Column

Ideas shouldn’t be monopolized by corporations — cartoon or otherwise   By JOAQUIN WATERS — jwat@ucdavis.edu   At midnight on Jan. 1, 2024, a quietly momentous thing happened: Mickey Mouse, mascot of the Disney brand and legendary symbol of childhood joy and American consumerism, officially entered the public domain. This means that the original version […]

Unpacking how bad the last seasons were and what to expect this year   By MALCOLM LANGE —- mslange@ucdavis.edu   Last year, “Doctor Who” celebrated its 60th anniversary with a three-part special. Those three episodes, along with a Christmas episode released on Dec. 25, were the only real “Doctor Who” content released in the year […]

The farmer-to-customer connection that brings high quality coffee to Davis residents   By MAYA KORNYEYEVA — mkornyeyeva@ucdavis.edu   Tucked away at the farthest end of downtown Davis, Pachamama is a quaint coffee house that serves only the highest quality, ethically sourced coffee. Seeing as I am already deep into my second year living in the […]

The big guy is more complicated – and more interesting – than you might think   By JOAQUIN WATERS — jwat@ucdavis.edu   It’s a new year! And you know what that means: it’s officially time to pack up all the Christmas decorations and stop being festive for the next 11 months. Even though winter has […]

A film as necessary as cotton candy to a healthy diet   By MALCOLM LANGE —- mslange@ucdavis.edu   Apart from being potentially the weakest Batman with the lamest car chase, Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” is a great movie. It was written intelligently, performed excellently and, overall, an exciting movie to watch. This is not a […]

Why young people find transitional spaces so frightening   By JOAQUIN WATERS — jwat@ucdavis.edu  If you want to gauge the current state of any given society, one of the best methods is to look at the scary stories they tell. Horror, by its very definition, is a reflection of someone’s fears — hence popular horror […]

Think carefully about AI’s traits and how they stack up to actual humans   By CLAIRE SCHAD — cfschad@ucdavis.edu    As a fourth-year college student about to begin my professional life, I find myself wondering, and sometimes feeling nervous, about how AI will affect my ability to get a job or impact how I may […]

The studio giant has rested on its laurels for too long    By MAYA KORNYEYEVA — mkornyeyeva@ucdavis.edu   Disney, the company which has continuously dominated the entertainment industry since its establishment in the 1920s, has historically created some of the best animated feature films in the world. From classics like “Mulan” and “The Lion King” […]

Deck the halls with boughs of Balsam Fir   By MOLLY THOMPSON — mmtthompson@ucdavis.edu   It’s the central, time-worn discussion of the modern era. Every year, we hear exhaustive takes from all of the most reputable and renowned sources, ranging from the uncle you see once a year to the single person left running Buzzfeed: […]

Sometimes you want to cry on Santa’s lap   By ANDIE TARABZOONI — rmtarabzooni@ucdavis.edu   I’ve never really felt enticed by the holidays, but I’ve always loved December — mainly because I was born in December. The year ends with all these bright lights around you and starts with fireworks being lit up at every […]

From Christmas past, present and future, there is only one movie to rule them all    By MALCOLM LANGE —- mslange@ucdavis.edu   Finally, December — the best month of the year. Why is it the best month? Christmas, Hanukkah (usually), New Year’s Eve and, most importantly, my birthday all occur in December. It also brings […]

Prisons and police are often regarded as a necessity — but it’s important to consider what function they actually serve    By GEETIKA MAHAJAN — giamahajan@ucdavis.edu   For most people, prisons exist as ambiguous entities where “bad people” are sent because they pose a significant threat to most civilians. We are told that the legal […]