Hi Everyone!

Back when we originally moved from Oakland to Walnut Creek, I joked with some friends about my new town, referring to it as “The Nut”, and it stuck with me. Ever since that fateful day a little over a year ago, whenever I introduced my place of residence to potential friends, I have used this moniker, and I have received some pretty drastically different feedback about it. Some friends have loved it and stated that they would start using it themselves, and others have told me the equivalent of Regina George’s “Stop trying to make fetch happen. It’s not going to happen”.¹

However, I’m not the only one who has been calling Walnut Creek “The Nut”. In a post from comedian Laurie Kilmartin from April, she stated that other Gen-Zers are also doing the same². And if that is not a visual enough representation of “The Nut” becoming a reality, I was walking around this past week and saw what is probably the truest representation of a phrase becoming accepted into our lexicon: merchandise. I talked with the vendor about it, who is a local high school teacher, and they said that it is commonly heard within those hallways. She also told me about how back in the day, Walnut Creek used to be referred to as “Dub C”, another slang phrase used to represent this place we live. At the end of the day, you can call this place whatever you want to, just know that “The Nut” is going to happen…

(Side Note: In case you were wondering, I was about to buy one, and then Rylee reminded me that outside of Walnut Creek, “The Nut” might be interpreted very differently. If Walnut Creek was my forever home, then maybe I would get one, but I highly doubt that I am going to spend the rest of my life in “The Nut”. I might get a lot of mean looks if I wear this hat anywhere else.)

With that said, let’s find out What’s Up With Will…

Where did summer go? 

As I approach the start of my second year (it’s only one more newsletter until the start of the next semester AHHH!!!), people are starting to ask me to do things that have more of a leadership role to them, and it has started to make me wonder, “Am I one of the cool kids in the SFSU Comm Department?” For example, I was recently asked, alongside Judith, to plan a Post SFSU Communication Studies Graduate Department Potluck Social, and I was also asked to help out at the GTA Orientation for the union that I am a part of, alongside Kara, informing our fellow GTAs of the union as well as our rights as members of the union (The later of which I was a bit uncertain of doing, but I did do a intensive weekend training [✊ Summer Schooled! 7/26/26], so I guess I might know more than some of the other GTAs). This is not to mention that I finally got my reappointment papers as a GTA, so it is completely official now. 

Despite these instances indicating that I am being given more opportunities to get the most out of my Master’s degree, I’ve felt the most disheartened about it all. I am plagued with uncertainties about my ability to succeed. Do I have what it takes to do a Ph.D.? How do I go about explaining what I want to do in Ph.D. level academic terms? Are people even interested in what I want to study? Will I get accepted? I have such a promethean task ahead of me, and it feels incredibly overwhelming. The logical part of my brain is telling me that these are normal fears related to imposter syndrome, but I’m telling me that isn’t particularly helpful at assuaging these doubts. Right now, I know I probably just need to persevere, but I’m definitely at a low point of the journey.

Mendocino Farms, a regional fast-casual chain akin to what I would consider an elevated Subway, recently opened a brand new location in Concord, and gave away free sandwiches (*with a purchase* in fine print that I didnt read until I got there). Since I am never one to turn down free food, I ran to the store to take part in the celebration. As soon as I walked in and said “Hello”, the cashier immediately asked, “Is this your first time at Mendo?” This stood out to me for two reasons: 1. This was my first time at Mendocino Farms, so she could obviously spot a newbie from a mile away, but, and I believe this to be the more interesting point, 2. The use of the word “Mendo” here appears to be vernacular that regulars use for the restaurant, in a similar way as chains such as McDonald’s (Mickey Ds) or Starbucks (Starbies) have. Shorthands like this almost act as a notifier of an in-group identity. 

It also had me thinking about particular vocabulary that we adopt in restaurants quite simply because they have created it. I mean, would we really know what a Big Mac or a Frappuccino is without them? What other words do we adopt when in restaurants that we might not normally use outside of one? Definitely some food for thought as I bit into my chimichurri steak and bacon sandwich and, for my actual purchase, a side order of the slightly spicy curry couscous. 

Later that night, Rylee and I went to Raimondi Park for another Oakland Ballers game. This game’s theme was an ode to Oakland’s Theatrical Arts Organizations such as the Oakland Symphony and the Ballet: The Ballers Take The Stage Night. Walking in, we were treated with an exclusive Ballers Presents pin, and throughout the game we were treated with a choreographed Scrappy Dance Break to The Phantom of the Opera. The fans even got into the action with a “Take A Bow” Cam. Throughout the night, I kept on thinking about the night’s theme. I’ve referenced baseball as the theater of the masses (🎭The Show Must Go On! 9/21/25), but tonight I couldn’t help but recognize the parallels between a baseball game and a show. 

Back in my freshman year of undergrad, I was talking with one of my marching band buddies about Georgia Tech Football. At the time, I was less than an avid fan, so I asked him about why he loved sports. He responded by talking about seeing it as a saga that unfolds week over week. New storylines emerge every weekend, each with its own introduction, climax, and conclusion, and all of this happens on the glory of the gridiron. In the years since, I have adopted a similar romanticized view of sports.

Academia has a field known as performance studies, analyzing performances as it relates to everyday life. While this can sometimes become analyzing a theatrical performance, it can include all of human behavior. While sports have largely been neglected in the field of performance studies, at its core, sports are a performance. They are a site that includes both competition and spectacle, as well as an expression of our culture and what we want to represent.³ Even what theme nights are occurring emphasize what we want to recognize and tribute to in our own communities. Additionally, the Oakland Ballers themselves, a Pioneer League team formed in the aftermath of the Oakland A’s leaving, are a signal of Oakland’s determination and tenacity in the face of losing part of its sports identity.

On this stage, the Ballers put on a show against the Red Pocket Mobiles, finishing the game with an 18-10 win.

This weekend was Rylee’s 25th Birthday, so we were so excited to go big with a rager of a party. Unfortunately for us, one of San Francisco’s premier music festivals, Outside Lands, was scheduled for this weekend as well, and as we did a head count, we immediately realized that a large portion of our friends would be there and unable to attend. As great as it is to learn that we have so many friends with such rich social lives, we had to pivot. Instead, we would make a day of it in San Francisco with an informal kickback at a wine bar in the city at night, and the rest of the day doing some of Rylee’s favorite activities. 

Our first stop was Imagiknit, a local SF yarn shop full of practically every type and color of yarn you could imagine. I have little experience with yarn, so as Rylee shopped, she pointed out the differences between Alpaca, Merino, Bamboo, and Kid Mohair. I was also told to stay away from acrylic if possible because that one isn’t as good. In true knitter fashion, Rylee also wore a shawl she knitted, and the store owners loved it so much that they took a picture for their Instagram Story. It was a very sweet birthday gift from them.

Then we were off a few blocks down the street to Mission Dolores Park to bask in the sun, read, and people-watch. Mission Dolores is one of San Francisco’s most popular parks, and today was no exception. As I sat, I was happy to have so many people join us on this beautiful SF day for Rylee’s birthday. Several groups were playing Volleyball, Field hockey, and Spikeball. Dogs were swinging by us to celebrate. One man with a megaphone blared, “Happy Birthday” in our general direction, and another brought his portable DJ equipment, letting everyone jam out to EDM. 

Then, because Rylee loves sushi, we were off to Sato Sushi, where we were treated to some excellent pieces of Nigiri. Our seats were right up next to the sushi chef, so we got a front-row seat to the skill and level of detail that it takes to create such edible masterpieces. I admired the precisely sliced fish delicately placed on rice, and then occasionally, he would bring out a blow torch to give a necessary amount of char. Each finished dish was nothing short of spectacular; they all had a melt-in-your-mouth quality. This was all paired with sake picked out by a sommelier, who described sake in similar terms to what we normally hear about wine (dry, fruity, depth, regionality, and even how much they shave off the rice before processing). To wrap up, they brought out a cheesecake for Rylee in addition to our miso panna cotta.

After that amazing meal, we walked over to Flying Figs Wine Bar and let the celebration commence. In spite of Outside Lands, Judith, Matt, Cami, Rachel, and Ken were able to make an appearance. We had great company alongside a strong selection of wines from the wine bar. You can’t ask for a better time!

We ended up staying until closing, but as we were wrapping up, our server asked Rylee if she had any birthday song requests, to which she replied, “Anything by Noah Kahan”. So as our night came to an end, Rylee and I sang along to the words over the speakers:

A beautiful encapsulation of this day: A reminder of the people, places, and things in our lives that we orbit to keep us grounded as we move through another year of life. Happy 25th Birthday Rylee.

To end my week, Connor invited me to play in a Magic: The Gathering Two-Headed Giant Prerelease for a Hobbit-themed set. While I was never the biggest Hobbit/LOTR fan, I did love the Hobbit movies, so I figured it would be a blast to cast Bilbo Baggins and Smaug on my very own adventure. It quickly became an unexpected journey, though, as I only opened dwarf cards, forcing me to “Dwarfmax” and build around a game mechanic called storied, where your goal is to create an enduring story.

In a way, our games mirrored this mechanic. Over the course of three hard-fought battles, Connor and I essentially created our own enduring story, finishing 3rd in the tournament with an overall record of 2 wins, 0 losses, and 1 tie (my first time in a competitive MTG tournament without a loss). We also got to hear some of the other enduring stories from others as we played: epic plays that won the game, previous memorable MTG tournaments, and hearing the moments that made people fall in love with Magic. The event was also full of father-son teams, some teaching their kid how to play, and others already master strategicians. In some way, everyone here was contributing to their enduring stories through little moments that we will tell years from now.

As some of you may know, every year, on Cleo’s birthday (the day before Rylee’s), we give her tons of catnip and then watch Ratatouille (📜 History in the Making 8/10/25). After 5 years of watching that rat-related movie, though, we decided to shake things up a bit and watch The Great Mouse Detective, another Disney classic with rodents galore. It’s essentially a Sherlock Holmes adventure, but only if the main character were a mouse. I know it’s breaking our longstanding tradition, but sometimes it’s nice to change things up a bit.