Opinion

Democratic politicians follow the money, when they should be focused on reconnecting with their base By SAGE KAMOCSAY— skamocsay@ucdavis.edu The approval rating of the Democratic Party has been plummeting for some time. Party approval ratings are at 34.7%, with disapproval at 59.0%, according to an analysis by RealClear Polling of several polls taken over the […]

Capitalism really popped off with this one By VIOLET ZANZOT— vmzanzot@ucdavis.edu With streets and storefront windows full of perfectly-painted ceramic pumpkins, seasonally spiced lattes and witches’ wardrobes, fall is the best season of the year. When the weather starts to turn, the leaves begin to change to auburn and Pillsbury jack-o-lantern cookies make their way […]

A progressive movement requires more than faux-radical sloganeering By THEO KAYSER — tfkayser@ucdavis.edu  Nationwide “No Kings” protests were held on Oct. 18, including here in the City of Davis. These protests followed demonstrations (which took place under the same name) earlier this year — both of which were aimed at the Trump administration’s actions since […]

The explanation behind their culturally homogenous cliques By ANJALI IYER — amiyer@ucdavis.edu I spent the week leading up to my first day of classes attending a series of tedious orientation activities for international students like myself. As the days went on, I began to notice a peculiar pattern amongst my fellow foreign peers: the rapid […]

America’s children can’t read: readoption of phonics might be a solution By SABRINA FIGUEROA — sfigueroaavila@ucdavis.edu We can’t ignore that the current level of literacy within the United States — especially among the younger generations — is inadequate. In 2024, the Nation’s Report Card found that 40% of fourth graders and 33% of eighth graders […]

We’ve spent millennia seeing spirits in nature — now we’re filling the void with Alexa By MILES BARRY — mabarry@ucdavis.edu David Hume once said, “there is an universal tendency amongst mankind to conceive all beings like themselves, and to transfer to every object those qualities.”  If you’ve ever named your car, kicked a broken vacuum […]

Calls for a salary cap are misguided at best and greedy at worst   By THEO KAYSER — tfkayser@ucdavis.edu    Many are arriving at the presumption that “the Dodgers are ruining baseball” after the recently concluded 2025 Major League Baseball (MLB) season. Such a conclusion has its merits on the surface, especially if one were […]

UC Davis administration discusses federal funding cuts, SNAP/EBT benefits, safety initiatives, research innovations and protection of undocumented students On Nov. 17, The California Aggie’s Editorial Board met with Chancellor Gary May, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Mary Croughan, Associate Chancellor and Chief of Staff Carl Engelbach, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Dana Topousis, Vice Chancellor […]

How nostalgia has become our quiet rebellion By NEVAEH KARRAKER — nakarraker@ucdavis.edu Second-hand clothing, once frowned upon, has now become aspirational — the targeted style exudes nostalgic mid-90s to early 2000s vibes. Presumed iPad-raised generations have now openly adopted flip phones, along with other forms of older technology. Everything appears to have inverted. This sudden […]

Algorithmic playlists mark a further evolution of art as a commodity   By THEO KAYSER — tfkayser@ucdavis.edu    When you open your phone in the year 2025, you instantly become the subject of a competition between every possible website, app and advertiser, all of whom are fighting tooth-and-nail for your attention. Unsurprisingly, this pattern applies […]

How cartoons satirize the current social, political and economic state of the world   By ABHINAYA KASAGANI — akasagani@ucdavis.edu   To preface this article, let me start by saying that I would not question it if it turned out that my first words were, in fact, “TV;” I might as well be making my way […]

The Internet is quick to extract political implications from album covers or lyrics — but how useful is this commentary?   By GEETIKA MAHAJAN — giamahajan@ucdavis.edu   There are more than enough reasons for the general public to dislike any celebrity. Like the rest of us, they are flawed people. But an endless well of […]