Get to know some of the people who help bring this paper together
By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
The California Aggie is the official student-run newspaper for the UC Davis community. Our paper is also the best way for students to get involved in journalism and reporting experience on campus.
Every week we provide hard-hitting news, in-depth features and diverse opinions about the campus and local community. We publish online every day and weekly on Thursday. You can find many of our newsstands on campus and downtown for your convenience.
We have seven different desks managed by different editors that each provide unique content for our paper. The Editorial Board is also responsible for two weekly editorials that share our student opinions on important issues. Since you will be hearing our rants fairly often, here is a brief introduction to get to know us better.
Chris Ponce, Editor-in-Chief
This is my third time writing a bio for our “Meet the Editorial Board” piece and I’m still at a loss for how quick the time has passed by. This year I find myself in a new role that I am navigating with hope and excitement. During one of the first stories I covered three years ago an Aggie photographer joked that I was on my way to be Editor-in-Chief by my fourth-year. I told him that I was happy where I was.
Since then I served as city news editor for two years, providing the campus and local community with news about crime, politics and city updates. I oversaw and wrote stories about bomb threats, the serial stabbings and local activism. In that role I understood the vital purpose The Aggie provides. In the summers I have worked for political campaigns, taking a different perspective on the issues we cover. In these roles I have learned that the voices of local communities are essential. I have learned the need for local journalism.
We write stories that otherwise would have gone unnoticed, we provide a platform for student and professor opinions and we provide safety and crime alerts that help keep our community safe.
This is why I decided to become Editor-in-Chief, to help our paper expand and make sure that we are here to stay for years to come. I fell in love with journalism first, then I fell in love with this city and campus. As my final year moves forward, I will do what I can to do the best that I can.
Alyssa Crevoiserat, Managing Editor
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when I became an editor. I’ve always been a bit of a nutcase when it comes to grammar — arguing about the Oxford comma is still my favorite pastime — but I think it all really began when I became a copy reader for The California Aggie as a first-year. Sitting in my dorm in the dark, editing the articles in suggestion mode and painstakingly awaiting the acceptance or rejection of my edits became my life’s work (on Saturdays). During my one-year tenure as a copy chief, I saw a different side of our publication: pizza trivia nights, the copy team’s attic and a which-desk-would-survive-the-hunger-games simulation. Now, I’ve graduated from suggestion mode — phew — and I can safely say that this has been the most rewarding experience of my life.
Even after all of this, I still can’t figure out how to tell you what this role means to me. From campus events to medical innovations to city council updates, I have had the opportunity to remain educated on local current events and connect with UC Davis behind the scenes. Going into this year as the managing editor is equal parts terrifying and exciting, and I hope this year is filled with team-bonding events, long nights in the office and, most importantly, incredible journalism. I can’t wait to work with some of the most talented and passionate people I’ve ever met that make this paper all that it is and will be. And if you’re thinking about joining The California Aggie, I can’t wait to meet you, too.
Madison Peters, Campus News Editor
The Trader Joe’s crew member-to-campus news editor pipeline is real, and I am living proof. It was my former coworker and campus news editor, Lily Freeman, who first introduced me to the wonderful world of the Cal Aggie. One day during the summer before my third year, while we were stocking the fruit and nut section, Lily approached me like a car salesman pitching the newest and fastest car on the market: “How would you like to be a volunteer writer for the school’s newspaper?” she said. At this point in my life, I had a passion for writing and storytelling but no journalism experience. I wondered if this was good enough to join such an impressive publication. However, with Lily’s reassurance (and a bit of begging), I was writing for The Aggie in a few weeks. What I didn’t know was how much it would change my life. With every article I wrote, something exciting sparked within me. Being able to talk to different students, faculty and campus organizations opened my eyes to a whole new world I was unaware of. I felt so connected to the campus community, and being able to see my name on issues and talk about important campus events gave me an unmatched sense of pride (and being able to show these articles to my mom helped my ego greatly).
Going into my second year with The Aggie and taking on the role of campus news editor is everything I would have wished for. I love seeing the passion in my fellow writers’ eyes when they pitch a new story, and being able to help them use their voices is an exceptional thing. This year, in addition to improving my journalism skills, I have a goal to make The Aggie more sustainable in terms of paper waste (woohoo!). I can’t wait to continue shining a light on all the diverse stories on campus and working with my fellow Aggies, since they are the best and kindest people I have had the pleasure of meeting!
Hannah Schrader, City News Editor
A new school year is a time for new beginnings, and of those new beginnings I am most excited to continue my time at The California Aggie but now as the editor of the city news desk. As a brief introduction, my name is Hannah Schrader and I am starting my third year here at Davis. I love reading, baking and traveling. This year I hope to produce high quality coverage of local politics, events and community affairs.
I started working for The Aggie my first year here at Davis after fervently committing to being as involved on campus as possible. It was nerve racking to start college but even more so because a very brazen 18 year old Hannah decided to attend college 2,800 miles from home. After much experimentation with clubs and programs, I had a stroke of luck when I applied to work for the California Aggie. I worked for the city news desk for a year and a half before getting the privilege of now working as the editor of the desk. Through my time at the city desk, I not only grew my knowledge of journalism but the love I had for the field at large. I must also give a big thanks to our current EIC and former city desk editor, Chris Ponce for recognizing the important role the city news desk plays in the Davis local journalism scene and his commitment to providing critical political and city coverage. The city desk taught me what it means to be a part of the Davis community, and more importantly what it means to tell the stories of the people in it. I hope to continue Chris’ legacy of providing high quality coverage and keeping the Davis community informed.
Maya Kornyeyeva, Opinion Editor
From the very beginning — and by the beginning, I mean the fourth grade — I have been in the opinion biz. That fateful year, I published a hand-printed newspaper featuring a story about ghosts (note: it was actually just heat shimmer) hiding in the fake grass of my elementary school’s soccer field, putting my evidence down on paper and proclaiming my albeit fanatical theories to the world. From that moment on, I embraced the lifestyle of a reporter, creating articles and political cartoons for my high school’s newspaper, Scot Scoop. Upon arriving at UC Davis (even before petting the cows!) I applied for the Opinion Desk at The CA Aggie, and, by some miracle, I got in. Two years and countless opinion columns about coffee later, I am here before you as the Opinion Editor for this academic school year.
From my two years at The Aggie, I feel it is safe to say that this is one of the most passionate student hubs on campus. While at The Aggie Office, I learned trivia tidbits about the most bizarre, random stuff you can imagine. I met people with ground-breaking ideas and shared my thoughts in a judge-free space. Every meeting was filled with laughter, jokes that did (and didn’t) make sense and rants about everything from Doctor Who to surviving the apocalypse. I wouldn’t have made it here without my outstanding editors, Owen and Annabel, and I hope to lead the Opinion desk with the same dedication to free speech as they had. Oh, and of course, whip together a few more articles about coffee.
Zoey Mortazavi, Features Editor
I unexpectedly found myself in a journalism class my junior year of high school after one of my English teachers said she thought it would be a perfect fit for me. She was right — I fell in love with it immediately and climbed the ladder of staff positions as quickly as I could, from senior staff writer to news editor to editor-in-chief by my senior year. Journalism has taught me about leadership, the importance of properly representing a campus’ population and all (way too much, actually) about meeting deadlines. Finding a shared passion for writing, discussing a community we’re all a part of and learning more about one another in the process has been one of the most rewarding experiences of being a student journalist.
Joining The Aggie was one of my main goals going into my freshman year at Davis. I applied for a writing position for features and was able to become the assistant features editor by my third quarter. Yasmeen, last year’s features editor, taught me to appreciate and love the human perspective of feature writing. I applied to the features editor position after a year writing for the desk, hoping but not at all expecting to get it. It’s a huge privilege to be able to shine a spotlight on the diverse corners of the community that we have on our campus. Through features I have been able explore Davis on a much deeper level while covering topics like financial education, college language courses and even the importance of studying outdoors. I’m so excited to be joining the Aggie staff officially and for a year full of showcasing the people and communities that make UC Davis all that it is!
Ana Bach, Arts and Culture Editor
I never quite knew when and the exact reason why I wanted to become a writer. I’ve always had a bit of a knack for writing, keeping extensive journal entries about my day-to-day experiences even before I knew how to spell correctly. When I went to middle school, I vividly remember bonding with my seventh-grade English teacher, staying during lunchtime to debrief the books we were reading in class. My interest and love for writing were never questioned, which is why I was so easily convinced to join The Aggie by a member of my sorority, who also happened to be the Managing Editor at the time, shoutout Ms. Katie Debenedetti. From there, everything seemed to come naturally, aside from getting into the habit of rejecting the use of the Oxford comma.
As I reflect on how I started at the Aggie, it’s been weird to think about ending my experience with something that has been such a prominent part of my life for the past three years. The countless Couch Concert planning, Culture Corner brainstorming and Lit mag layouts will never fail to impress me with the undeniable talent from Aggie and local Davis writers alike. While this final year seems so scary to confront head-on, I want my writers and fellow editors to really cherish all the time we spend together. Meetings can be long and typos are inevitable, so welcome the things that don’t go according to plan because that’s what makes up our perfectly imperfect publication. As always, I hope you all enjoy reading!
Megan Joseph, Sports Editor
Wow, has it already been three months? I cannot believe that summer is officially ending and a new school year is starting! For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Megan Joseph. I am just now starting my third-year here at UC Davis and could not be more excited to also start my second year as the sports editor. Over the course of last year, I have learned so much—whether it’s the inner workings of collegiate sports, handling deadline crises, or figuring out the best way to hand out newspapers. I am incredibly grateful for the experiences I have had and will continue to have here at The Aggie.
I began here just like everyone else, as a new volunteer writer for my desk. After writing and seeing my first few articles in print, I knew I had found my place. I’ve always had a love for sports, whether it’s playing as an athlete or being a fan on the sidelines; it is one of my biggest passions. I am beyond thrilled to continue pursuing this passion and continuing to make entertaining content for everyone this year! With my incredible team of writers, I am confident that we will make this year just as amazing if not better than last year. So, stay tuned for everything sports this year on the backside of the newspaper.
Katie Hellman, Science and Technology Editor
I accredit my deep-seated love for writing to two things: spelling bees and the elementary school book fair. I could say that spelling bees helped me cultivate a fascination for the intricacies of the English vocabulary and the nuances of language, but in reality, I just realized that 1. I liked to spell, 2. It won me money and 3. I should perhaps try stringing together some words of my own. Those book fairs yielded a similar insight; I developed a particular (and thankfully short-lived) fondness for books revolving around talking dogs, and this reading passion quickly gave way to a desire to write.
Fast forward a decade or so, and I found myself inclined to experiment with different types of writing. In high school, I loved switching between serious and satirical writing topics when given the creative liberty to do so (to the grief of my teachers), but once I entered college I figured it was time to pursue a journalistic position related to my STEM major. I thought science writing sounded cool – and so alas, I applied to be a science writer. After two quarters of that, I realized that the only thing better than writing would be telling other people what to write (kidding… mostly), and thus began my time as the Science Desk Editor during my second year. Here I am now entering my third year, and I can’t wait to return to the position and work alongside an amazingly talented group of editors, writers and artists. If you’re interested in topics like advancements in healthcare, astronomy and the environment, then keep on reading – and if you couldn’t care less, now’s the time to change that.
Written by: The Editorial Board
