The UC Davis chapter of the national organization educates its members to build an understanding of the devastating effects of the late stages of Alzheimer’s

Before the pandemic, the UC Davis chapter of Alzheimer’s Buddies (ABUD), a national student organization that builds connections with patients suffering from later stages of Alzheimer’s disease, took weekly trips to local senior facilities to maintain one-on-one contact with Alzheimer’s residents. Because in-person visits can no longer take place between the club and the senior facilities they were previously partnered with, the primary focus of the club is now to build understanding and compassion around the disease by educating their members on its physical, emotional and societal effects. 

The members of ABUD are currently working on holding virtual visits with their buddies. Certain senior facilities have allowed the club to compile and send care packages to residents during the pandemic. 

Vidushi Razdan, a fourth-year neurobiology, physiology and behavior (NPB) major and the external co-president of ABUD, looks for new members who demonstrate an interest in establishing emotional connections with residents.

“A lot of people who join our club are pre-med students or pre-health students,” Razdan said. “I know I am one too, so one of the big things we look at is someone who wants to make a lifelong connection with someone, not someone who’s just looking for patient care experiences because they’re not patients. They’re our buddies and we want to connect with them.”

Razdan emphasized that it’s important for new members to be aware of some of the behavior they may witness when visiting their buddies and to react with patience. 

“When I first went to my facility, there was one resident who always wanted to leave,” Razdan said. “You kind of have to take a step back and understand what is going on in the situation—what you can and can’t do—and I feel like with experience you get better at those kinds of situations.”

Arisha Kassam, a second-year NPB major and a new member of ABUD, stated that it is important to understand that the way an Alzheimer buddy acts toward you isn’t personal. An integral part of being a member of the club is having compassion.

“That’s just very important to remember that it’s not them, they’re not trying to attack you, they’re not trying to make you feel uncomfortable, they just don’t know any better for that matter,” Kassam said.

Sarkis Bouladian, a fourth-year genetics and genomics major and the Alzheimer’s awareness trainer of ABUD, is now in his third year as a member. Bouladian’s role in the club, which he created in part as a response to the pandemic, is to not only teach members how to interact with residents but to educate them on how Alzheimer’s impacts families.

“Sometimes minority populations are disproportionately impacted,” Bouladian said. “I like to talk about how those populations are also less likely to be able to pay for high-quality [assisted living facilities].”

For Kassam, it can be difficult to know that the club is not able to have the same kind of impact on residents during the pandemic, a time of uncertainty for many individuals. 

“It’s very very difficult for these patients to not have that human interaction and […] feeling of warmth where there’s someone who cares and it’s not just someone who’s [there] out of responsibility,” Kassam said. 

Bouladian recalls questioning if he was making a positive impression on the lives of residents when he was a new member of ABUD.

“I actually sometimes would think to myself, ‘What impact is this going to have? This person isn’t even going to remember, so what’s the point?’” Bouladian said. “But they actually do remember; you’d be surprised. Their face just lights up with a massive smile every time you sit next to them. They’re uplifted by your presence and you’ll be able to tell when that happens.”

Razdan recounted her visits with one of her buddies before the pandemic who first appeared to not be very interested in interacting with her. 

“She didn’t want to talk to me at all, so I thought she didn’t want me there,” Razdan said. “One day, I don’t know what compelled me to do it but I just kind of held her hand, and […] she wasn’t talking but you could see some tears in her eyes. I think that’s definitely a moment when I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ve definitely made an impact.’”
Written by: Lyra Farrell — features@theaggie.org

Two UC Davis students discuss working at Trader Joe’s during a pandemic

Located on Russell Blvd and Sycamore Lane, Trader Joe’s can be seen buzzing with students and community members in search of a new batch of groceries. With products like Chocolate Hummus and Scandanavian Swimmers, Trader Joe’s is the grocery store of choice for many students living off campus. Beyond providing a place to shop for food, Trader Joe’s also employs UC Davis students.

Shane Halpern, a second-year managerial economics and communication double major, has worked at Trader Joe’s for a year. Halpern began at a different location and transferred to the Davis branch this fall, continuing his role as a crew member. 

Prior to joining the staff, Halpern was a frequent shopper at Trader Joe’s and has fond memories of childhood experiences at the store. 

“I’ve been shopping at Trader Joe’s ever since I was little,” Halpern said. “I remember being a little kid and I would ride around in the cart and look for the mascot and go up front and get a lollipop. That’s one of the best experiences.”

Halpern’s role as a crew member involves a myriad of tasks such as working the register, restocking shelves and cleaning carts. Despite only being a part of the Trader Joe’s team for a year, Halpern stated that the experience has been undeniably positive. 

“I think it’s one of the most amazing companies that I’ve ever been with,” Halpern said. “They treat their employees really well and I like the atmosphere a lot.”

Halpern also shared that the store has taken the proper precautions to stay safe during the pandemic. 

“They’ve just done such a good job of keeping up to date with making their customers feel safe, limiting the amount of capacity of people that come in the store, trying to do social distancing, having hand sanitizer available [and] making sure everyone wears a mask,” Halpern said. “I think they’ve just done such a good job adapting to the changes over the global pandemic, and I haven’t really felt worried at all as an employee there.”

Moreover, Halpern sees his job at Trader Joe’s as beneficial for his future, as it gives him experience and knowledge in the business world. 

“I’m a managerial economics major, I want to go into food chain and supply,”  Halpern said. “And that’s kind of why I love working at a grocery store, [because I’m] learning the insides of it.”

While he enjoys many of the products at Trader Joe’s, Halpern’s current favorite is the Grilled Balsamic and Rosemary Chicken. 

Halpern said his experience working at Trader Joe’s has been valuable and was unable to name anything he did not enjoy about the job.

“I can’t name one thing,” Halpern said. “I’ve had multiple jobs in my high school career, and there hasn’t been a company that I’ve stuck with and wanted to stay longer with [other] than Trader Joe’s.”

Anthony Campbell, a second-year psychology major, has been a crew member at Trader Joe’s for four years. He began his career at Trader Joe’s in high school at a location near his hometown and then transferred to the Davis location after enrolling at UC Davis. 

Campbell’s role as a crew member involves the same responsibilities as Halpern, including restocking shelves and general cleaning. Amidst his tasks, Campbell values the special moments of community interaction he experiences while chatting with the customers. 

“I think one of my favorite parts is just talking to everyone, especially during the pandemic when we’re not going out doing too much,” Campbell said.

In addition to his conversations with customers, Campbell shared that the work environment among coworkers is positive as well. 

“Everyone’s happy to work with each other and always talking with each other and helping each other out,” Campbell said.

Similar to Halpern, Campbell praised Trader Joes’ efforts to stay safe during the pandemic, highlighting the strict cleaning protocols around the store. Additionally, Campbell described the store’s dedication to providing customers with a safe shopping experience, even if they do not feel comfortable coming into the store.

“If you call in you can give us a list and we can shop for you, especially if you’re immunocompromised and you don’t want to come into the store and risk yourself being exposed,” Campbell said.

Campbell’s favorite product at Trader Joe’s is the Jalapeño Flavored Corn & Rice Puffs, which he has been eating frequently since their introduction a couple of months ago. Looking forward, Campbell sees his future at Trader Joe’s continuing throughout his college career. 

“I definitely plan on working at least through college,” Campbell said. “It’s definitely a perfect job for being a student because the managers are pretty flexible with hours and accommodating to students, especially when you change schedules every quarter and have completely different classes at different times.”
Written by: Nora Farahdel — features@theaggie.org

Social media has become the leading platform for voters to receive news regarding the election, according to students

In the 2016 presidential election, thousands of votes were attributed to the influence of social media. In the 2020 election, social media continued to be one the most widely used platforms for voters to gain information about presidential candidates. 

Fourth-year political science major Sasha Feuerstein explained that social media may have influenced many young voters who were participating in the election for the first time.

“I remember, right after the election, I was looking at all the different stats on voter turnout, and for this particular election there was a crazy amount of mobilization for the historically least-active voter base, which is 18 to 22,” Feuerstein said. “I think the turnout for that age group was almost double of what it was in 2016, and there were a lot more people who voted for the first time. And also people ages 18-22 have the largest social media presence, so I think there is definitely a correlation there.” 

According to Feuerstein, 2020 was a very “vocal social media year” that has never been seen before.  

“In 2016, we still had the same social media platforms,” Feuerstein said. “But the use of social media back then was nothing like we have seen in 2020. Now, everyone you follow and interact with on social media [is] trying to mobilize people by posting things about voter information, how to register and where to drop off ballots.”

Third-year political science major Gracy Joslin stated that in addition to social media’s influence on the 2020 election, it has also served as a means of communication and receiving news in her family. 

“I think media usage played a huge role in the 2020 election as well, especially for the Trump campaign since no outlet wanted to give him broadcast time as it could delegitimize their outlet,” Joslin said. “In general though, and having grown up in a politically polarized family, we have always tried to influence each other’s opinions especially through social media. Social media also [makes it] easier [to find] topics you are looking for instead of watching the news all day; something many of us don’t have the time to do.”

Fourth-year international relations major Manasa Gogineni discussed how social media usage has increased in part due to COVID-19. 

“I think that people use social media for news more than they ever have before,” Gogineni said. “Because of COVID-19, people don’t have in-person work or school as normal forms of social interaction, and I think people are starting to use social media to break this social disconnect.” 

Gogineni discussed how social media platforms have become a way for people to interact during a time of social distancing. 

“Social media has become a more normalized way of receiving and sharing information,” Gogineni said. “It has not only become a way for people to stay in touch with their friends, but it’s also a broader way for people to connect with their community, especially during the pandemic. I don’t really see us going back to using social media the way we might have pre-COVID or in the 2016 election.” 

Feuerstein detailed how social media has contributed to the spread of fake news, particularly during the election. 

“One of the drawbacks of the large influence of social media is how it can easily spread misinformation,” Feuerstein said. “With election news especially, there’s ways that people can manipulate videos to make candidates look worse or favorable and spread rumors—or even build up on the stereotypes of a candidate. And I think that is something that both parties do and supporters also play a role in.” 

In the 2020 election, social media platforms created algorithms to detect and censor misinformation in an attempt to prevent fake news from being spread. Feuerstein stated, however, that controlling information is easier said than done. 

“A lot of these platforms are kind of mitigating the spread of misinformation, but it’s still hard to control,” Feuerstein said. “Twitter and Facebook have things in place to address misinformation, and they censor things too, like Trump’s accounts getting suspended recently. But you can’t censor everything and catch every piece of fake news before it spreads. It’s crazy to think how quickly things can spread after just one post goes viral.” 

Gogineni said that, for her, social media is an untrustworthy news source.  

“I don’t think that social media is the best source of accurate information,” Gogineni said. “Social media often makes it harder to find accurate information and it’s much easier to come across misinformation. Also, now a lot of these platforms have algorithms in place that recommend content based on what you interact with more. So in that sense, you are likely to come across content that aligns with your values and that takes away from the greater perspective people should be getting from the news.” 

During the election, social media helped political parties gain traction and contribute to the polarization of political parties in the U.S., according to Gogineni.

“I think social media has played a big role in polarization, but at the same time it’s not like polarization has only existed on social media,” Gogineni said. “People can voice their opinions more readily on social media and we can look at things like Twitter memes of Ted Cruz. In some way, that is how people gain awareness on political issues. With this past election, we saw young voters especially use things like memes to advocate for a particular candidate or party.” 

According to Joslin, social media has had a great impact on the polarization between the two political parties. 

“Growing up, I was told that it was inappropriate to talk or ask someone about their party identification, but that norm has clearly changed a lot,” Joslin said. “Social media has increased the amount of political content, regardless [of] if the sources are valid or not, and I believe it has heightened polarization between candidates and their followers. Most of the people I connect with on different platforms are vocal and expressive when it comes to political beliefs.”

Supporters for both the Democrat and Republican parties have been using social media platforms to garner support for causes. Feuerstein explained how these platforms have been used to discuss opposing views.

“The days leading up to the election, I saw so many people put out statements or promotions on their Instagram stories in support of a candidate,” Feuerstein said. “Social media makes getting your opinion out there so easy, and it’s also become this platform of discourse. I think that has also made a contribution to the polarization we have seen.” 

Feuerstein noted that social media has become an incredibly accessible way for people to receive their news. 

“I think social media is going to continue to influence election turnouts on a larger scale,” Feuerstein said. “People in politics and the news are going to continue to use these platforms to reach more people, especially younger people.” 

Feuerstein cited Snapchat to be her go-to social media news source. 

“I personally like to watch those Snapchat subscriptions, and I always watch the Stay Tuned NBC stories,” Feuerstein said. “I like using [Stay Tuned NBC] because they have little clips of national and global news and it helps me stay informed, and the information is fast and accessible.”

Feuerstein encourages people to get their news from multiple sources in order to gain a greater perspective on world and national politics. 

“Every source has a little bias,” Feuerstein said. “I think the smartest thing to do is check out multiple sources and even read ones that you don’t agree with. A lot of these traditional media outlets like Fox News and The New York Times take really clear sides, but I think social media is kind of more in the middle because you can get both sides at once on your feed.” 

Joslin echoed Feuerstein’s beliefs on the validity of social media news, emphasizing the importance of being wary of the sources one receives news from.

“I think it is important to always be skeptical of what you read because you can frame almost anything to aid your preexisting beliefs or what you think your audience wants to hear,” Joslin said. “With traditional media, people will tune into the station that aligns with their party ideologies. With social media, it’s very similar because people will follow accounts that they feel they can relate to and believe.”

Feuerstein said that she believes the influence of social media will continue to grow in future elections. 

“I think social media is definitely going to play a big role in future elections,” Feuerstein said. “Now that we have seen the effects from the 2020 election and we know how important it is to have a call to action, I think that’s going to keep happening the more divisive people are in politics.” 
Written by Sneha Ramachandran — features@theaggie.org

How volunteer and service organizations have continued to improve their communities in the pandemic

As a continuation of the pandemic positivity series, UC Davis organizations discuss more ways in which they have continued to support the local community. 

A social media promotion held by Hearts for Homeless.

Hearts for the Homeless

Hearts for the Homeless is an international organization that provides free services to the homeless population in the Davis and greater Sacramento areas. Fourth-year neurobiology, physiology and behavior major Shrushti Patel is the president and co-founder of the organization. Patel discussed the efforts being made by the organization during the pandemic.

“So far we’ve done fundraisers and drives to collect donations that we’ve given to local homeless shelters and churches for distribution,” Patel said via email. “We are currently in the process of planning our first telehealth screening event where we will be checking patients’ vitals and educating them on ways they can prevent cardiovascular disease through diet and exercise. In addition to that, we’ve made little COVID-19 care packages that included masks, hand sanitizer bottles and socks which were passed out in downtown Davis.”

Volunteers of Willow Clinic.

Willow Clinic 

The Willow Clinic is one of the nine student-run clinics in the Sacramento area. The clinic aims to provide accessible healthcare to the underserved homeless population. UC Davis undergraduate students work alongside medical students and doctors to provide health care services and health education. Fourth-year biochemistry and computer science double major Jeffery Hooper is an undergraduate volunteer at the clinic. Hooper commented on how the clinic has continued to help their patients during quarantine.

“We are trying to find new ways to serve and support our patients during this difficult time,” Hooper said. “Every Saturday we hold a telehealth clinic where patients can call in and receive medication refills. The medical students handle the majority of the visit while the undergraduates deal with the social service aspect of the patient care. We have also helped create care-kits for our patients to give away. And we have been developing a book to give to patients to help log information such as the exercise, blood sugar and meals so that they can better manage their health concerns like diabetes.” 

Zoom meeting of Alzheimer’s Buddies members.

Alzheimer’s Buddies 

Alzheimer’s Buddies is an organization that aims to bridge the gap of the social disengagement that many people diagnosed with late stages of Alzheimer’s experience. As part of the organization, volunteers participate in weekly visits to patients that suffer from dementia to provide them with support and companionship. Fourth-year neurobiology, physiology and behavior major Vidushi Razdan is a current member of the organization. Razdan discussed the efforts being made by the organization to continue to engage with the community. 

“During the pandemic we have focused on raising awareness, fundraising and having informational training sessions,” Razdan said. “We have also made care packages for our buddies and raised over $600 for the Alzheimer’s Association.” 

Zoom meeting of Global Medical Brigades at UC Davis members.

Global Medical Brigades 

Global Medical Brigades is a non-profit organization that aims to improve the health of underserved populations around the world. Under normal circumstances, club members are given the opportunity to spend time abroad to help local communities in countries such as Panama, Ghana and Greece. Fourth-year psychology major Kaitlin Zheng is the president of the UC Davis Global Medical Brigades. Zheng discussed how the organization has continued to partake in outreach efforts during the pandemic. 

“We decided that in order to continue making an impact [from] the safety of our homes during quarantine, we would redirect our efforts into virtually supporting our local communities at home,” Zheng said. “This was done by encouraging our members to fundraise for funds such as Habitat for Humanity, participating in the UC Davis Chi Omega Wish Walk, and our biggest impact was raising $698 for Feeding America, a nationwide network that works to reduce hunger in struggling families and individuals across America. Furthermore, we also provide non-monetary outreach opportunities for members such as using phone apps that track steps to reach 10K a day to donate a free meal to a person in need and another that donates grains of rice for correctly answered trivia questions.”
Written by: Sneha Ramachandran — features@theaggie.org

Representatives from several student-run organizations discuss their efforts to combat housing insecurity for Davis students

Winter Quarter is typically when students begin looking for housing for the next school year. This process can be daunting enough as it is, especially for first-time renters, but even more so due to the uncertainty brought about by the pandemic. Several student-run organizations are working to tackle different student housing challenges.

ASUCD Housing Advising for Undergraduate Students (HAUS) helps students to connect with property managers and learn about housing resources. Citlali Plaza, a third-year community and regional development major and the Unit Director for HAUS, said that their main event for Winter Quarter, Housing Day, was a week-long virtual event. During the week of Feb. 22 to Feb. 26, students listened to student panelists, met potential housemates, learned about renter rights and met with property managers to find a suitable home in Davis.

“It’s really a helpful event to know what to be prepared [for] when looking at a lease,” Plaza said. “Davis is a really unique setting where the vacancy rate is so low that you’re kind of thrown into this market, usually in the winter. For first-year students, especially, this is their first time leasing. And, especially with COVID, there’s a lot of questions about what it’s like to break out of a lease, what’s allowed under lease, or changes to rent.”

According to Plaza, COVID-19 has played a significant role in student housing, as many students decided to move back home. As a result, they had to figure out whether they could sublease their apartments in Davis. In addition to this, many students and their families were financially impacted, increasing the burden of rent. 

Another organization that seeks to address these issues is ASUCD’s Housing Task Force. This task force acts as a coalition between different offices of ASUCD, including the Executive Office and the Student Advocate’s Office. Allie O’Brien, a third-year sociology and political science double major, is the ASUCD Executive Office Chief of Staff and oversees the Housing Task Force. O’Brien noted that one of their earliest projects during the COVID-19 pandemic involved working with landlords to create more flexible lease terms for students who did not want to sign a full year’s lease.

O’Brien is also the co-founder of Aggie House, a transitional housing shelter opening this fall. While Aggie House is separate from ASUCD and the university, it aims to provide free temporary housing for UC Davis students experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. They are currently raising funds for this project and are seeking donations. They are also taking on volunteers, with their second round of recruitment opening in spring quarter.

“We’re going to be considering a lot of factors, such as whether folks are experiencing homelessness, unsafe living conditions or domestic violence,” O’Brien said. “We’re going to try to do a holistic overview of what all of our applicants are facing, and try to accommodate those with the most need.”

In addition to supporting the work of the Housing Task Force, O’Brien stated that Davis community members can help by normalizing conversation around housing insecurity. According to a Housing Affordability and Insecurity Survey done by ASUCD and the Graduate Student Association (GSA) in the 2017-2018 year, 7% of Davis students were experiencing homelessness and 18% were experiencing housing insecurity.

“If people don’t know these numbers exist, then we won’t be able to destigmatize it and actually get people resources,” O’Brien said. “So talking about it is really important and has more of an impact than one might think.”

Another student-run organization, Homeless Outreach through Prevention and Education (H.O.P.E.) works directly with the homeless population. Megan Shen, a fourth-year global disease biology major and president of H.O.P.E., stated that their main goals are to provide resources and information to improve the quality of life for those who are experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity, as well as to destigmatize homelessness. They do so by hosting community events, such as providing free haircuts in Central Park for unhoused Davis community members.

“It’s definitely not impossible to learn how to advocate for these individuals,” Shen said. “It just takes someone with compassion and who wants to speak up for an often marginalized and neglected community.”

H.O.P.E. became more involved with student housing insecurity about one year ago, when they formed a committee within their organization that focuses on student resources. They also have a seat at the Basic Needs Advisory Committee, which is primarily made up of UC Davis faculty and staff. While H.O.P.E. does not directly provide aid to students, they act as a liaison between students and the university to support those who are seeking resources.

“Davis has been lucky, at least in terms from a student perspective, in that we have the Basic Needs Center to help out with housing resources and to support housing insecure students,” Shen said. “There are individuals here on campus who are really passionate about helping them. If they don’t feel comfortable, they could always reach out to organizations like H.O.P.E. to help redirect them to resources.”

ASUCD is also working to revive the Davis Housing Discrimination Committee, which focuses on outreach and advocacy for UC Davis students and helps them understand their rights as renters in the city of Davis. The committee will also support students in taking measures against inequitable actions by landlords in collaboration with the city of Davis and housing authorities. While this committee has been dormant for years, Senator Maahum Shahab, a second-year international relations major, is currently working to revive it.

“My focus is figuring out how it will fit into the scope of everything that’s housing advocacy related going on right now already under ASUCD,” Shahab said. “For example, the Housing Task Force is doing amazing work, but we don’t know if the next president is going to keep that task force. I want there to be some sort of long-lasting body that is dedicated toward housing advocacy. The Davis Housing Discrimination Committee has a specific niche of housing advocacy that I would love to see revived and more permanent on campus for the years to come.”

The Davis Housing Discrimination Committee recently closed applications for a committee chair. The role will involve recruiting members to build up the committee, as well as determine what specific projects they would like to carry out. These will involve making sure that students are knowledgeable about the opportunities they have to seek fair housing and are treated respectfully by their landlords.

While it can be intimidating to attempt to tackle the systemic issue of housing insecurity in Davis, Shahab stated that even taking small steps can make a big impact.

“It’s really important to take those little steps, even if it doesn’t feel like a lot,” Shahab said. “Every little piece of input counts, and the more you push for something, the more that you put effort into something, the more likely you’ll be heard. The louder you raise your voice, the more likely they’ll listen.”

Written by: Liana Mae Atizado— features@theaggie.org