Feeding Hungry Ghosts: a History of Santa Cruz Chinatowns
For every Chinatown still standing, there are dozens that have been bled dry and paved over. We move on from this history, because we’ve been told it doesn’t do anyone much good to dwell on ghosts. But the ghosts of Santa Cruz’s Chinatowns follow me...
What Your Room Decor Says About You
When you close your eyes and think of a happy space, where do you go? Some people retreat to a secluded waterfall. Other people might find reprieve at an amusement park. But most people just want to lie down in their room. Nothing embodies private...
Through Our Lens: Lessons Learned From Pole
When I first tried pole dancing I felt like I was doing something scandalous, and ultimately shameful. Writing this feels taboo, and especially writing this for the student paper feels taboo — at least, that is how I’ve been taught to view it. As women,...
Through Our Pens: Bedtime Stories for the Hibernating Adventurer
All I’ve wanted to do lately is curl up under my blankets and be read a story. In exchange for nearly falling asleep in classes, I wish only to fall asleep to the sound of a comforting, familiar voice. In celebration of the season of...
Through Our Pens: Unsung Comedians of Pacific
To the untrained eye, Downtown Santa Cruz is host to a wonderful collection of outlets, boutiques, and restaurants designed to satiate the hunger of any consumer. If you take out an earbud and listen closely, you’ll be exposed to a wide cast of characters detailing...
Through our Lens: Embracing Solitude
What is solitude? Solitude is defined as the quality or state of being alone or remote from society. For some, it is physical, in the sense that they are by themselves. For others, solitude is a mental state of being, where they may be around...
Prema’s Guide To Coping With The Cold
Los Angeles winters are easy. Jeans and a long-sleeve tee are enough to survive even the harshest November days. But drive five hours up the 101, and 60 degrees starts feeling a lot warmer than it does down south. In Santa Cruz, the cold is...
Little Corners of the World
100 square feet, a mini-fridge, and a communal shower — Welcome to college. Our 2,000-acre college campus offers us one assigned space to claim. We are given permission to tape our identity to inherited walls, so long as we don’t chip the paint. Coming into...
Through Our Pens: Art Needs Laziness
We are creative beings simply by existing. As an artist, I’m sometimes overwhelmed by unproductiveness when creative inspiration is absent. My ingrained academia convinces me that I’m useless when creativity isn’t always flourishing — something that capitalism mirrors. Capitalism stifles the creativity of artists. It...
Through Our Pens: Lessons from Sprouts
We talk in the mornings, my sprouts and I. As I tend to my newly sprouting Summer Zest Pak Choy — a kind of baby bok choy that enjoys the summer heat — and Chinese leek, I’m learning much about myself and the world that...