An Intersection of Humanity: The Live Oak Farmers Market
The first thing I notice stepping into any Santa Cruz Farmers Market (SCFM) is the noise. I overhear interactions between children and their grandparents, groups of roommates, and even strangers. The constant exchange of human experiences is the foundation of any market’s inviting atmosphere. When...
Cowell Coffee Shop: A Taste of Community
An assortment of mugs available at CCS donated by visitors. Tucked next to the bustling Cowell-Stevenson dining hall, the Cowell Coffee Shop (CCS) stands as more than a spot for a quick recharge. While it boasts a loyal group of regulars, many don’t know what...
The Kresge Renewal Project Signals a New Era for the Historic College
A chain-link fence borders the construction site in the northwest corner of campus, protecting an expanse of dirt that once housed the iconic dwellings of Kresge College. Now, much of historic Kresge exists only in photographs and memories. The newest UC Santa Cruz class never...
Monarch Safe Haven: Natural Bridges Migration Day and Conservation Efforts
Every year mid-October, thousands of butterflies fill the eucalyptus groves, adorning the low-hanging branches in the center of Natural Bridges State Beach — the only state monarch reserve in California. Monarchs sit within the eucalyptus branches, shot at Natural Bridges Monarch Trail. Monarchs arrive in...
Concrete Canvases: The Campus Graffiti Community
When light posts and bathroom stalls become too mundane for graffiti artists to express their work, they go underground. Humans have this innate desire to communicate or exist long beyond themselves and to let the world know that they existed here at some point. It...
Kuumbwa Jazz: Looking Behind to Move Straight-Ahead
The Kuumbwa Jazz Center is my neighbor, but we’re not very close. We barely know each other, and I wouldn’t go to them first if I needed flour or an egg. However, Kuumbwa gives me gifts every other evening. When I’m making dinner in the...
Rainbow Theater Celebrates 30 Years of Multicultural Theater
Towards the end of Ippolito Caradonna’s performance, he pointed his microphone towards the crowd. “¡Ra! ¡Raza! ¡Que viva la raza!” Caradonna chanted. The audience joined him. For a few moments, the room rumbled with the declaration. “Viva la raza” is a Spanish phrase popularized by...
Through Our Lens: Taste of Home
Mercados of Santa Cruz Mercados are spaces that hold memories. Memories of family. Memories of food. Memories of home. I have been going to mercados all my life. In my childhood, my grandparents would bring me along on their grocery runs, allowing me to pick...
A Brief History of The Village (Compiled by a Villager)
When learning about life on UC Santa Cruz’s campus, you’re informed of the ten residential colleges, each with their own distinct characteristics. Wandering into each space, you’ll be immersed in the rich academic and cultural histories of these prominent societies. But what about The Village? ...
Move-Out Mementos: The Things We Keep With Us When We Leave
Another school year is coming to an end. As we begin to pack up our living quarters, it is time to decide what we discard, what we donate, and what we keep with us. Students will begin the yearly undertaking of emptying dresser drawers, folding...