UC Davis communication professor and students weigh in on staying politically informed 

By RACHEL GAUER — features@theaggie.org

Following the re-election of President Donald Trump, many have taken note of the president’s close relations with key players in various technology and social media companies.

Elon Musk, chairman of X, Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer (CEO) of Meta, the company that owns both Facebook and Instagram, and Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, were all seen front and center at the president’s inauguration ceremony on Jan. 20, suggesting an integrated relationship between tech CEOs and contemporary American politics.

With Meta’s recent decision to both cut their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs and its fact-checking program, some have inferred that these platforms may have developed a stronger right-leaning political agenda due to their relations to the Republican president. In response, some who are in disagreement with the company’s actions have opted to delete or deactivate their accounts on Meta platforms.

Nestor Perez, a second-year Russian and Italian double major, made a choice to delete the Instagram application following the presidential inauguration, an event he said sparked a connection between the Meta platform and Zuckerberg’s involvement with the government.

“I feel like the new presidency was what pushed me to finally get rid of the social media that I have because it was appalling to see how these CEOs and people who run these platforms are worming their way into the government,” Perez said. “This is something that should not be a thing, they should be completely separate. The fact that it is getting like this is what finally made me say ‘no.’”

Magdalena Wojcieszak, a professor of communication at UC Davis, studies news and political information engagement through courses CMN 145 (Political Communication) and CMN 141(Media Effects: Theory & Research). Wojcieszak provided insight into the deletion of social media, commenting that though it may be beneficial to one’s mental health, it is important to strive to keep updated with the news.

“I feel that deleting your account is a very political statement that shows you are politically engaged,” Wojcieszak said. “It is actually likely to increase your well-being because you’d be exposed to less negativity, but you need to get into a habit of, say, having your homepage show the New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, Fox or wherever you get your news. Otherwise, if you do see news on the platforms and then you delete it, it is possible that you then think you’re living in a blissful reality.”

Katherine Krinsky, a fourth-year English major, said she strives to find balance. She tries to stay away from social media due to its addictive nature and overexposure to what she sees as excessively negative content, while still ensuring that she is politically engaged.

“I realized that I wanted to prioritize being informed on what’s happening but on doses that I can control more,” Krinsky said.  “Rather than getting sucked into ‘doom scrolling’ on Instagram, I have gotten into the habit of listening to NPR news podcasts every morning and spending some time at the end of each day reviewing the headlines from the New York Times. I feel like I’ve been able to manage the energy that I give to my news intake instead of being overwhelmed by the intensity of the news I’d see on social media.”

Social media, particularly for Gen Z individuals, serves as a means of communication with others, education on current events and a way to keep up with trends. Without it, one may feel disconnected and less informed about the world, especially for those who primarily rely on social media for news coverage. Deleting it therefore may have both social and political consequences, as users may be generally less exposed to informative content.

However, Wojcieszak said that those who do rely on social media for news information may be exposing themselves to overly negative content.

“There is research that shows that news that is shared on social media platforms is way more negative than the news that is posted on the website,” Wojcieszak said. “Say, for instance, someone goes to the social media page of The Washington Post — the articles that they decide to share are way more negative in tone than what is actually available on the website.”

Wojcieszak explained that the content that tends to get the most traction on social media sites — shares, clicks and comments -– tend to be stories with a negative or disheartening edge. Due to this pattern, the sites have more incentive to continue to post similar content.

“My work shows once it is [posted] on the platform, what is then being shared and gets the most engagement is negative and [tends] to be things that attack the other side,” Wojcieszak said. “If you are one of the few people who get their news from social media, you are exposed to more negativity, conflict and polarization than you would be just by going to the home page.”
Though it can be discouraging to view content that tends to be overwhelmingly negative, Wojcieszak emphasized the importance of being politically engaged and viewing news content -– a trait that she has found to be in small numbers through her research on political news avoidance.

“People find news overly negative, overly conflictual, overly focused on drama, polarization and whatnot, and that is said to turn many people away from news,” Wojcieszak said. “But the reason the negativity in the news is the reason to not watch news applies to not many people — it applies to people who used to consume news or who want to consume news. In order to be negatively affected by negativity, you need to be actually engaging with news — that reason for news avoidance pertains to actual news users. Which brings me to the majority -– the majority of people just don’t care.”

Wojcieszak suggested to younger individuals to involve themselves in the political realm as much as possible, stressing the importance of connecting current events to our daily lives.

“I am worried that the younger generation is withdrawing from politics altogether,” Wojcieszak said. “I ask that you guys don’t do that — it’s so easy to not notice how much everything that is happening in Washington impacts you. It’s really easy to say, ‘It’s something over there, it has no relevance to my life’ — but [it] actually does.”

Written by: Rachel Gauer — features@theaggie.org

Students open up about their social and academic backgrounds as they navigate college 

By AMBER WARNKE — features@theaggie.org

College can be challenging for many students, with balancing social life, academics and work experience proving difficult across majors. Neurodivergent students however, may face unique challenges as they encounter a system that was designed around a different way of processing. 

Neurodivergence refers to people who process information in an “atypical” way, including disabilities such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and autism, according to Northwestern Medicine. An estimated 10 to 30% of students in higher education are neurodivergent, which can lead to struggles with sensory processing, time management, attention and social differences.

A source, who wished to remain anonymous, said that being autistic has led to them experiencing the social side of college differently than some of their peers. 

“I think it’s definitely made it more challenging to make friends, because I get very stressed out sometimes, going to social events,” they said. “I feel like there’s a lot of unwritten rules about things that you just kind of have to figure out.” 

Social rules can be difficult to navigate, especially when contemporary culture sometimes emphasizes politeness over genuineness, such as when people say they ‘should meet up for coffee’ when they run into one another, only to never set up a time. 

This is something Erin Burnett, a third-year neurobiology, physiology and behavior major, relates to having a difficult time navigating. 

“Social niceties just confuse me and I kind of can act on them the wrong way and it can be misinterpreted,” Burnett said. 

Burnett, who has ADHD, autism and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) tendencies, is the event coordinator for the Aggie Neurodiversity Community. Being a part of this community is something that has helped her navigate the often confusing social aspect of college, and has allowed her to meet many other students who can celebrate being their true selves. 

Being a member of the Aggie Neurodiversity Community has also helped them navigate collegiate social life.

“It’s just really reassuring to see people who also are dealing with similar challenges and see that they are going at their own pace, and they’re still being successful and doing what they want to do in life,” they said. 

A second-year English major, who wished to remain anonymous, has ADHD, autism, antisocial personality disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The student spoke about his experience with people who might not initially realize that he is neurodivergent. 

“If people don’t even know you’re autistic, they can still tell there’s something weird about you,” the student said. “If someone doesn’t fit with how [others] think they should be, they’re going to be weird about it.” 

This can be especially challenging in college, where snap judgments can often be made in social interactions, which are considered an integral part of the college experience. The student shared how students can create a more welcoming environment not only for neurodivergent students, but for everyone. 

“Everyone’s a goddamn person and everyone’s fucking weird,” the student said. “You don’t have to know what their disability or what their shit is, what’s going on. Assuming everyone is trying their best is something that helps me. Like, I’ve got no empathy, but I have a lot of compassion.”

In addition to socializing, academics can also be challenging for neurodivergent students in a system designed primarily for neurotypical lecture-format learning styles, with many accommodations being difficult to access. 

Burnett has especially been impacted by the sensory difficulties tied to autism. 

“There was one final, I remember crying and having to say, ‘I need a second,’ because the lights buzzed,” Burnett said. “I got to experience just how difficult it is to go without accommodations. And then I was fortunate enough to receive them and see how much better it could be. To have captions during a lecture, or be able to take an exam after having cried during that final to be able to not have to cry during exams because of sensory issues because I [now] take them at the accommodating exam center.”

The anonymous student’s multiple disabilities also pose unique challenges as he navigates college academics.

 “ADHD makes it hard for me to focus, which is kind of a given,” the student said. “But because of the mixing with the PTSD, I have a very high threshold for the panic that needs to happen to get things done.” 

The anonymous student also commented that the main thing that helps with this is proper medication, which can be difficult to secure as UCSHIP does not cover stimulants. This has made it especially hard for some students to access medication, as many stimulants have been impacted by continual shortages since 2022. 

Part of the first anonymous academic journey, meanwhile, has been gaining a greater acceptance of their college trajectory.  

“Some stuff is just going to take a while, or it’s going to take longer for me to do,” they said. “I’m going to have my own path and go at my own pace.”

The anonymous student suggested ways the university could better support these students, who may require more self-paced academics, rather than a standardized academic trajectory. 

“If you want to facilitate learning, you have to facilitate growth, not just constant [focus] on deadlines,” the student said. “Whether or not the school system supports you is not a measure of your worth, I promise.”

The anonymous student went on to suggest that if all professors gave partial credit for late work, recorded their lectures and allowed test retakes, not only would neurodivergent students potentially be more supported academically, but neurotypical students would as well. 

Professors building more flexibility into their courses would be especially helpful because neurodivergent students may require accommodations in different areas. While one student may need assistance with the socializing required for group work, for instance, another may have executive functioning challenges, and benefit most from extended deadlines. Neurodivergent students are not a monolith, as these students have shared, and two students with the same disability can experience vastly different challenges.

“If you’ve met one neurodivergent person, you’ve met one neurodivergent person,” Burnett said.  

However neurodivergent students opt to cope with their disability, and whether it’s through seeking community with students who can relate to their challenges, pursuing academic accommodations or practicing self acceptance — their perspectives and experiences are integral to the diversity of the Aggie community. Neurodivergent students have always been a part of the UC Davis community, and they always will be. 

Written by: Amber Warnke — features@theaggie.org

Editor’s Note: A source’s name has been made anonymous for their privacy. In the original publication 

$100 million dorm project expected to be completed in 2027

By NOAH HARRIS — features@theaggie.org

New construction is starting at UC Davis in its northwest campus as the Segundo Infill Housing Project commences — a massive project that will eventually result in a new residence hall in the Segundo dorm area.

On Feb. 1, Parking Lots 16 and 22 were officially closed down next to Primero Grove and Regan Hall on campus, marking the first noticeable change resulting from the project. Barriers have been erected, and on Wednesday, Feb. 5, workers began to start ushering people away from the bike path to the west of the area.

There are currently no additional plans to build parking to compensate for the loss, as Lot 22 will be closed permanently and Lot 16 will only partially reopen, according to the project manager.

The project’s estimated completion date is July 2027, and it is estimated to cost $100 million. There will be approximately 494 beds in the five-story building, with around 60% of the rooms for double occupancy and 40% for triple occupancy. However, all rooms will be large enough for triple occupancy if needed.

Laura Blosser, the senior project manager of the project, described the time frame for completion of the building. 

“We want student occupancy in fall of 2027,” Blosser said. “So if we can complete in May or June from the contractor’s side, then our student housing offices have enough time to put in all the furniture.”

Jeff Fuller, who is the project director for McCarthy Building Companies, Inc., the contracting company building the new residence hall, was optimistic about the timeframe.

“We feel like the schedule is very doable,” Fuller said. “The building’s going to go up extremely fast. Most of the calendar year 2026 will be kind of like building out the inside of the building, so we feel very confident of being able to get the project done on time, if not early.” 

This project will be funded with $1.75 million of housing reserves. The other $98,297,000 will be through external financing. It is anticipated that significant debt will accumulate as a result, with a projection of the average annual debt service for years one and two at $4.2 million, and for years three through 30 at $6.1 million.

With a loss of parking space, issues could present themselves during students’ annual move-in time. However, Shelby Slutzker, the engagement and marketing specialist for UC Davis Transportation Services, said that this hurdle is not projected to be difficult to overcome. 

“Event parking will have to be distributed to other nearby lots, which will vary depending on where the event is held,” Slutzker said via email. “Moove-In won’t be majorly impacted because we use Lot 25 (Segundo) and Lot 46 (Tercero) for move-in operations.” 

Lot 25, referred to by Slutzker, is located next to the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) on the UC Davis campus.

Slutzker acknowledged that the closing of parking lots would cause change on the UC Davis campus, but she did not see it as a cause for concern.

“We do anticipate that losing those lots will result in somewhat of a redistribution or rebalancing of parking across campus facilities, especially impacting those nearby parking areas like lots 14, 25, Quad and even Pavilion,” Slutzker said. “We always anticipate the impact to be greater after the initial change but after some time goes by, we will see that rebalancing.”

While there has not been much construction occurring aboveground, changes will soon be visible in the Segundo dorm area. 

“I think a lot of [the time], on sites, you don’t see anything,” Blosser said. “It’s not impressive looking for a little while because they’ll be doing the underground stuff first. I would say by April and May, you’ll start to see stuff coming up out of the ground.”

Blosser discussed the issue of noise and acknowledged the impacts of the situation.

“[For construction], our typical hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.,” Blosser said. “And we’ve said that during finals weeks, they’ll start at 8 a.m. instead. There’s a little bit of flexibility to try to, you know, we understand people are sleeping here and that’s rough. It won’t be that noisy once the first couple of months go by.”

Similarly, Fuller said that while construction will be noisy, there are plans to limit the amount of inconvenience to nearby students.

“Construction is inherently a fairly noisy operation,” Fuller said. “Some activities are […] noisier than others. We work with the campus on doing the noisier activities at a later start time in the morning so as to not be too disruptive to the students.”

This construction comes after 2018, when UC Davis anticipated that the on-campus student population could grow from approximately 33,825 (2016-2017 academic year) to approximately 39,000 (2030-2031 academic year), necessitating the need for more on-campus housing, especially given a stated commitment to ensuring 48% of students living in Davis are on campus.

There were three initial alternative proposals to the current plans that were rejected. Alternative one involved renovating buildings in Primero Grove or the Regan Hall dorm area, alternative two involved replacing the entire area of Segundo and alternative three was a Public-Private partnership — where a private company would pay for the new building and would lease it back to UC Davis. The building itself was modeled from existing residential areas on campus.

As of right now, there are no plans to add additional space to the Segundo Dining Commons. Amenities in the new residence building include covered bike parking, some of which will be in a locked area, and a “Zoom Room” for video meetings. There will also be nooks to sit in and a grassy area outside. More information on the Segundo Infill Housing Project can be found on the UC Davis Design and Construction Management website. 

Written by: Noah Harris — features@theaggie.org

Students delve into the different facets of navigating the LGBTQ+ dating scene 

By EVELYN SANCHEZ — features@theaggie.org

Navigating the labyrinth of love can be especially difficult when Feb. 1 hits. During the month of romance, Valentine’s-related items and rhetoric can be ubiquitous and discouraging for people who aren’t lucky in love. For the LGBTQ+ community in particular, dating can often come with its unique ups and downs. 

When describing the queer dating scene, UC Davis students shared many grievances.

“It is monotonous,” a fourth-year student, who requested to remain anonymous, said. “It is the same type of person, same shit. There’s not a lot of variation inside the dating pool. People fit inside this kind of bubble.”

Ana Julia Breves, a third-year political science and history major, expressed her opinion on the queer dating community at Davis specifically.

“It’s a little weird, since everybody seems to be connected,” Breves said via text message. “Like, you can’t talk to anyone without them either having a thing with someone you’re friends with or having beef with someone close to you.”

With the LGBTQ+ community already being relatively small, the number of single individuals is also drastically cut down. As these students shared, it is seemingly rare to find a person disconnected from the web of singles in a small college town like Davis. 

“I think it definitely has a smaller pool,” Amaya Hamilton, a fourth-year psychology major, said via text message. “A lot of sapphics know each other and have shared partners.”

Hamilton explained her thoughts on the queer dating scene as a queer Black woman. 

“Grievances? I guess being Black in a majority white and Asian space,” Hamilton said. The dating scene is pretty difficult for me as a queer Black woman. I find that I am not that many people’s type. I have faced discrimination from previous partners.”

Even amongst a population of 65,832 people, according to the United States census, Davis can seem homogenous and small to some students. The transactional nature of dating culture tends to perpetuate a specific type of relationship, especially among sapphics.

“Personally, I’m tired of people only wanting to hook up but that might just be because I only really use dating apps,” Breves said. “I’m kind of a clingy lover girl, unfortunately.”

Hamilton continued by sharing the prominent issue she has noticed in the dating pool.

“[Some] issues would be immaturity,” Hamilton said. “That would be number one.”

Breves continued saying that the limited options present a significant struggle in finding connection.

“I think it’s definitely harder to get through,” Breves said. “There’s obviously so many more straight people, so it’s easier to find someone you might click easily with. But the queer dating scene is much smaller so it feels like you have to talk to [an] endless amount of people before you find someone that might maybe have the same intentions as you do.”

Embracing non-heteronormative approaches to relationships is inherent to queerness. While heterosexual couples are able to engage in these types of relationships, the notable prevalence of polyamory seems to be most commonly found in queer spaces. 

“I do see a lot more people who are poly, and not that that’s not a bad thing either,” the anonymous student said. “But, they’re not looking for the same type of relationships. I see more poly desire [in general]. It makes me question whether I want to be in a poly relationship, and I don’t think I’m ready for that.”

This student continued by discussing the lack of connection and complexity in the online dating scene. 

“There’s no depth in the conversations you’re having, and that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s happening to everyone,” the anonymous student said. “But as a queer person on dating apps, there’s not a lot of organic [relationships] happening. I want [them] to be a complex character, and I feel like a lot of people aren’t — that might not be an issue in the queer dating scene [specifically], but it’s probably relatively true for a lot of people in the dating scene overall. The culture we are in doesn’t encourage authenticity.”

Despite sharing similarities, queer dating culture continues to be very different from heterosexual dating culture, according to students. 

“Queer people, especially queer people of color, are forced into personality moratoriums much earlier than others because you have to hide a part of your personality, and that means when you’ve left hiding yourself behind, you come out as a new person,” the anonymous student said. “That does help with being able to communicate your boundaries. 

Hamilton discussed the sentiment of community and understanding found in queer spaces.

“I think a positive would be the community that sapphics have,” Hamilton said. “It’s nice to have a partner who cares a lot. I feel like that’s rarer in straight relationships.” 

The anonymous student, on the other hand, commented upon the different fears and insecurities faced uniquely by queer people.

“There’s a massive difference in what we are afraid of,” the anonymous student said in reference to targeted violence, familial and cultural pressure. “Oftentimes, a queer identity is at odds with the cultural hegemony. A lot of it has to do with queer people already breaking away from patriarchy or [trying to], but they’re not perfect. I think we are all trying to break away from harmful cultural norms, but I still think that queer people are doing it a lot better.”

LGBTQ+ students experience a vast amount of struggles, and openly seeking partners in a tense cultural climate is a challenge itself. Though Valentine’s Day can serve as a yearly reminder to those still looking for their other half, students agree that the general culture of dating is hard to navigate efficiently. 

“Despite how agonized I feel about the queer dating scene, I would still rather go through it than the straight one,” Breves said. “As a lesbian, I think queer women would easily understand what I want much more than a straight man. There’s already a level of understanding and I think that’s comforting.” 

Written by: Evelyn Sanchez  — features@theaggie.org