Historically, campus protests have received some form of support from the University, community or police, and as the University of California’s culture continues to host strikes and movements, this UC Davis tradition has as well.

On Nov. 20, 2013, AFSCME 3299, the union for UC service and patient care workers, held a strike disputing unfair labor practices. The strike involved several types of UC workers and students, and one student recalled how her professor held class off campus to show support.

“We went to The Graduate and moved two benches together,” said Falon Darville, a fourth-year English major. “Then we had our usual class discussion.”

Perhaps the most active times for strikes and protests, according to Dr. Jerry Drawhorn of CSU Sacramento, were during the Vietnam War era, when several issues like race, homosexuality and anti-war efforts were swirling together.

For a book he is currently writing, Drawhorn is creating a timeline of UC Davis’ radio station, KDVS, where he once DJ’ed. His research has catalogued the dates of several strikes and protests. Several subjects that students in Davis and surrounding areas have spoken out against were women’s liberation, anti-apartheid, nuclear energy, free speech, the Natural Food movement, Davis’ local D-Q University for indigenous people and field workers’ rights.

“There were enough broad issues to give everyone something to stand for,” Drawhorn said.

Drawhorn also remembered a short blurb in an issue of The Aggie that displayed the era’s general skepticism of authority and the government.

In 1967, a former veteran and off-campus representative of ASUCD was investigated by agents of the U.S. Secret Service. According to The Aggie’s original article, Chuck Papke wrote on the outside of a government return: “Johnson’s war in Vietnam makes America puke.”

The aspersion was seen as a legitimate threat to President Lyndon B. Johnson’s life, and the Secret Service questioned Papke at his home.

Agent Larry Sheafe was quoted as saying in explanation, “If enough people puked on the President, he would die.”

At least three of Papke’s G.I. benefit allotments were not granted because of his statement.

“It’s not a time I’d want to go back to,” said David Lundquist, a former UC Davis librarian who was employed in 1966.

Lundquist remembers casually bumping into a Hell’s Angel on Berkeley’s Telegraph Avenue. According to UC Berkeley’s Social Activism Sound Recording Project, members of the motorcycle club were opposed to the anti-war protesters and even attacked them.

A young student once told him it sounded exciting, and she wished she could have been there. Lundquist responded: “You really don’t want to.”

In 1970, several hundred universities and schools nationwide, including UC Davis, responded to the Kent State shooting in Kent, Ohio on May 4, 1970. The Ohio National Guard shot several unarmed college students during a protest.

“What are we going to do? How are we going to respond?” Lundquist recalled overhearing from the students. They had immediately responded, forming committees in the library and planning protests.

One such protest was held at Mrak Hall, Lundquist said. University administrators appeared to support the students, arriving at the scene and asking students what they could do to help. Lundquist said that even Chancellor Emil Mrak sat with the protesting students.

According to Lundquist, the University knew Kent State was a terrible occurrence. They didn’t want anything like it happening at UC Davis, so they did what they could to accommodate the students’ desires.

A few years later, protesting students found support from the city police. On April 28, 1973, a boxcar owned by the U.S. Department of Defense and carrying 250 pounds of bombs exploded near Sacramento in Antelope, Calif.

The shipment would have eventually been sent to Vietnam, and in response, UC Davis students staged a sit-in on the railroad tracks. Lundquist said that the city asked the students which streets they would need to use, and if they would like an escort.

“I remember seeing the march come down Second Street with a police escort,” Lundquist said. “At least one or two police cruisers were in front clearing traffic.”

Lundquist also recalled an incident where the police specifically took action to protect the students. During the railroad sit-in, one train engineer got fed up with the demonstration. He started moving the train and honked his horn. Students were forced to climb up on the train to prevent getting run over. A police officer promptly climbed up into the cabin and arrested the engineer.

According to Lundquist, it also wasn’t just students involved in this protest. He recalled a professor of environmental sciences and his wife sitting on the tracks. At some point, the police had to clear the tracks and warned the protesters that they would be arrested if they stayed. The professor left, but his wife stayed and was arrested.

“I wonder what their conversation was like the next day,” Lundquist said.

Protests in more recent years have also ended in arrests.

In November 2009, Mrak Hall was used as a demonstration location and 50 students were arrested for attempting to occupy the hall. In that case, students were protesting budget cuts and fee increases.

Again in 2011, students protested rising tuition fees during Occupy UC Davis. The Occupy movement at UC Davis resulted in the campus police pepper-spraying several students. However, Lundquist recalled that several people of the Davis community still brought soup and chili to feed the students, perpetuating a long history of community support.

“The city and the University wanted to take care of them, ” Lundquist said. “The whole pepper spray thing just doesn’t compute. It really tarnished Davis.”

However, not all activism in Davis has ended in arrests. Drawhorn remembered Jose Arguelles, a UC Davis art instructor who, in 1969, put on an “Art Happening.” According to its website, it was an event students used to focus their enthusiasm for activism and environmental issues through art.

After the United Nations’ declaration of Earth Day in 1970, the “Art Happening” was renamed and became the annual Whole Earth Festival.

Instances of community collaboration at the scale of the “Art Happening” have been rare. It’s tempting, then, to draw conclusions or make contrasts between the protests of then and now. However, Duane Wright, a graduate student in the Sociology Department, suggests the relationship is complicated.

“You really will need to understand the ways in which the social, economic and political are tied together, and what the effects of one causes in the others,” Wright said.

Wright said a particular movement may emphasize some of these aspects to give their cause an advantage. For example, Wright said he personally knows many people fighting for accessible public education.

“[They] are deeply invested in the social justice aspects of this cause,” Wright said. “It’s not just about numbers of dollars, but about oppression and inequality.”

Likewise, similar issues may have come up in protests of the past. Although people of all backgrounds were drafted into the Vietnam War, Wright said the poor and minorities were disproportionately sent to the front lines and killed in combat.

In the present day, he also said high tuition fees can make it difficult for these same disadvantaged groups to attend universities.

Wright also mentioned the AFSCME 3299 strike and the protest against President Napolitano, when protesters demanded the UC president’s resignation in November 2013.

“Both of those protests/demonstrations were very upfront about the issues of race, immigration, status, gender and class in the University,” Wright said. “The anti-Napolitano protest had many demands, such as stopping the surveillance against students, making the UC a sanctuary campus for undocumented peoples and fair contracts for campus unions.”

Though history demonstrates that strikes and protests on this campus have and continue to receive some form of community support, Wright suggests that students pay closer attention to the purpose behind the movements, rather than simply joining the crowd.

Six ASUCD senators are elected each fall, and six more, the president and vice president every winter. Candidates can choose to run on slates, comparable to United States political parties, and if elected, serve a year-long term.

The Fall 2013 ASUCD Senate election season saw two independent candidates elected, along with three from the NOW slate and one from SMART.

The established slates on the UC Davis campus, NOW, BEST and SMART, each have specific goals, and their senators often vote accordingly.

Current ASUCD Senator, Miles Thomas, a fifth-year managerial economics major and co-founder of BEST, said that BEST is the only slate that doesn’t require a senator’s vote on specific issues.

“NOW wants you to vote against divestment from companies profiting off of the Israeli occupation of Palestine,” Thomas said in an email. “SMART wants you to primarily represent underrepresented communities.”

For example, SMART’s newly elected senator Mariah Kala Watson is interested in re-investing in the Food Pantry, according to her personal statement.

Yee Xiong, a fourth-year Asian American studies and design double major and the first Hmong ASUCD senator, chose to run with the SMART slate because she felt that there was a lack of representation for cultural issues at the table.

“In 2012, I was co-coordinating the 5th annual Southeast Asian Graduation and had heard that our student body government was not financially supportive of community specific graduations (CSG). I had to find out why,” Xiong said in an email.

After attending the spring budget hearings that year, Xiong was inspired by former senators who fought to support CSG, and who eventually got their bill passed.

“Representation from marginalized communities is hard to find, and this slate is the start of changing that around,” Xiong said.

The NOW slate has gained popularity in this election and in the last. Currently, six of the twelve senate seats are held by candidates who ran with NOW.

Felicia Ong, a third-year political science and communication double major and a former ASUCD senator whose term ended last quarter, ran with the NOW slate because she appreciated its vision for ASUCD.

“I loved what the slate had envisioned for our campus: making students on campus feel like they are a part of something larger than themselves,” Ong said in an email.

Ong ran for Senate as a second year after experiencing some things that she wanted to change.

“I noticed that there was this culture in ASUCD where student leaders became solely interested in themselves or the little things associated with politics,” Ong said.

Typically, senators vote with their slates, but on occasion have voted with other slates on specific issues.

“Please note that while Senator Nonga is to the right of the ‘table middle,’ she is very partisan, as she votes with SMART every time there’s a ‘SMART issue,’ and with NOW on everything else,” Thomas said.

The three recently elected NOW senators reflected a variety of different goals in their personal statements, which include creating online tutoring programs for late night help, making American Sign Language an accredited course at UC Davis and creating an advisory board to improve communication between students and city officials.

There are also independent candidates, whose decisions in senate are not influenced by the goals of slates.

“Independent senators are perceived as thinking more critically and not voting along party lines,” Thomas said. “They don’t swear allegiance to outside interest groups.”

The platforms of the two recently elected independent senators include promoting “open license” textbooks which have been adapted by professors for specific classes and are available to students at a reduced cost, as well as increasing involvement in international programs by all students.

While independent senators may be appealing because of their rapport for non-partisan voting, they have a more difficult time being elected because they don’t get as much exposure.

“Major credit to those independent candidates who ran and won — they probably must’ve worked twice as hard just to earn a seat,” Xiong said. “When you run with a slate, you have higher chances of being noticed and supported by others who know the established slate.”

The Fall 2013 Senate elections saw two independent candidates elected, which is relatively uncommon, and Thomas doesn’t predict a repeat of this in the future.

“An independent acting on their own cannot carry an election in single choice voting,” Thomas said. “If there are only two slates running, [like there were this quarter], independents would have a chance.”

However, in this Fall 2013 election, independent candidate Gareth Smythe was elected to senate by a large margin. Thomas attributes this to the fact that while Smythe ran independently, he had a lot of support from current ASUCD members.

“Most of the best and brightest in ASUCD supported him, which is how he came up on top by such an incredible margin,” Thomas said. “He’s an anomaly in a lot of different ways; I wouldn’t expect independents of the future to do as well.”

Spencer McManus

Chairman of the Internal Affairs Commission, ASUCD

Majors: chemistry and political science, emphasizing in public service

1. How did you decide on your major?

In high school, I had a really great chem teacher who inspired me. He had all these really cool demonstrations. Then I got here and had really great general chemistry teachers that kept me going on that. I worked in the lab for a little while and I decided that wasn’t my thing, so that’s why I picked up the political science major also. I want to go to law school and I’ve always been interested in political institutions here in the United States.

2. What is your life motto?

“Each day is its own” I think is a nice one. I’ll be honest, I’m a pretty busy person so I have to look at my calendar every morning to remember what I’m doing. I’m sure a lot of people here are the same way. Also just being cognizant of what everyone else thinks too, as a student rep that’s an important thing to have, and just as a general life motto, just being able to listen to other people.

3. What do you do when you’re not studying or working?

Besides working at ASUCD and the occasional studying, I’m a peer advisor for the College of Letters and Science. Outside of that I’m a huge San Jose Sharks fan. I enjoy reading a lot. I’m a big tech nerd. And I need to catch up on Breaking Bad, so maybe that’ll be my thing this quarter.

4. What is your favorite stress-relieving activity?

Probably going running, which I haven’t done enough lately, that would be my stress reliever. Or going on a hike.

5. What’s your favorite restaurant in Davis?

3rd and U, I get their BBQ cheeseburgers a little bit too often.

6. If you were a fruit, what would you be and why?

I would be a strawberry. Sweet, the seeds are on the outside so you can kind of see where I’m at. But also I’m sweet and willing to listen. Is that a little corny?

7. What would be the theme song to a show about your life?

“What If,” it’s a Five For Fighting song. It talks about thinking about things that could happen or would have happened, and I like to plan ahead a lot.

8. If you could own any animal, what would it be and why?

A little owl. Have you seen the pictures of the cute little baby owls? I would love one of those just to sit on my shoulder. I think that’d be pretty cool.

Mariah Kala Watson

ASUCD Senator

Major: international relations, emphasizing in peace and security

1. How did you decide on your major?

I’ve had the privilege of being able to travel  around the world with my parents from the very young age of six months. My first trip ever was visiting my extended family in Bermuda. Many trips soon followed. But my favorite trip of all time was my first trip to Egypt. I fell in love. The culture, the people, the food. It was all so amazing and enchanting. I had never felt more at home in a foreign country.

When I got older people began telling me to explore what I was passionate about. I decided to play sports, and then finally joined my local chapter of the YMCA’s Youth and Government when high school was nearing an end. And wha-la! I found another home in being engaged in dialogues and debates about politics both foreign and domestic. So I picked a major that mirrored both my love for Egypt and politics; international relations is perfect.

2. What is your life motto?

“Love everyone for every reason”

I know that sounds beyond corny, but I do truly strive to see the good and beauty in everyone and everything.

3. What do you do when you’re not studying or working?

There’s time for something else? In all seriousness my job is my joy, so I spend a lot of time doing things that revolve about ASUCD or the Cross Cultural Center. I’m always at retreats and conferences meeting fellow students. We talk about social justice, inequality, student leadership and cultural affairs, as well as the issues we face on campus and how we plan to fix them.

However, when I do have “freer” time I lalala-love movies. You can pretty much play anything, doesn’t matter how terrible the quality or plot is and I’ll find something enjoyable about it. I enjoy going out with my friends on the weekends. Brunches during the day and parties at night.

4. What is your favorite stress-relieving activity?

Watching Netflix snuggled in a blanket with tea = perfection.

5. What is your favorite restaurant in Davis?

Mikuni or Zen Toro for special occasions.

6. What is your greatest accomplishment outside of school?

Volunteering at an all girls camp called “Girls to Goddess” every summer for five years. I’m a head camp counselor and it’s always incredible to see how much personal growth and self discovery can happen in one week. I’m happy to be a part of it.

7. If you were a fruit, what would you be and why?

Passion Fruit — it’s sweet, unique and unexpected.

8. What would be the theme song to a show about your life?

Paolo Nutini — New Shoes

It’s my happy song. To me, it’s about finding the little things in life that make you joyful and letting them fill your life with bliss. If you ever hear me singing or humming this song, I’m in a fantastic mood!

9. If you could own any animal, real or mythical, what would it be?

A half wolf and half Australian German shepherd the size of the wolves from the Twilight saga. It would be extremely sweet and cuddly and also fun to ride and hike with.

Teaching assistants (TAs) permeate the UC system. These graduate students are both pupils and employees of the UC who, according to United Automobile Workers (UAW) 2865, are facing high class sizes and low wages.

The UC Student-Worker’s Union represents an estimated 12,000 tutors, readers and teaching assistants throughout the UC. The union started their contract campaign in June 2013 for renewing a three-year bargaining agreement with the UC.

Third-year anthropology graduate student and executive board guide of the UAW 2865, Caroline McKusick sees the union as an integral part of labor representation for Academic Student Employees (ASEs) and TAs in particular since they act as a liaison between undergraduates and professors.

“One of the reasons I’m involved in the union is because I think students deserve a good education and TAs that can give them attention,” McKusick said. “In this contract campaign, we envision a bargaining process that makes grad students’ concerns heard across the state, a space where members can speak to the seriousness of the issues they are facing.”

One of the requirements of student employees is that TAs must work 50 percent of their full-time student attendance, and one of the agreements made between the union with the UC is that this time should not amount to more than 20 hours per week.

However, due to the increasing ratio of students to TAs, McKusick has observed the struggles of TAs who also often have research, seminars and other campus jobs to manage.

“I’ve been a TA every year of grad school and worked in different departments, and what I’ve seen is that the kinds of pressures to increase class sizes and squeeze TAs happening on the UC-level is happening all over campus and is something that faculty and grad students are struggling with,” McKusick said. “With these increases in class sizes the responsibilities of TAs is really serious and we’re very concerned that TAs are working more than the hours that they should be working and that this is impacting students’ education.”

Besides expressing grievances for the assurance of fair working conditions and treatment during this contract campaign the UAW 2865 adopted an open bargaining process for the first time by inviting all members to UC negotiations to diversify the amount of coordination and representation of ASEs. They have also highlighted forums such as gender neutral bathrooms on campuses, undocumented student support and child care services for graduate student workers.

Third-year sociology graduate student and Davis unit chair for UAW 2865 Duane Wright is a parent himself, and previously spent eight years as a substitute teacher at elementary schools in Massachusetts before coming to Davis.

“Coming here I had an expectation that I would be teaching, but it’s a little disappointing that you only get less than 10 hours with your student in the quarter,” Wright said. “The problem with the lecture hall pedagogically is that it’s a one-way mode transmission … A quality education is one in which people participate and become subjects of their education instead of objects of their education. And [ideally] discussion section is a way to try to fill that gap … but now those are getting too big.”

According to Wright, the current subsidy of child support for union workers is $600 per quarter or $900 per semester, and there are talks in changing the amount to $900 per quarter instead due to the already low incomes of ASEs.

“Having an extra mouth to feed, having to have an extra bedroom; these are all extra costs for a student and I’m not making any more money than anyone else, ”Wright said. “It’s tricky. Especially my first two quarters here were so intense and required so much of my time … [My son] was in third grade at the time and I really don’t know much of what went on his third grade year… I’m not really sure how I feel about that.”

Ph.D candidate of geography Katharine Bradley, who has been both a TA and graduate student researcher (GSR) for most of her graduate experience, has seen the position of the TA as an educator in the UC system to be important, though she agrees they tend to have a lot to manage.

“As a TA, part of my job is to create as many distinct and diverse opportunities for students to connect with something about the class even if they’re not going to connect with me personally,” Bradley said. “[Grad students] have course work, they have to juggle whatever [their] on-campus job is and … looking for work every quarter can take a lot of energy away from the things we want to be studying.”

According to McKusick the experience as a TA is beneficial, however the labor legalities and time struggle they face can often take away from their interaction with students.

“In my experience, being a TA can be really fun,” McKusick said. “You work with faculty and try to get students to think really critically about the material which is impossible in lecture or other spaces. Some of the difficult things about it are having a lot of students and not feeling I can reach out to everybody.”