Happy Friday, Aggies!
Today we start with some housekeeping:
Best of Davis submissions end tonight at midnight, please fill out the survey here to give your input on what makes Davis great! We are shaking it up this year and have included free response sections, have fun with it.
Next, The Aggie is publishing a Spring Literary Magazine and are currently accepting submissions until Monday May 13th at 5 p.m. Send in a poem, short story, essay, memoir, literary criticism (juicy) or cartoon. No more than 1800 words, cough cough overachievers. Anonymous submissions welcome. Email your submissions to arts@theaggie.org for the chance to be featured.
May is here, spring is in full bloom, midterms have come to a close… all is right in Davis.
Things to look forward to: Lawntopia, Whole Earth Festival, and Houseboats.
And now, this week’s top stories…
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Campus:
Police disarmament failed to pass — The ASUCD April 11 Senate meeting discussed resolution urging UC Davis Administration to disarm campus police for the betterment of the community as a whole, as well as other minority groups. Those for the disarmament sited incidents of police brutality and the famous UC Davis pepper spray incident, whereas those opposed stressed the importance of the police’s ability to defend students and faculty in the event of a shooting. The meeting drew a large crowd and a long discussion, resulting in a 6-5 vote, failing to pass. Read on.
City:
Theta Xi to demolish Bryson and Jackson houses after plans were submitted to redevelop two of its three over 100-year-old houses on First Street. The plans, released by the city on Feb. 25, are to redistribute the three lots into two equal sized lots to house a new three-story structure. The fraternity will continue to live in the Theta Xi Main House while construction takes place, then move to the new building and open the Main House to new tenants or an outside redevelopment project. Read on.
Features:
UC Davis places second on ‘Top Colleges Advocating for Mental Health Awareness’ — published by College Magazine. The article stated that “UC Davis recognizes everything wellness entails — both physical and mental,” praising efforts to combat stigma surrounding mental health.
“I think this article speaks to the work that many of the student organizations have been doing,” Emilia Aguirre said, a mental well-being health promotion specialist who oversees Each Aggie Matters. “Each Aggie Matters in particular strives to collectively cultivate mental health as a state of flourishing.”
Aguirre accredits student-run initiative groups for fostering a supportive campus community. Read on.
Arts & Culture:
KDVS celebrates 50 years on the air — a weeklong fundraiser. “Freeform Turns 50” included an on air telethon, DJ spotlights and community t-shirt contests, as well as fundraising at local restaurants like Panera, Panda Express, Raja’s Tandoor, Woodstock’s and Blaze. The station came close to their goal of $50,000 and concluded with a Delta of Venus Dance Party as a final celebration and to honor the stations rich history. The station has hosted many hit bands like The Police, who caught their break from performing on KDVS. They even have an autographed picture of Sting, a gift to show his appreciation for the station. Donations are always accepted online at fundraiser.kdvs.org. Read on.
Sports:
2019 NFL Draft Recap — 254 college players dreams came true. Several picks sparked controversy in the Aggie football fanbase, writes sports reporter Omar Navarro. “Former UC Davis wide receiver Keelan Doss went undrafted, despite being projected to be picked as high as the fourth round. Doss inexplicably fell completely off the board, but signed as a free agent with his hometown team, the Oakland Raiders. Although it wasn’t necessarily the way he wanted, Doss will now get a chance to officially make an NFL roster and show the league why he should have had his name called at the draft.” Read the full recap.
Science:
$1.1 Million grant from the Walt Disney Company to fund “Snap the Gap” program — providing mentorship and tools to 15,000 girls. UC Davis has entered a partnership with littleBits, a tech ed company that provides hands-on learning kits to encourage girls to develop an interest in STEM. Working with local school districts, the California Afterschool Network, STEM Hub, Girl Scout Troops and other girl-serving organizations, their goal is to work towards closing the gender gap in STEM. Read on.
Culture Corner — Grace’s (my) Weekly Picks
“Television”: “It’s Alive! With Brad”
Movie: Tag
Book: “Born A Crime” by Trevor Noah
Album: “Ventura” by Anderson .Paak
Opinion:
Editorial — “UC Merced newspaper to lose funding, shut down by the end of summer”
Humor — “UC Davis plant scientists invent deodorant for smelly white trees”
Guest — “California’s chance to break its single-use plastic addiction”
That’s all for this week. Check back next Friday.
— Grace Simmons
