playoffs. Aaron Rodgers looks to reach his second Super Bowl with the Packers as this might be his last season wearing the green and yellow. No. 2 seed: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13-4) clinched the NFC South earning the second seed of the conference. They closed out the season with a win 41-17 against the Carolina Panthers. How they got here: They arrive into the playoffs with the greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL. At 44 years old, Tom Brady is in his 22nd year putting up MVP numbers. He is a top candidate for the MVP award passing for 5,316 yards, passing for 43 touchdowns along with 12 interceptions. The Bucs have a star studded team on offense and defense; however, as of late, they have been plagued with injuries. They lost the controversial Antonio Brown in Week 17 when he decided to throw his helmet and jersey onto the sideline and his shirt and gloves into the crowd in a bizarre exit. The team has since cut Brown making him a free agent. No. 3 seed: Dallas Cowboys (12-5) clinched the NFC East; they closed out their season against the Philadelphia Eagles 56-26. How they got here: Dak Prescott led this Cowboy team into the postseason with his 4,449 passing yards with 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. In the last game of the season Prescott threw for five touchdowns matching his career high for a game. Running back Ezekiel Elliot broke 1,000 rushing yards for the season adding 10 rushing touchdowns. CeeDee Lamb complimented the pass game with 79 catches for 1,102 and six touchdowns. Additionally, Amari Cooper caught 68 passes for 865 yards along with eight touchdowns. The Cowboys started the season 6-1 looking like a Super Bowl contender with a complete team on both sides of the ball. They finished the season going 6-4, enough to clinch the third seed. What’s next? The Cowboys will host San Francisco on Jan. 16. This particular game is surely to produce some fireworks as the Cowboys lead the league with 26 interceptions. Their defense offers star rookie Micah Parsons and the best cornerback in the league Trevon Diggs. No. 4 seed: Los Angeles Rams (12-5) clinched the NFC West while losing their season finale to the San Francisco 49ers 27-24 in an overtime thriller. The game had playoff implications for the 49ers. NFL22PLAYOFFPREVIEW on 7