Lashkara dance team fosters commitment, talent and community building

By GRACIELA TIU — features@theaggie.org

Lashkara, UC Davis’ premiere Bollywood Fusion dance team, prides itself on the talent, community, passion and hard work of its members. Whether it be through their choreography, practices, performances or their overall bond as a team, Lashkara at UC Davis exceptionally impacts its members, the school community and beyond.

“Lashkara strives to spread cultural diversity through Bollywood Fusion dance by blending traditional and modern elements of dance into its set,” Sumit Mantri, a second-year computer science and statistics double major, said. “The team reflects these values by incorporating innovative, traditional choreography as well as a mix of both modern and traditional music.”

Ani Chiplunkar, a second-year statistics major, described how Lashkara’s significance extends beyond just dance.

“At the end of the day, Lashkara is more than just a dance team or a set of people,” Chiplunkar said. “It’s a purpose. We perform a plethora of dance styles and tailor them to a theme in order to satisfy the purpose of really moving people and showing how passion can bring out the best of us.”

Members of the team recognize how their commitment to their work is driven by a common love for what they do.

“The drive that we have to dance is reflected through our dancers,” Dhwani Shetty, a second-year materials science and engineering major, said. “Passion is what fuels us; it’s how we perform as a team, do things as a team and bond as a team — over our love for dance.”

The team’s performances range between multiple dance styles but are combined into one performance.

“The style and energy of a typical Lashkara performance is very versatile,” Shetty said. “We have an eight-minute segment that we perform at competitions and it includes various dance styles such as Bhangra, Bollyhop, Bollywood, contemporary, hip-hop and more. Each of these requires different types of energy.”

Mantri reflected on what made him feel inclined to try out for the team.

“Before Lashakra, I had little to no dance experience, but dance is something I’ve always been interested in,” Mantri said. “So I decided to give it a shot, and I came to the realization that this is something I truly enjoy. Not just the dancing, but the community and connections that you build through the team.”

One of the most important pieces that ties the team together is their frequent practices.

“A typical week involves structured practice sessions, often five times a week for three hours a day, focusing on choreography, cleaning, stamina building and synchronization,” Mantri said. “Before a performance or competition, rehearsals and hours do intensify, and mock performances are held to ensure our readiness so we can go into our competition confident in our set.”

Despite the long hours of practice for the team, some members said that the time commitment actually benefits their academic performance.

“The practices are long, but it’s helped me learn how to manage my time better,” Shetty said. “I know I have dance at 8 p.m. and I have to finish everything before then, so it really helps structure my schoolwork.”

UC Davis Lashkara has around four performances a year that they travel to, depending on which competitions the team qualifies for. One of the most memorable ones for the team in the past year was University of Georgia (UGA) India Night in Athens, Georgia.

“I would say UGA India Night 2024 was the most memorable performance for me in Lashkara as I’d never performed before on stage, and we ended up having to perform first for the event,” Mantri said. “Before performing, I peeked out from the backstage curtains, and I saw thousands of people in the audience, and heard people chanting our team name. I was nervous to my core and had a huge adrenaline rush. And when going onto the stage, I carried that

adrenaline rush through with me for the performance and was hyped to showcase our set.”

Chiplunkar also explained why UGA India Night was such a special performance for the team.

“It was our first competition, and we had all the odds stacked against us — logistical problems, technical issues, the entire circuit and people at our own school doubting whether we’d place or not,” Chiplunkar said. “Placing at that competition really set the tone for a west coast team to make a big impact on the circuit, and that’s exactly what we did. So it was a memorable performance, because it proved to myself and others that really, if you put your mind to something, you can defy all odds, no matter how much they’re stacked against you.”

Members including Mantri believe that a big part of what makes the group so special is the different talents that each individual member brings to the team.

“Every team member has their unique strengths that are utilized for different aspects of our set,” Mantri said. “Some people are really imaginative and artistic, so they become interested in the production part of our performance, and some people are creative, so they’re inclined to begin creating choreography. These strengths don’t go to waste, and they definitely positively impact our set.”

Through all of their practices and performances, the team’s members believe that one of the most rewarding aspects of the dance team is the community they’ve created.

“It’s just so special, because we all got so close over a short period of time,” Shetty said. “We haven’t known each other for that long, but it feels like we have known each other for a really long time because we spend so much time together.”

Written by: Graciela Tiu — features@theaggie.org

UC Davis students reflect on the culture and idea of body modifications

By EVELYN SANCHEZ — features@theaggie.org

Finally living away from significant parental supervision for the first time in years, students are naturally excited for the endless possibilities that arise in college. Some of such possibilities include getting tattooed for the first time or getting a piercing aside from earlobes.

Body modifications have a rich and varied history, where the first known evidence of tattoos dates back to 4000-3500 B.C.E. Indigenous Polynesians tattoo intricate geometric designs to express personality and identity; Likewise, the Maori people use the medium to display status and significance via facial tattoos, and some communities within sub-Saharan Africa practice the body modification of cicatrization where soot or ash is rubbed into a deep cut to produce a raised scar.

Despite the varied significance around the world, it is difficult for some students to lightly shrug off the burden of the task. Taboos surrounding piercings and tattoos remain prevalent in many cultures, such as Japanese culture associating tattoos and piercings with yakuza violence and even banning tattoos in certain public spaces. However, a short stroll through campus would reveal a more lenient attitude toward body modifications.

“I’d be a different person if I still lived with my parents,” Alana Faria, a fourth-year history major, said. “I think I’d be less likely [to get tattoos] because even though I liked tattoos, I thought they’d look bad on me. But college taught me it doesn’t matter how they look on you as long as you like them.”

In an environment where everyone is striving for professional success, the burden of social norms is lighter when your fellow historians and doctors are also getting tattoos that have significant meanings to them — and even ones that don’t.

“Being surrounded by so many people where stuff like tattoos and piercings aren’t looked down upon, as well as having a lot of friends that had these body modifications, made me feel a lot more comfortable getting the tattoos and piercings I wanted,” Cris Lima, a fourth-year physics major, said. “I probably would’ve ended up with at least one small tattoo, but I probably wouldn’t have gotten piercings of any kind.”

Faria and Lima both got their first tattoos at Death or Glory, a tattoo and piercing shop in Downtown Davis. Being the closest shop to campus, it tends to be Davis students’ go-to spot for when they’re looking into getting body modifications for the first time.

“I got my nostril when I was 16 and tattoo when I was 17, with parental consent,” Nirvana Nejad, a third-year English major, said.

Nejad’s first tattoo and piercing were done at a tattoo shop in Fairfax, Virginia, and, already knowing that they wanted more body modifications coming into college, it was a matter of “how many” instead of “when.” They have since also been tattooed at Death or Glory in Davis.

“I’ve known since I was a little kid that I wanted tattoos,” Nejad said. “If anything, I respect the art form and the culture surrounding tattooing more than I did after coming to college.”

Despite their reputation to some, tattoos hold and reflect sentimental value for many people, and the designs often extend beyond simple decoration or a spontaneous decision. Contrary to them often being seen as impulsive, the college setting allows students to view tattoos as a form of art.

“The more time I spent at tattoo shops and talked to people that work there, I realized that getting tattooed is an act of incredible trust with a stranger,” Nejad said. “You’re trusting someone to permanently change your body while they deliberately cause you pain. I think the profession comes from a place of loving people and art.”

Nejad cites a tattoo sheet dedicated to Leonard Stoney St. Clair, a circus performer and tattoo artist who learned tattooing during his time as a performer, which deeply resonated with her. The sheet was committed to the history and art of the practice.

“I am in the business of rendering a service to this community for the small group of people who choose to have their bodies decorated in some way or another,” St. Clair said in an interview for the non-profit Folkstreams. “I choose to pursue my profession with intelligence and skill, wishing not to offend anyone, but instead with my love of mankind, do what good I can before I die.”

Faria said that she plans to get a shark tattoo on her arm to commemorate her dog’s name and a pumpkin on her left shoulder to remember her late aunt who nicknamed her “pumpkin.” An avid animal lover with countless pets, Faria memorializes her love through her tattoos.

Lima shared that he finds importance in the aesthetic value of tattoos and prefers those that reflect his interests and personhood.

“My second tattoo is a physics equation with a little nerdy design [because] at heart, I am a nerd and a physics major,” Lima said. “My third one is a Queen of Hearts, which is my favorite single card in a deck. I also like playing card games, but it’s mainly for the design.”

Despite the value such body modifications hold, it can still be scary for students returning home for breaks to families that do not share the same sentiment.

“Each passing tattoo and piercing has gotten better, so, [for] like the first tattoo ever, they freaked out a little,” Lima said. “But they’ve become more okay with it to the point now with my recent tattoo, my mom reacted with a sunglasses emoji.”

Nejad’s mother has also adjusted to the idea of tattoos and piercings — her mother simply wanting her to “slow down.”

Widespread societal attitudes will continue changing, but the culture of body modification will always remain an important art form to many people — both in and out of college.

Written by: Evelyn Sanchez — features@theaggie.org

How UC Davis students can secure internships through Handshake and Career Center resources

By JALAN TEHRANIFAR — features@theaggie.org

With the holiday season behind us, it is the perfect time for students to kick off their search and applications for summer 2025 internships. While six months might seem far away, many companies start seeking student interns well in advance. In fact, most internship applications open as early as December, with deadlines typically falling between January and March.

Fortunately, UC Davis has several resources available for students through the Career Center. An important resource available to UC Davis students is Handshake, a job board that connects employers only with university students and alumni, unlike other platforms that serve a broader audience of applicants. UC Davis students automatically have Handshake accounts, allowing students to simply log in with their UC Davis Kerberos to activate it.

Handshake is used to search and apply for jobs and internships, schedule appointments with career advisors at the Career Center, sign up for company interviews and connect students with other students. The Career Center suggests keeping your Handshake profile up to date to improve your chances of getting an internship, as well as your resume.

“The more details you provide about your academics and experience, the easier it is for Handshake to tailor jobs and internships for you,” the Career Center website reads. “Employers can also contact you through Handshake, so having an updated profile allows them to see your accomplishments and skills that they may be looking for.”

Shreya Rupani, a fourth-year sociology major, said that Handshake has been helpful in getting her in touch with employers.

“I took a career-building seminar course one of my first quarters here, and the instructors taught us how to create our Handshake profiles and turn our resumes into sections on the app,” Rupani said. “I haven’t applied for any internships or jobs on there, but I get contacted by a lot of hiring managers who have seen my profile and think I would be a good fit for their company.”

Rupani said that it’s good to have your profile active even if you aren’t looking for a job at the moment. She emphasized Handshake’s ability to introduce different companies.

“I really like that companies are able to reach out to students on the platform because you get to hear from different companies that you may not have known exists and see what positions they generally look for,” Rupani said. “My major is pretty broad, and I can apply what I have learned to a lot of different types of positions, so it’s nice to see what’s out there.”

UC Davis’ on-campus internships and research opportunities can also be found on Handshake. UC Davis staff and departments post opportunities and job descriptions at the beginning of each quarter, as well as when positions become available throughout the quarter.

Melayna Ramos, a third-year forensic chemistry major, found her on-campus internship through Handshake with UC Davis Intercollegiate Athletics.

“Around this time last year, I was looking for any job or paid internship on campus, because it was convenient to work where you go to school,” Ramos said. “I came across an internship opportunity to film for the UC Davis football team during winter ball and throughout the 2024 football season. I didn’t really have any experience in camera work, but that’s the great thing about on-campus internships — they take the time to teach students the skills they need to be successful.”

The job application process through the Handshake app was easy, according to Ramos. Having her resume already saved in her account allowed her to apply with one click.

“All I had to do was filter my search for on-campus jobs and internships, and it immediately gave me a list of all the openings,” Ramos said. “I didn’t use any keywords since I wasn’t looking for anything specific, but I found a lot of positions that I was interested in. All I did was click apply — I didn’t get sent to an external tab — and I selected my previously uploaded resume and submitted it.”

Having a resume already drafted and ready to upload to Handshake makes applying to internships easier. Ramos said that the advisors at the Career Center were helpful in resume writing, as she was able to go to resume-writing workshops.

“I went to one of the workshops the Career Center hosts, and they showed my examples of good resumes and helped me figure out what skills and experience to prioritize,” Ramos said. “I was also told it’s important to tailor your resume to the job or internship you’re applying for, so I always make sure to do that too.”

When looking for internships, it’s difficult to know what type of workplace and industry would be a good fit. A great place to start is by attending a career fair, which is hosted by the Career Center four to six times a year, as it allows you to meet employers and ask questions about positions before applying.

The Career Center also recommends that students attend information sessions and  career fairs to learn about career options, network and explore opportunities.

Natalie DiMeglio, a 2024 UC Davis graduate with a degree in cinema and digital media, held two internships as an undergraduate student. A helpful resource for her was the on-campus Involvement Fair, which introduced the opportunity to join Aggie Studios, an ASUCD production group, according to DiMeglio. This opportunity led to her internship with UC Davis Strategic Communications, as networking with students in the same field allowed her to learn about more internship openings.

“My internship was with Aggie Studios and UC Davis Strategic Communications in the visual communication department,” DiMeglio said. “Both of my internships opened my eyes to the possibilities out there in creative fields despite what people say about them. It made me realize how much I love what I do and that being able to get paid for it was possible.”

Internships are a great way to test whether you want to pursue a career in a certain field. For DiMeglio, her internships reinforced her desire to work in the creative media industry.

“Both of my internships opened my eyes to the possibilities out there in creative fields,” DiMeglio said. “My current job is a production assistant and photographer with the Los Angeles Kings, NHL, and I also am a contracted photographer with the Los Angeles Clippers, NBA.”

Career Fair dates and employer lists can be found on the Career Center website, as well as on the Handshake platform. For students who are not looking for internships just yet, Career Fairs are a great opportunity to network with employers and build relationships for the future. Networking is crucial to career building — something that DiMeglio recommends.

“I think my best advice to students would be to talk to people and make connections,” DiMeglio said. “No matter the field you’re in, a lot of the rough market is about connections. I had so many people I looked up to in the industry and so I figured if I wanna be where they are, I need to talk to them — and so I did.”

Written by: Jalan Tehranifar — features@theaggie.org

Students and professors share their thoughts about society’s obsession with the supernatural 

By JENEVAH HARRISON — features@theaggie.org

The supernatural has long been a source of fascination, reflecting the fears, hopes and beliefs of societies throughout history. From medieval rituals to modern horror films, these stories evolve alongside humanity, offering glimpses into how people make sense of the unknown.

For UC Davis English Professor Tiffany Jo Werth, the connection between language, rituals and the supernatural is a window into the mindset of pre-modern societies. Werth referenced a text taught in her course, Literatures in English I: to 1700, titled “a little charm for when you get a side ache.”

“For me, this little charm illustrates how differently the premodern world understood the presence of the supernatural,” Werth said.

This specific poem contains a list of rituals that are meant to produce a healing remedy, which includes both physical actions, such as taking medicine and spiritual actions such as recitations and chants.

“They suggest that to be healed, going to the pharmacy for a prescription might not be enough,” Werth said. “The healing entailed was in some ways more holistic than our own as it included both a physical as well as spiritual component.”

Werth explores how these rituals offered reassurance in times of uncertainty. Whether seeking healing or protection, the supernatural was deeply entwined with everyday life, which Werth describes its representation in literature as “connecting words and physical properties.”

“They are, like prayers, a kind of insurance against uncertainty,” Werth said. “It also indicates the imbrication of the physical world with the supernatural — both beneficial and malicious.”

The “prayers” within the poem reflect a broader representation of early supernatural beliefs within this period, emerging primarily as tools to ward off what was deemed to be ‘evil,’ which Werth defines as any kind of supernatural figure.

Fast forward to the 17th and 18th centuries, and the supernatural took on new shapes in literature, with vampires emerging as enduring symbols of society’s anxieties. The gothic horror genre especially brought these creatures to life, embodying society’s fears of the unknown. One of the most well-known examples, Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” represents the fears and uncertainties of the late Victorian era.

“Stoker’s original treatment of the vampire myth, which predates his novel, expresses the racial and sexual hangups of the late Victorian period,” Davis English professor Jeffrey H. Solomon, who frequently examines how supernatural narratives reflect societal shifts, said.

Solomon reflected on how the novel’s themes of controlling women’s bodies and fears of race mixing mirror the anxieties of this era.

“We keep updating and changing to suit our evolving cultural needs,” Solomon said.

Over time, the vampire has transformed from a villain into a more complex figure.

“Looking at the genre with a more technical narrative perspective, we can see that the vampire has shifted from villain to hero (of sorts) in the post-WWII period, when there’s been a corresponding turn in our culture to gradually embrace outsiders and anti-heroes,” Solomon said.

The vampire, which Solomon describes as an “other” figure and a physical embodiment of the non-normative qualities of humanity, became a representation of a path toward societal change. As society has become more open to general diversity and the existence of suppressed identities, the vampire plot subsequently shifted into a more positive light.

The most recent adaptation of this phenomenon can be seen in F.W. Murnau’s 1922 and Robert Eggers’ 2024 film versions of “Nosferatu,” where the vampire is described as a true embodiment of evil.

“I’d argue that F.W. Murnau’s early film ‘Nosferatu’ is the closest in spirit to Stoker’s novel, where the vampire really is a horrible monster,” Solomon said.

Film viewers at Davis, including Violet Ichel, a second-year design major, felt like the vampire’s on-screen presence was uncomfortable.

“The vampire was terribly scary; however, at the same time, he was also alluring, almost in a sexual way,” Ichel said.

This ongoing reimagining and cultural relevance of the vampire myth highlights the enduring power of the supernatural as a narrative device — one that is consistently used in creative media including films, books and TV shows, as well as intellectual and cultural studies like Solomon described.

Through its many iterations, the supernatural, with vampires as an ever-popular example, remains a profound lens for exploring the ever-changing boundaries of cultural, moral and existential understanding.

Written by: Jenevah Harrison — features@theaggie.org

The local organization tackles important issues through song

By LAILA AZHAR — features@theaggie.org

The Davis Raging Grannies are a chapter — or a “gaggle,” as they call it — of the international organization of Raging Grannies.

The first Raging Grannies was a group of women in Canada. In 1987, in response to the presence of US Navy warships and submarines in Victoria, they launched a series of creative protests, often including singing songs and dressing up in costumes.

“Young people that see us are often surprised,” Lynne Nittler, a founding member of the Davis chapter of Raging Grannies said. “They probably think: ‘These are old ladies, what are they doing out here?’”

Dressed in wide-brimmed hats decorated with flowers, patterned aprons and feather boas, the Davis Raging Grannies can be found singing songs such as “Deck the Halls (of Congress)” and “I’m Dreaming of a Trump Free Christmas.”

The subject of the songs often have to do with serious issues such as climate change and voting rights. But their weekly rehearsals are filled with positivity. The women check in with each other, laughing and chatting as they make revisions to their songs. For them, activism also includes building a community.

The Davis chapter was formed as a direct response to the 2016 election, a time during which many people were looking to get involved in politics.

“Most of us grew up during the 60s and 70s and we were kind of steeped in activism,” Jeanette Vance, a member of the Davis Raging Grannies, said.

“The Vietnam War,” Nittler said. “As the guys in our classes went off and fought, some didn’t come back.”

When she first saw a notice recruiting women for Raging Grannies, Vance was reminded of the activism going on around her during the years of the Vietnam War.

“I wasn’t active at that time, but I was just starting to vote, so I was voting for all the peace candidates,” Vance said. “But when Trump was elected, it flipped a switch in my mind. I saw that notice and thought, this would be so good for me — to be with other people that felt the same thing, and to make some noise, to protest.”

Since then, the Davis Raging Grannies have sung at the farmers market, marched in the picnic day parade and participated in protests such as the Women’s March in Sacramento and the Climate March in San Francisco.

Nittler said they aim to bring an air of positivity to politics.

“There’s enough bitterness and negativity out there,” Nittler said. “Even if something has a serious meaning, if you say it couched in a song it becomes an earworm. [People] remember the idea, or just laugh, not because the topic is not a serious one, but because that can break down barriers.”

Hearing political messaging coming from a group of “grannies” is surprising for some. The members of Davis Raging Grannies believe it is precisely that surprise that makes their message memorable.

“In general, the whole idea of dressing up like grannies is to appear like harmless little old women,” Vance said.

Vance also said that the positive feelings of affection surrounding grandmothers helps to push their message.

“Yes, everyone has good feelings about their grandmother,” Vance said. “To try and shake them out of their complacency presents a contrast; Here’s something that you didn’t expect to have teeth behind it, but there’s a real purpose.”

UC Davis students say the group inspires important conversations about activism.

“A lot of Gen Z’s political engagement happens online,” Zara Hashim, a third-year psychology major, said. “Groups like the Raging Grannies are a great example of the fact that we shouldn’t forget the importance of building community and engaging with politics locally.”

For the group, providing inspiration to younger generations is a key part of their mission.

Despite the fact that the group feels discouraged by the results of the recent election — after all, it was Trump’s election in 2016 that sparked the chapter’s inception — the Davis Raging Grannies have hope for the future.

“That’s one of the things that I’ve found the most satisfying about being a part of the group too, is the idea of passing on the torch to the next generation,” Nittler said. “We want to engender the idea that activism and wanting to do something to try and make the world a better place, can start when you’re young, but it can continue your whole life.”

Written by: Laila Azhar — features@theaggie.org