University of California--Santa Cruz
Hallmarks and Quirks
Things I'm Good At:
- Political activism. I love a good protest, and there are plenty of amazing places on my campus to hold one. Did someone say, "roadblock"?
- Liberal arts. I was actually founded as the liberal arts college of the UC system, and I still love my liberal arts programs, like history of art and visual culture, Jewish studies, feminist studies, philosophy, Latin American and Latino studies, and so on.
- Research. We're tied with MIT in greatest research influence in the world. Yeah, we're kind of underrated.
- Sustainability. We even have our own farm.
- Alternative lifestyles. We were voted the most vegan-friendly college in the nation, after all.
My Top 5 Must-Haves:
- Good shoes. Hiking through my redwoods in flip-flops? Not a great idea.
- A Frisbee, guitar, or hacky sack, just in case I have some downtime.
- A camera. Whether it's seventy-five and sunny or I'm socked in with fog, I am always beautiful and majestic. Instagram this.
- A copy of The Marx-Engels Reader for my leftie street cred.
- A surfboard. Although the ocean is quite a trek from campus, Santa Cruz is also known as Surf City.
Why You Might Have Heard of Me:
- The Human Genome Project and the UCSC Genome Browser. I rock at mapping your DNA.
- My Grateful Dead archive. Yeah, that's right—there's a whole room in McHenry Library called "Dead Central."
- First Rain. When I said that clothing wasn't optional, I meant except for the first rain of the school year. Obviously.
- My, ahem, certain type of party culture. It's not like every night is Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, but there's some truth in all the talk.
On a regular Saturday night, you can find me...
I'm probably hanging out, in the most low-key way possible. Sometimes I like to spice it up by catching the bus downtown to get food at the Santa Cruz Diner or the Saturn Cafe, or maybe to go to a concert at the Catalyst. Also, all freshmen get one-day passes to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk during orientation week. But on the daily, you'll probably find me chillin' with my friends in the dorms.
Also, nature. I'm surrounded by it. Whether you want to go spelunking in the Porter Caves, bike a scenic bike path that cuts through the middle of campus, or hike up in the Santa Cruz redwoods, I've got it all. Just beware of the mountain lions at night.
Favorite Hangouts:
- Stevenson Coffee House. This is your go-to for sandwiches, coffee, and seven layer bars (yum…). It's also a great place to study.
- Joe's Pizza and Subs has the best, well, pizza and subs on campus.
- The Owl's Nest at Kresge College. Sometimes you just need a Nutella-filled crepe to push through the last page of that paper.
- McHenry Library. Perfect for escaping your rowdy roommates during finals week.
- The Porter caves, for all your spelunking needs.
- Pretty much anywhere outside. I mean, have you seen the view?
Quirks:
- I'm on the quarter system. That can make things a bit intense, but you'll get used to it—it's just the way I am.
- I'm often called "The City on the Hill." I'd say it's a pretty accurate depiction.
- I've got ten colleges and they're all different, so find the one that's right for you. Love art? Think about Porter. Believe the future's all about diversity? Consider Oakes. Want the best view of the ocean on campus and quick access to the gym? Cowell's number one.
- Unlike some of my bigger siblings in the UC system, I don't have a law school, a business school, or a med school. So I'm all about undergraduate education, especially the liberal arts and natural sciences.
- I used to have narrative evaluations instead of grades, but that's changed a lot lately. Everyone gets grades now. Students can still request a written evaluation for a class if they want one, though. We've got a weirdness quota to maintain.
Famous Alumni:
- Rebecca Romijn, one of the many Mystiques
- Miranda July, before dropping out and moving to Portland
- Andy Samberg, for two years before transferring to NYU
- Maya Rudolph, with a BA in photography
- Marti Noxon, for all you Buffy fans