On-campus thrift store Aggie Reuse transitions to a zero-cost resource for students
By LILY FREEMAN — campus@theaggie.org
Jan. 17 marked the grand reopening of the Aggie Reuse Store, an ASUCD student-run unit known as the “on-campus thrift store,” according to their website. Their mission is to promote sustainable fashion and creative upcycling while providing basic resources for the community.
Aggie Reuse holds a variety of items donated by the community, such as second-hand clothing, school and craft supplies, bike helmets, shoes, fabrics and more, according to their website.
Paloma Casillas, a fourth-year English and Chicano studies double major and member of the Aggie Reuse team, detailed the store’s transformation before its reopening.
“We have moved from a thrift-store model to a mutual-aid model,” Casillas said. “This means that where we used to sell our goods for about a dollar or two, everything is now free. It’s pretty amazing to see it actually happen, but it would not be possible without donations from the school and the student body.”
Casillas also noted that the store has moved from the Silo to Memorial Union (MU) room 154, a larger space that can accommodate more donations and make the store easier for students to access. The store is located near the Pantry and directly next to the Information Desk and the MU.
Max Isensee, a fourth-year political science major, described his experience as a customer on the day of the reopening.
“Aggie Reuse is clearly a great opportunity to give help to those in our community that need it the most, especially now that everything is completely free,” Isensee said. “As a college student trying to save money, it is really great to see the selection of styles and sizes for everyone’s needs.”
Antonio Delgado, a second-year communication major and customer at the reopening, expressed similar thoughts.
“I was really impressed to see all of the clothing they had to offer,” Delgado said. “I was shocked to learn that all of that was free and saw a big transformation from the store that they were in the past. I really think that there could not be a better place for students to thrift affordably.”
Curtis Pan, a fourth-year economics and statistics double major and current sales team lead at Aggie Reuse, outlined the various ways students can get involved with the organization.
“It’s really easy,” Pan said. “You can sign up for our email list through our website or [the link in our] Instagram bio to hear about upcoming events and opportunities. Also, feel free to stop by, and anyone working will get you in contact with the team that you want to join on Aggie Reuse.”
The Aggie Reuse organization is composed of sales, design, marketing, social media and data analytics teams, according to their website, providing a diverse variety of ways for students to get directly involved with the cause.
Pan also explained that any member of the Davis community can now bring donations directly to the store on Fridays during store hours.
Casillas said that students should take advantage of all of the benefits that Aggie Reuse has to offer.
“Everything is free,” Casillas said. “We know that with the reopening, Aggie Reuse has become a much more accessible, affordable and sustainable resource for everybody and anybody. We are here for you, and it’s a completely free resource on campus, so why not take it?”
Aggie Reuse is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in MU 154.
Written by: Lily Freeman — campus@theaggie.org
