University of California-Santa Cruz Top Questions

Most cafes and colleges have Open Mic Nights throughout the quarter. The Stevenson Coffee House Open Mic Night is one of the biggest Open Mic Nights on campus. Anyone can sign up and perform songs they’ve written or songs by their favorite artists. This really show how many musicians UCSC has, and how UCSC is an music oriented school.

Most cafes and colleges have Open Mic Nights throughout the quarter. The Stevenson Coffee House Open Mic Night is one of the biggest Open Mic Nights on campus. Anyone can sign up and perform songs they’ve written or songs by their favorite artists. This really show how many musicians UCSC has, and how UCSC is an music oriented school.

Most cafes and colleges have Open Mic Nights throughout the quarter. The Stevenson Coffee House Open Mic Night is one of the biggest Open Mic Nights on campus. Anyone can sign up and perform songs they’ve written or songs by their favorite artists. This really show how many musicians UCSC has, and how UCSC is an music oriented school.

The Edward Gorey Fashion Show was put on entirely by students to honor Edward Gorey’s work and to put on an entirely environmentally friendly fashion show. All the outfits were scavenged from thrift stores etc…Each scene in the fashion show was a recreations of an Edward Gorey drawing. The event was held on a Sunday and it was of the many student created performances that happen on weekends. This is a good example of the strange events that happen on campus.

Edward Gorey Show 2

Edward Gorey show

Every April 20th, almost the whole school gathers at the huge meadow on campus to enjoy this event.

I was involved with intramural sports (volleyball) and lots of outdoor adventure activities, backpacking trips, river rafting, etc. I met a lot of great people (including people i have dated) in these activities. I highly recommend getting involved in at least one, it's a great way to meet people-as opposed to parties, where it is possible to meet someone worthwhile, but alcohol changes things unfortunately. Frats/sororities don't really exist, they have no authority. house parties can be fun, but the cops are very strict and bust them as soon as they are called by a neighbor. There is no student zoning, meaning there is no neighborhood in santa cruz that is just students. This means HUGE, MTV-style parties don't really happen. You tend to see the same party type people if you go to huge parties, best to mix it up with off campus, on campus, and bars for a social scene that's healthy and stimulating.

If you're awake at 2am on a Tuesday you are either smoking on the knoll in Stevenson, at a drum circle at Porter, running naked in order to pledge your loyalty to House 7, pulling a semi all nighter or mayber an actual all nighter or returning from a bar run in downtown Santa Cruz.

social life is pretty standard. parties on campus and off. frat life is not big, and depending on who you are you could definitely find a small hangout of party on a weeknight as well as on weekends. yet, bigger on weekends.