Fifty-one Years of Family: Los Mejicas’, El Camino a Mi Corazón
From outside the Activities Room at the Athletics and Recreation center, a symphony of traditional Mexican music, sharp zapateos, and gritos engulfs your ears. The rhythmic beats stop, only to be followed by an immediate eruption of cheers, laughter, and the beginning of the next…
Ready, Set, Battle of the Bands
When I heard about “The Battle of The Bands: Live at the Atrium” at the Catalyst on April 27, I knew I had to be there.
41st Annual Multicultural Festival to ‘Unite Cultures, Ignite Change’
After a long, COVID-induced hiatus, the Multicultural Festival (MCF) is back. The 41st Annual MCF will be held at the Merrill Cultural Center this Saturday, May 20. The event, running from noon to 6 p.m., features a setlist including headliner SambaDá — a samba-reggae-funk group…
A KZSC Extravaganza: Queers At The Quarry
A French mime fondling a baguette, a sexy Patrick Star bursting from an inflatable suit, and an impromptu dance party to Marc Anthony’s ‘Vivir Mi Vida.’ Only KZSC’s inaugural Queers at the Quarry Drag Show could deliver all that and more. Gray skies and a…
‘It’s Up to You’: Bayanihan Presents PCC XXXII
“Being Filipino is in your blood, not [about whether] you’re able to speak the language.” The audience hung onto every word of the conversation between Angelo and MJ about the importance of Philippine history. Angelo and MJ, played by Arnold Ngaophasy Pravong and Aljon “Jiro”…
Going Back to Your Roots: The 16th Annual VSA Charity Show
It was like eating with family at the table. One big dinner, filled to the brim with students sharing stories, laughing, and enjoying a meal together. Centering family and connection to one’s roots were the key themes of the Vietnamese Student Association (VSA)’s 16th Annual…
Indian Student Association Presents India’s Hidden Gem
When Manikantanagasai H. Illuri kneels down for prayer on UC Santa Cruz’s Mainstage, he’s no longer a second-year computer science major. He’s Tenali Rama, a 16th-century Telegu poet and scholar. ‘Tenali Rama: India’s Hidden Gem,’ the Indian Student Association’s (ISA) 21st annual production, brought friends…
A Clamtastic Culinary Competition: The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk’s 42nd Annual Clam Chowder Cook-off
What’s the secret to the best bowl of clam chowder? Ask any chef at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk 42nd Annual Clam Chowder Cook-off and you’ll get a laugh, maybe a knowing smile — but no answer. Celery, perhaps. Onions and potatoes, obvious staples. Bacon…
A mother, a son, and the school to jail ‘Pipeline’
As the lights dimmed, excited chatter subdued to hushed whispers, and the audience turned their attention to the stage. The first spotlight bathed a single figure in a pool of warmth, and Pipeline began. On Feb. 24, UC Santa Cruz’s African American Theater Arts Troupe…
“Kids Can Handle It”: Ibram X. Kendi and Nic Stone on ‘How to Be a (Young) Antiracist’
“The better I understood racism, the better I was able to navigate it,” said New York Times bestselling author Ibram X. Kendi to the packed bleachers of Kaiser Permanente Arena. “I think it is critically important for Black students to understand racism,” continued Kendi. “And…