Davis students comment on public transportation, campus parking

Many Davis students have had near-death experiences with a biker pushing the 15 mph speed limits. But biking is one of the many quirks Davis students love about their campus. Davis is often referred to as one of the “Bicycle Capitals of the Nation,” the city is home to thousands of cyclists and motorists alike, who together create a unique cycle-friendly environment.

But for those who don’t have the stamina or patience to bike on- and off-campus, students have the option of driving or taking the well-known Unitrans system to get around town. For those driving to campus, the university’s Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) offers the C-level parking permit for $50 a month.

Second-year international relations major Sasha Feuerstein decided to bring her car to campus this year. Like many other students living over two miles away from campus, Feuerstein finds driving the most efficient and convenient form of transportation. Feuerstein explained her experience with parking on campus.

“I definitely think there is very limited parking on campus,” Feuerstein said. “I was surprised when I ordered my parking permit that there was only one type of permit I could get [C-level] and many places are restricted during the day time with this type of permit. It seems there are really only two main parking garages on campus to choose from when parking before class.”

For most students, the prime parking spots on campus are Hutchinson parking lot and the parking structure behind the Memorial Union because of their proximity to classes. Finding parking after 9 a.m. on campus is difficult for any student with a C permit, Feuerstein said.

“Everyday I go to the Memorial Union parking garage because that is the most convenient location for me,” Feuerstein said. “I very rarely find a spot once I get to the C level parking areas and there are not many levels in that garage. After going all the way around the structure and back down again, I usually drive to the Pavilion garage and I can usually find someone pulling out of a spot there on the higher levels. I wish there was more available parking for type [sic] of permit I have. I think I generally just get lucky most days since I have later classes, but I feel bad for drivers trying to make it on time to their morning classes struggling to find parking in the morning.”

In an effort to resolve the limited parking available during peak hours on campus, TAPS recently implemented the stack parking service. Stack parking uses aisle space to its advantage by allowing students to double park their vehicles without disrupting the traffic on campus.  

Feuerstein recalled how other Davis students warned her about the parking situation on campus. To avoid this debacle, Feuerstein has debated taking UC Davis’ public transportation system, Unitrans.

“I would definitely consider taking the Unitrans if the parking situation proves too difficult,” Feuerstein said. “I would just be worried about arriving on time to everything, but I know so many people who rely on the buses.”

Feuerstein offered some advice for those struggling to find parking on campus.

“I would recommend leaving 45 min [sic] to an hour before their class starts,” Feuerstein said. “That’s what I do typically, and it gives me just enough time if I find a spot after looking around for some time and then walking to class from there.”

For those who don’t commute to school by car, second-year and evolutionary biology major Kiana Lindblad explained her daily routine for getting on campus.

“I always bike to school because I know that I can count on myself to get there in time,” Lindblad said. “The buses can get super congested in the morning, which causes them to run late despite the drivers’ best efforts. Although I’ve never tried it I don’t see myself ever driving to school in the mornings.”

This year Lindblad started work as a driver for Unitrans, and offered her insight as both a driver and commuter on the Unitrans system.

“Driving the bus in the mornings I see how bad the traffic gets coming from the parking structure,” Lindblad said. “I don’t want to contribute to all the traffic and stress, so for me my bike is the best option.”

For those without access to a car or those who live too far off campus to bike, Unitrans is a viable option, Lindblad explained.

“The funny thing is I never used Unitrans before I started working for them, but honestly it’s a great resource that gets overlooked by students,” Lindblad said. “It’s included in your tuition, better for the environment and a hell of a lot cheaper than Uber[ing]. Unitrans has a bad rap because it can be late sometimes, but more often than not it gets you where you need to be on time.”

Lindblad also detailed her experience parking her bike on campus.

“Bike parking on campus can get tricky though with all the abandoned bikes,” Lindblad said. “It can be really frustrating at times when you have to park far from class when an unused bike is taking a space you could have used.”

Lindblad also offered her advice for students who struggle to find a convenient mode of transportation.

“If you’re having trouble getting to school I’d suggest getting really familiar with the bus lines, because there is often more than one that services your area,” Lindblad said. “If you live closer to campus I’d also suggest biking or walking, especially while we still have nice weather because once the rain starts the buses get packed. Plus if you walk or take the bus, parking isn’t an issue you even have to worry about.”

Phoebe Song, a third-year mathematics major, described what actions she believes the university and TAPS could take to make commuting to campus less chaotic.

“I realize that allocating funds is a whole process and this wouldn’t be a cheap project,” Song said. “Especially since it would also probably take a little longer to implement seismic safety structures or reinforcements, but expanding the parking structures to accommodate more cars would be really helpful. I would say lowering prices too, but I’m guessing that the prices are high purposely to encourage students to use alternative methods of transportation instead. But yeah just creating new parking spaces in any way, whether that be building new parking lots or expanding existing parking structures is I think the most direct way of making parking more efficient.”

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article used an offensive and ableist term to refer to the behavior of bicyclists. The word has been removed and the article has been updated to reflect this change. The Aggie sincerely regrets the error.

Written by: Sneha Ramachandran — features@theaggie.org

UC Davis Theatre department offers a wide variety of costume rentals for Halloween

With Halloween on the horizon, students are awaiting the moments when they can freely express themselves and who they are within, whether that be a ghost, a meme or a historical figure. For those who are filled with glee at the idea of becoming someone (or something) else for a night, the Department of Theatre and Dance’s Enchanted Cellar offers accessible costumes for UC Davis students to achieve their spooky dreams.

Fourth-year human development major Brooklyn Sofley explained why Halloween is her favorite time of the year.

“Halloween is the only holiday that lets you freely express yourself,” Sofley said. “If I were to walk around dressed as Guy Fieri on any other day of the year people would question me, but on Halloween it’s embraced and appreciated.”

If you’re lacking creativity or DIY skills this Halloween, the Department of Theatre and Dance has a solution for those looking for a costume of theatrical quality as opposed to Halloween store quality. The basement of Wright Hall is home to one of Davis’ hidden treasures: The Enchanted Cellar.

Roxanne Femling, an expert costume designer and Davis’ very own costume shop director, explained her role in the Enchanted Cellar.

“I take care of all the staff and students including the undergraduates and MFA students who come in to do costume design,” Femling said. “We are basically training them to work in a costume shop in terms of design and helping the [students] navigate designing costumes for a show.”

The idea of costume rentals started back in 2004 and has been an ongoing tradition upheld by the department. Femling explained how a good portion of the costumes are actually designed and put together by students of the department.

“We’ve been renting out costumes for 14 years,” Femling said. “People are always surprised when they come down to the basement, which is why we named it the ‘Enchanted Cellar’ because a lot of people don’t know that we’re even down here. It’s fun watching people think of something crazy and different and it helps the students and faculty get creative.”

Since last year, the Enchanted Cellar began exclusively renting out kits for Halloween-goers. Femling explained how the kits contain a variety of different props and makeup to make the costumes as intricate as possible. Students and faculty together researched different aspects of the costume and tried to implement those features into the kits.

“With our pre-made kits you get props such as wands and glasses for a something like a Harry Potter costume,” Femling said. “On average our kits start at $35 which includes everything from the wig all the way through the shoes and everything in between, our highest price would be about $65, and these fees also include dry cleaning fees.”

Femling detailed the most popular costumes that have been rented out over the past few years.

“A lot of people like the Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI as a couples costume,” Femling said. “We also rent out a lot of Peter Pan and fairytale costumes, fairies and pirates. We did a whole Greek section as well as ghouls and goblins and next year we plan to do a section on villains! We do try to keep up with what’s with the media, so Game of Thrones costumes have been very popular and we actually built a set for that.”

These costume rentals are not only for students alone. Femling explained how a lot of people throughout the Davis community come down to visit the cellar.

“We get a lot of Davis students who rent from us and we also do get a good amount of faculty and staff members and even maintenance workers who rent from us which is always fun,” Femling said. “We even have people come down from the chancellor’s office and they always say ‘I didn’t even know this was here!’ ”

This year Halloween rentals will start October 17 and continue until the following Friday. The Enchanted Cellar will be open from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. from Wednesday till Friday, but anyone is welcome to make an appointment by contacting the Enchanted Cellar. Renters who purchase a kit this Halloween can keep the costumes until November 2. Aside from Halloween, the community is welcome to rent out costumes throughout the year as long as an appointment has been made at least 24 hours in advance.

“Anyone can walk in and look at kits,” Femling said. “We have a room open for people to try things on. If they don’t see anything they like we are more than happy to put a kit together and make an appointment so we have more time to get you what you want.”

For more information about the Enchanted Cellar visit the website or the Facebook page and book your appointment for your costume needs this Halloween.   

Written by Sneha Ramachandran — features@theaggie.org

What it’s like being a transfer student at UC Davis

UC Davis admitted roughly 10,000 transfer students for the 2018-19 academic year. For many newly transferred students, most of whom have previously attended a junior college, learning the ins and the outs of the UC system can be a challenge all on its own. But then you also have to factor in housing, transportation, meal prepping and a multitude of other often stress-inducing elements pulled from the ever-so-mountainous pile of collegiate obligations. For some students, the transition from a junior college to a four-year university is a walk in the park. For others, it is nothing short of a nightmare.

UC Davis harbors a robust population of transfer students. In fact, nearly one-third of the entire student population is comprised of students who have transferred. One major roadblock that these students often encounter is unfamiliarity with the fast-paced nature of the quarter system. Natalie Boone, second-year transfer student and psychology major, said that she was slightly overwhelmed with just how rapidly a quarter can fly by.

“I realized when I got here that the pace was a lot quicker,” Boone said. “I signed up as a clinical nutrition major, which is a B.S. degree, and I still had some chemistry classes. I will compare those chemistry classes to the same chemistry [classes] I took at community college. I was an A or B student at community college, but when I first started here I was a B or C student. In the semester system you have some time to breathe, whereas the quarter system goes by a lot faster.”

Sara Abou-Adas, first-year transfer student and neurobiology, physiology and behavior major, recalled feeling not only surprised by the rigor of coursework at a UC campus, but the difficulty of life outside of classes.

“The first week I was really homesick and I kind of didn’t even want to be here because I didn’t really know the bus routes or anything like that,” Abou-Adas said. “Moving away and living on my own, I feel like I’m kind of behind and everyone [else] has already done all of this.”

This experience is not unique to Abou-Adas. In efforts to combat these kinds of feelings and ensure that students have a relatively easy time acclimating to campus life, UC Davis offers a variety of clubs, organizations, outreach programs and resources to its students.

These resources can, however, be obscure to newly transferred students. Abou-Adas points out a major flaw that many organizations and clubs often overlook when trying to recruit students — accessibility.

“All of my classes are by the Silo, and I heard that most of the tabling is done here [at the Memorial Union], so I don’t even really get to see anything of that stuff,” Abou-Adas said. “All of the [organizations] that I am going to join is through word-of-mouth, not from a club approaching me.”

Daniella Aloni, a second-year transfer student, communication major and current ASUCD senator, shared these sentiments regarding the success (or lack thereof) of UC Davis’ transfer-student outreach programs, saying that the school can definitely do more to educate students on the resources that are available to them.

“I feel like there are efforts that have been made to inform incoming transfer students about these various resources, clubs, organizations and so on but there is always room for improvement,” Aloni said.

Aloni extended her point by illustrating frustrations expressed by other transfer students about the school’s inability to create a campus that feels inclusive toward transfer students.

“To this day, I’m surprised by the amount of things I didn’t know about on our campus, and continue to find out about every day,” Aloni said. “I’ve heard complaints from other transfer students about how little they knew when coming to the campus. For the most part, from what I have noticed and been told, anything a student finds out about is from other students, or their professors who mention things in lecture.”

According to Aloni, college is only as good as you want to make it. Aloni advised all transfer students to go out of their comfort zones during their time at university and take the initiative to seek out any resources necessary. Aloni also stressed the importance of experimenting with new activities, classes and even friendships, because doing so allows students the opportunity for professional, social and personal growth.

“A piece of advice I’d like to share with any incoming or current transfer students is ‘try everything,’” Aloni said. “We have such a short amount of time on this campus and it flies by. This is your time to do anything that you have wanted to try, so don’t hold back. You are meant to be here. You earned this […] and deserve to be on this campus just like anyone else.”

Written by: Emily Nguyen — features@theaggie.org