Crown College One Section 4

Welcome!  This page is for students from Crown College One core course, Fall 2019, Section 4 and for the alumni who joined us in various ways.  

Aviva Garrett: (member of the alumni who came to class on the day you gave speeches)

We live in Saratoga, just west of San Jose in Santa Clara County, and our family started sheltering in place on March 14, a few days before the county-wide and then state-wide shelter-at-home orders went into place. (Our family is my husband, my daughter, our dog, and me.) My daughter and I had been visiting friends out of town the first week of March, and during that week, we watched the beginning of the epidemic. When we returned home, on March 8, we decided to stock up on food and medical supplies, and this decision was a good one. My husband and I are both at high risk, because of our age (in our 60s) and because he has coronary artery disease, so my daughter decided that none of us would go out into the world. Fortunately, we live in a large house on a large piece of land in the Santa Cruz Mountains, so we have a lot of space for projects and for being outside. My daughter and I have been working at home (she works full time, and I work part time), and both of our companies are considered to be essential businesses (her company makes tools that are used to make semiconductor chips, and my company is a networking company), so we both still have jobs. (My husband is retired.) I would normally play tennis most mornings, but instead I have been using that time to tend to our garden of fruit trees and some vegetables and to pull weeds (that perennial springtime task). In the last week, we have been allowed to hire gardening services again, so I am getting help with the weeding. Like everyone else, we are cooking a lot of meals (and washing a lot of dishes) and baking a bit more than normal. My daughter is making artisanal loaf breads, and I am starting to make rye breads, and I continue to bake various sweets (bran muffins, olive oil spice bread, cookies, and scones, among other things). As for getting food, we are not going out at all. At first, we were asking neighbors to do small shopping runs for us. Now, we are ordering staples online, for delivery; we found a CSA that delivers produce, cheese, and dairy products weekly; and we found a personal grocery shopper who shops at the same local markets I would normally shop at. I've been keeping myself busy knitting (after almost 2 years, I finished a sweater for my husband, and I'm now starting another sweater), spinning (I'm spinning a very fine yarn to make a lace shawl), sewing (currently finishing a simple, lightweight shirt and then I'll be on to making a dress sample), playing piano again (but in fits and starts), learning German again (also in fits and starts), reading (catching up on New Yorkers, and finishing The Lost Art of Scripture by Karen Armstrong), and listening to podcasts (they're all pretty gloomy right now, so I won't recommend any). One of my daughter's favorite singers, Frank Turner, has been doing a weekly fundraising concert online, Thursdays at 12:30 local time, so with each concert we know that another week has passed. How are we holding up mentally? We are OK, and some days are better than other days. We miss being with friends and running errands, so we spend more time on the phone, on FaceTime, and on Zoom. To all of you and your families and friends, stay well and healthy, and hopefully we will all come out of this stronger and more focused on what is important to us, to our families, to our communities, to our country, and most importantly, to our planet.

Chris Stapleton (member of the Crown alumni -- he came to class a few times)

I have not had any appointments in person since March 10th.  I chose not to have meetings in person before the Shelter in Place orders were mandated in this county on March 17th.

In observance of those mandates, initially I did stay at home and worked there exclusively (but for just one week). 

Thereafter, I realized that my services are essential (& I should be exempt from the orders) as it provides the money for families and businesses to function.

I have maintained my normal routines, despite the stresses.

Time has been spent assessing the global pandemic and the ramifications to the financial markets and my client’s investments.

My clients have not panicked; thank God!  Diversification has helped temper the declines.

I have spent additional time developing my Social Media presence for marketing purposes on LinkedIn (thank you for accepting my invitation!) and being more familiar with conducting  meetings virtually with Skype; Zoom doesn’t have the security protections we require.

The level of activities have subsided with fewer telephone calls, corporate meetings  and interruptions then I would have anticipated, which has allowed me time to catch up with various tasks.

Staying busy and being productive though are two different things. 

I empathize with those whom have been negatively impacted by this crisis.  I am humbled and grateful that so far my family, clients and all but one of my friends (my banker; he got Covid-19 and is recovering) have been unscathed from the perils.

May all your loved ones, students and you remain in good health and spirits.

im Crane (member of the Crown alumni)

Jim Crane wrote a long piece. Here is an excerpt:

My wife has poured the energy she used to put into volunteer activities into our front and back yards.  Her gardens are amazing, refreshed this year by new plantings, all organic flora paid for by plastic.  I'm a bit more inconvenienced when running errands, but otherwise I've been doing but I did before:  reading, exercising, and cooking.  I'm substituting cable television for going to movies, and video-conferences for my monthly book club meetings and, while the substitutes are paler versions of the originals, I can't complain.  

            I have tried to reach out and interact with people I know who live alone or couples who may be isolated, using Zoom, phone, and emails.  I'm not preachy about it; it's just part of my day.

From Linda Wilshusen (member of the Crown alumni)

So today is Mother’s Day & our 10-year old grandson is here (- he visits us on the weekends, he & his mom & stepdad live in Boulder Creek - early on in this CV situation we decided to define our household as the five of us, even though we don’t all live together, because if it was going to be my last month alive I certainly didn’t want to spend it separated from my family!) He’s having a hard time at the moment, probably for many reasons, these days. He misses his friends A LOT but right now he says he misses his mom & had wanted to make pancakes for her this morning because of course it’s MD & she was really busy WFH this week (she’s an amazing illustrator & graphic designer for Discretion Brewing, which was lucky to get one of the small business loans): “I just really want to see my mom this morning, & I want to do something for Linda too but I really miss my mom” (- & yeah, he really calls me Linda, I think because that’s what his dad called me).

I’m actually doing just fine today, with or without pancakes. My early May garden (May always the best time for gardens) is looking gorgeous with the late April rain & the nearly-daily puttering-around attention I’ve been able to offer it. I’m listening to a “yay for mothers” playlist that I put together yesterday from an article I saw in the Mercury News – I love it & sent it to my daughter this morning. [My grandson has now recovered & is making pancakes.] I also sent bitmoji Mother’s Day greetings, which featured me in my CV era hairstyle, to my two sisters, who live in Florida & Scotland, & my handful of mother-girlfriends; I was thrilled my Scotland sister actually noticed the ragged hair. 

I’ve been cooking a lot – I find my day goes best when I make something before sitting down to read the paper (yep, real paper as well as online), confronting news overload pretty much daily. I walk in my Live Oak neighborhood nearly every day & am lucky it includes Schwan Lake Park, the harbor, & lots of streets without lots of traffic or people. I’ve also been doing a lot of volunteer civic work, mostly in the areas of water, transportation & land use, & love chatting w my neighbors on Live Oak Avenue. Early on in SD, I got out a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle, but so far I’ve only gotten the border (mostly) done…I’m too busy & find I’m really disliking sitting for very long.

Our first computer

RE COVID: I feel deep respect for our local and state leaders and public health officials and health workers everywhere. I think this time isn’t so bad for our family because we still have work/pensions & like many families, we’ve had our share of tragedies & loss over the years which has strengthened our “survivor” skills. We’ve been paying our housekeeper and others who help us out on a regular basis even though we’re not seeing them, and donating to non-profits who are helping people who lost their jobs & whose families are suffering way more than we are. I’m thankful we can do this. I don’t necessarily look forward to having things go “back to normal” because normal wasn’t all that great for many people & of course, we still have this current regime in the White House with all that means. BUT, maybe because of my interest in evolution, I wonder if those of us who are older, and yes, more at risk with these sorts of viruses, shouldn’t make our voices heard a little louder, voices that say I’ve been lucky to live into older age and I’m touched at all everyone is doing to help protect me but really, I’m OK living with this risk if the rest of you can get back to your lives: you only have to promise me that you’ll ALWAYS VOTE & pay attention to keeping our republic safe for democracy and helping it be better for more people. That’s what I would say if anyone asked.

Tessa Fischer, M.D. (member of the Crown alumni)

I retired in early May, but my company was not able to replace me so hired me for a 15h/wk telehealth job, which I'm enjoying. Not quite ready to quit, I guess. Earlier , I was seeing people in their homes, practicing social distancing but still a little scared of getting infected, so a relief to finish healthy. We did have two patients test positive and one died.

Otherwise we're (my husband and myself) are sheltering for the most part, walking everyday in the neighborhood and enjoying seeing spring unfold; 

Also doing adult ed classes on Zoom and attending Shabbat services on Zoom, services being somewhat new for him but helping to keep us connected to friends.

Spending much more time with Facebook and Netflix, generally entertaining as musicians and dancers do so much on line. Aso playing a lot of Scrabble with my husband, and having fun with it.

Staying in touch with grandkids via Skype. Impressed with how technology has made this time much more manageable.

Also pleased to find we're getting along well as a couple.  Cooking more, trips to the supermarket masked, some meals out at places we love doing carry out.

Still strange to be in such a quiet metropolis, getting ready to move to Stage 2 per our governor, but still in basic lockdown mode for the next coup. 

Jim Lapsley: "Journal of the Plague Year" (member of the Crown alumni)

A friend shared a meme on Facebook recently that I thought was quite relevant to a discussion of COVID-19 and our society’s reaction to it.  Some people have said versions of “we are all in this together,” or “we are all in the same boat.”  The notion of social solidarity is welcome, but incorrect.  The meme said “we are all in the same storm—not the same boat.  Everyone’s boat is different.  Some have yachts filled with luxury toys, others are in sturdy ships that can weather most storms, but many are in rowboats that can be swamped.”

My wife, Carol, and I are among the fortunate.  We are both 70 and in good health, although, at our age, the chance of a serious illness from COVID-19 is much higher than for someone younger.  But, we own our own home here in Woodland, we have adequate pensions from our 30+ years of employment, we have a large yard in which to garden, our two children both have professional jobs and can work from home with no financial pressure, and our grandchildren (Sebastian, almost 6, and Miranda, 3) live in Sacramento and are part of our social isolation bubble and thus visit us twice a week. 

I am a retired historian and still work at 35% time for the University.  Currently I am researching the development of California’s current system of alcohol regulation, which was established in 1933-35.  Statutes are available on line and Google and the Hathi Trust have digitized many of the books I would have consulted at the UC Davis library, so I can continue my research and writing.   I am also researching the historical development of Woodland as part of my volunteer work with Woodland’s Stroll Through History.  Again, materials are generally available on-line.  I am also working with two friends from my undergraduate days at Crown College (1967-1971) to create a 50th reunion for members of our class to be held in April of 2021 (virus permitting).  I can zoom with my friends on the organizing committee, and we have used zoom to hold focus groups with fellow alumni in order to determine what should be included in the reunion.  I have friends in France and Uruguay and am generally in contact with them via email, Facebook, Facetime, text or phone.   My point in the above is that even though I am sheltering in place, I can interact with my friends on projects that are important to me and can continue my writing and research.  And, when I want a break, I can get up and go outside and work in our large garden (our house is on about 1/3 of an acre).  And  twice a week we see our grandchildren for a day, help Sebastian with his reading and writing, Miranda with her letters, do projects with them (we built two birdhouses last week), work in the garden with them, and run around outside.

Sandy Barnes: 

Sandy Barnes (Crown 1974)

Pandemic experiences

I live in Seattle where the stay-at-home order is still in effect (just after Memoria Day).  Being 68 and not in fabulous health, I really don’t want to become infected.  I’m not alone; I live with my husband of 44 years (plus a dog and cat).  My four grown children (3 in the area) are determined to protect us, whether we like it or not.  My youngest daughter does my grocery shopping for me from a list.  One day I told my daughter in Indiana that we intended to go to Costco.  “Don’t go to Costco!” she exclaimed.  My son in law overheard this, started texting “Your mom is threatening to go to Costco!” Results came back and I was told “Suzie is going to Costco for you!  Just tell her what you want!”  So I’m grateful, really I am.

I’m taking two classes online via zoom and that’s keeping me plenty busy.  Plus plenty of other zoom meetings.

When this was first coming down in February I realized the we had a short Hawaii trip (all paid for) in mid March.  Could we go?  Dare we?  It seemed to me that we could sneak in a March 11-17 trip before things got really bad.  To give you an idea, school was still in session when we left.  We went, much to the chagrin of my cousin who lives there.  Things had not changed there at all, everything was going full blast.  I knew we had to go into lockdown on our return.  I’m including a picture from March 16.  This State Park closed a few days after we got there.

The first week of the shelter in place order wasn’t all that bad. It was something new and different from ordinary life, however it’s grace period was short lived. Once spring quarter began and it was time to get educated, everything seemed to be a lot harder than I remember. While at UCSC, I did much of my school work in various libraries, allowing me to maintain my focus and utilize whiteboards. However at home, the same tasks now take twice as long and everything around becomes a distraction. I did my best to establish an optimal learning environment such as installing a six by four foot white board (became very unnecessary about a week later). Although it is still quite difficult watching lectures and studying when directly next to my zoom meeting is a gaming console

Other than keeping up with classes, I have tried to keep myself as busy as possible. This past month various home improvements have been completed that would normally never be pondered if it wasn’t for Covid. It has been my mission during these times to maintain some degree of physical activity with home workouts and such, although my motivation has dropped quite a lot since the start. I used to take my dogs to local beaches and get them outside as well, but recently a lot more tourists have shown up than normal making it a bit more troublesome. Now I look forward to making weekly errand runs to resupply the fridge and pantry, as well as the light at the end of the tunnel. 

Annie Dustin:

COVID-19 has impacted my life in ways I never thought were possible. Online school has been very difficult for me to adjust to. Assignments take me twice as long to complete, I feel no connection with my current professors or classmates, and I have little motivation to study. My first two quarters at UCSC were the only times I have truly enjoyed every aspect of my education, and I’m scared of missing out on the experiences that made me love college so much. 

Socially, I miss both my college and local friends so much. I’m usually introverted, but I made a very conscious effort to be sociable and make as many friends as I could. The people I met in college, especially those on my dorm floor, became some of my best friends. I try to talk to them on the phone or through text but, of course, it’s not the same. To be honest, I haven’t talked to some of my closest friends in weeks. I don’t want to lose any of my friends, but the physical isolation of quarantine seems to make me want to socially isolate as well. 

I’m trying to stay positive, but as the stay-home order in my county keeps getting extended, I get more and more nervous about the future. When all of this is over I hope the world can make fundamental changes to support health, safety, and wellbeing. However, the pandemic seems to be tearing people apart just as much as it is bringing us together. I try to not let the bad news bother me but when I see a story about thousands of people violating social distancing, or protesting to end the quarantine, I think about my aunt who was recently hospitalized due to COVID-19, and I can’t help but feel down. So please everyone, stay home. The more we do, the faster this will resolve.

Despite all this happening, the two kittens I am temporarily fostering inspire me to try hard every day. They are feral, so I have to work with them for hours each day, but yesterday they let me pick them up and snuggle them for the first time. They remind me that even though I am struggling, I still have the ability to make a difference in the world. 

I hope everyone else is hanging in there to the best of their ability, and I look forward to seeing you guys back at school (whenever that may be).

Nestor Ruelas:

With the pandemic going on, everything has changed in a good and bad way. A few good things are that I am now back to my proper sleeping and I don't have to take the bus home on the weekends. At the dorms and at home, I still get distracted, but I have a better homework schedule at home. A couple of bad things are that I'm not with the new friends I made and asking them for help is more difficult since they are busy when I need them. The classes I'm in would be more fun if they were in person instead of online.

Vivian Zheng: 

 My schedule has been hectic and rough. I haven’t been able to keep up with my usual routine and my deadlines seem to coincide. My sleep schedule isn’t at all healthy and I’ve been rushing my meals. Being alone on campus is rather hard on my mental health and I’ve never felt more bored and stressed.

Alan Nguyen

Covid 19 and My Experience 

The beginning of my Covid19 experience was rather difficult. It was towards the end of Winter Quarter that we Frosh were being told to go home as soon as possible and that all courses in the coming Spring Quarter would be held online. I remember the struggle as my colleagues and I were all feeling so conflicted about online courses and moving back home so suddenly alongside the multiple finals that we all had to take that same week. 

However, when finals week was over and I had moved back home, my dad came to me and told me that we were going to be doing an entire house remodel. With new floors/tile, new paint, new kitchen, second kitchen outside, everything. But the one thing that worried me the most was when he said it'll all be done by us. So needless to say, a lot of my free time coming into Spring Quarter was now being spent on housework. This proved to be quite challenging for me, although I dropped out of my GE course after hearing about the house remodel, I was still left doing two Chem labs (Chem 1N and 1M), alongside Chem 1C and Bio-20A. 

Studying became incredibly hard, with all the loud banging and slamming and communicating that comes with a home remodel. My grades so far have not suffered too much from my lack of studying but after my Bio-20A midterm, it was apparent I need to try and dedicate more time to studying for my classes and less time into working on my house. A few other challenges for my family and I were that when the old kitchen was torn down and removed from the house, we had to find other means to cook our food in the meantime until all the new cabinets, stove, and dishwasher shipped to our house. Alongside this, a lot of time was spent on moving our furniture around the house wherever there was a room available and throwing all the old things away. Lifting roll after roll of old carpet was very tiring and driving back and forth from a local dump to toss out our trash was very time-consuming. 

Although to this day our home renovation isn’t complete, we have finished installing laminate wood flooring in every area of the house beside the stairs, installed porcelain tile in all of the kitchen and bathrooms, halfway built the kitchen with all the cabinets installed and put in the dishwasher, created a small sink and kitchen outside in the backyard. There is still so much to do, I just hope to be better at balancing college and home renovation alongside quarantine and the inevitable making multiple runs to the hardware store to buy a small but necessary thing to get the job done. 

Life in quarantine has been quite different than what I hoped for at the end of Winter Quarter. Initially I hoped that I would only need to hunker down in my home until May, but it's looking like we still have quite aways before our lives go back to normal. It has definitely been nice being home with family, but it feels weird to be home while unable to see my friends or visit my favorite places. I spend half of my days sitting at my desk studying or doing school work, and I usually spend the rest of my time relaxing in my bed either sleeping or watching YouTube. This may sound a little selfish, but the aspect about COVID-19 that has irked me the most is the suspension of the 2019-2020 NBA season. While at UCSC, watching Laker games after my classes was my favorite activity and I would look forward to days they were playing tough opponents. Hopefully all of this will clear up sooner rather than later so I can see my Lakers win a NBA Championship for the first time since 2010!

- Rian Delarosa

Marilyn Patton

Our son, Philips, our daughter Sonya, and I went out for a hike in an open-space preserve for Mother's Day.  What better gift could there be?  My life is pretty good: taking care of three grandchildren, working with five students on independent studies, gardening, and cleaning.  However, most of the people I know are NOT doing well, either financially or emotionally. There is so much uncertainty, too!  My heart goes out to all of you wonderful students and alumni.  I'm thankful to know each one of you!