Opinion

Understanding new approaches to war and protest  By VIOLET ZANZOT— vmzanzot@ucdavis.edu With time and wisdom, it becomes clear that the harsh line between friend and foe is evolving. It becomes translucent; it curves, it bends, it softens, it emboldens — losing simplicity and gaining complexity as society evolves. The same convolution comes to fruition in […]

Arbitrary apps do more harm than good for student communities By GEETIKA MAHAJAN — giamahajan@ucdavis.edu Good ideas are never unique for long. If a product, service or project is valuable, it’s logical that people and organizations adopt it en masse. Such is the reasoning behind the success of online shopping and asset-backed securities; if it’s […]

While the order invokes competition with China, Trump’s chip export policy tells a different story   By MILES BARRY —mabarry@ucdavis.edu   On Dec. 11, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Ensuring a national policy framework for artificial intelligence,” claiming that the United States is in a “race with adversaries” for artificial intelligence […]

Performative protesting determines who deserves attention By NEVAEH KARRAKER — nakarraker@ucdavis.edu   Authoritarianism is a regime type thoroughly studied in all secondary education institutions, and, with the comfort with which Americans have settled into democracy and our Constitution, we take for granted the political stability of the country we live in. The Trump administration is […]

Social media’s attention economy thrives on relationship insecurity   By ANJALI IYER — amiyer@ucdavis.edu   Most of us are entirely uncritical of the content we consume on social media — at least I certainly am. After a long day, it’s undeniably cathartic to turn off your brain and embark on a never-ending scroll through Tiktok […]

We are lonelier than ever and our t-shirts aren’t helping   By MILES BARRY — mabarry@ucdavis.edu   Walk through any American airport, thrift store or mall, and you’ll encounter a peculiar genre of clothing: the antisocial t-shirt. To name a few: “You Read My Shirt. That’s Enough Social Interaction for today”; “Rules for Monday: don’t […]

Exploring the connection between grass and colonial history   By SABRINA FIGUEROA — sfigueroaavila@ucdavis.edu   One time during a Christmas family gathering, my aunt told us about a neighbor who had taken pictures of their outgrown, unkept lawn (they had just moved in) and posted these photos on a community Facebook page for the whole […]

And why it isn’t By MOLLY THOMPSON — mmtthompson@ucdavis.edu  I was talking to my mom the other day, driving home from my hometown gym.  “I just can’t do the things I used to be able to do,” she told me, frustrated. “It’s like, no matter how hard I try or how much effort I put […]

Why convenience is ruining our lives By ABHINAYA KASAGANI — akasagani@ucdavis.edu I spent the holidays surrounded by my parents’ closest friends, fielding endless attacks of “back in our days.” It was at dinner with a colleague of my mom’s that I felt a sense of gratitude for those that came before me; those who made […]

Exploring why Gen Z are considered ‘bad workers’ in an increasingly hostile job market By ANJALI IYER — amiyer@ucdavis.edu I spent winter break in New York City surrounded by family, a substantial number of German tourists and what appeared to be a never-ending stream of finance interns in quarter-zips. Most areas of the city were […]

Regulatory silence shouldn’t be treated as a green light By MILES BARRY —mabarry@ucdavis.edu Kalshi is a prediction market organizing bets on nearly everything — from the date of Taylor Swift’s wedding to the number of deportations conducted in the first year of Donald Trump’s presidency.  To facilitate these bets, Kalshi sells “event contracts” — essentially […]

Sensationalism, misinformation and the commodification of tragedy By SAGE KAMOCSAY— skamocsay@ucdavis.edu It’s no secret that true crime media (podcasts, movies, television shows and more) attract worldwide attention. It makes sense — humans have always had an affinity towards exploring the darker sides of ourselves, and there is no deeper inspection than looking at real life. […]