Column

The Trump administration’s policies on cutting NIH and CDC funding and the impacts on future medical advancements   By NAREN KRISHNA JEGAN — science@theaggie.org   On Jan. 30, 2025, my principal investigator (PI) began our lab meeting with a voice of concern.  “This will be our hardest year,” he said. “We may struggle financially, and […]

My unique experiences living on both sides   By ELLIE NOH — eenoh@ucdavis.edu From the West Coast’s popular hamburger chain In-N-Out Burger to the East Coast’s famous bagel bakeries, where do the biggest distinctions between the two coasts lie? Growing up on the East Coast and attending college in California, one of the main differences I […]

Spotify playlists are much more than folders of organized music, they are time capsules full of memories    By JHANA RHODES—jsrho@ucdavis.edu I’m the Chief Executive Officer of Spotify. Who would’ve thought? Well, not me per se, because I’m totally lying. However, with all the money I spent on the monthly subscription to keep Spotify, I […]

No matter the question, cookies are always the answer   By MOLLY THOMPSON – mmtthompson@ucdavis.edu Sometimes, I wonder if my roommates look forward to midterm season because it means our cookie jar will always be full.  Like many of us, I’m a stress-baker — when I’m overwhelmed, I head to the kitchen. There’s something undeniably […]

Exploring the role of political incorrectness in humor   By VIOLET ZANZOT— vmzanzot@ucdavis.edu   I figured the perfect introduction for this topic would be a good joke. I was going to write in “pause for laughter” and that was going to be even funnier. I figured a good dad joke would serve best, so I […]

Exploring drag’s history of resistance and how it inspires us right now   By TARA ROMERO— tcrome@ucdavis.edu   Drag is so much more than the new season of RuPaul’s Drag Race (however, Onya Nerve, a writer for The California Aggie is rooting for you). Drag is queer expression. Drag is gender. Drag is racial identity. […]

Finding meaningful experiences amongst life’s inherent limitations is easier said than done    By JHANA RHODES—jsrho@ucdavis.edu   I feel existential and have been this way for over two weeks. As I stood in front of one of the many towering bookshelves in The Avid Reader Bookstore, vibrant mosaics of books — from Edgar Allan Poe […]

Finding the value in social sciences in an era of animosity    By SABRINA FIGUEROA — sfigueroaavila@ucdavis.edu   As someone majoring in the humanities and social sciences, I have my fair share of “What are you gonna do with that?” questions. I used to answer genuinely, putting all of my energy into a beautifully crafted […]

Musicians now play the role that jesters once played in Shakespearean plays     By VIOLET ZANZOT— vmzanzot@ucdavis.edu   I am proud to announce that I was the kid in high school who didn’t mind, and honestly kind of loved, reading plays. I’ve decided that owning this truth is half the battle of rebranding the enjoyment […]

Bootcut jeans are a bold choice, eh?   By NEVAEH KARRAKER— nakarraker@ucdavis.edu   The ignition of a revolution is near: There’s a demand for justice and a cry for change, and Kendrick Lamar holds the power of unity within his grasp. His artistry is more than just songs — it’s a reflection of the complexities […]

Why do advertisements feel so surreal?    By CALEB SILVER —chsilver@ucdavis.edu    Ryan Reynolds, actor and billionaire, has appeared on my screen a lot lately — and it isn’t because I’ve been watching any of the films he takes part in. Reynolds owns a large chunk of Aviation American Gin, which runs ads featuring him […]

Commanding a laugh: cue or crutch?   By Abhinaya Kasagani— akasagani@ucdavis.edu   The laugh track sits itself down beside you on the couch, right as you are in the middle of shoveling popcorn into your mouth. You want the laugh track to be like watching television with you. You want the laugh track to like […]