The UC Davis community lived up to the theme for the 107th Picnic Day last Saturday, “Discovering Silver Linings” all throughout the campus’s open house, the second one in a row to be held virtually.

The day kicked off with a welcome from Picnic Day Chair Caitlyn Liu, Grand Marshals Lawrence "Torry" Winn and Maisha Winn, founders of the Transformative Justice in Education Center, and Chancellor Gary S. May.

“We see today as a day to animate the silver linings that are specific to our beloved UC Davis,” Maisha Winn said. “Some of us have reconnected with our own purpose, we’ve learned how to teach and learn virtually, and we have learned that we are strong as a university community.”

This year’s events took place on Zoom, Instagram Live, YouTube and other platforms, and many exhibits and activities are still available for viewing or to be downloaded.

Searching for landmarks

 

If you give a first-year student a map, how quickly will they be able to find California Hall? How about one of the campus water towers? Aggie Studios followed Nicole Ong and Jerricho Habon as they embarked on a scavenger hunt of the Davis campus, looking for landmarks and challenges like photos with a stranger. Watch the above video to see how they fared and what they learned about the campus.

Checking in on derby doxies

 

The dachshunds who would otherwise have been racing across The Pavilion on Saturday are staying in shape in anticipation the Doxie Derby’s return to an in-dog format. Watch the above mockumentary to see what they’ve been up to, and how School of Veterinary Medicine Dean Michael Lairmore has been preparing for his footrace against the winner.

Chemistry demos impress

 

The Picnic Day Chemistry Magic Show is always a popular draw, and this year the Department of Chemistry incorporated many of the demonstrations and practical lessons from that event into a single video. Watch it above to learn more about the department’s research methods and expertise.

Marching Band plays on

 

A year without events hasn’t meant a year without performances for the UC Davis Marching Band. Watch a collection of highlights from the band’s virtual performances in the above video, and learn what in-person event the musicians are looking forward to.