Dive into Downtown 2024
Davis Downtown Business Association holds annual booth for orientation
BY OLIVIA HOKR city@theaggie.org
On Wednesday, Sept. 18 and Sunday, Sept. 22, the Davis Downtown Business Association set up their annual information booth to educate the transfer and incoming UC Davis students about the various businesses and opportunities available in the downtown area.
The Davis Downtown Business Association is a group that helps promote the businesses downtown. Brett Lee, the executive director of Davis Downtown, was one of the workers managing the booth and informing orientation groups about the downtown area.
“Dive into Downtown is a partnered event with UC Davis, and today [Sept. 18] the transfer students are having their orientation,” Lee said. “So part of their orientation involves them coming downtown and seeing some of the shops and getting a general tour. Sunday [Sept. 22] will be the orientation for all the freshmen, so groups will go and be introduced to various things on campus as well as of campus. We are very fortunate that part of their tour is of the Davis downtown.”
As part of Dive into Downtown, many businesses provide discounts and promotional deals for new students. Between Sept.18 and Sept. 29, locations such
Manetti Shrem Museum presents first student-curated exhibit, with works by Picasso and Dalí
“Light Into Density” features 15 abstract paintings from the Manetti Shrem private collection
BY VINCE BASADA
Te Manetti Shrem Museum of Art opened the 2024 fall season with their frst ever student-curated and student-designed exhibit “Light Into Density: Abstract Encounters 1920s –1960s | From the Collection of Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem.”
It includes 15 pieces from the museum’s namesakes with works by Francis Bacon, Salvador Dalí, Vassily Kandinsky and Joan Miró, among others. Many of the pieces have not been publicly displayed in decades.
Maria Manetti Shrem said she was excited to fnally unveil the artists’ works.
“I am so delighted this exhibition is happening after 30 years,” Shrem said in a recent press release. “It’s the frst time these unparalleled works of 20th century art will be shown together.”
Te exhibition was curated by students in the Fall 2023 Exhibition Practicum course led by Assistant Professor Alexandra Sofroniew. Additionally, it was designed by students in the Winter 2024 Exhibition Design course led by Professor Timothy McNeil and Associate Professor Brett Snyder.
Tere’s curatorial work, organizing the objects and creating a story and narrative for the exhibition, then the design part is to visualize and bring to life that narrative for the visitor,” Sofroniew told Te California Aggie. Students from Sofroniew’s class
visited the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) to see the works in person before they were brought to Davis. Te pieces are shared between the Manetti Shrem Museum and SFMOMA, both of which have been recipients of the Shrems’ philanthropy.
“Tey’re unbelievable paintings,” Sofroniew said. “Most curators in their careers at museums would not work with paintings of this caliber or value.”
Pieces on display include Salvador Dalí’s “Les désirs inassouvis” (Unsatisfed Desires), “Skull of a Gorilla” by Francis Bacon and “Femme et oiseau” (Woman and Bird) by Joan Miró.
Sofroniew says that her class made an efort to make the exhibition accessible to museumgoers of all experience levels, especially for their fellow students. Instead of standard object labels with the history of a piece, each painting is accompanied by a quote from students and others who worked on the project about what they see and feel in each work. Tey hope that it will be a starting point for observers unfamiliar with abstract works to discuss the art amongst themselves.
“We [had] to make a narrative that will speak to students at UC Davis today to get them interested in these paintings and want to come to see them,” Sofroniew said. “Tere’s no right or wrong way to look at art or to respond to abstract art. Just say what you think about it.”
Other unique details include a conversation table for guests to talk about the art within the exhibit space
which are areas that are usually placed outside to keep the viewing space quiet. Additionally, a “Student Voices” wall is featured with photos of all of the students who contributed to the exhibit. It also includes a title wall for the exhibition by design student Emma O’Connor, lit with LEDs and inspired by Lucio Fontana’s “Concetto Spaziale (Gold) (Spatial Concept),” one of the works on display.
Sofroniew noted that while many of the pieces were created in times of turmoil and war, the curation team wanted to focus on positive aspects and interpretations of the pieces.
“One direction could have been [to create] a quite heavy exhibition, but times are heavy now too and the world is in turmoil,” Sofroniew said. “So the students were looking for the hope in the painting and light in the darkness.”
While the exhibition has been open since Sept. 19, a public opening ceremony held on Sept. 29 from 12 to 2 p.m. took place with student guest curators and designers who discussed their project. Light refreshments and live music from a UC Davis student jazz quartet were included.
Te ceremony was part of a larger fall season celebration hosted by the museum on that day which ran from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Both the event and the exhibition were free for all to attend.
“Light Into Density” is on view from now until May 5, 2025. More information on the exhibit and the museum can be found at manettishrem.org.
manager of Armadillo Music, shared that they participate in Dive into Downtown annually. Tis year, they ofered 50% of bargain bin CDs and increased their inventory of popular genres.
“We have found that many students go through their college experience rarely exploring their downtown Davis area,” Wilber said. “We love the energy the students bring to our store and we feel the program brings them here.”
Armadillo Music is also known for hosting listening parties, in-store shows from musicians and bands and, most uniquely, serving beer on-tap to provide a fun and welcoming shopping experience.
Te businesses of downtown Davis and those who run them put significant effort into ensuring the community has an enjoyable and exciting place to explore. From cofee shops to bars to vintage clothing stores, the downtown Davis area aims to provide something for everyone.
“As most of us know, for a while you’re on campus and it feels pretty self-contained, but at some point you’re like, ‘I want something diferent,’” Lee said.
“So everyone eventually heads downtown and the idea is to give people a headstart so they can see where it is and all the diferent things that are available.”
Davis celebrates groundbreaking ceremony for Natalie’s Corner
The city kicks off the construction of central park’s $2.7 million renovation project
BY MATTHEW MCELDOWNEY city@theaggie.org
On Sept. 14, the Davis community gathered in Central Park to honor and celebrate the groundbreaking ceremony for Natalie’s Corner. Te ceremony marked the beginning of a $2.7 million renovation project which was fve years in the making.
Following the death of Natalie Corona, a 22-year-old police ofcer who was killed in the line of duty in 2019, the city formed the committee that would be tasked with honoring her memory. Te community of Davis came together to decide that the best way to honor the positivity she emanated in life was to create a space for joy and laughter.
Through the city council, it was decided that the Central Park renovation project would add a splash pad, pollinator garden, shade structures and a picnic area. To refect the spirit and personality of Corona, the art incorporated into Natalie’s Corner will include the enduring words and symbols from her life.
The construction of Natalie’s Corner is expected to be completed by June 2025, and it will be made free and accessible for all to enjoy during the hot Davis summer. Art events for the community to build upon the installation as well as the ribbon cutting ceremony are also in the works, according to the timeline on the Natalie’s Corner ofcial website. Lois Wolk, a former California senator, was appointed as the chair of the Natalie Corona Committee. Wolk was responsible for coordinating the committee to raise funds and to conduct outreach to local artists, businesses and non-proft organizations.
Te Natalie Corona Committee was required to raise a minimum of $174,000 in contributions to receive the $2.7 million Proposition 68 grant from
the state, according to Wolk. However, the Natalie Corona Committee aims to fundraise $500,000 to help fnance the art installations as well as the replacement and repair fund. Despite the costs of this ambitious renovation project, Wolk was very grateful to the Davis community for coming together to lend their support.
“Tanks to the tremendous outpour of support from the Davis community, it has been a very meaningful project to work on,” Wolk said.
Te Natalie Corona Committee collaborated with the Rotary Clubs in Davis for their fundraising eforts, hosting a Touch a Truck event at the Veterans Memorial parking lot on Oct. 7. Agwest Farm Credit was among their largest donors, according to Wolk. Many of the local businesses and families from Yolo County had contributed fnancially to the project, which can be seen on their ofcial website. Police and frefghter departments from as far as the Bay Area pledged their support for this project to honor the fallen ofcer.
Wolk emphasized how important it was for the committee to be able to communicate who Corona was. Whether it was through words or art, the committee called upon experts and artists to do justice to the work Corona had done for the community. Hiring local ceramics artist Susan Shelton, the art of Natalie’s Corner will depict a speech made by Corona to the police academy, a tree of life theme and her favorite plant: the sunfower.
“Susan Shelton went to Natalie’s home and family to weave her story and personality into this art,” Wolk said. The dedication on the part of the committee was matched only by the graciousness of Lupe and Merced Corona. Te family had never failed to attend an event as they traveled down from Arbuckle, according to Wolk. At these events, Lupe and Merced Corona shared the joy that their daughter had brought to their lives.
Entrance view of the “Light Into Density” exhibit at the Manetti Shrem Museum. (Courtesy / José Luis Villegas)
The Davis Downtown Business Association’s informational booth for transfer and incoming UC Davis students.
(Olivia Hokr / Aggie)
Davis City Council members participate in the groundbreaking ceremony for Natalie’s Corner on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. (Jenna Lee / Aggie)
as Armadillo Music, Avid Reader, the Davis Food Co-op and Yesterday Vintage all o f er di f erent kinds of
deals that can be found on the Davis Downtown website. Armadillo Music is a popular store
among students that is known for its wide selection of new and used CDs, vinyl records and more. Paul Wilber, the
City Council presents proposed outdoor dining program to Davis Downtown business owners
The new Downtown Outdoor Dining Program plan will charge businesses between $750 and $3,500 BY
RORY CONLON
rhconlon@ucdavis.edu
On Sept. 12, Councilmember Dara
Dungworth presented the proposed Downtown Outdoor Dining Program to the Davis Downtown board of directors. It would mandate businesses to pay between $750 and $3,500 to get outdoor dining spaces approved by the city.
Te program is being spearheaded by Katie Yancey, the city of Davis’ economic director. Since Yancey couldn’t attend the Davis Downtown meeting, Dungworth, the city of Davis’ principal planner, presented the plan in her absence.
“Te frst part of this efort […] is trying to tidy things up and put a bookend on COVID-19-era outdoor dining,” Dungworth said. “[It’s] putting in place a really structured, predictable, reasonable program that was initially identifed for outdoor dining. We are going to look at expanding it to general retail uses.”
Te plan will charge businessowners on the types of facilities they want to set up and the place they put them.
Dungworth outlined the four sidewalk zones that expand from the building facade to the public right of way in the street.
“Zones A, C and D in this graphic are eligible for private use under the proposed outdoor dining program,”
Dungworth said. “Zone B is the public sidewalk and the most accessible mode of travel, [so] that will need to be maintained.”
Tere are three types of outdoor dining plans, according to Dungworth.
Te frst, which would cost businesses a $750 application deposit, allows a fence and furnishings like tables, chairs and benches in Zones A and C. Dungworth also discussed what was covered by the deposit.
“It includes the processing of the application checklist, the review and execution of the licensing agreement, verifying insurance and coordinating ABC compliance if needed,”
Dungworth said. “We coordinate with
the city attorney for legal review, and the city staf also reviews the fence and furnishings based on the design standards Katie [Yancey] is working on.”
If businesses want to add in facilities like outdoor heaters and lighting, it would require an application deposit of $1,500. Dungworth said she attributed the higher fee to the need for public works and the fre department to ensure its safety.
Te third type of outdoor dining includes fencing, utilities and a larger structure like a wooden awning. It allows business owners to expand into zones A, C and D in exchange for a $3,500 application deposit.
“Because there is quite a bit more review and it’s a permanent structure, the deposit is $3,500,” Dungworth said. “[Also], if you’re in realm D, which would be in the public right of way, public works is looking at whether there are underground utilities, like a storm drain or drain inlet, that we might have to work around.”
If the program is passed, businesses would be required to pay a $349 renewal
fee for any outdoor dining facilities.
Tey would also have to pay rent based on either a yearly or monthly basis on the sidewalk zones their facilities occupy. “In zones A and C, based on the cost of additional wear and tear to the sidewalk, it works out to $1.92 per square foot per year,” Dungworth said. “[Rent] in civic spaces and zone D are based on comparable retail and restaurant rates in the Downtown Davis area and they’ve been addressed to account for the seasonality of outdoor dining. It’s only applied to usable space and it comes out to $1.10 per square foot per month.” Dungworth said that the Outdoor Dining Program is still in early stages, and she invited community members to give feedback.
Janis Lott, who has owned the downtown Davis business Newsbeat for 35 years, said she looks forward to hearing more about the plan as it’s developed.
“I do appreciate the focus on dining, because even pre-COVID-19, it’s been a
little bit Wild West,” Lott said. “When it gets to the point of expanding to retail, I would be really interested in what that looks like.”
Brett Lee, the executive director of the Davis Downtown Business Association, said he urged businessowners to spread the word about the proposed program.
“It’s very important to emphasize that this format applies throughout the downtown,” Lee said. “For instance, if you’re one of the entities that has something like this already, or you’ve wondered about how you might like something like this in the future, this is not G-Street specific. These are proposed fees, so it’s going to go through a couple of iterations and there’s plenty of time for us to give feedback.” Community members can give feedback at the upcoming Oct. 1 city council meeting, where the proposal will be ofcially pitched to council members and the wider Davis community.
City of Davis and Yolo County officials meet to address mutual interests and community concerns
Regular 2x2 committee meetings foster collaboration on public services community project and encourage public input
BY ALMA CULVERWELL city@theaggie.org
Two members of the Davis City Council and two representatives from the Yolo County Board of Supervisors recently gathered in an ongoing efort to discuss shared issues afecting both the town of Davis and Yolo County. Known as the City-Yolo County 2x2 committee, this regular meeting focuses on exchanging information rather than making formal decisions for the entities represented.
Officials discussed key developments, including the success of the Yolo County Fair, which drew nearly 100,000 attendees, and future
plans to enhance the fairground and strengthen partnerships for emergency services. Te boards also addressed the rising homelessness concerns, with updated data showing an increase across the county and the need for better coordination between city and county services, especially as state agencies clear encampments.
The Pacifico housing project resumed after finding a code workaround, with plans to convert buildings into dormitories and independent living units by July 2025. Additionally, enhancements such as more electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and energy-efcient components were considered. Te board also supported including students in
housing discussions and highlighted Measure T on the November ballot to address library operating costs.
Tis collaboration has existed for some time, and meetings typically occur every other month. Te primary objective is to foster communication between the two jurisdictions to help both parties remain aligned on issues that impact the region. From smaller topics like logistical assistance at community events to greater collaborative e f orts such as public library projects and shared services, the goal of these meetings is to ensure smooth, open communication and efective problem-solving.
“We’ve built a strong working relationship with each other over the
years,” Jenny Tan, the community director for the city of Davis, said. “Tis is a time for us to discuss items of mutual interest or concern, share resources and ensure that we are responding to the needs of our community efectively.”
Te meeting serves as a platform for both entities to bring up matters of local importance, assess potential challenges and explore solutions that would beneft both the city and county. However, this committee does not have decisionmaking authority. Instead, its function is to facilitate dialogue and information sharing, leaving ofcial decisions to the full city council or board of supervisors.
During the meeting, one of the key discussion points was how the city and county collaborate on both
minor and signifcant issues. A prime example mentioned was the Walnut Park Library project, which stands as a testament to the successful collaboration between the city and county. Other initiatives discussed included public services and resources available to residents, particularly those that require coordination between the two governments.
The meeting also emphasized guaranteeing efcient public services for all residents and maximizing available resources. Both sides emphasized their commitment to community well-being, sharing insights and updates on relevant local projects.
Although no specifc challenges were highlighted, ofcials stressed the importance of maintaining open lines of communication.
“We’ve worked with each other for so long and across so many topics that cooperation comes naturally and easily,” Tan said, reinforcing that collaboration has become second nature for the two entities.
Public input remains a vital component of these discussions. Residents are encouraged to participate by either attending the meetings in person or submitting comments via email. During these sessions, public concerns are heard and reviewed. Depending on the issues, staf from either the city or the county may be invited to present on specifc topics raised by the community.
“When we hear of things of particular interest to our community, we usually check in with each other,” Tan said. “We take concerns and input from our public seriously and try to incorporate them as much as possible.”
Tese meetings are designed to be transparent and open to the public, allowing residents to voice their opinions and for ofcials to respond.
If a community issue requires further attention, it is typically escalated to relevant staff members, who then work to address the matter more comprehensively.
Tis ongoing collaboration between the city of Davis and Yolo County serves as a model for how local governments can work together to address shared issues while meaningfully engaging with the public.
For more information about CityYolo County 2x2 meetings, visit the ofcial city of Davis website.
LANHUI ZHEN / AGGIE
LANHUI ZHEN / AGGIE
Queer music artists gain in popularity and impact the LGBTQIA+ community and beyond
Queer listeners and Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies lecturer discuss the effects of queer music and its rise in the industry
BY GRACIELA TIU features@theaggie.org
Queer music artists have been making music for decades, but in recent years, they gained more attention than they have previously. Tis could be occurring for a multitude of reasons, but nonetheless, this shift has brought about a special impact on LGBTQIA+ listeners. Dr. Sarah Thompson, a lecturer of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies at UC Davis, describes the change they feel in the industry.
“It is my perception that there has indeed been a shift in recent years, and it does feel like we are seeing more openly queer artists — in particular, more openly queer artists who are fairly popular and well-known,” Tompson wrote in an email to Te California Aggie.
“Queer people being in the music industry is nothing new, of course, but many artists were only publicly out (or outed) after they had achieved high levels of fame and success or even after death.”
Queer music artists have existed for years, so what exactly is diferent right now? Dr. Tompson describes how there is a specifc and multifaceted change that is occurring that is diferent from past cultural shifts.
“In recent years, it seems like we have more examples of artists who are openly queer, making music from a queer perspective and achieving mainstream success (MUNA, Kehlani, Frank Ocean, etc.),” Tompson said. “Chappell Roan is perhaps the biggest example of this right now — she’s absolutely blowing up, and her music is very explicitly queer.”
Having more popular and accessible queer music artists brings more listeners to their music, which can actually have a benefcial efect on many LGBTQIA+ listeners.
Tere’s certainly a lot of anecdotal evidence that for queer people, especially queer people who are young or just coming out, art that refects their feelings and experiences can be deeply meaningful,” Tompson said. “Art helps us understand ourselves, and music in particular can feel very powerful.”
However, having more openly queer artists in the industry does not necessarily mean that they are represented or perceived as equal compared to straight artists.
“With the media, I think that by focusing on the fact that they’re queer, it honestly takes away from them as a whole,” Ava Burton, a second-year geology major, said. “I don’t think that’s fair; I think that there is defnitely that subtle heteronormativity.”
Overall, this recent rise in queer artists’ visibility begs the question: what is diferent now compared to several years ago?
“I think that the media is very diferent than it was 20 years ago,” Burton said. “I also think that it has to do with where you are, it depends on your age and also the communities you are in.”
Music listeners, especially those who are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, also notice a diference in sounds created by queer artists. Max Wozniak, a second-year mechanical and aerospace engineering major, said music is interpreted in a deeper way.
“I feel like they just have a groove, a sound that is a lot more expressive,” Wozniak said. “Tat goes back to the lyrics too. Tey actually describe things in a very diferent way. Because every song about love when you’re queer is
also a song about a little bit of [personal] pain.” Wozniak also recognizes the infuence queer artists have had on the music industry and performance culture as a whole.
Tey’re making everything more colorful; [a lot of] the color and music for the past, like 15 years have been introduced by queer people,” Wozniak said.
Having more queer representation in music culture can also have a broader influence than just on individual
listeners, impacting not just one person but their families as well.
“It’s very easy for a [child] to show [their families] a track or two, because they get shown a lot of music by children,” Wozniak said.
Te rise of queer music artists in recent years demonstrates not only our society’s potential for change but also the level of infuence that the queer community has on music culture overall.
Davis Downtown Business Association hopes to connect campus and downtown communities
Highlighting the events and organizers that play a role in connecting our campus to the city of Davis
BY NOAH HARRIS
features@theaggie.org
UC Davis and downtown Davis
share a certain closeness that can be hard to fnd in other parts of the country: the campus is directly connected to the city, and the downtown area is reachable in minutes. With many students living downtown, there is a functioning relationship that benefits both the university and the city overall.
Some ways this connection manifests itself are through the annual Dive into Downtown, an event during frst-year Aggie Orientation and the end-of-year UC Davis graduation.
Tere are many frst-year students coming to Davis to start the new school year. This year, UC Davis expects around 9,600 new undergraduate students — a 4% increase from the previous year. After they arrive, they go through a mandatory three-day orientation program. T is includes events such as a welcome rally, a football game and a campus tour. On the last day of orientation, the Dive into Downtown occurs. Before 2020, UC Davis’ orientation was a series of three-day programs throughout the summer, with students participating at different times. In 2020, when orientation was completely remote due to COVID-19, the current plan was put into place. Tis involves every frst-year student participating in orientation at the same time, as well as transfer student orientation, which occurs a couple of days prior.
Brett Lee, the current executive director of the Davis Downtown Business Association (DDBA), revealed how many students he was told attend orientation each year.
Te number they’ve used is about 3,000 transfer students and 8,000 freshmen,” Lee said.
While there is not a specifc itinerary or location in downtown for this event, it is run by the DDBA every year. Teir events intend to support the economic well-being of the DBID, which are the Davis Businesses in Downtown, according to the DDBA.
Traditionally, the event has been a simple walk through downtown with an orientation leader showing their students around and various businesses ofering discounts for students to use.
Julia Carlson, a third-year orientation leader and sociology and psychology double major, explained what the role of an orientation leader is.
“We walk around, show them stores,” Carlson said. “It’s basically just to show them one of the fun parts of Davis and get them excited about living here.”
Dive into Downtown is not about potential sales and profts, according to Brett Maresca, the former executive director of the DDBA. Instead, the event is much more about interaction and creating a good frst impression of the city for incoming students.
“Realistically, it wasn’t about one day of sales, it’s really trying to create a connection with the students and more with the university,” Maresca said.
Lee had similar thoughts about the culture behind the event and discussed the importance of helping to introduce new students to the downtown area, as well as the importance of getting to know local businesses.
“Something like [Dive into Downtown] is beneficial to the downtown businesses as well, because it introduces their business to students who in most cases will be in Davis from anywhere from two to four years,” Lee said.
Yelena Ivaschenko, owner of the
downtown store Bohème Treads and former marketing committee chair of the DDBA, said she strongly supports Dive into Downtown and its efect on the community.
“I think it’s one of the greatest collaborations between UC Davis itself and the downtown businesses,” Ivaschenko said. “After a very slow and brutal summer where sales are impacted after students are out of town, it’s very nice.”
For many students, Dive into Downtown is not exactly considered a highlight activity. For frst-years, it is scheduled for the last day of orientation, a Sunday, when many students are not in attendance due to factors such as the heat. However, Lee was optimistic about the impact this event can still make.
“What we want to do is make it worthwhile, because we’ve all gone to some things [where] you’re like,
‘Can I get my hour back?’” Lee said. “Ultimately, we want this to be one of the favorite [orientation events].”
This event is not the only opportunity for downtown Davis to receive an infux of people. With over 12,000 degrees being handed out for
graduating students, thousands of graduates and their families typically come to Davis during the summer months.
However, graduating students in 2023 and beyond have relocated to the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento as a result of heat-related issues during the 2022 ceremony on the football feld.
While the Golden 1 can host a capacity of over 17,000 people, this still poses issues for downtown businesses back in Davis. Many have suggested that the U Center, where UC Davis sports teams play, would assist in keeping graduates and their families in Davis. Te U has previously hosted graduation before it was moved to the football feld. Ivaschenko said she was sad about this loss to the community. Te graduation ceremony being removed from the county itself is the biggest loss, the biggest disconnection,” Ivaschenko said. “The impact is tremendous. People are not staying in Davis, we are seeing a huge decrease in sales.” Lee said he was sympathetic to the university, but noted the community-
wide reaction to this change from downtown business.
“To have it in a temperaturecontrolled environment makes sense,” Lee said. “[However], a lot of the downtown businesses were very concerned when it was announced that graduation would be at the Golden 1 Center.”
Maresca said that aside from Dive into Downtown, there are not many collaborations between downtown and UC Davis.
“We’d love to see the university put more efort into continuous connection with local businesses,” Maresca said. Te city makes this university, and the university also makes this city.” Dive into Downtown and UC Davis graduation are two very diferent events. One happens at the start of the college journey and the other at the end. However, they are both opportunities to connect the university to its downtown — the hope for downtown businesses is to increase that connection in the future.
Chappell Roan performing at Vogue Theater in Vancouver, BC on November 10, 2022. (Courtesy of Jason Martin / Creative Commons, CC by 2.0)
Students enter Mishkas Cafe, a popular coffee spot in downtown Davis. (Aggie File)
OPINION
The power of a simple hug
Exploring the emotional and physical benefits of giving and receiving hugs
BY MAYA KORNYEYEVA mkornyeyeva@ucdavis.edu
Hugs are my absolute favorite thing in the world. Tere’s a number of reasons why I love them: they’re comfy, soft, stress-reducing and generally pleasant. Whenever I give or receive a hug, it truly feels as though the world melts away, and it’s just myself and the other person sharing an overwhelmingly positive emotional connection.
I know what you’re thinking: “Yes, this is fairly obvious, hugs are great.” But is there a scientifc reason for this plethora of fuzzy sensations we receive from hugs? Something more than just “a happy feeling?”
Unsurprisingly, the joint actions of giving and receiving hugs are deeply rooted in our body’s biological signals and result in numerous benefts for our physical and emotional well-being.
When looking at the dimension of mental health, hugs are similar to a hot cup of tea, a good book and a fuzzy blanket; they work well to reduce stress, allowing not just our body to relax but also our mind, encouraging us to take a few seconds to pause and breathe. Our sense of touch is one of the most important yet often overlooked senses, and consists of two types — “fast-touch” and “slow-touch.” “Fasttouch” is responsible for quickly detecting what comes in contact with our skin, such as the hot surface of a pan or rain falling on our face. “Slow-touch” is much more subtle and activates a nerve system called c-tactile aferents. Tis web of nerves is responsible for processing the emotional meaning of touch. Hugs, which can last anywhere from a few seconds to minutes, are a “slow-touch” sense, affecting the c-tactile aferents and sending numerous hormones throughout your body — the most prominent being oxytocin and
endorphins.
Oxytocin, also known as the “love” hormone, plays a pivotal role in social connection. Te release of oxytocin is responsible for lowering blood pressure and heart rate levels, thereby reducing anxiety and stress levels. Endorphins, on the other hand, are neurotransmitters that travel through the reward pathways of your brain to create the feeling of immediate gratifcation and happiness often associated with a hug. They are typically released when you are participating in an activity that you enjoy, which can be anything from exercising, cooking, doing a hobby or even eating a delicious meal. Like oxytocin, endorphins reduce stress, improve your mood and promote a sense of well-being.
That being said, hugs are also benefcial to our health in the long term. Studies demonstrate that the stress-reducing nature of hugs can help improve sleep, allowing the body
to regulate your sleep-cycle better. Over time, hugs and social connection also reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness, building up your resilience to stress. In other words, the more secure you feel from hugs and regular “slow-touch” experiences, the less prone you will be to the negative efects that result from feeling stressed: your body is mobilized to bounce back stronger and more rapidly.
Of course, consent is the key ingredient to hugs, and, for that matter, any other physical contact with another person (even if it’s just a fst bump or high fve). Asking frst gives your partner, friend or family member a choice — a chance to agree or otherwise deny your ofer. In this sense, the positive health benefts that a person receives from a hug are negated without the crucial factor of consent, so always, always keep that in mind before engaging in a hug. Tus, even though a hug may seem
simple or inconsequential, it is actually incredibly important in reducing stress and improving mental and physical health. Hugs stimulate a wide range of positive emotions, which we often don’t experience on a daily basis. For me, one long hug is enough to lift an invisible weight from my shoulders — perhaps one that I didn’t even notice was there. Hugs are such an intrinsic part of human interaction. In our busy lives, we often self-sacrifce our own needs in favor of checking all the boxes on our “to-do” list. So, if you notice someone looking particularly down, give them a hug: they might really need it.
Disclaimer: Te views and opinions expressed by individual columnists belong to the columnists alone and do not necessarily indicate the views and opinions held by Te California Aggie.
If you know
BY MAYA KORNYEYEVA
mkornyeyeva@ucdavis.edu
Look. I know that the following message may sound crazy. You might (perhaps rightfully) question my sanity. I urge you to cast those thoughts aside. Seriously. Toss them in a bin, cover the lid and hold it down tight. Anyway, here goes: I think my body is the grazing ground for a passing-by cow spirit. Now, how do I know this? Well… there have been certain alarming and rather telling signs. Te frst occurrence (dare I say, supernatural event?) occurred at noon last Friday while I was making a shortcut through the grass to get to the MU. My head was pretty empty: I had just submitted my last project for my one Summer Session 2 class. Tus, not paying attention to anything in particular, I zoned out for a little bit. Out of nowhere I felt this sudden, drastic desire to munch the grass. On God. I honestly never considered myself as a veggie person, but I was about to throw away all of my prejudices if someone handed me a bushel of fresh green grass. You cannot imagine the stomach-wrenching feeling that something was quite wrong — I am a human, and normal humans don’t casually plop down in the Quad and start munching on grass.
A few seconds later the feeling passed, and by the time I had walked through the MU and toward the bus terminal, I came to the conclusion that maybe I was just hungry, or perhaps hallucinating. Probably the former. By the end of the day, it was as if the whole grass incident never happened.
Flash forward to three days ago. Tat evening, I peacefully went to bed and fell asleep immediately. Suddenly it’s 3 a.m and I’m being shaken awake by my roommate, who, eyes flled with concern, informed me that I had been “moo-ing” in my sleep. Not snoring, she avidly proclaimed, but
MAYA KORNYEYEVA / AGGIE
Your vote matters more than you think
We encourage you to use your vote following National Voter Registration Day
WRITTEN BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD
With the countless amount of recognized holidays, you may have missed an essential one last week. Sept. 17 was National Voter Registration Day, the non-partisan holiday that hopes to encourage people to register to vote in the upcoming election.
In recognition of the holiday, Te Editorial Board encourages you to vote in this year’s election — it may not seem like it, but one vote makes all the diference.
Eforts to encourage voter participation have proven successful with 150,000 people registering to vote this Voter Registration Day through Vote.org. Residents under 35 made up over 80% of those who registered, according to the organization. However, young voters seem less likely to vote this year than in 2020, which had a record youth turnout, according to the Harvard Institute of Politics. It’s worth noting that this data comes before Kamala Harris was named the Democratic Nominee.
It’s no secret that this is many students’ frst time voting, but the resources on campus and downtown make this easy and convenient. Downtown, students can vote in person at the Veterans Memorial Center, Emerson Junior High School and Montgomery Elementary School. On campus, you can vote at the ARC or drop of your mail-in ballot in front of the Memorial Union on Tennis Court Lane. More ballot information can be found on the Aggies Vote website.
Political discourse may feel a lot scarier than it used to, with safety concerns and issues that afect people’s daily lives, but we encourage you to have conversations with friends and
acquaintances about taking to the polls. Ask your friends if they have a plan to vote in the November election. Ask them the last time they checked their registration status. And don’t be afraid to share resources or opinions while still being respectful: that may make the diference in someone’s decision to vote.
It is a privilege to be part of a college campus and community where open discourse is encouraged and students are provided with resources that make voting easier. With wars overseas and social unrest, it might feel like voting is a waste of time or that the candidates in ofce don’t make a diference — but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Every vote matters and makes an impact in the lives of the people around us, even if we can’t see it.
Tis is especially true in local elections. Tere’s good reason why you’ve likely heard so much about this year’s presidential election, but we encourage you to pay just as much attention to the local level. Town councils, school boards, county supervisors and local measures make major diferences in the lives of the people in your community. It can make the diference for funding school programs, infrastructure and the resources your local community chooses to invest in.
So as we are just over a month away from the November election, Te Editorial Board encourages you to get involved, volunteer, have important conversations with friends and, most importantly, to vote.
An official ballot drop box outside of Davis City Offices in Davis, California. (Quinn Spooner / Aggie)
ARTS & CULTURE
BY ALYSSA CREVOISERAT arts@theaggie.org
Song: “Pier 4” by Clairo (2024)
At the risk of oversharing, we’ve arrived at one of my top tracks of the year. Clairo, well-known for songs like “Bags” and “Sofa,” has recently released her third studio album, “Charm.” Among the record’s 11 songs is “Pier 4” — an almost-sister to “Harbor” of of Clairo’s sophomore album, “Sling.” All focus is on the lyrics as Clairo’s songwriting abilities take center stage. With only gentle strumming patterns and soothing humming in the background, listeners are able to easily connect with the song’s themes. Te track itself is an introspective view on loneliness, self-isolation and the fear of what it would really mean to connect with someone else. With lyrics like, “Where’s the fun in it? And now I’m too tough,” Clairo explores the consequences of fortifying a hard exterior and not letting any emotion out or any love through. If you’re looking for a song that feels like staring in the mirror for far too long, look no further than “Pier 4.”
Book: “One Dark Window” by Rachel Gillig (2022)
As we approach the cooler months and see fogged-up windows, leafess trees and rainy days, it’s time to prepare your reading selection for the fall. “Te Shepherd King” duology — “One Dark Window” and “Two Twisted Crowns” — is an adult gothic fantasy series written by UC Davis alumna Rachel Gillig. Te former follows Elspeth Spindle, a woman with an ancient spirit trapped in her head, as she works alongside the King’s nephew to cure the kingdom of Blunder from an infectious mist and save herself from the deterioration of her mind. With a unique magic system, there are 12 Providence Cards: a deck of cards that grant special abilities to the wielder. Te Nightmare, notably, allows the wielder to enter minds and reveal the victim’s deepest fears. Tis duology blurs the line between the girl and the monster and highlights themes of trust, sacrifce and acceptance of even the darkest parts of ourselves. As one of the most atmospheric fantasy novels I’ve ever read, Gillig’s mysterious worldbuilding draws you into the dark, mist-locked world of Blunder from the very frst page.
TV Show: “Tell Me Lies” by Meaghan Oppenheimer (2022-2024)
Who doesn’t love the 2000s? Set in Baird College, a fctional university in Upstate New York, viewers get a little bit of everything: unparalleled toxicity, complicated family dynamics and surprising fashbacks. Te show follows Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten) at the start of her freshman year as she forms her frst friend group, deals with the fallout of her roommate’s death and — the worst part of it all — begins an unfortunate situationship with Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White). Tis show takes unreliable narration to a new level; not only does every single character lie to each other, but they also lie to themselves and the viewer. At its core, “Tell Me Lies” is a drama set over the course of eight years with backstabbing, manipulation and morally grey decision making. With borderline unlikeable characters, messy relationships and unpredictable twists, Oppenheimer spins a web of lies that it seems even the characters have a hard time escaping. Te show’s second season is currently being released, and you can view both new and old episodes on Hulu.
Movie: “Twisters” dir. by Lee Isaac Chung (2024)
While heartthrob of the summer Glen Powell (Tyler Owens) is a selling point for this movie, Daisy Edgar Jones’ portrayal of Kate Cooper is the beating heart of the flm. Set in Oklahoma, “Twisters” follows two competing groups of storm chasers: Storm Par, a tornado radar company focused on scientifc advancement, and a thrill-seeking YouTube sensation led by self-proclaimed “Tornado Wrangler” Tyler Owens. After trying and failing to difuse a tornado, and one traumatic, deadly run-in with a storm later, Kate has traded storm chasing in Oklahoma with meteorology in New York City. Kate’s grief and survivor’s guilt kept her away from storm chasing, but she is ultimately convinced to accept a week-long position at Storm Par following a tornado outbreak in Oklahoma. Kate and Tyler begin as competitors but, as the storms increase in intensity and destruction, are forced to work together to continue what Kate started fve years ago. While you can no longer view the flm in 4DX, watching the movie on its own is just as thrilling without shaking seats, water in your face and a windy theater to accompany you — I promise.
The magic of the campus novel
Explore four contemporary book recommendations within the subgenre that will have you, for once, looking forward to the start of fall quarter
BY SAVANNAH ANNO arts@theaggie.org
While it’s decidedly unhealthy to romanticize the more difcult bits of life — a past relationship, working too much, the 1950s — your college experience is most certainly the exception. How else is anyone meant to survive all four years? A famous escape from reality, books set around college campuses give us the chance to translate our experiences into something captivating, full of plot points that could only ever be worthy of a main character.
Beyond the (understandable) popularity of works like Sally Rooney’s “Normal People” (2020) and Donna Tartt’s dark academia poster-child “Te Secret History” (1992), an entire subgenre is to be discovered: the campus novel.
With endless possibilities — tales flled with friendship, academic rivals and the occasional murder — campus novels are solely defned by their setting and all it entails. Balancing classes, parties, mysterious professors and strange peers, you’ll be able to fnd at least one story synonymous with your undergrad experience in the following list.
“Babel” (2022) by R.F. Kuang As a recent survivor of “Te Poppy War” trilogy, I cannot stress the talent of R.F. Kuang enough. Her second work, “Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translator’s Revolution,” chronicles the life and education of Robin Swift. Brought to London at a young age from his home of Canton, Swift is chosen to study at Oxford’s Royal Institute of Translation. Here, Kuang highlights the source of the novel’s fantastical element: silver bars inscribed with the same word in two diferent languages. As 1830s England harnesses this power, Swift comes to realize his work at the university ultimately aids in imperialism.
Swift struggles with similar challenges Kuang has faced as an international student, immigrant and literary translator. Once an Oxford student herself — earning a master’s degree in Contemporary Chinese Studies — Kuang paints a familiar and loving portrait of the campus, even including her favorite café despite it not existing until 2003. You can feel her simultaneous amazement and sharp criticism of the school’s rich history in this magically complex read.
“The Idiot” (2017) by Elif Batuman A f nalist for the Pulitzer Prize in fiction, “The Idiot” remains a quintessential novel for anyone beginning their undergrad years. Te novel zones in on Selin Karadağ, who begins studying linguistics at 1990s Harvard and soon after forms a close relationship with an older mathematics student, Ivan.
Semi-autobiographical, “The Idiot” details many of Batuman’s small observations and strange experiences during her time on campus, making it relatable with Selin’s awkward encounters and existential confusion as she’s faced with adulthood. For anyone
Shakti shares the brilliance of Indian music and its impact on the world BY INDRANIL BASU arts@theaggie.org
Shakti won Best Global Music Album for “Tis Moment” at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, which was telecast earlier this year on Feb. 4, 2024 on CBS, marking a historic moment for Indian music and musicians across the world. September marks not only one year of the completion of the 50th Anniversary Tour of Shakti but also their performance at UC Davis as part of the tour. “Shakti,” which means fundamental cosmic energy, manifests its meaning in the way it brings together eastern classical music — North India’s
Hindustani and South India’s Carnatic — and Western music. The band expertly combines these varied streams into a global music of universal emotion that emanates a transcendental spiritual expression.
Shakti was first formed in 1973 by virtuoso British guitarist John McLaughlin and Indian tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain based on their experimental jam sessions. They were joined by Indian violinist Lakshminarayana Shankar and percussionist T. H. “Vikku” Vinayakram, forming an “unprecedented transcontinental collaboration.”
Tey released three albums and toured extensively until disbanding in 1978. In 1997, McLaughlin and Hussain reconstituted the band as “Remember Shakti,” with V. Selvaganesh — son of Vinayakram — mandolin player U. Shrinivas and vocalist Shankar Mahadevan. Again, they disbanded for another two decades.
Te band fnally reformed in 2020, this time with Mahadevan, Selvaganesh and violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan. After sold-out concerts in India, they released their frst studio album as Shakti in more than 45 years in 2023: “Tis Moment.” Supporting their album, they
that feels a little confused or, perhaps, like an idiot going into their frst year, Batuman has you covered with this introspective and meticulous piece of work.
“Real Life” (2020) by Brandon Taylor
Similar to the previous authors, Taylor’s debut novel is largely a refection of his own time at university. But unlike most of his peers, Taylor originally sought after a career as a scientist, studying chemistry until making the switch to creative writing postgrad. His main character, Wallace, faces a similar challenge in struggling to decide his future as a scientific researcher after leaving Alabama for a job in the Midwest.
One of the most interesting aspects of “Real Life” is its timeline, spanning just one singular weekend of Wallace’s life as he’s faced with the reality of his present situation: his father has passed away, he’s in a complicated relationship with a straight man and he feels like an outsider on his predominantly white campus. Will he persevere, change courses, quit?
Both Black and queer, Taylor wrote “Real Life” with the intent of seeing more of himself and his community within the sphere of campus-set, academia-focused novels. Providing a fresh pair of eyes, Taylor spins an emotional and well-crafted story to read as you experience your own academic overthinking or potential feelings of not belonging.
“Ninth House” (2019) by Leigh Bardugo With the release of “Ninth House,” Leigh Bardugo graduated along with her young adult “Six of Crows” fans into the university setting. Taking place at Yale, the frst novel of the dark fantasy series follows 20-year-old and incoming freshman Alex Stern, chosen to watch over the university’s secret societies for her ability to see ghosts. Based on Bardugo’s discovery of Yale’s real-life secret society tombs, “Ninth House” details the mythology of the eight Houses of the Veil, which are groups of students that study arcane magic. A member of the secret ninth house, Alex is immediately thrown into an unraveling mystery involving the disappearance of her mentor, Daniel Arlington, and a strange murder that takes place on the edge of campus. A dark academia novel with magically charged confict, Bardugo provides the perfect series to start as the sky starts to darken along with the seasons. Tis October, curl up with “Ninth House” and continue on to the second book of the trilogy, “Hell Bent.”
Between fantasizing about tea time at Oxford, attending Harvard at the same time as Barack Obama and practicing dark magic underneath the Yale campus grounds, who has time to stress over midterms? Stretching your imagination to its limit, campus-set novels are able to transform the everyday trials of college into something Pulitzer Prize worthy.
set out on a world tour including India, the United States and Europe under the name Shakti50. One of the stops on their world tour was none other than the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts at UC Davis on Sep. 8, 2023, marking the Center’s opening event of that season that featured guest performer Bill Frisell.
Te audience waited with great anticipation for Shakti to come on stage, with many Indian audience members coming from along the West Coast to witness the special appearance of the maestros of Indian music. Many Indians across generations have grown up with the music of the various band members and know of them as some of the greatest and most popular Indian musicians. Hussain is regarded as India’s most famous tabla virtuoso in the post-independence era while Mahadevan is known as a leading composer and singer in Hindi flms. Rajagopalan is one half of renowned violin maestros The Kumaresh Brothers, and Selvaganesh is a celebrated Carnatic percussionist.
Most of these musicians come from rich and eminent generational legacies of Indian music, and getting a chance to see them perform live around one’s own Northern California hometown was a
paramount opportunity for many in the audience.
The musicians sat cross-legged on the stage in the traditional Indian style of musical practice. Te strings and percussion were concentrically placed in order to communicate and improvise throughout the performance. Percussionists Hussain and Selvaganesh utilized a variety of traditional percussion instruments: the Hindustani tabla, chanda and nadal; the Carnatic kanjira, mridangam and ghatam; as well as konnakol — vocally performed percussion syllables.
Mahadevan opened with their song “Giriraj Sudha,” a devotional piece for auspicious beginnings. T e music’s playfulness, combined with McLaughlin and Hussain’s introductions of the pieces, infused the performance with humor and engaged the audience further.
Te band also performed expanded, improvised versions of pieces from the album, including “Shrini’s Dream” and “Bending the Rules,” as well as nonalbum pieces such as their versions of Hindustani semi-classical “thumri,” titled “Sakhi” and “Manmohana Madhusudana.”
SHAKTI on 8
Shakti was awarded their first Grammy in the Global Music Album category. Shakti is an Indo-Western musical group. (Courtesy / GQ India)
Mount Tamalpais: The birthplace of mountain
All-terrain origins hailing from the Bay Area
BY SAVANNAH BURGER arts@theaggie.org
It’s safe to say that the citizens and students of Davis have a passion for everything having to do with biking. Te logo for the city itself is a bicycle, and the fact of the matter is that nearly 50% of all students at UC Davis commute to campus via bike. While there are a myriad of diferent bikes, a common type to see around Davis is the all-terrain mountain bike. However, the mountain bike does not originate from Davis — instead just two hours west in the Bay Area.
Just north of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, the mountain bike was born in Marin County’s Mount Tamalpais. Te mountain itself, also commonly referred to as “Mount Tam” for short, is a 2,571-foot behemoth of a mountain that ofers miles of trails, multiple campgrounds, outdoor theater and gorgeous views of the California Bay Area.
All around Mount Tam, there are vista points that show of San Francisco, the Pacifc Ocean, Marin County, the East Bay, Mount Diablo and, with luck and good weather, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, located more than 150 miles away. Also boasting many diferent ecosystems — such as open grasslands, coastal redwood forests, oak woodlands, chaparral and a pygmy cypress grove — Mount Tam is the perfect destination for outdoor activities.
Te same sentiment was held by a group of Marin-based teenagers known as “Te Larkspur Canyon Gang.” Tis group of teens, among them being mountain bike legends Gary Fisher, Joe Breeze and Tom Ritchey, were busy experimenting with custom bikes specializing in of-roading. Tey chose the twists and turns of Mount Tam to be their testing feld.
Te group made their modifcations by taking 1930s Schwinn, Colson and Shelby bikes and stripping them of irrelevant parts. T ey then took salvaged parts from junkyards and other bikes to outft their models with wide, knobby tires, sturdy frames and fat motorcycle handlebars. Te bikes were also retroftted with the better brakes and gears needed for riding at fast speeds down the face of Mount Tam.
Tese bikes, markedly the “Breezer #1” made by Joe Breeze in 1977, are thought of as the frst prototypes for today’s mountain bike. Tese bicycles, which were afectionately referred to as “klunkers” or “ballooners,” were used by Larkspur Canyon Gang in the world’s frst ever mountain bike races, named the “Repack Downhill.” Starting in
1976, the races were dubbed “Repack” due to the fact that the downhill descent on Mount Tam caused extreme speed — making the coaster brakes red-hot and vaporizing the grease. Tus, after every race, bikers would have to repack their brakes. Te course that the Repack followed shoots down 1,300 feet in less than 2.1 miles — talk about extreme! Naturally, the Repack Races became a hit, attracting riders and spectators from all over the Marin County and greater Bay Area. There was such
eagerness around the races, they held the frst nine in just one week. Te Bay Area, and quickly more distant bike fans, became hooked. Not only was Mount Tam the home of the frst modern mountain bike model, but it also played the most pivotal role in making mountain biking a heated, exciting and competitive sport.
Since then, the sport and the mountain bike itself have taken of Soon after the Larkspur Canyon Gang and Repack Races, the 1980s
saw the wide-scale media coverage of major races, which were viewed by millions of people. Companies such as Trek, Specialized and Cannondale hit the mountain biking industry with new innovation and commercialized mountain bikes, driving their rapid evolution. Once the 1990s came around, mountain biking had proven itself a worldwide phenomenon. In 1996, mountain biking entered the Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia as an ofcial sport, almost to the day of the 20th year anniversary of the very frst Repack Race. Today, Mount Tamalpais is still known as one of the best mountain biking destinations in California, with eight trails dedicated to mountain biking in Mount Tamalpais State Park. So, if you’re wondering how far you can push the mountain bike you ride to work or school everyday, take a little trip to Mount Tam and see what it can do on its home turf!
Was the peak of 2024 ‘Pop Girl Summer?’
Amidst all of the 2024 releases, four pop albums stand out as major playlist staples
BY AALIYAH ESPAÑOL-RIVAS
arts@theaggie.org
If I had to use one word to describe the musical landscape of summer 2024, all obvious signs point to pop. From Charli XCX’s “Apple” dance trend taking over everyone’s Tik Tok For You Page and Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” still stuck in everyone’s heads months later, there is no denying the resurgence of pop music made by female artists has ruled this past summer.
While it is hard to highlight all of the amazing female artists whose pop albums were released this summer (and Chappell Roan’s “Te Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” the 2023 album that broke the internet), four stand-out pop albums have dominated everyone’s playlist this summer.
“BRAT” by Charli XCX
It is almost impossible to talk about this summer without discussing the cultural impact of “Brat” by Charli XCX. Above the context of music, “Brat” has not only become a staple in pop culture but has reached beyond to organizations such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and a theme used by presidential candidate Kamala Harris on her Instagram. Te simple neon green album cover with just four letters has made itself a staple for 2024 summer. Examining the album as a whole, there is no surprise as to why the album became popular. With songs like “Girl, so confusing,” to “365,” the entire album makes you feel like you’re in a strobe light-flled nightclub. Even more so, after the skyrocketing popularity of “Brat,” Charli XCX released two deluxe versions of the album, one featuring three additional songs and one with remixes of all of the songs on the original album.
Te “Brat” album has changed the current pop genre. Straying away from the typical bubblegum pop girl sound, Charli XCX has brought the subgenre of hyper-pop back into the spotlight, hopefully encouraging more artists to go beyond their comfort zone to create fresh albums that are more than just radio hits.
“The Secret of Us” by Gracie Abrams Leaning away from the hyper-pop music lies an underrated album for all of the girls who by day are bumpin’ that but are the journaling thought daughters by night. “Te Secret of Us” by Gracie Abrams has it all. From songs like “I Love You, I’m Sorry,” for the girls
who miss their ex, “Tough Love,” for the girls who are living, laughing and loving with their best friends, the album is an understated choice amongst the rest of the summer albums. Te stand-out song, “Close to You” is more akin to the other radio hits from this summer, with an uptempo beat and catchy chorus. With 13 songs, Abrams delves into the world of situationships, secret relationships and the liberation from leaving said relationships. Produced by Jack Antonof and Aaron Dessner and featuring a collaboration with Taylor Swift, the album serves as a nice palate cleanser for the post nightclub vibe of other music made this summer.
“Short n’ Sweet” by Sabrina Carpenter
“Hit after hit” is the only way I can describe this album. “Short n’ Sweet,”
released by Sabrina Carpenter toward the end of summer, has cemented itself into the 2024 pop scene. Tough its main single, “Espresso,” came out in April, the song itself is still as popular as ever, with its sister song “Please Please Please” equally as popular. While many people quickly grew tired of these two songs despite their overwhelming catchiness, there was an element of creativity that was ever present.
Not only does the album delve into a catchy pop summer sound reminiscent of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” era, but it goes beyond it into hints of country and R&B. Mixed with Carpenter’s sultry voice and strut-worthy tempo, the album is a fun, innuendo-flled collection that at times even gets a bit vulnerable. “Short n’ Sweet” is the perfect summer album of songs you can dance to, cry to and scream your
heart out to.
“Charm” by Clairo Similar to “Te Secret of Us,” the “Charm” album by Clairo has not been as prominent as a whole, beneath all of the glitter and hyper-pop from this summer. Rather, “Charm” is an unsung light for all of the thought daughters who chose to relax this summer.
“Charm” is a mellow, feminine, alternative pop album with songs that delve into both individuality and a blossoming relationship. A perfect example of this is the breakout song “Juna.” Te song itself embodies the overall mood of the album: soft, girly and whimsical.
Listening to the album, all I wanted to do was cry, frolic in a feld with a three-tiered white maxi skirt and invest in high-quality matcha. Going hand
in hand with the mellow, whimsical theme of the album, Clairo delivers in every song with her soft vocals amidst melodic instrumentals. “Charm” is exactly what its title says: charming, endearing and bewitching with the subtlety of the album itself. It is not loud, in your face or all consuming, it is the perfect balance of quaint and thought-provoking.
Overall, the surge of pop music this summer has been electrifying. Regardless of the album’s release year, there is no denying pop has been occupying the charts. Whether it’s songs from the albums above, Chappell Roan or Remi Wolf, pop music slayed this summer.
ARIANA NOBLE / AGGIE
The 2024 men’s and women’s US Open Tennis Championships take over the sports world
Sinner and Sabalenka secure their first-place victories yet again
BY DIEGO CERNA sports@theaggie.org
New York City held its 144th US Open Tennis Championships from Aug. 26 to Sept. 9. Te Open held multiple upsets and showcased many rising stars that make up the new generation of both men’s and women’s tennis.
For the men’s side, Italy’s No. 1-ranked Jannik Sinner defeated the United States’ No. 12-ranked Taylor Fritz in Te US Open fnale on Sept. 9. Te 23-year-old Sinner beat the 26-year-old Fritz in three straight sets — winning 6-3, 6-4 and 7-5 — to complete a dominant tournament run.
Tis is Sinner’s second grand slam
title of his young career. Additionally, this is also his second title of the year after beating No. 3-ranked Daniil Medvedev in the 2024 Australian Open. Sinner was ranked No. 4 at the time but has taken his place as the highestranked tennis player in the world after his dominant performance and backto-back wins. For the women’s side, Belarus’ No. 2-ranked Aryna Sabalenka defeated the United States’ No. 6-ranked Jessica Pegula on Sept. 8. Te 26-year-old Sabalenka fended of the 30-year-old Bufalo native Pegula in a competitive two set match, winning 7-5 and 7-5.
Tis is Sabalenka’s third Slam title and frst US Open win, as she won the 2023 and 2024 Australian Opens. Formerly ranked No. 1 in 2023, she has
maintained her place as one of the top women’s tennis players in the world. Sabalenka has established herself as one of the most powerful players on the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) circuit, demonstrating her ability to succeed on diferent surfaces.
The US Open also displayed many upsets for star players. Te most shocking upset may be Spain’s No. 3-ranked Carlos Alcaraz losing to the Netherlands’ Botic Van De Zandschulp in three straight sets in the second round of the tournament. Alcaraz just came of of winning silver in the 2024 Olympic Games, only coming in second to Serbia’s No. 4-ranked Novak Djokovic who won gold.
Djokovic was also caught in the upsets, as he lost to No. 28-ranked
Alexi Popyrin in four sets in the third round. While this may look like a surprise on paper, some fans thought the match would be up for grabs given the competitive history of matches between Popyrin and Djokovic.
One of the closest and most exciting matches of the tournament came with the intensely awaited rematch of US tennis players No. 13-ranked Ben Shelton and No. 20-ranked Frances Tiafoe. In the 2023 US Open, an unranked Shelton upset No.10-ranked Tiafoe in four sets. Tis year, Tiafoe beat Shelton in a close fve-set match. Being good friends outside of the game, the men gave each other a hug at the net after the game.
Tis was also the frst US Open to feature multiple US tennis players
in the semi-finals for both men’s and women’s tennis in 21 years. No. 13-ranked Emma Navarro and Pegula representing the women and Fritz and Tiafoe representing the men. Regardless, the 2024 US Open entertained over 1 million attending fans throughout the three weeks and millions more on television. Te US Open also broke the opening day single-match record with 74,641 fans attending the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Overall, the 2024 US Open demonstrated tennis’ growing worldwide impact, while also strengthening the sport’s growing popularity and reach.
Redshirting: a strategic way for college athletes to maximize their athletic potential
Explore the impact of redshirting on college athletes
BY MEGAN JOSEPH sports@theaggie.org
Redshirting may sound like an unfamiliar term with a funny name. But, for collegiate athletes, redshirting is one of the best alternatives in collegiate sports. The official term “redshirting” refers to athletes who choose to not participate in certain seasons or games of their collegiate career in order to maximize their eligibility in the sport. As stated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)’s rules for collegiate athletes, “A student-athlete shall not engage in more than four seasons of intercollegiate competition in any one sport.”
Terefore, since collegiate athletes are only allowed to participate in a total of four seasons while at the university, athletes may choose to “redshirt” or save their eligibility so that they can further develop their skills mentally and physically before competing.
Redshirting allows student athletes to not only grow in their sport but also continue to practice in the team without the pressures of having to compete. Additionally, redshirting can give athletes the opportunity to get accustomed to the college lifestyle socially and academically before adding a sport into the mix.
“I think any athlete should be willing to redshirt because it means you’re saving up your eligibility so that you can get more minutes in a game and grow as an athlete [...both] physically and mentally. I got to work more in the weight room and focus on getting stronger and getting smarter in the game and getting experience from the outside on what it means to be playing on the inside or in the water,” Brody Crouch, a third-year communications major, said. Crouch was a key player for the UC Davis water polo team in their 2022 season. Scoring a total of 13 goals in his frst season as an Aggie, Crouch decided to redshirt for his second year in order to have the opportunity to stay for a ffth year and potentially get more minutes in the water during future games. Aside from allowing players to save
their eligibility and get more playing time, redshirting allows athletes to get accustomed to collegiate-level game play without sacrifcing a year of ingame play.
“Changing from high school-level competitions and sports to college level is a big jump for everybody, and some people are ready to jump straight into competitions, but some people need more time to get used to the environment and the higher level of play,” Livi Lewis, a third-year biological sciences major, said. “So, it’s a great way to save eligibility while still being in the collegiate sport environment.”
A common concern with redshirting is the worry that the team will form bonds with one another while the player is not present. However, that’s not true, according to Lewis.
“You are totally still part of the team, you’re just not competing in NCAA games,” Lewis said. “It’s very ofcial, but you are still allowed to attend games and practice with the team and you are still required at training. You’re just technically not playing in ofcial games, but you are also still building the bond with the team. You are not ostracized from the team.”
Still, like any major decision, there are some negatives associated with redshirting. When a player decides to ofcially redshirt, they are ultimately deciding not to compete for an entire season. Tis decision does preserve a player’s eligibility for future seasons and is only useful if that player decides to stay for a ffth year. Additionally, redshirting players are not permitted to travel with the team for away games no matter the distance. For some, traveling to games on their own to support the team might be difcult and unmanageable. Nonetheless, having the option to stay for a ffth year and play may be more enticing, or in some cases unavoidable, if a player is receiving less play time or if a player has an injury.
Te way you gain experience is by playing [a] season, so I guess you lose out on that,” Lewis said. “At the end of the day, if you aren’t able to or your coach doesn’t think you will get a lot of playing time, then it is a good option because it maximizes your ability to play.”
Crouch also refected on how the team was a pivotal part in his redshirting experience.
“If anything with redshirting, I think it has brought me closer to my guys,” Crouch said. “I was defnitely upset and there was an emotional aspect to it, but because they saw I was down, they were all trying to cheer me up and were always by my side and making me feel like I was a part of the team.”
Deciding whether to redshirt doesn’t just mean weighing the pros and cons — it also includes the reasoning for redshirting. Te most common types of redshirting include medical, academic and voluntary.
Medical Redshirting
Tis type of redshirting is similar to, as it sounds, a medical reason prompting a player to opt for redshirting. Tis form of redshirting is less of a deliberate choice and more of a circumstantial decision. Regardless, it still allows a player to save their eligibility while taking a season of to focus on healing.
Tis form of redshirting is crucial for athletes that are facing an injury and cannot compete — for Lewis, this was the only option.
“In February, I tore my [anterior cruciate ligament] ACL and then in March I had surgery,” Lewis said. “Even though the season is kind of far out, ACL recovery and rehabilitation is kind of a long process. It takes roughly nine to 12 months, so I wouldn’t be ready and back to playing in time for our fall 2024 season [...] Medically redshirting allows me to save my eligibility even though I cannot play. I can potentially use my saved eligibility at the end of my four years which I can decide later on.”
Academic Redshirting
As student athletes, school is a priority in the lives of players. It is no surprise that many players opt to take a season of from competing in order to get ahead in their classes and focus on their academics. Athletes use the season of to get ahead in their classes and take the more difcult classes when they have more time to allocate to studying.
Additionally, academic redshirting can be decided before stepping foot on the college campus based of of high
school transcripts. For athletes to be eligible to compete, they must have a 2.3 Grade Point Average (GPA). If they fall below that threshold, then they are automatically placed on an academic redshirt in order to improve their GPA.
Voluntary Redshirting Te last type of redshirting is one of the most ambiguous and frequently used. Tis form of redshirting essentially refers to a player willingly sitting out of a competitive season to preserve a year of eligibility. Voluntary redshirting is usually done to give a player a chance to grow their skills before performing in collegiate-level sports. Furthermore, fourth-year players are typically given more playing time in a game. Tus, if there are many experienced players competing for a player’s position, then they might want to consider redshirting. It will allow them to save their eligibility in order to play when they are more experienced
and will get more minutes in a game.
Unfortunately, redshirting does have some negative connotations associated with it, mainly due to the unknowns surrounding the action or the belief that a player redshirts because they are not good enough. However, these connotations are false, according to Crouch.
“I de f nitely want to break the stigma of it, because it has a negative connotation surrounding it, but it’s just unknown,” Crouch said. “And in my experience with it, it was actually really positive and benefcial.”
Overall, there are many positives associated with redshirting that should not be ignored purely due to the assumed negative connotation. Redshirting can be a benefcial alternative for student athletes to continue to grow and compete as much as possible during their collegiate career.
Jannik Sinner kisses the US Open trophy after winning the title. (Courtesy of Kena Betancur / Creative Commons, CC by 4.0)