Davis is But a Dream

The Cultural Offerings of Davis

[mraggieuke]

Hello Fellow Aggies and Davis Explorers,

This past Friday we met with Alan Humason, the office director of the Yolo County Visitors’ Bureau, in his office next to the Hunt-Boyer mansion. He told us about all the numerous places to sight-see and fine dine in Davis as well as in the whole county....

[sabsatdavis]

I would first ask all my friends to cough up their bikes for the day so my family and friends from home can fully have the Davis experience. I would then go on a bike journey to the arboretum, make our way to the baby cows, and head to the cuarto park after and then eat at Dos Coyotes.

[citynittygritty]

Did I fool you? I posted this picture upside down to show how beautiful and reflecting the water at the arboretum is! The water is a bit ripply in this picture because some ducks were swimming nearby. We saw the famous river otter poke his head out of the water every once in awhile too! There’s so much amazing wildlife to see there. I’m definitely planning on going back soon!

[sabsatdavis]

I go to the arboretum a lot and I have never seen the otter, I thought that was just another Davis myth. But other then that your photo is really pretty, than you for the visual. 

[davisdiscoveries]

I had no idea that Davis encompasses such a large area. For me, Davis is just a college campus and a sweet little downtown. Yet, after talking with Alan Humason in his office at the Yolo County Visitors Bureau, I found that Davis, and all of the Yolo County, is huge! There are farms, wineries,...

[sabsatdavis]

I have never been to Pluto's and I always walk by it as I head to Habit. The modern sign freaks me out because I think they are going to have exotic food lol. What type of food do they have?

[dwilderone]

Last week we went to the Yolo County Visitors Bureau in Davis. There we met Alan Humason, the Executive Director of the bureau. When I first walked into the grouping of suites, I noticed that there were many restaurants. It seemed right that the Visitors Bureau should be in the midst of other...

[sabsatdavis]

I like how you looked up where the origin of YOLO country comes from. Thanks for teaching me something new!

[inanutshell-galaxy-life-blog]

Not so long ago, I read a blog of someone’s good-bye to the University of California, Davis. I don’t know what it is about quarters, but it always feels like the end of a school year to me. Is it weird to get sentimental?

Regardless, I have been thinking about how things have and will end....

[sabsatdavis]

I really agree with what your saying about how things will end, every quarter I feel like a chapter in life is ending, the first quarter being the first time experiencing college, and the second quarter is conquering the winter challenges everyone says. I'm ranting but that is good because you got me thinking, so thanks!

[sabsatdavis]

The Brochures to Our Lives

Last Friday was such a fantastic day in more than one way. My brother won his seat on ASUCD senate, we have a new elected Chicano President, our oppressed communities within Davis came together to celebrate this joyous event and then I had to go listen to a guy speak about the best of the best hot spots within YOLO county...

It was definitely comparing hot and cold going form one cultural event to the next. Because they are so very different, which is why I think I take this class for granted sometimes. I got to witness a progressive Chicano identified man become the next ASUCD president. I got to see  Muslim, Asian, and Chicano identified candidates take seat on senate. The oppression of our community at Davis, the underrepresented students, people of color, these are some of the groups that these newly elected people will represent because these are their communities. To have people working form inside the system is a step in working towards fighting the oppression that we face. That is MY culture, this is who I am. And then I went to the cultural event last Friday and I got to learn some of the great different restaurants to go to and some of the art areas that are popular. Although it is very interesting, it is hard to get excited over something like that, when I just witnessed people crying, CRYING, over elections and the fact that so much diverse people were elected. And then there was this event where I had to take pictures of the building. And so as I looked, antsy I might say, because I wanted to go celebrate with everybody, and then I saw the brochures. Ahh the brochures...and it hit me!

We are brochures. Think about it, we are all so different like these brochures. They are all detailed and unique in their own way. They were made by people who wanted to offer something to the world. And as we grew up, all the different things that have made us, are now what we offer. Like a brochure we are a bundle of culture waiting to be read. Although I can forget, culture is more than the ethnic community you come from, it is more than that. It is the hardships you face, the people you surround yourself with, the things you do on the weekend. It is the things that nurture your growth and allow you to share that to others.

And looking at everybody in our class, I can respect the 'brochure' of each of our lives. Because as you see in the picture, all the brochures comprise how great YOLO county is. And in our community at UC Davis, we are what makes it so great. We add our own twist to the history of Davis. From some of you creating your clubs to others getting into research or others being social activists. 

So yeah I might have felt more culturally pleased with the experience earlier in the day than going to class, but in the end it is all dropped into the melting pot of my culture that is growing with every day. My brochure is filled with life from the experiences at Davis.

Davis has cultural offerings after all!

[sabsatdavis]

Is life complicated or is it US making life complicated?

Surrounded by all these voices, people, laughter, animals, food...The warm weather, the sun gleaming on my face, it all just seemed so wonderful. This hidden treasure that is Davis', or maybe the people of Davis' hidden treasure. It is crazy how something so simple as a farmers market can bring so much joy and wash away all the stress of midterms, work, or the complications of life. As I snapped my shots for my blog, I could not help but wonder why is it that life doesn't seem so bad looking at it through this angle. Do we entice the complications, do we look at life in a complicating way?

I guess what I learned from the farmers market is that no matter how complicated, whether because life is complicated or because we complicate our own lives, it is important to step out of your life and go look at your life in a different angle. We get so caught up on how our lives should be from getting that A to being perceived as a good person that we forget to live life. And yeah, what does it truly mean to live life. That sounds cliche, I know. But when I say live life, I mean be aware of how wonderful your life is. When you look back on all your experiences don't you want to have a picture like the one above that shows how you lived life. I know you might be thinking, how does going to a farmers market say all that.

But if you think about it, you took advantage of what your life offers, what coming to Davis offers, and what the culture of Davis offers. I think when you step out of your own bubble, you are truly being present in the experiences that life gives us. I would have never experienced the 

Getting back to the complicated thing, I just want to say that no matter what, going out and getting to know my new city has definitely been a great way to de-stress the complications that are going on within my life. I admit biking in the rain or writing a blog at midnight to get it done were not my favorite parts but what I have culturally gained is gratifying. 

[sabsatdavis]

Nicholas is whhaaaa?

Let me tell you, I have just got back from the revealing for who is in ASUCD senate and who is going to be President and Vice-President. Wow, it was the most intense event that I have been too. We were all in a room talking to each other waiting for it to begin. I did not think I would get nervous, but as soon as I sat down my heart started beating fast, I was getting hot, and my hands started to sweat. I was sitting in back of my brother, I knew he was even more nervous. Finally they told us the revealing was going to begin, and they showed the names of all the people who could potentially win a seat in the ASUCD senate. The numbers started running for each person and slowly the new senate candidates names were showing up and it was dead silent. I mean so silent that a pen could be dropped and it would be the loudest noise in the room in Wellman. And Nicholas' name popped up and all his volunteers, supporters, and SMARTies shot up and leaped toward him. As silly as it sounds when he walked up to me and we embraced one another we both started crying. All of our hard work, not sleeping, stressing out, and feeling down eventually resulted in a victory. We put our sweat and tears into this campaign from him getting his name out there and challenging himself more than ever to me learning the politics behind elections and how to run a successful campaign. We have always joked that he was John F. Kennedy and I was Bobby Kennedy but right about now I feel like that joke in some way became our reality. Who would have thought siblings from Stockton would have gotten to this point. ASUCD elections are definitely very important no matter what people say because for me, I know that I have people defending me during senate meetings from my brother to Robin Huey, Azka Fayyaz and to our new President Armando Figuerora and his Vice president Maxwell Kappes.  

[sabsatdavis]

Shakespeare in Davis

Who knew Shakespeare would not leave me when I left high school? I personally was never a fan but just hearing the guest speakers story allowed me to understand why it is important to have in a community. He was not originally from Davis but he ended up living here because Shakespeare brought him. Culture is more then just the definition that is all over Google ( I looked it up), which is "the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively." I really believe that your culture whether it be theater to your ethnic background it also largely interplay's with the passion you have for something.

A lot of people have passion for something and then they find a place that they fit in, and within that place lies culture. Our speaker's passion was performing and because of this he found a culture that is designated to performing the greats of Shakespeare. When I see how happy he is telling his experiences I cannot help wonder if we have found our passion? Have we found a culture that resonates with us?

Being here at Davis is such a blessing, yes because we get an education but also because we get to learn about ourselves. We are not surrounded by anyone who can tell us what to do, how to act, what to think. When we are on campus, we are whoever we want to be. We may not all feel that freedom yet, but it subtly creeps up and you are faced with who do you want to be and how are you going to do it. Our passion and culture our key factors in who we are and that is why I am rambling about this. Because without a culture to identify with, I feel it is hard to know oneself. Listening to our speaker reminded me of why being culturally aware is important, it helps us understand who we are and what we want. 

[davisdiscoveries]

Davis in Red

I was happy to be a part of UC Davis wears red day last Friday! It was great coming together to support heart health! A little over 2,000 people showed up that day to be part of this great picture; and even though we did not break a record, we still spread the word about how much we cared. The fact that everyone came out to stand in the rain showed our unconditional dedication and support! It was awesome that Davis decided to join in with the rest of the nation on the first Friday of February for National Wear Red Day! It was exciting to be a part of something that other people were joining in on all around the country! Yet, this picture not only represents awareness of heart health, it also illustrates a community coming together to make a difference. It shows how connected our Davis community is. This could not have happened without the support of every person who came! This support we give to each other, the way we come together as a community to make a statement in the rain or shine, come together to support the arts and the schools, come together to make this city a great place to live in, exemplifies the culture of Davis. As Aggies, we have a big heart!  

[sabsatdavis]

Who took this photo? I keep seeing it around lol. But this picture it such a good example of how big a heart Davis has (I know that sounds cheesy) but it's true! Thank you for posting this blog, I appreciate the representation you showed through this illustration. 

[nataliadaraselia-deactivated201]

Today we met with Supervisor Don Saylor of Yolo county district 2. After having visited the Hattie Weber museum (which explored the past history of Davis), the discussion with Mr. Saylor enlightened us about how the future history of Davis is being shaped each day. In the government office,...

[sabsatdavis]

"The end result we see was a compromise: something had to be given up for something new to exist." I really like this quote, I feel like this quote is applicable for of course this class, and the culture but also for our lives and moving forward. 

[cityjumper00]

Last weekend, through the pouring rain, my equestrian team traveled to Stanford to our final show of the season before Regionals. This experience was a great one in itself, loving horses and my team as I do, but it was also interesting from the perspective of this class. Many intriguing comparisons can be made about the culture and atmosphere of Stanford versus Davis, on a normal as well as equestrian plane. It is obvious that for each school and team, there is a great love of our sport and chosen animal companions, but (biased as this probably is) I do believe there is a difference in the attitude of the Davis team specifically that could have to do with our origin here. The down to earth, rural atmosphere and culture of this city seems to bring our team a great connection to both each other and our goal in being equestrians, and I think it is interesting to be able to notice this specifically when we go to competitions away from our own city and school.

[sabsatdavis]

This is really cool that you brought this up, because the attitudes of schools are most definitely different. I can just imagine how different Stanford is from us, just from the cities we are all from. Thanks for the blog!

[daniels-davis-discoveries-blog]

On a recent trip around the Davis bike loop I ran into this archway. I thought it would be very appropriate to share since we didn’t see it on our Davis Artwalk. The Gateway Arch was created by Chris Fennel and was constructed from over 400 shovels donated by the Davis community.

“At a distance this gateway will look like vine inspired ironwork, but up close the viewer will notice that the vine leaves are actually used shovel heads. The diversity of shapes, sizes, and rusty patterns on used shovel heads collected from the community will give the sculpture a richness and character that would be unattainable with new materials.”

-Chris Fennel

Just as Fennel intended, the sculpture resembled intricate metal vinework but quickly took on its true form upon approach.The wear and tear on the used shovels was very apparent and added a diverse and rugged quality that could not be achieved through new materials. Each shovel had its own history and could easily be seen through any sort of examination. The choice of shovels was significant because, "shovels have a special resonance for the UC Davis Arboretum because of all the shovels used by faculty, staff, students, and community members to launch the Arboretum, and plant and care for its collections throughout its 75-plus years of existence." The shovel as a quintessential gardening tool  is emblematic of the Arboretum and the larger Agricultural roots of the Davis community.

This statue is definitely worth a visit and is very close to campus. It is on the bike path adjacent to the campus-side bank of the arboretum a quarter mile or so toward downtown. See for yourself and post some opinions! It’s personally one of my favorite works of art around town and is not seen by anyone who has not thoroughly explored the Arboretum or traveled the bike loop.

[sabsatdavis]

This is a realllly pretty picture, I have never seen this before. I will definitely check this out!

[sabsatdavis]

Mi Cultura

Last weekend was a very busy day! Elections are coming up on February 18-21 and all the candidates, campaign managers, and volunteers are working extremely hard to get their names out. We had a publicity party at the EOP office and if you do not know where the EOP office is, it is right between Olson and South Hall. Watching and working with all these different people, I realized the importance of community.

A lot of people at the party were first and second years and at that moment I realized what a difference working towards a movement can be. We are all different majors, from different walks of life, yet every week we work toward the same goal. The goal is to get student leaders who represent the marginalized students of Davis into office. Just like the community working toward diversifying the water tank, we are working towards diversifying the community.

We are the water tank in UCD! The community fighting for what we believe in. :]

[sabsatdavis]

More Than Just a Water Tank

It was a rainy day and I was biking to an unknown area, unsure of what I was going to learn. But when I got to the location and saw the building, it was owned by the City of Davis. This class is abut the cultural offerings of Davis, but I never would have guessed what I was going to find out about the city and integrating culture within the community. 

I was wondering what I could possibly learn, and I was surprised by the man who spoke to us. He has held many positions in Davis and no matter what type of way, he has always tied it back to the arts. I was really amazed by this idea. I have seen politics within my community back home and they focus on how to get out of bankruptcy, but here in Davis they focus on how to enrich the culture. I was dumbfounded, cities could work towards educating their communities in the arts. That was a focus? Was that even necessary?

And last Friday, I realized it is an essential role in the community. It brings people together in many senses. He spoke to us about the water tank at Davis and how they had allocated money to paint it, however, instead of just painting, why not be creative and have a message for the city of Davis. He described the obstacles and reservations that people within the city had but that was a fight that the community was willing to take on. That was such a cool story, because it was not about fighting for money or rights, it was more about what can enhance the community for the sake of being a community. 

Isn't that what a community is about? Continually growing as a community just because the people genuinely want to see their city prospering. The water tank is more than a water tank!

[outandaboutindavis]

Last week, Dr Jones discussed the fact that Davis’ cultural offerings are unusually interactive. Students are not dominated by external cultural influences commonly found in big cities, such as the Hollywood culture of the area around UCLA, or the sprawling immigrant cultural influences of the Bay...

[sabsatdavis]

Wow that is really cool that you took that plunge. It is nt easy just going into a different space that is all so new and different. I affirm you for being so courageous :D

[moo-ving-deactivated20150111]

This is a cash register that was used in the first Davis Hotel. Apparently the most expensive lunch could be was $9.99! Because this was the highest number that could be punched into the register…imagine that!

[citynittygritty]

Great picture!! I know, I was laughing and thinking about the cash register’s range too!

[sabsatdavis]

Is it not crazy, how different things are nowadays. I wish that the most expensive lunch could only be 9.99 lol. Good picture, I like the up close look you did, it really pays attention to the little details.