Column

Zohran Mamdani’s inspiring campaign is a huge breath of fresh air   By CALEB SILVER —chsilver@ucdavis.edu    The race for the next mayor of New York City, though the election isn’t until November of this year, has been unpredictable, hope-inspiring and sort of hilarious. The short list of the important characters include the incumbent mayor, […]

Exploring how the art of longing for someone can make our lives better   By SABRINA FIGUEROA — sfigueroaavila@ucdavis.edu   I’ll admit it: I’m a hopeless romantic. It comes from years of watching romantic comedies and listening to love songs where stories of couples coming together play out — or don’t. No matter the end […]

The pros and cons of non-traditional schools   By MOLLY THOMPSON – mmtthompson@ucdavis.edu    I grew up attending school on 14 acres of hilly, renovated farmland. I went to art and music classes in a repurposed dairy barn with one corner full of drums and recorders, one with long, stained wooden tables, wide rugs in […]

We need to resurrect the valuable art of hat-wearing   By MADISON SEEMAN— meseeman@ucdavis.edu   Walking through the streets of Davis, I’m assaulted by the tragic absence of hats. Sure, there are a few brave little baseball caps and a beanie or two in the winter, but these are underwhelming in the face of our […]

Coachella isn’t that fun when you don’t have the money for it    By JHANA RHODES—jsrho@ucdavis.edu   Coachella 2025 has officially wrapped after two weeks of iconic performances featuring some of the most talented artists in the world. Lisa and Jennie from Blackpink, Lady Gaga, Megan Thee Stallion, Charli XCX and Green Day were some […]

Since when was there so much protein in the ice cream aisle?   By MOLLY THOMPSON – mmtthompson@ucdavis.edu   “Try our new protein donuts!” proclaims the advertisement on my Instagram feed, followed by another showcasing protein-packed cereal, protein-fortified lattes, protein-filled Pop-Tarts and protein-enhanced tortilla chips. Nowadays, grocery stores are filled with protein-forward products — the […]

Political statements that start and end with “protection” and “acceptance” reinforce targeted communities’ positions as a “victim” or an “other”   By GEETIKA MAHAJAN — giamahajan@ucdavis.edu   In early 2021, a video of Missouri father Brandon Boulware went viral. In the video, Boulware is condemning a ban against transgender athletes in Missouri by citing his […]

UC Davis’ suspension of the LSA and what this means for students’ right to open expression   By TARA ROMERO — tcrome@ucdavis.edu   On Feb. 28, 2025, the Law Student Association (LSA) on our campus passed an amendment to their constitution that adopted Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) legislation in support of Palestine. Through this […]

The key to being “good” is being terrible first   By NADIA IWACH — nmiwach@ucdavis.edu   My first run left me unconvinced that evolution was complete — when my feet first hit the pavement, I swore the pavement hit me back. Barrelling down Russell Boulevard, I lasted about eight minutes before I saved face with […]

I lie to TikTok and it lies back   By ABHINAYA KASAGANI— akasagani@ucdavis.edu   Most days, I scroll through TikTok absentmindedly, typing in phrases like “disorganized attachment,” “What if I love my partner but don’t like them?” or “Am I operating out of fear or instinct?” TikTok has none of my answers, but that doesn’t […]

If you’re thinking about taking 28 units next quarter, don’t    By JHANA RHODES—jsrho@ucdavis.edu   If I could use one word to describe my experience taking 28 units this past winter quarter, it would be “lukewarm.” It was not exactly hell, but it was not super “chill” either. Now that the quarter has passed and […]

Why diplomacy is an invaluable skill   By MAYA KORNYEYEVA — mkornyeyeva@ucdavis.edu   Over the course of our lives, we typically learn to associate the idea of “being diplomatic” with universally moral concepts like fairness, reciprocity and respect. Our parents teach us to behave courteously with our friends and siblings, our coaches encourage us to […]