UC Davis students share books and advice that helped them learn to enjoy reading

By ZOEY MORTAZAVI — features@theaggie.org

It’s no secret that reading is good for your brain. In fact, getting into the habit of consistently reading can work wonders for cognitive function, memory retention, stress reduction and general brain performance. College students are often expected to keep up with extensive reading for their courses, and that can become difficult for those who aren’t accustomed to reading regularly. 

           This can also be very difficult for students majoring in the STEM fields — which many Davis students are — who take courses with the most reading they experience in college as part of the general education requirement. In this case, dense readings can definitely pose a challenge, and students are often caught by surprise at the amount and intensity of readings after starting their classes. 

UC Davis students have expressed that learning to read habitually and at a high level is crucial to balancing difficult academic subjects, especially as a new college student. 

“Since starting at Davis, I’ve taken a lot of courses about politics and global policy. It’s easy to fall behind if you’re not used to reading regularly,” Isaiah Phillips, a first-year international relations major, said. “Studying becomes way easier once you’re good at analyzing written material. Reading often can assist with that and help you succeed in your classes, even if you’re just reading books that you find interesting that aren’t necessarily academic.”

 Students at Davis who have found a love for reading discussed the books that helped them find this deeper appreciation as well as how reading has helped them in other areas of their lives. 

Molly Thompson, a first-year communications major, shared her favorite books and stressed the importance of finding reading material that speaks to your style and humor. 

“In terms of favorites, I love anything by Emily Henry and also ‘I Didn’t Know I Needed This’ by Eli Rallo,” Thompson said. “I love Emily Henry novels because they feel like more intellectual rom-coms; they’re fun and comforting but they’re also really well written.”

Thompson continued by sharing how reading can help with cultural, alongside academic, knowledge. 

“A well-read society is a well-functioning society. So much of our culture revolves around media and it’s incredibly important to be adept at interpreting it all. It’s more than just being able to read and comprehend it, it’s about having context and background knowledge and cross-cultural references to use to make sense of it,” Thompson said. “Habitual reading gives us those perspectives. It also gives us the ability to gain those perspectives. Getting good at reading for fun will allow us to also get good at reading academic writing that, while dense, is critical.”

According to the National Library of Medicine, those who read books for an average of 30 minutes per day, which is about a chapter a day, showed a survival advantage compared to those who did not read books. 

Reading regularly is also proven to strengthen our attention spans, which is a crucial skill to develop since the creation of various social media platforms. For example, TikTok and Instagram feature short video clips as people scroll through them. These 15-second to a minute clips have contributed greatly to a widespread decrease in the average attention span. 

Additionally, UC Davis students discussed the importance of practicing reading in order to gain writing skills, which are important for college students to develop early on in order to convey their ideas coherently and successfully complete rigorous writing requirements. 

Olga Muys, a second-year history major, agreed that reading has helped her writing process.

“Learning to enjoy reading and engaging with texts from an early age has absolutely helped me academically, not just in terms of my reading comprehension abilities but also in terms of writing,” Muys said. “‘Brideshead Revisited’ by Evelyn Waugh is one of my favorite books because of how immersive its language and characters are, along with how it examines themes of beauty, sexuality and spirituality.”

Muys continued by giving advice about habitual reading, no matter the kind of material you choose to read.

“I’ve always believed that the best way to learn how to write is to just read as much as you can, especially when you’re young,” Muys said. “You absorb so much about vocabulary and argument and structure, purely through osmosis, even if you’re reading something non-academic.”

As these students have discussed, there are many reasons to pick up a book and immerse yourself into a new story every now and then. There’s no need to force yourself to read books that are considered literary classics, either; the importance of getting accustomed to habitual reading is the key. 

Simply incorporating reading into your routine — even if it’s only for a couple of days each week — might just be a worthwhile investment in your cognitive development and academic performance. 

Written by: Zoey Mortazavi — features@theaggie.org

Students share their experiences as commuters

By SABRINA FIGUEROA — features@theaggie.org 

Running late due to packed parking garages and sleeping in your car during gaps in your schedule are just some of the many experiences in commuter culture. 

On an average weekday, 30% of UC Davis commuters drive, 19% ride the bus and 1% ride the Amtrak, according to a survey conducted by UC Davis. The commuter population is bigger than most would think, as 85% of people who attend, work or visit the university travel from somewhere off-campus.

Commuting may be a viable or efficient option for those who live close to campus — such as in surrounding cities like Sacramento or Woodland — and don’t want to fully move to the city of Davis. Or, it can simply be more affordable for students and faculty compared to living in on-campus housing or housing in the area. 

Braden Lee, a second-year mechanical engineering major, said that the major benefit of commuting comes from affordability. 

“I lived in Davis for my first year, and I haven’t really considered it again afterwards,” Lee said. “A pro of commuting to Davis is that living expenses are much cheaper than if you were to live in town. But the bad thing about that is that it takes longer to come in and out of campus.” 

As more people use their cars to get to school, the traffic in the area increases, potentially causing students to run late to class or even cost them their precious gas — which is not only expensive in California but also hurts the pockets of broke college students. 

Commuters tend to have to plan their schedules accordingly and ahead of time in order to keep themselves on track, according to  third-year biochemistry and molecular biology major Cynthia Ayala. 

“I have to plan out my schedule ahead of time,” Ayala said. “Say I have a class at like 4 p.m., I have to get ready at 2 p.m. to leave by 3 p.m., just in case there’s traffic or I need to find the hall or something. It’s an even bigger hassle when a class is at 8 a.m. and you have no other option.” 

Apart from the scheduling situation, commuters face a more serious problem in the potential for feelings of isolation from other students and a lack of school spirit. In other words, sometimes commuting takes away from the average “college experience that grants some reinvention, social life and freedom,” according to David Tzall, a licensed psychologist, in an interview with Her Campus.

“Building a social network and feeling connected to the college community can be more challenging [for commuter students] because they don’t live in the same space with their friends,” Tzall said. 

Tzall also noted that commuter students can experience mental health issues because of their off-campus status. 

“[Commuting students’ mental health] can certainly be impacted in a different way [than non-commuters’], but it can still be impacted nonetheless,” Tzall said. “A commuter student might feel more disengaged or isolated compared to those living on campus.”

Imran recalled how she feels excluded living off-campus. 

“Times where I don’t feel included are just in general,” Imran said. “A lot of people made friends in their dorms and whatnot, and I feel like I missed the opportunity entirely; that part was easy to see during [freshman] orientation especially.” 

Lee described how living off-campus has impacted his time at UC Davis.  

“It’s hard to make new friends,” Lee said. “Many of the friends I have already made were because of the time I lived on campus my freshman year. I usually feel included in the student environment the most when I participate in clubs. That’s the only way I’ve been able to make new friends.” 

A big part of commuting from off-campus or outside of Davis is also the fact that disconnection from students means feeling like you’re in isolation, according to Ayala.

“Honestly, I spend the majority of my time by myself, which isn’t necessarily bad because a lot of people struggle to enjoy their own company, and it was definitely something I had to learn how to do, but it still gets super lonely,” Ayala said. “It’s scary to think that my college years will be spent mostly alone, but sometimes you just have to make that sacrifice to get an expensive education.” 

Imran shared that the aspect of feeling disconnected and isolated from her UC Davis peers impacts the way she tries to get involved on campus and make long-lasting friendships. 

“As a commuter, I definitely feel like I need to overcompensate when it comes to being friendly at events and making an effort to talk or join leadership programs or clubs,” Imran said.

Although commuting can have both positive and negative effects on the individual, these students can always find ways to feel less isolated. 

“I think it’s still so important to not get discouraged or reject people who might want to be friends with you during classes. Basically, don’t be bitter,” Ayala said. “Join clubs, talk to random people when you feel comfortable, stay on campus for as long as your body allows, be kind and keep an open mind.” 

Written by: Sabrina Figueroa — features@theaggie.org 

Two UC Davis students discuss their unique ASUCD Senate campaign

By EMME DUNNING — features@theaggie.org

Editor’s Note: The candidates were interviewed and this article was written prior to the ASUCD elections. Both Dhilena Wickramasinghe and Amrita Julka were elected to the Senate table. 

Chances are, if you’re a woman, you’ve been called a bitch at some point in your life. The term is an all too common insult, often aimed at women who hold leadership roles. 

Dhilena Wickramasinghe, a second-year sociology major, and Amrita Julka, a first-year political science major, are embracing their identities as bitches. The pair ran for open spots in the ASUCD Senate under a slate poignantly titled, “Bitch.” As prominent women in student government, Wickramasinghe and Julka have personal experiences with the struggles associated with being women in leadership. 

“Women are constantly called bitches for advocating for themselves, for standing up for what is right and just trying to seek higher positions of power in general,” Wickramasinghe said. “Naming our slate ‘Bitch’ is kind of a punch back. We’re women, we’re proud to be women and we are reclaiming the power that is trying to be taken from us when men call us that word.” 

Although supporting women holding positions of power is a priority for the pair, Wickramasinghe’s slate partner Julka noted that this election is particularly important in terms of the need for adequate representation.

“[Our campaign] comes at a crucial time because all the women who are currently serving on the Senate are leaving,” Julka said. 

Due to the small number of women running for Senate, Julka worries about the possibility of a Senate without representation for women, and the impacts this may have on ASUCD as a whole.

 “There is a very high chance that women will not be represented fairly on the Senate table for next year. That’s why we’re focusing so much on this ‘women in charge, women empowerment move,’” Julka said. 

Julka and Wickramasinghe both currently serve on committees within ASUCD, which they feel has helped strengthen their understanding of the campus’ needs and informed the priorities outlined in their campaigns. Although they share a vision of making the ASUCD Senate more equitable overall, they also hold their own distinct views and priorities within their respective campaigns. 

Wickramasinghe, a current member of the Sexual Assault Awareness and Advocacy Committee, hopes to continue advocating for sexual health resources in a senatorial role. In their campaign statement, Wickramasinghe outlined initiatives supporting this goal, including increasing access to sexual health products in different locations around campus and ensuring sexual health education workshops are inclusive of the needs of the LGBTQ+ community. In addition, she hopes to advocate for diversity awareness and increase knowledge surrounding protections for student activists. 

Julka, who serves as a committee member on the Student Health and Wellness Committee, wants to ensure Aggies have adequate resources to support their well-being, including expanding access to menstrual and contraceptive products on campus and giving students more options for gender-neutral restrooms across campus. Additionally, she hopes to allocate money toward supporting minority groups such as first-generation, transfer and veteran student populations to ensure they feel supported academically and socially at UC Davis. 

Apart from her stated campaign priorities, Julka also recognizes the need for more transparency within ASUCD and, if elected, would implement transparency and accountability initiatives to ensure the Senate body works effectively with and for the students of UC Davis. 

“I think accountability for [the] Senate is a huge thing that we want to work on,” Julka said. “Each senator has adopted units and committees that they are required to attend meetings for, but unfortunately that does not happen a lot of the time. They just aren’t showing up. Our units, commissions and committees play such a huge role for our legislative body, and by not going to those meetings it is doing the student body a huge disservice. I’d definitely like to work on holding senators accountable for going to [these] meetings.”

Wickramasinghe echoed this sentiment, highlighting that as students pay a considerable $85 per quarter fee for ASUCD, they should be able to easily understand and utilize the resources they fund. 

“We’re giving so much money to [ASUCD] and I think ASUCD themselves should be more transparent and be promoting themselves more to the student body, and students should be able to know what they’re paying for as well,” Wickramasinghe said. 

The “Bitch” slate has been endorsed by many organizations and individuals across campus, including Dani Antonio, a current ASUCD senator and the pairs’ slate manager. 

Antonio, a third-year psychology major, played an integral role in establishing the “Bitch” slate following her decision not to run again for her ASUCD Senate position.

“I wanted to make sure that the candidates who were women and who were running for the same goals and values as me had the same support that I had when I was running,” Antonio said. “I decided to reach out to [Wickramasinghe] and [Julka] and see if they were interested in being in a slate with each other, and a slate called ‘Bitch’ at that.”

Ensuring informed and passionate women are adequately represented in the ASUCD Senate was a major factor for Antonio when deciding to support the “Bitch” slate. 

“If we lack representation at the table, other student voices aren’t gonna be heard. With women for example — menstrual equity, sexual reproductive health, student safety — all of these issues revolve around women, and if we don’t have voices to represent that on the table then they’re just gonna get lost. They’re not even just silenced, they’re fully going to be neglected,” Antonio said. 

“I think it’s super important that there are not only women on the table, but there are multiple women of different backgrounds, different priorities, different advocacies and specialties,” Antonio said. “As a senator, you shouldn’t be advocating for something you don’t know anything about and what I love about my candidates is that they’re both very well-educated on the things that they are running on.”

In the male-dominated field of politics, the “Bitch” slate believes women’s representation is immensely important. If elected to the ASUCD Senate, Wickramasinghe and Julka would have the opportunity to play a vital role in embodying informed representation for the UC Davis community.

Written by: Emme Dunning — features@theaggie.org