Santa Cruz Is My Boyfriend

By Makani Speier-Brito on February 18, 2015

When I returned home for winter break, I had dinner with family friends. A family friend asked if I was enjoying college.

During our conversation, he assumed, “Oh, you must have a boyfriend.”

I paused, taken aback by his forwardness and replied, “Yes, I do have a boyfriend. Santa Cruz is my boyfriend.”

For Valentine’s Day, I am celebrating the best and worst qualities of my ‘boyfriend’.

Below are the top five things I love about University of California, Santa Cruz:

1. The small class sizes. My largest class during freshman year had fifty students.

2. The people. I have met the most conscious, accepting, genuine, intelligent and friendly people here. The students and professors care about political issues. And, you are likely to hear protests on campus. Activism is appreciated here.

3. Beautiful campus. Also dubbed ‘City on a Hill’. UCSC is the marriage of nature and city. The campus is surrounded by redwood trees and there are secret hiking spots all over campus.

4. Big university, small atmosphere. Currently, the student population is 15,562. Though, the combination of the ten residential colleges and clubs to get involved in create a surprisingly intimate community.

5. Dining hall food. Lots of healthy food options. Where else do you find kale salad and sweet onion roots a daily food option? You may become vegan without even trying.

The Worst:

1. Lots of walking. UCSC is a very spread out campus. Sometimes the buses don’t arrive on time. If you live on campus, students find it easier to walk to class. Invest in good walking shoes / rain boots before you come here.

2. The quarter system. Ten weeks of learning and attending class. You really have to be on top of the readings / course load and be sure to write down the deadlines of projects.

3. Expensive. UCSC is a pricey school. Housing being the most expensive part. The average cost to rent a small apartment is $750 per month.

4. Crime. In the past year, there have been more reported incidents of kidnapping and battery on and off campus. Please explore Santa Cruz in a group.

5. Lack of sports teams. Currently, UCSC does not have a football team. Please note that our mascot is a meditating banana slug wearing glasses.

If you like to learn more about why slugs are satisfied please click here

xoxo

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