Golden Nuggets: Happy New Year!
Still shaking those post return to work blues? Here's some quality nuggets to help you get out of the new year funk.
Hello and welcome to the first 2025 edition of Golden Nuggets, our attempt at capturing anything and everything UC Berkeley, Cal, Cal-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA related on the internet! For those just joining us, I do my best to cull the best of the best, searching high and low for the links and stories you might have missed over the last week. Without further ado, onto the nuggets!
First and Foremost…
Congrats to all 2024 Winter Commencement Graduates! Go Bears!
Birds of a Feather
In the recent Berkeley Voices, a podcast featuring the people that make UC Berkeley the world-changing place that it is, Integrative Biology Associate Professor Jack Tseng was profiled and discussed recent research about every toddler’s favorite reptilian ancestor, the humble dinosaur. Give it a read (or listen).
Where To Dine in Berkeley
Berkeleyside republished some of their favorite stories of the year, including this guide to the 22 best restaurants in Berkeley, published in September for the benefit of the incoming freshman class. The guide looks pretty good, but anytime something like this comes up I inevitably mourn the lost restaurants of my time there. I spent more than I probably should have at Stuffed Inn on Northside and WAY too much on West Coast Pizza cheesy sticks. Now I’m just sad. And I can’t even eat my feelings in some cheesy sticks. Ugh.
More Threads!
Didn’t get enough Cal Gear for Christmas or Hannukah? Well Write For California and Warriors World have you covered! Today’s the last day to buy the “Memorial Stadium Legends” gear, so get it before its gone!
Golden Bear Honors
Incoming Golden Bear Puff Moreis was named the MVP of a Women’s Basketball Tournament over Christmas. Craig Woodson, Hunter Barth, and Aidan Keanaaina were named to the Academic All-District Team selected by College Sports Communications. Teddye Buchanan, Nohl Williams (1st Team), Jack Endries, Xavier Carlton Lachlan Wilson, David Bird (3rd Team), Cade Uluave, and Craig Woodson (4th Team) were named to the Phil Steele All-ACC Teams. Marcus Harris accepted an invite to the East-West Shrine Bowl. ACC Offensive Player of the Year Karlie Lema was drafted to the Bay Football Club (see you in Cal Pros Round Up soon!). Nohl Williams was invited to the Reese’s Senior Bowl. Charmin Smith was named to the 12 Most Impressive Mid-Season Coaching Jobs by PostHer Hoops. Charmin also caught up with Mike Silver on KNBR. Baseball Coach Mike Neu was interviewed by College Baseball Central. Senior Acacia Anders and Junior Elon Butler earned second-team recognition after being listed on Softball America's 2025 Preseason Top 100 list. Mya Lauzon was named an ACC Gymnast of the Week.
JAR-ED GO-FF
Okay Jared went and did it. He finally got his own Golden Nuggets section. Let’s check in on the former Golden Bear.
Was selected for the Pro Bowl (I’m gonna guess he’ll be busy elsewhere.
Elsewhere Around Campus…
Databricks, a startup founded at Berkeley recently raised $10 Billion on a $62 billion valuation, making the biggest Berkeley affiliated startup funding round.
Cal Athletics Round Up
Men’s Basketball lost at Pitt (and didn’t steal the H) and lost at Clemson. Women’s Basketball lost at Clemson but beat SMU. Women’s Tennis had a great showing at the Rainbow Wahine Spring Invitational. Women’s Gymnastics started strong, beating out Oregon State and UCLA at the American Gold Women’s Gymnastics Classic in Oceanside.
Cal Pros Round Up
Cam Bynum reminded us that “We’re all in this together.” (Troy Bolton went to Cal!) Makayla Cowings (Women’s Basketball) won the Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa Championship!.
Ashytn Davis caught 2 Interceptions in the first half of the Jets game this past Sunday. Collin Morikawa left it all out on green, turning in his fourth best 72-hole performance in PGA Tour History. Cam Jordan appeared on Games with Names, a podcast by Julian Edelman. Cam is also up for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Voting Challenge. Go rig the election here. Cam was also named the recipient for the Jim Finks Media Appreciation Award for his availability and always being willing to talk. Aaron Rodgers through 4 TDs, including his 500th TD in the NFL. Maleah Pearson, formerly of Cal Women’s Gymnastics, was profiled in an Around the NFL installment of the Next Woman Up Series where she discussed her work producing lifestyle content for the Minnesota Vikings. Jaylon Tyson came back to Cal before taking on the Warriors. Jaylen Brown had a stellar dunk.
A lot to catch up on from the last two weeks, but I’m sure I forgot something. As always, let me know what I missed in the comments! Or tell me your favorite Berkeley restaurant long forgotten and what your order there was.
32 years after my first visits I enjoyed a Blondie's slice and a Bongo Burger shish kabob sandwich last July. $1 -> $7 on a cheese slice, in the same inflation rate neighborhood as apartment rent.