Primer

cityonahillpress.com

Santa Cruz: below the surface

Thursday, September 16, 2010
Vol. 45 Issue No. 1

WHILE YOU WERE OUT, P. 14 FEATURES, P. 19 GUIDE TO SANTA CRUZ, P. 27

 Table
of
Contents
FEATURES
Caroline Egan
19 INMATE ART
A history of local nonprofit
Barrios Unidos’ work to keep youth WHILE YOU WERE OUT 36 A Caffeine Fiend’s Dream
out of gangs and jail

24 THE BUSINESS BEHIND FAKE IDS 14 Board of Regents Begin the 42 Tipsy Tuesday at the Bar
Some youth brave the law by using fake IDs School Year with New Student
Regent-Designate
while bars work to protect liquor licenses 46 For Your Palate

14 Administration Sends RPE to GOING BACK HOME

SHOP
About us City on a Hill Press is produced by and 15 University Battles
49 A Life on Hold
for UCSC students. Our primary goal is to report and
analyze issues affecting the student population and the Discrimination with New
Santa Cruz community. Diversity Office 51 New Horizons
We also serve to watchdog the politics of the UC
administration. While we endeavor to present multiple
sides of a story, we realize our own outlooks influence the 15 The Birth of a Major: Jewish 51 A Place to Call Home
presentation of the news. The CHP collective is dedicated Studies at UCSC
to covering under reported events, ideas, and voices. Our SPORTS
desks are devoted to certain topics: campus and city news,
sports, arts and entertainment and politics and culture. 16 Homeless Protest: Activists
CHP is a campus paper, but it also provides space for San- Persevere Despite Citations 54 Finding Your Stride
ta Cruz residents to present their views and interact with
and Arrests
the campus community. Ideally, CHP’s pages will serve as
an arena for debate, challenge and, ultimately, change. 54 Mental Prepping Before
City on a Hill Press is published weekly by the City on a You Play
Hill Press publishing group from the last week of Septem- GUIDES GALORE
ber to the first week of June, except during Thanksgiving,
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ARTS &
The opinions expressed in this paper do not 28 University Tools for Success ENTERTAINMENT
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University of California.
31 The Archetypal Santa Cruzan 59 Lady Gaga Conspiracy
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Primer 2010: A City on a Hill Press Publication 9
 Staff
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF
Jennifer Cain
Arianna Puopolo

PRODUCTION
Hilli Ciavarello, manager
Rachel Adams
Tess Goodwin

PHOTO/ILLUSTRATION
Rachel Edelstein, editor
Caroline Egan
Andrew Allio
Ramille Bagiuo
Caroline Egan
Letter from the Editors Louise Leong
Alex Zamora

To our readers: Minutes before writing this, we

There’s something we need you to
know: Primer almost didn’t happen. In
order for you to fully appreciate it, we
need to tell you about all of the sweat and
tears that went into crafting Primer.
Forty-eight hours before our deadline,
we weren’t speaking. After a heated
argument over the art of communication
(carbon copying on e-mails doesn’t
always cut it), we opted for silence and
employed our production manager as our
liaison.
After nearly nine months of bliss, our
passionate affair as co-editors-in-chief
abruptly went on a violent hiatus. Primer
— our love child — almost ruined us.
We contended relevant issues like
whether or not to print our exposé on
Lady Gaga or elaborate on our news
coverage, or whether it was essential to
have students in the cover image. And
we debated the petty, like “Should we
include cover plugs?” and whether or not
a sentence should begin with “to.” Our
main struggle was between our individual
desires for content that was relevant and
instigative versus popular and edgy.
We had argued before, but we’d always
come to some compromise. So when the
quarrel ended with one of us driving off
in rage and the other fighting the ball
in the back of her throat, things looked
ominous.
After a night apart, some serious binge
eating, and the looming task of writing
our very first “letter from the editors”
together, we were forced to reconcile, for
the paper’s sake.
approached one another sheepishly,
CONTRIBUTORS
bearing tokens of peace. Exchanging a Joseph Bien-Kahn
smile for a chai latte with a heart dotting Dana Burd
the “i” on the lid was the first in a series Julie Eng
of gestures that led us back to peace. The Asa Hess-Matsumoto
worst was behind us.
Tired of clashing, we strove for
Melissa Janson
compromise and found ourselves right Julia Reis
back in the middle of all the chaos, doing Patrick Rooney
what we love: bringing you the most well Rosie Spinks
reported news in Santa Cruz. Blair Stenvick
Sure, there’s still a lot to be resolved.
But in the end it’s our differences
Alejandro Trejo
that make us strong. And without our
contrasting points of view, it would not
have been possible for us to bring you
COPY
the diversity of news and entertainment Melinda Széll, chief
you’re about to read. Thomas Todd
A special thanks goes to our writers
for their ideas and efforts that made it
possible for us to publish a Primer we are BUSINESS
proud of. Our back-to-school magazine James Liang, manager
is filled with human interest features, like Brittany Thompson, assistant manager
the story of a local non-profit that works
to keeps Latino youth out of prison, the
latest happenings in local and campus ADVERTISEMENT
news and three firsthand accounts of a Ryan Ayers, manager
summer at home after the first year away
Theresa Ensminger
at UCSC.
We look forward to a year of Alex Lattin
cooperation, intrigue and your readership. Prescott Watson
Thank you all for reading.
Be well,
Jenny Cain and Arianna Puopolo
Special thanks to Susan Watrous, Sayo
Co-Editors-in-chief Fujioka, Shay Wotring, David Peck, Colin Reeves-Fortney
City on a Hill Press and all the CHP staff members, past and present, who have
kept this newspaper alive.

Primer 2010: A City on a Hill Press Publication 11

While You Were Out tuO ereW uoY elihW

Student Regent Begins Term

By Arianna Puopolo The UC Regents govern the
Co-Editor-in-Chief University of California under
Article IX, Section 9 of the
California Constitution.
Alfredo Mireles Jr. appeared
The 26-member board meets
for the first time at a UC Regents
bi-monthly and is responsible for
meeting as the newly elected student
managing UC’s $20 billion dollar
regent designate July 14. This
operating budget and legislation.
summer Mireles, who was confirmed
Of the 26 voting members, only
in May, began his one-year term,
one is a student. The student regent
which involves attending all six
and student regent-designate serve
regents meetings over the course of
one concurrent year together before
the next year.
the student regent’s term expires
A student of human health
and the student regent-designate
sciences at UC San Francisco,
advances to the office of student
Mireles is looking forward to sharing
regent.
his interest in psychological services
The board of regents’ next public
on the UC campuses with the board,
meeting is scheduled for Sept. 14 Arianna Puopolo
he told City on a Hill Press shortly
through 16 at UCSF Mission Bay. STUDENT REGENT DESIGNATE Alfredo Mireles Jr. and stu-
after his confirmation.
dent regent Jesse Cheng spent July 14 talking shop with the
UC Board of Regents.

Administration Reorganizes Rape Prevention Education

Students and campus administration clash on decision to incorporate program into SHOP

By Dana Burd
Contributing Writer
Changes to the Rape Prevention Education
program sparked protest among concerned peer
educators and students throughout the summer.
The decision to restructure Student
Health Services meant moving the previously
autonomous unit Rape Prevention Education
(RPE) under the direction of the Student Health
Outreach and Promotion (SHOP) program.
Gillian Greensite, RPE program founder and
director for 30 years, retired after her position as
a rape prevention educator was eliminated in the
reorganization.
SHOP will now employ a sexual health
educator in place of the RPE director.
Peer-to-peer rape educator Nina Milliken
started Coalition to Save UCSC Rape Prevention
Education, a Facebook group and letter-writing
campaign, in protest of the changes. So far, the
group, which has 1,276 members, has sent in
hundreds of letters to campus administration
from students and alumni, Milliken said.
The changes to RPE are politically motivated,
Milliken said, and she fears what these changes
will mean for students.
The group aims to preserve RPE as it has
historically existed on campus, with its own
office, specially trained staff, peer-to-peer
education and counseling and for the word “rape”
to remain in the program title.
Mary Knudston, executive director of the
Student Health Center, stressed that the
reorganization of rape prevention resources will
not eliminate or reduce services to students.
“We are developing an expanded, more inclusive
sexual assault prevention and education program
to better meet the needs of all students,”
Knudston said in an e-mail to Save Rape
Prevention Education supporters. “Crisis
counseling will continue as a resource as part of
the program, and is available year-round.”
Milliken said the group is especially concerned
that the reorganization may mean a shift from
a rape prevention to a rape reduction model of
counseling.
“Right now we focus on saying, ‘If a girl is
passed out, don’t have sex with her’ — that is rape
prevention,” Milliken said. “A rape reduction
model will focus more on saying, ‘Don’t get
drunk.’ This shift of focus on to how not to get
raped unintentionally blames the victim, and
[rape] is never the victim’s fault.”

RAPE
PREVENTION
SHOP
EDUCATION

Illustration by Rachel Edelstein

14 www.cityonahillpress.com
 While You Were Out

tuO ereW uoY elihW

Steps Toward a Hate-Free Campus
New office aims to improve campus diversity and inclusion
By Dana Burd
Contributing Writer
The campus administration announced
in late July the creation of the Office for
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The office
centralizes efforts of diversity initiatives
of the campus diversity office with the fair
hiring compliance responsibilities of the
former Equal Employment Opportunity/
Affirmative Action Office.
The responsibility of the office is split
between Ashish Sahni, assistant chancellor
and chief-of-staff, and Alison Galloway,
vice provost of academic affairs and dean
of university extension. Sahni will oversee
staff and student issues, while Galloway is
responsibility for faculty.
The aim of the office is to develop a
climate on campus that is free of bias and
harassment and “values diversity, equity
and inclusion,” Galloway and Sahni said in
campus administrative message.

Private Funding Allows for New Major

Humanities division welcomes Jewish studies major

By Dana Burd Jewish studies has been able to

Contributing Writer
While continuing to cut back
across academic divisions, UCSC
has approved a B.A. program
in Jewish studies as the newest
addition to the humanities division.
The Jewish studies program has
offered a minor in the study of
Jewish culture at UCSC since 2000.
Now interested undergraduates will
be able to choose a major in Jewish
studies.
The Academic Divisions received
a $3.3 million budget cut for the
2010-11 school year, marking the
third year in a row of deep cuts.
The humanities division, home to
the new Jewish studies major, has
received a cut of approximately $1.1
million in the past three years.
grow due to private funding and
grants the program has received.
Alma De Castro, newly
elected Student Union Assembly
commissioner of academic affairs,
is in favor of the addition of new
areas of study, which increases the
diversity of academic programs on
campus, she said.
“I love the fact that we have
Jewish studies now,” De Castro
said. “The more diversity we can
get in our classes and programs, the
better.”
Further expansions to similar
programs may be in UCSC’s future.
UCSC is currently the only UC
without an ethnic studies program.
De Castro said the SUA and
Academic Senate are working
to finalize a plan to develop the
program by fall of 2011. Rachel Edelstein

Obituary: Ryan James Kieffe

Ryan James Kieffe, 28, of Tehachapi, Calif.,
passed away on July 13. The funeral service
was held at Wood Family Funeral Service
Chapel July 16 and was officiated by Rev. Joel
Davadilla of St. Malachy Catholic Church.
Ryan was born Sept. 20, 1981. He was
raised in Tehachapi, where he attended Wells
Elementary School, Golden Hills Elementary
School, Jacobsen Junior High School and
Tehachapi High School. Ryan attended UC
Santa Cruz, where he graduated in 2010 with a
bachelor’s degree in philosophy.
Ryan was the consummate philosopher:
He was compassionate about thinking and
contemplating important ideas. Ryan’s
relentless pursuit of the truth led him into
many spirited debates, where he was typically
the humble victor. Ryan spent his free time
reading and philosophizing with friends and
classmates. Ryan loved the life of the mind, and
he indulged it to its fullest.
Ryan was a loving son, a loyal brother and
an incredibly generous friend. He is survived
by his mother, Kathryin O’Malley; his father,
Randy Kieffe; his sister, Ashley Kieffe; his
grandparents, Bob and Wilma Kieffe and
innumerable family, friends and loved ones.
Obituary provided by the family.
Courtesy Allyson Magda

Primer 2010: A City on a Hill Press Publication 15

While You Were Out tuO ereW uoY elihW

Homeless Sleep in Protest of Camping Ban

Police issue citations for camping and lodging outside City Hall

By Dana Burd
Contributing Writer
Homeless advocates began a protest July
4 in front of the county court house, against
the Santa Cruz city ordinance known as the
sleeping ban, which prohibits camping outside
between 11 p.m. and 8:30 a.m.
“It is absurd to cite people for sleeping
outside when they have nowhere else to go,”
said Christopher Doyon, organizer of the
Peace Camp 2010 protest.
“This is a human rights issue,” Doyon said.
“Everyone needs to sleep — it’s a basic right.”
At first neither the city police nor county
sheriffs department issued citations to sleeping
protestors. But after weeks of protest, the
county sheriffs made nine arrests and gave 24
citations for illegal lodging and other violations.
Protestors moved downtown Aug. 11 to set
up camp outside the City Council building.
The protest is ongoing despite multiple nightly
visits from police, which have resulted in
citations and arrests.
The police department will continue to
issue citations to protestors, said Kevin Vogel,
deputy police chief.
“People are more than welcome to exercise
their right to free speech in front of the city
council building,” Vogel said, “but as long as
they continue to flaunt the laws the city council
has set up, we will continue to cite them.”
In addition to the city camping ban,
protestors have been receiving citations under
the state anti-lodging law, California Penal
Code section 647 section E, which prohibits
lodging on private property without the
consent of the owner.
Camping ban citations are often dismissed
if the individual involved provides proof that
there were no vacant shelter beds the night the
citation was issued. The state anti-lodging ban
does not offer the same amnesty.
There are different criteria for what is
considered a violation of the city camping and
state lodging laws. Vogel declined to state how
officers determine which citations to issue.
“We’re taking a stand here because we don’t
have anywhere else to go,” Doyon said. “There
are over 2,000 homeless people in Santa Cruz
according to the latest census, and there aren’t
nearly enough beds.”

Photos by Arianna Puopolo

IN PROTEST of city and state laws that ban homeless people from sleeping outside, homeless advocates set up camp outside Santa Cruz City Hall.
All four Santa Cruz citizens (upper right) were cited for breaking the city ordinance known as the “sleeping ban,” which forbids camping outside
between the hours of 11 p.m. and 8:30 a.m. An additional state law prohibits lodging on private property without the permission of the owner. In
recent weeks county sheriffs have made nine arrests and given 24 citations for violation of the laws.

16 www.cityonahillpress.com

Local nonprofit Barrios Unidos combats youth violence with cultural programs and support
D
aniel “Nane” Alejandrez
does not pretend to be
perfect. Thirty-three
years after founding the now
nationwide nonprofit Barrios
Unidos, Alejandrez speaks openly
and frankly about his own battles
with violence and addiction. He
bears the scars and tattoos of a
former gang member and a former
drug addict, and the roomy fit
of his dark jeans and buttoned-
up short-sleeved shirt make no
apologies for who he is, who he has
Primer 2010: A City on a Hill Press Publication
Uniting Youth
to Form
Community
BY JULIE ENG
Contributing Writer
been and who his people are. He is
proud of his heritage as a member
of the Latino community, and he
would fit in just as comfortably
were he sitting at a picnic table at
a backyard barbecue with friends
and family instead of in his office.
Perhaps it is because he is so
honest about his past — in his
words and in his appearance —
that he is able to convince so many
people, young and old, to choose a
path of nonviolence.
Speaking from his Santa Cruz
Feature
erutaeF
office, Alejandrez tells the story down offers to join the staff of
of Barrios Unidos (BU) and the the Stanford University film
thousands of men and women department and the Mexican-
whose lives it has changed. American public administration in
The organization is devoted to San José to continue the BU work
preventing youth violence by he had started as a student. Though
providing young people with  he had come to be regarded highly
alternative opportunities to survive as an authority on the subject of
and succeed. ending gang violence, Alejandrez
did not know how to give up drugs,
The Beginnings he said.
Barrios Unidos was born in a “I was shooting dope in places
UCSC apartment, the brainchild I had never thought I would be,”
of Alejandrez, a community studies he said. “I was doing things I had
major at UC Santa Cruz. He had never thought I would do, and the
been the perpetrator of violent acts, drugs consumed me.”
as a gang member and as a soldier Now 23 years sober, Alejandrez
in Vietnam, and had suffered the credits a close friend, Walter
losses of 14 family members to Guzmán, with drawing him back
“what we called the madness.” to sobriety.
These firsthand experiences Like Alejandrez, Guzmán
with violence had a strong effect had personal experience
on Alejandrez, and he struggled with gang violence and drug
to cope with them. After the addiction. In the process of his
war he returned to Santa Cruz own recovery,  Guzmán found
addicted to heroin and battled his his calling as a substance abuse
addictions as he began doing peace and youth counselor, eventually
work with Barrios Unidos, which starting a seperate culturally-
means “united neighborhoods” in centered substance abuse recovery
Spanish. program and serving as the first
“I had several of my family board president of BU. Guzmán
members killed while I was in died in 2000, but he left a strong
school,” he said, “and trying to deal impact on Alejandrez and BU.
with that, and trying to deal with Alejandrez remembers the
the violence, and come back to powerful impact of being presented
school, and taking family members with the sobriety of someone to
to different prisons to visit — it whom he could relate — a friend,
was just madness. I don’t know who had encountered similar
how I was able to do it.” obstacles and experiences in his
Alejandrez graduated from
UCSC with honors and turned
Continued on p. 20
RECOVERED HEROIN ADDICT and former gang member David
Beaudry (right) works with street outreach at Barrios Unidos. Youth
advocate Maria Montoya (left), 16, helps with BU’s kids’ club.
UCSC graduate Daniel “Nane” Alejandrez (not pictured) founded
Barrios Unidos, a nonprofit community organization devoted to
preventing violence among local youth and offering new options
for people in prison.
Photos by Alex Zamora
19
 erutaeF
Feature
Continued from p. 19
life. Alejandrez credits his recovery
to Guzmán.
“Walter was the first [sober]
person I respected,” he said.
Though he’d given up violence
when he founded BU in 1977, it was
only after Alejandrez kicked his drug
habit that was he able to become the
sober, nonviolent role model Santa
Cruz youth would look to.
Responding to the need for culture
and family unity, the organization’s
core mission became restoring local
youth with spiritual and cultural
rituals and counseling, to fight the
increase in gang activity and drug
use. Much of the faith-based work
is grounded in indigenous traditions,
passed on by community elders.
“We have to give them a cultural
and spiritual grounding so that they
know who they are, they know where
they come from,” Alejandrez said.
Clean and sober, Alejandrez was
ready to take BU to the next level:
spreading the group’s philosophy
across the state, country and
eventually the world.
Alejandrez began to work with
the United Nations and traveled on
20
a peace delegation to Libya, a trip
which was followed by work with
the United Nations in Switzerland
and peace work in Nicaragua and El
Salvador.
“That just kind of opened my
eyes to a whole different world,” he
said. “See, I had been overseas, but
I had been overseas for the wrong
reasons: for the war. [Working
overseas] showed me that I could
do something, that I could change
things and possibly influence other
people.”
In addition to doing international
work, BU began to grow in the
United States. Alejandrez and the
other members incorporated BU,
formed a governing board, built a
staff and began applying for grants.
Nine BU chapters were formed
across the state, and the group drew
the attention and support of public
figures like Danny Glover, Carlos
Santana and Henry Belefonte. BU’s
services were in demand, as juvenile
violence in California began to
increase in 1985, according to the
National Center for Juvenile Justice.
Breaking the Cycle
Now in its 33rd year, BU
continues to focus on ending
violence and crime among the
WHEN VOLUNTEER Diana Sanchez visited the BU offices before she joined,
she saw an exhibition of artwork from the inmates and immediately felt a con-
nection.
youth of Santa Cruz County as an
alternative to incarceration. With
projects ranging from prison and
juvenile hall programs to a T-shirt
shop and a young fathers’ group, BU
aims to end the cycle of violence at
every stage, including working with
prisoners.
“A lot of fear is created around
gangs and the prison community, but
do they focus on the people who are
changing their lives? No,” said Angie
Espinoza, third-year community
studies major and volunteer at BU.
Alejandrez attributed some of the
recent increase in gang activity in
Santa Cruz to a failure to invest in
violence prevention in the past.
“People thought this could not
happen [to] SC,” he said. “Well, we
neglected it, and let it go, and groups
formed, and there was not enough
people involved to deal with the
issue, and now we have violence. So
as adults we have to invest. We have
to rescue, we have to restore [youth],
and reach their potential.”
Diana Sanchez and Brenda
Garibay visit the Santa Cruz juvenile
detention facility three times a week
doing outreach work with BU. Both
women are strongly invested in their
work, in part because of their own
experiences with drugs and violence.
“Before I had children my life was
completely different,” Sanchez said.
“But after being in a relationship
where there was a lot of domestic
violence and a lot gang activity and
drugs, and after seeing how my kids
suffered, I wanted to make a change.”
Sanchez remembers visiting the
BU offices before she joined. The
group was exhibiting art from San
Quentin inmates, and Sanchez
instantly felt like she belonged.
“Since then my heart has been
www.cityonahillpress.com
with the kids, with the men, and
trying to create change with everyone
in the community,” she said. “My
way of change is loving them with
the heart, like a mother would love
her child.”
Garibay, a recent UCSC graduate,
joined BU shortly after she left
school. She found that working
with the BU kids’ club fit well with
her interests in education and in
improving the lives of the children
in her hometown.
“Everyone will tell you [the
youth] are our future, and for me I
see our youth and a lot of them are
struggling,” Garibay said. “Their
parents can’t see beyond survival.
That’s how I grew up, my mom’s
reality was day-to-day.”
Garibay encourages youth to look
beyond the present and see that they
have a future, she said.
“We like to do a lot of personal
growth discussions around the
issues that they face day-to-day and
how they can overcome them and
how they can prepare themselves
for reentering their communities,”
Sanchez said. “And looking towards
their futures, helping them envision
what they want for themselves and
how they can make that happen,
decisions such as like hanging out
with different people, or laying low,
not going out and hanging out like
they have in the past. Just making
wise choices.”
In addition to organizing games
and events that celebrate the inmates’
cultural diversity, the women do one-
on-one check-ins with the kids.
“We see if they’re just feeling low
or feeling positive or just want to
talk about it,” Sanchez said. “We give
them the opportunity to talk about
anything they want.”
 Feature

erutaeF
“The more who are able to participate, the more
who are able to cross those lines and barriers.”
­— Angie Espinoza,
community studies major

PROJECTS RANGE from prison and juvenile hall programs to

community youth activities. The organization’s core mission
is to rejuvenate the local youth community with spiritual and
cultural rituals and counseling, to fight the increase in gang
activity and drug use.

The women also lead groups in a “Organizations like ourselves

program called Rule of Law (ROL),
which educates inmates about social
justice and how they can work with
the law instead of fighting, running
or lying.
Garibay and Sanchez recalled
a recent visit to the Sacramento
juvenile detention facility, where
BU will soon be working with the
incarcerated youth.
“They renovated it and spent like
$107 million on the renovation —
it’s huge, it’s disgusting,” Garibay
said. “But it’s big and it’s built for
the population growth. And it’s a
trip to think, ‘Oh, we’re planning to
send the youth there.’ So to me it’s
like, shouldn’t we be building schools
or universities? These kids are going
to end up somewhere. Why are we
building a big juvenile detention
center?”
The Prison Project
Espinoza recently attended her
second Cinco de Mayo festival, a part
of BU’s prison outreach program, in
the Tracy city prison, where she saw
firsthand the importance of working
with inmates to help them reenter
the community.
BU began the prison outreach
project, which includes classes for
inmates and cultural ceremonies
organized by inmates, in 1994.
“I knew that we needed to get
behind the walls to reach some of
our brothers and sisters who were
influencing a lot of the young kids,”
Alejandrez said. “If we could get
them to be supportive, and to realize
what was happening to our young
kids, then maybe we could stand a
better chance of controlling this, or
eradicating some of the violence.”
One of the core beliefs behind
BU’s prison project is giving men and
women in prison new opportunities.
and others that go [to prisons]
gives [prisoners] a connection to
the outside, a feeling that they’re
not left alone, that they might
have an opportunity to return to
their communities and be part of a
society,” he said.
While at the celebration,
Espinoza watched men who had
been incarcerated for years get
excited at the prospect of having a
job upon their parole. This is essential
to getting and staying out of prison,
she said.
“Some people lose contact with
their families, they lose hope, they
lose faith. How are they going to
change?” she said. “How do we
expect them to come back into the
community and not go back [to
crime and gangs]?”
In the 16 years since the inception
of the prison outreach program,
members of BU have spent a lot
of time and effort attacking the
problems of violence that they
see being cultivated in the prison
systems. Alejandrez has seen the
results of their work with the men in
Tracy prison, he said.
“[The prisoners] want what is
good for their families, and they hold
themselves to a respectful manner,”
he said. “Now this doesn’t happen
with everybody, but the majority of
people that we have encountered
carry themselves this way.”
The Prison Project extends beyond was approached three years ago by and she laughs while confessing
the Cinco de Mayo celebration BU Alejandrez and asked to teach in that she often jokingly exaggerates
and the prisoners hold. The BU staff a vocational institute with UCSC the danger of her job working with
has turned to the organization’s professor John Brown Childs. murderers.
roots on the UCSC campus to help Vocational education is designed to Although she does in fact work
provide the inmates educational prepare trainees for jobs based on with men who have committed
opportunities. practical activities, which in this case murder, the joke to her is that many
Angela Irvine, a research associate provides prisoners with an alternative people think working with these
at the UCSC Center for Justice, to gang membership and crime. men is a frightening and dangerous
Tolerance and Community and Irvine has taught writing to men job.
owner of Ceres Policy Research, serving life sentences in the prison,
Continued on p. 57

Primer 2010: A City on a Hill Press Publication 21

 erutaeF
Feature
The Business Behind Fake IDs
How false identification makes and breaks bars and people
I
t only took 30 seconds for the blond-
haired bombshell ready for her night
on the town to go from batting her
mascaraed eyelashes to looking like she
was going to rip someone’s head off.
24
By Jenny Cain
Co-Editor-in-Chief
On a Wednesday night around 11:30 p.m.,
Dan*, a part-time bouncer at club Motiv on Pacific
Avenue in Santa Cruz, is about to confiscate
another fake ID, his second of the night.
He sinks his eyes into the California driver’s
“license” seeing if it matches the puppy face of the
girl who looks to be in her late teens. Then he asks
for a credit card.
“I don’t bring credit cards out, but I might have
something else,” she said, fumbling through her
purse. Dan goes back to eyeing the ID.  workshop, which is put on by the Alcohol and
“What’s your address? How do you spell the
last name? What’s your weight? What’s your
height?” he said, having asked the same questions
hundreds of times before.
The girl answers correctly, but Dan comes to a
grim conclusion.
 “Sorry,” Dan said. He pockets the ID.
 “Are you serious… ” the girl replies and storms
off.
For young adults under 21 using fake IDs this
scene is a nightmare. Many spend anywhere from
50 to a few hundred dollars on fakes only to lose
them in the blink of an eye. Others desperately
borrow their over-21 friends or relatives’ IDs only
to have them swiped in a second.
But losing an ID is the least of anyone’s
worries. Getting caught by the police with false
identification can result in a request to appear in
court. Producing a fake ID is a felony punishable
with jail time. Businesses found guilty of
negligence while monitoring IDs risk losing their
alcohol licenses, putting the entire business at risk.
Following Dan’s confiscation, Brooke, a
bartender from San Francisco, who witnessed the
exchange, gets up from her barstool and walks
over.
“She would have fought for it if it was hers,”
Brooke said, checking out the card over the
bouncer’s shoulder. “Her friends booked it too.”
Protecting the Business
At a booth inside Motiv, Mike Pitt, president
of the business, shows the bar’s fake ID collection.
Sliding about a dozen across the table he says,
“Seriously, this is like a weekend,” referring to the
time span in which they were collected.
Since Motiv was founded, its security guards
have impounded over a hundred fake IDs.
Confiscating a fake removes it from the market
so that it cannot be reused. This keeps minors out
of bars and protects the businesses’ liquor licenses.
“We’ve had people try three times, where we
take [their fake ID] and they go get another, we
take it, they go get another one, we take it and
they go get another one, we take it again,” Pitt
said.
Dan, who monitors Motiv’s doors part time,
said he takes about three to five fakes per night.
Dan determines whether or not an ID is
fake based on training he received in a LEAD
(License Education on Alcohol and Drugs)
Beverage Control state department (ABC). All
businesses distributing alcohol are required to
have their employees trained in LEAD. LEAD
workshops are open to the public, but they require
a reservation.
Seemingly unmoved by the attractive women
carrying fakes that night, Dan said, “I’m not going
to have my emotions dictate what I do when I
work… I don’t mind taking the ID. People’s
paychecks are on the line. When you are checking
that ID, you have to make sure it’s real, because
if it’s fake and you let them in, we can get in big
trouble.”
Motiv has not had problems with ABC, but
Pitt explained the potential losses.
“I wedged my entire financial life into this
business … to make [Motiv] happen… and with
that, all the time and emotion,” he said. “It took
seven months of politics, basically. And now that
it’s happened, it’s my baby — I don’t want to let
it go.”
Crackdowns
When the Santa Cruz Police Department
comes across what it thinks is a fake ID, officers
attempt to verify the owner’s identification by
cross-referencing the DMV’s data base. Since
September of last year the SCPD has had six
incidences involving false identification.
“The problem is probably more serious than
our stats reflect,” said Kevin Vogel, Santa Cruz
deputy police chief. “I’m guessing we are catching
only a fraction of those using fakes.”
When police catch someone using a fake ID,
they will issue a misdemeanor, which requires the
person to appear in court.
While SCPD can use the DMV database to
match a person’s face with a U.S. ID, the options
are limited when confirming the ID of someone
from outside the country.
“In that case, we accept the ID at face value,”
www.cityonahillpress.com

he said. “And if we don’t believe the person is who
they say they are, then we book them in the county
jail.”
Four nights a week, an SCPD employee in charge
of alcohol control systematically visits the 200
or so businesses in town that have liquor licenses.
Reports of underage drinking go to ABC, which
has the authority to refuse to reissue a liquor license.
The legal division of ABC decides on a case-by-
case basis whether or not to reissue off-sale liquor
licenses (places where alcohol is sold but not served,
such as CVS) and on-sale licenses (businesses that
serve alcohol, such as Woodstock’s), if the business’
license is in jeopardy.
“If he goes into a bar and he sees someone who
doesn’t look 21, he will just go up to him and ask
for identification,” Vogel said about the SCPD
officer who monitors the county’s liquor licenses.
“If the person is in violation, the business will be
investigated as to why this person was allowed to
go inside.”
Under 21
After growing up in France, where the minimum
age to purchase alcohol is 18, Cindy* had a hard
time adjusting to the U.S. law that forbids anyone
under 21 from consuming or buying alcohol. A
UCSC alumna, Cindy* — who said she became the
“fake go-to girl” — told her story via e-mail.
“It was very frustrating to not be able to drink
Primer 2010: A City on a Hill Press Publication
MINORS attempt to push fake IDs past doorman Dan (above) at local club Motiv. The club’s
president, Mike Pitt, (upper left) said Motiv has collected a few hundred fake IDs since its inception
a few years ago.
freely and for it to be so controlled,” Cindy said in
the e-mail. “Whether or not to acquire a fake wasn't
even the question. It was more like, how, and how
soon? I even knew an Australian guy who lived in
the ILC who got his fake before coming to the UC.
Talk about preparation.”
Cindy helped her ex-boyfriend get his $10 to
$15 fake through a website based in England.
“The only loop we had to jump through was
that it had to be sent to a non-American address,
which is where my mom comes in,” Cindy said in
the e-mail. “We sent the card to her in Paris, and
she knowingly forwarded it to me. The card was fake
as fuck.”
Despite the card not looking very authentic, “It
Feature
erutaeF
Photos by Alex Zamora
worked in most places,” Cindy said in the e-mail. “I
got one for myself a little later, and obviously being
over six feet helps you out in appearing older, so my
overall experience with it was fine.”
Cindy explained the different ways people deal
with the drinking law in the U.S.
“The drinking law in the U.S. is so absurd that we
all have our way of dealing with it,” she said. “Some
decide that drinking is not for them, and that their
first drink will be a legal drink. Some rely on older
friends to supply them with alcohol. Others, like me,
decide to brave the law and go for a drink.”
*Name has been changed.
25

Guides Galore
The who, what, why and
how of UC Santa Cruz and the
surrounding area is just a hop,
skip and a page turn away.
Our skilled and dedi-
cated writers have scoured the
streets, researching restaurants,
savoring sustainable snacks,
discovering the perfect cup of
Joe and browsing the broccoli
vendors at various farmers’
markets, all to give you, our
readers, the skinny on the best
of the best that Santa Cruz has
to offer.
From local health food
stores to to a Tipsy Tuesday
treasure hunt of our favorite
bars, we’ve got the key to
Primer 2010: A City on a Hill Press Publication
Guides Galore
erolaG sediuG
Caroline Egan
Amdrew Allio
Caroline Egan
your hearts, minds and
stomachs with guides to Santa
Cruz’s best food, drinks and
neighborhood dirt.
We’ll open your eyes to
some hidden treasures and,
hopefully, share with you some
secrets of your favorite hot
spot.
We’ve got you covered:
Monday through Sunday.
With our complete set of
tips on campus and commu-
nity resources, incoming and
returning Banana Slugs can
look forward to trying some
new treats and enjoying old
favorites.
Caroline Egan Caroline Egan
27
 erolaG sediuG
FINDING SUCCESS
Guides Galore
Check out the most helpful resources on campus
Are you a new student looking for some help on campus? Many people can get frazzled and overwhelmed by their new
surroundings and may be looking for advice but don’t know where to go or how to ask for help. If this sounds familiar to
you, have no fear, young Banana Slug. Whether you need help with that Introduction to Chemistry class, want to find
out more about studying abroad, or just need someone to talk to, we have you covered.
CANTÚ RESOURCE CENTER
The Cantú Resource Center is a safe space
for queer students and their allies. It offers
academic, social and psychological advice. The
center’s library features over 2,500 LGBTI-
related books, as well as an art gallery for
local and student artists to exhibit their work.
The center has frequent lectures and work-
shops, and it sponsors several campus events
throughout the year.
Next to the KZSC building, between Merrill “A”
Dorm and Crown College.
Open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00
p.m.
(831) 459-2468
Visit queer.ucsc.edu or e-mail queer@ucsc.edu.
CAREER CENTER
The Career Center is staffed with people who
can advise you on everything from choosing
a major to crafting a résumé to applying to
graduate school. The center hosts job fairs and
workshops throughout the year. Its website lists
on-campus and work-study jobs and intern-
ships and offers access to the Banana Slug
28
BY JULIA REIS
Contributing Writer
alumni network to see what careers UCSC
graduates have embarked on with their degrees.
Bay Tree Building
third floor, Room 305
(831) 459-4420
Open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m.
to 5:00 p.m.
Visit www2.ucsc.edu/careers or e-mail
career-center@ucsc.edu.
COUNSELING AND
PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES
Facing an obstacle in your personal or
academic life that you can’t get past? CPS
counselors can help you find ways to break
down that barrier. They provide crisis counsel-
ing and appointment scheduling for UCSC
students on an individual or group basis for a
variety of issues students may be facing, includ-
ing depression, substance abuse, body image
concerns and family or academic problems.
Staff members have individual offices available
for counseling sessions located throughout
campus, with the central office based in the
Student Health Center. Counseling services
are confidential and free of charge.
Student Health Center, East Wing, 2nd Floor
Open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to
11:30 a.m. and 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
(831) 459-2628
Visit www2.ucsc.edu/counsel.
CULTURAL ARTS AND
DIVERSITY CENTER
The Cultural Arts and Diversity Center is
where creativity meets diversity. It hosts a
number of organizations and events, such as
the Rainbow Theater and African American
Theater Arts Troupe. CAD’s mission is to
promote diversity through lectures, conferences
and performances.
Stevenson College Office 199
Don G. Williams, CAD director
(831) 459-1861
Visit cadrc.ucsc.edu or e-mail dwilliam@ucsc.edu.
DISABILITY RESOURCE
CENTER
Have a condition that makes studying for or
attending classes difficult? Visit the accom-
modating staff of the Disability Resource
Center (DRC). Located inside the Hahn
Student Services building, the DRC caters
exclusively to an estimated 500 students a
year who have a range of physical, mental
and psychological handicaps, everything
from learning disabilities to impairments in
hearing, vision and mobility. They also assist
students with temporary medical conditions,
such as broken bones. The DRC will help
work with you and your professors to provide
the best academic environment possible for
you to succeed in your classes and everyday
life on campus.
146 Hahn Student Services
(831) 459-2089
Visit drc.ucsc.edu or e-mail drc@ucsc.edu.
www.cityonahillpress.com

ENGAGING EDUCATION
The acronym E2 looks like part of a math
equation, but it actually stands for Engaging
Education, a student-initiated resource center
that promotes student dialogue about college-
and campus-specific issues such as low rates
of recruitment and graduation in underprivi-
leged communities. The center provides a safe
space for people of all backgrounds to discuss
social justice issues and come up with positive
solutions. E2 also frequently hosts conferences
and cultural events on campus and uploads
information about upcoming affairs onto the
events calendar on its website.
Quarry Plaza
(831) 459-1743 for main office
Open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to
5:00 p.m.
Visit engagingeducation.org or e-mail
ucsc_e2@yahoo.com.
HEALTH CENTER
For the resources of your hometown’s doc-
tor’s office with on-campus comfort and
convenience, head to the newly-renovated
health center, which provides a range of health
services for all registered UCSC students. The
Student Health Center provides full patient
care including scheduled medical appoint-
ments and after-hours emergency care, as well
as immunizations, lab work, psychological and
psychiatric aid and pharmaceutical necessities.
Main phone number: (831) 459-2211
To schedule an appointment, call (831) 459-2500.
Visit www2.ucsc.edu/healthcenter for office hours
and information about after-hours service.
Primer 2010: A City on a Hill Press Publication
LEARNING SUPPORT
SERVICES
Learning Support Services (LSS) is your go-to
resource on campus for specialized tutoring. It
provides student tutors for an array of subjects,
as well as for specific lower- and upper-divi-
sion courses through modified supplemental
instruction (MSI). Every student is allotted
one hour of one-on-one tutoring per week per
class, paid for by student fees. To sign up for
a tutor or get more information, visit the LSS
website.
221 Academic Resource Center (ARCenter)
(831) 459-4333
Visit www2.ucsc.edu/lss.
MCHENRY LIBRARY
MEDIA CENTER
Besides being home to books about nearly every
subject imaginable, as well as the upcoming
Grateful Dead archive, the McHenry Library
also houses a vast collection of DVDs, CDs and
other forms of media for your viewing pleasure.
Located in the basement of the main library on
campus, the David Kirk Media Center provides
work stations for individuals and small groups
who want to take advantage of the audio, video
and CD/DVD collection. While undergradu-
ate students cannot take items out of the media
center, they can reserve and borrow items to
watch in viewing rooms and individual stations
within the center.
Room 350, ground floor of McHenry Library
Visit library.ucsc.edu/hours for fall 2010 hours and
library.ucsc.edu/media-center for more information.
Guides Galore
erolaG sediuG
OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL
EDUCATION
Do you have aspirations of studying abroad but
have no idea where to begin with the applica-
tion process, let alone where you want to go?
The Office of International Education is the
place to visit if you’re interested in studying
abroad. OIE offers workshops and drop-in
hours to speak one-on-one with advisors to
answer any questions about studying abroad.
The OIE website is also an excellent resource
for information about the available programs,
listed by major and by country.
Classroom Unit Building, Room 107
(831) 459-2858
Open Tuesday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to
12:00 p.m., 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Visit oie.ucsc.edu/contactus.html or
e-mail oie@ucsc.edu.
SHOP
The Student Health Outreach and Promotion
(SHOP) program is the go-to destination on
campus to inquire about health-related topics.
It provides information on everything from
drugs and alcohol use and abuse to sexual
health, through by-appointment advising and
quarterly events. SHOP offers free and anony-
mous HIV testing for undergraduate students,
and it can refer people to outreach meetings for
help with alcohol or drug abuse if necessary.
Building 157 at the Kresge College Piazetta
(831) 459-3772
Visit www2.ucsc.edu/healthcenter/shop or e-mail
shop@ucsc.edu.
Continued on p. 30
PHOTOS BY Alex Zamora & Andrew Allio
29
 erolaG sediuG

Campus
Guides Galore

Resources
Continued from p. 29

STARS

Andrew Allio

Services for Transfer and Re-Entry Students (STARS)

The STARS program provides personal and academic assistance for
students transferring from another school, as well as students who
have had a break from formal education. It also offers the VETS
program, to help military veterans readjust to civilian life.

Academic Resource Center

(831) 459-2552
Visit stars.ucsc.edu or e-mail sal@ucsc.edu.

STARS at Kresge College Piazzetta

(831) 459-5886
Visit www2.ucsc.edu/kresge/academics/stars.shtml or e-mail
cparrish@ucsc.edu.

WOMEN’S CENTER

The UCSC Women’s Center is true to its name, as a designated

spot on campus for women to study and talk with one another. The
center’s staff provides support and advising services and acts as a
community space for women students. The center is equipped with
an art gallery, library, a conference room and computer equipment. It
also hosts workshops, speakers and various activities throughout the
year.

Cardiff House at the base of campus

(831) 459-2072
Open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Visit www2.ucsc.edu/wmcenter or e-mail women@ucsc.edu.

30 www.cityonahillpress.com

YOU KNOW YOU’RE A SANTA CRUZAN WHEN…
Santa Cruzans are a unique breed. If you’re new to this little part of the world, it may seem simple enough to understand at
first, but just wait. Santa Cruz is an open-minded place with lots of different folks doing their thing. We love that, we wouldn’t be
Santa Cruzans if we didn’t. In creating this list, we did not intend to stereotype but rather point out the undertones of the hipster,
environmentalist, feminist and radical that lie in every true Santa Cruzan. Enjoy.
You hold strong opinions
about where you buy your
groceries.
You’ve witnessed
a fight break out
over bike rack
space at the Santa
Cruz Metro.
You have, on more than
one occasion, found
yourself asserting to a
non-Santa Cruzan that
Santa Cruz is more than
just a liberal, pot-smoking,
hippie haven. You do this
despite the fact that you’ve
had three vegan house-
mates, your boyfriend or
girlfriend is kind of an
anarchist, and you’re cur-
rently enrolled in a class
about the music of the
Grateful Dead.
Vegan or not, you’re famil-
iar with and have probably
tasted the following: seitan,
tofu, tahini, kombucha,
quinoa and nutritional
yeast.
When people ask if UCSC
has sports you say, “Actu-
ally, I don’t really know.”
Primer 2010: A City on a Hill Press Publication
You know the difference
between a hipster, a hippie
and the hippie hipster.
You scoff at people who
spend hundreds of dol-
lars on a remote parking
permit, but you’re really
jealous of them every time
it rains.
Your mom wanted to
know when you started
eating kale.
You have a favorite family
of deer on campus and you
generally know where to
find them depending on
the time of day.
At some point,
you started to care
about what’s going
on in the world.
You feel a little anxious
when there’s only one kind
of trash can available and
find yourself searching for
recycling, compost and
e-waste bins.
You drink local beer.
When that fails, you drink
Pabst Blue Ribbon.
Your boyfriend wears
flannel. You wear your
boyfriend’s flannel.
BY ROSIE SPINKS
Contributing Writer
You’ve been to the
Capitola Mall and you
never need to go back.
You know that no-
body really loves
Santa Cruz
Diner, unless it’s
between the hours
of 2 and 4 a.m.
You and everyone you
know has a different opin-
ion about which taquería
has the best burritos.
Every time you tell some-
one you went to the Red
Room last night you roll
your eyes in mock-disgust,
but you still keep going
there.
You have a soft spot for a
few of the homeless guys
on Pacific Avenue, but
you really wish they’d stop
asking you for weed every
time you walk by.
You know that being
fashionably late to a house
party means arriving about
15 to 20 minutes before
the cops roll up.
You would never bring
your uncle who hunts to
campus.
You’ve taken a feminist
studies class. Enough said.
You avoid Quarry Plaza
when you’re running late
because you’ll probably run
into two to three friends
who will ask you to sign
their petition and today
you just don’t have time.
Your housemate plays
ultimate Frisbee. It’s all he
talks about.
You’ve been to a house
party at a co-op on Ocean
Street or Broadway. It
was weird, from what you
remember, but you’d prob-
ably go again.
You think the new bio-
medical science building
is heinous. You miss the
trees that were there, but
not the tree-sitters.
Off campus, you
live next to a
nice family. The
parents drive a
Subaru Outback.
You have nice calves from
riding a bike.
Guides Galore
erolaG sediuG
You know someone who
drives to San José solely to
get Chipotle or In-N-Out.
You drink mate
out of a jar
(double points if
it’s wrapped in a
bandana).
You’ve watched a video of
a Santa Cruz city council
meeting on YouTube and
found it really funny.
You don’t have cable.
After three years dating
girls in Santa Cruz, you
don’t necessarily think
it’s weird they don’t shave
their legs, but it’s still not
your preference.
Your reusable water bottle
is permanently affixed to
your body.
You’ve had at least one
professor you’ve never
actually seen wearing
pants, only hiking shorts.
You drink a lot of coffee.
None of it is from
Starbucks.
Caroline Egan
31
 SANTA CRUZ
erolaG sediuG
Guides Galore

A
s students, we know and love
campus for its trees, bridges,
bluffs and trails, as well as the
student community that thrives here.
But the truth is that in order to fully
appreciate what UCSC has to offer, you
have to trek beyond the base of campus.
The eclectic and quirky town in which
our university resides is as charming as it
is beautiful. City on a Hill Press would like
to introduce you to Santa Cruz as you've
never seen it before. We'll show you
various neighborhoods that are always
worth exploring. If you’re a newcomer,
consider this your jumping-off point —
a guide to get beyond the 16 Laurel bus
route — to make Santa Cruz your own.

Campus/Mission Street
This neighborhood is most familiar to
students as the place where many students live
and hold their house parties. The always-buzzing
Mission Street isn’t exactly ideal for strolling,
but it offers consistently busy food favorites
like Café Brasil, Sabieng Thai Cuisine, Kelly’s
French Bakery and numerous taquerías: staples
for any student. Several coffee shops and close-
by grocery stores are also in the area. If the
incessant hum of the 16 Laurel bus route or the
late-night reggae bass of your neighbor's kick-
back are too much, not to fear, there are plenty
of places to escape to in this part of town. To
get away from the daily grind without straying
too far from campus, head up Spring Street, off
of High Street, to the Pogonip trailhead. It's
perfect for a walk, hike or run into the redwoods
(no bikes though). You’ll be met by friendly dog-
walkers and not much else. If you're blessed with
a car, continue on Empire Grade past College
Eight and the West entrance to campus and
you'll find numerous trail entrances, including
Wilder Ranch State Park, and windy, redwood-
shaded roads to explore.
Westcliff/Natural Bridges
Life doesn’t get much better, or more Santa
Cruzan, than a walk, bike or run on Westcliff
at any time of the day. Running into friends on
their way home, surfing, or just enjoying the
life-giving sun is inevitable. You can watch the
beginners learn to surf at Cowells, marvel at
the pros out at Steamer Lane, or take your dog
down to Lighthouse Beach. The Mark Abbott
Memorial Lighthouse and its surfing museum
are a local landmark, and Westcliff is a perfect
example of where students, locals, tourists and
surfers mingle without anyone taking much
notice. Natural Bridges State Beach, or “Natty
Bridges,” as it’s affectionately known, is a surf the natural history and ecology of the area, as well as find the UCSC Long Marine Lab and Seymour
spot and beach named for its rock formations and a Monarch butterfly grove in the winter, at Swanton Marine Discovery Center. With beautiful vistas,
known for its tidepools and wetland habitat. The Road and Westcliff Drive. If you continue to the a dolphin tank and a full-sized whale skeleton, this
visitors’ center is worth a visit, offering a look into end of Delaware Road past Natural Bridges, you'll campus extension is worth checking out.

32 www.cityonahillpress.com

HOODS
Downtown
There’s hardly an undiscovered spot on Pacific
Avenue, and so downtown Santa Cruz lies at the
center of most students’ radars. There’s plenty of
Primer 2010: A City on a Hill Press Publication
By Rosie Spinks
Contributing Writing
Illustration by Rachel Edelstein
places to eat, shop, watch and play. Below are some
uniquely Santa Cruzan favorites.
Palomar Taco Bar: Handmade tortillas. $2.00
tacos Monday through Thursday. Drink specials.
Guides Galore
erolaG sediuG
Enough said. 1336 Pacific Ave.
Bookshop Santa Cruz: A local institution
that’s family owned, the bookshop has helpful
staff and selection that are unparalleled. Perfect
for browsing or buying or both. 1520 Pacific Ave.
Nickelodeon Theatre: A quaint and cozy
Santa Cruz landmark that plays indie, foreign
and documentary films. 210 Lincoln St.
Thrift Center: Not your average over-packed
thrift store, Thrift Center offers everything from
shabby Halloween costumes to apartment-
worthy furniture. You may think you’re lucky
when you hear the announcement that just for
today everything’s 50 percent off, but don’t worry
— it’s like that every day. 521 Front St.
Zachary's Restaurant: A favorite breakfast
spot of students and locals, this always busy
and fairly priced spot is home of “Mike's mess
omelette.” You have to taste it to believe it. 819
Pacific Ave.
Midtown/Seabright:
Once you pass downtown and cross the San
Lorenzo river, you’re in midtown territory. Soquel
Avenue offers a bevy of good local eats such The
Buttery for brunch or Charlie Hong Kong’s for
a healthy dinner, as well as three grocery stores
to get your supplies for the week. There are also
good local music and entertainment venues in
this hood, with the long-standing Crêpe Place
featuring quirky and emerging acts and the Rio
Theatre offering an impressive variety of well-
known performers. Straight across from the Rio
lies Seabright Avenue, which boasts a friendly
neighborhood vibe and one of Santa Cruz’s
most popular sandy beaches, not to mention
the sweet potato fries at Betty's Burgers (see our
accompanying guide for more about the bars in this
area, p. 42). For a break away from the ordinary,
head to the Brady’s Yacht Club at sunset and
loop around to see some impressive sea vessels
or walk out on to the jetty to the lighthouse. You
can end your walk with a cocktail at one of the
bars or restaurants on the beach and pretend
you're on vacation.
Eastside/Capitola:
Just past the Santa Cruz Harbor lies the
lesser-known east side of town. This hood is
home to less-crowded beaches such as Twin
Lakes and 26th Avenue, as well as the legendary
surf spots at Pleasure Point. This side of town
has a decidedly more local and less student-
driven vibe. To get a feel for the Eastside, skip
the madness of the Wednesday downtown
farmers’ market by grabbing a late breakfast and
some local produce at the mellow Eastside/Live
Oak Market on Sunday mornings (9 a.m. to 1
p.m. East Cliff Drive). If you like the change of
pace and want to interact with someone other
than UCSC students and the drifters on Pacific
Avenue, 41st Avenue offers a mellow antidote
to downtown, with restaurants, coffee shops,
vintage stores and surf shops to peruse on a lazy
day.
Verve Coffee Roasters is a bustling favorite
and a perfect spot for people who are serious about
their beans — which are roasted on-site — and
have an appreciation for latte art and hipsters. 816
41st Avenue.
33

Wanna Get Around?
Our bus guide on where to go and how
By Asa Hess-Matsumoto
Contributing Writer
Face it: You didn’t drop an arm and a leg to come to
UC Santa Cruz just for its academic reputation. Granted,
the school and faculty are excellent, but another big selling
point is the school’s view and the town below.
There are plenty of reasons to leave campus and crash
the city of Santa Cruz. Beach bodies, downtown nightlife
and wild characters wandering the streets are all incentives
to hitch a ride out of the bubble. So when you’ve settled
down in your dorm room and you’re ready to take the town
by storm, jump on the Metro and check these places out.
Campus
Access to the OPERS athletic facilities, an ever-expanding library
and all of the other university resources makes the campus the prime
spot to do just about anything. While you’re here, keep an eye out for
some performances at the Barn, college nights and — if you dare —
the First Rain run.
Perks: Running track sandwiched between forest and ocean,
thousands of 20-somethings, movies and music videos in McHenry’s
Media Center, 88.1 KZSC
Quirks: mobile home park and weekly protests
How to ride: Metro routes 10 through 27 will bring you to campus.
All even routes will go counter-clockwise through campus, entering
the East entrance and leaving the West (odd routes vice versa). Campus
buses will also take you around campus.
Downtown
Full of characters like the Pink Umbrella Man, the Great Morgani
accordionist and every kind of street performer imaginable, the free
entertainment downtown is both phenomenal and weird. You can find
plenty of boutiques, four movie theaters, used bookshops and record
stores. At night if you’re looking to dance, you can head to the Catalyst
night club, Aqua Bleu and the Red Room.
Perks: Trader Joe’s, Planned Parenthood, weekend midnight movies
at the Del Mar
Quirks: drum circles and panhandlers
How to ride: Almost every bus route that passes through including
the 16, 15, 19 and 20. To get there faster, try catching one of the lower
numbered routes, such as the 10. If you are really lucky, you might even
catch the 27X (which only stops by College Eight, the Health Center
and the bookstore), the fastest of all the campus bus routes. If you’re
looking to stay out late, the Metro has night owl routes — the 16N
and 19N. The last night owl bus to leave the downtown Metro station
is 2:00 a.m. on weekdays, except on Fridays or Saturdays, when it’s at
3:00 a.m.
Mission Street
One of the busiest sights of traffic in the entire city, Mission Street
is one of the only places in the city where you’ll find corporate chain
restaurants (McDonald’s, KFC and Subway, to name a few). Plenty
of other practical stops litter either side of the road, including gas
stations, bike maintenance shops and musical stores.
Perks: Taco Bell, Safeway, Burger, Café Brazil, New Leaf and farmer’s
market on Saturdays (Swift Street)
Primer 2010: A City on a Hill Press Publication
Guides Galore
erolaG sediuG
Quirks: One of the only places to find chain restaurants
How to ride: The most frequent routes to Mission Street from
either downtown or campus would be the 15 and 16. However, the 13
also passes through Mission Street, as does the 19.
Beach Boardwalk
The Boardwalk itself hosts laser tag, mini-golf and roller coasters.
If that weren’t enough, surrounding the place are gorgeous beaches,
famous surf and the seafood-rich wharf. Don’t forget to take a walk
on the bluffs.
Perks: Boardwalk Bowl and the Giant Dipper
Quirks: Everyone fits into one of these categories: camera-toting
parent, middle school skater kid, surfer or otherwise bored UCSC
student
How to ride: Catch either the 19 or 20, preferably the 19. If you’re
looking to get a ride back to campus from the Boardwalk (and don’t
want to walk the distance to the downtown Metro station), you might
want to consider waiting at the Pacific & Viaduct bus stop near the
wharf, since both the 19 and 20 make a stop there.
The Capitola Mall
For the highest density of corporate stores within a UCSC student’s
grasp, go to the Capitola Mall. You’ll find generic brand-name stores,
marble-esque floors and the sounds of draining checkbooks.
Perks: It’s a mall in an otherwise mall-less county. Plus, the sushi
from the nearby “Pink Godzilla” almost makes the trip worthwhile.
Quirks: Unless you have access to a car, this is probably a trip you’ll
have to make around your regular schedule, as it takes a while to get
there and back by bus.
How to ride: To get to the East Side you will first have to catch
a bus to the downtown Metro station, then take the 66, 68, 68N, 69,
69W, 69A or 69N. All of these routes will stop directly in front of the
mall, so don’t worry about missing your stop. But when you’re looking
to come back, make sure you check with your bus operator before
boarding, as it can be easy to accidentally get aboard a bus bound for
Cabrillo instead.
You can download maps of all Metro bus routes, available in PDF, at the
Santa Cruz Metro website: scmtd.com
Photo illustrations by Rachel Edelstein
Photos Courtesy of Santa Cruz Metro
35
 erolaG sediuG
Today’s
Guides Galore
Special
Every good college student knows that a coffee shop serves up more than just coffee. A good coffee house is a place to study, to
spend long hours reading and to hang out with friends. When your roommate has driven you just crazy enough that you have to
get out of the dorm, or you’re going on your 23rd hour in the library, the local coffee joint can provide a nice change of pace and
a much-needed caffeine boost. We’ve got the goods on where to go in Santa Cruz to find delicious and affordable coffee, a great
atmosphere and most importantly, free Wi-Fi.
Caroline Egan
Caffe Pergolesi
418A Cedar St.
             
If you’re a UCSC student, odds are you’ve
been to Perg’s. The renovated Victorian
sits on the corner of Cedar Street and
Elm Street in the heart of downtown and
is one of Santa Cruz’s most well-known
coffee shops. In addition to coffee, the café
serves beer and wine, and as far as snacks
go there’s something for everyone. The
menu has plenty of options for vegan and
vegetarian customers, including pastries and
sandwiches. For serious studiers, two rooms
filled with tables provide a quiet place to
work, while others looking to socialize have
their choice of the plush sofas inside or on
the outdoor patio. Perg’s also features work
from local artists and musicians, making it
more than just a place to get your coffee fix.
 
Hours: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day
Laptop-friendly: Wi-Fi free with purchase,
electrical outlets available
Fair trade: Yes, and locally roasted
How to pay: Cash only (ATM in store)
36
SC Coffee Houses
By Julie Eng
Contributing Writer
Caroline Egan
The Abbey Coffee,
Art & Music Lounge
350 Mission St.
No one in Santa Cruz does coffee house atmo-
sphere quite like The Abbey. Vintage couches
and chairs fill both the indoor and outdoor
seating areas, providing plenty of room to relax.
The Abbey is a favorite among UCSC students,
and the popular indie music played over the
speakers suggests it caters to its young clientele.
Although the coffee is tasty, many come more
for the live music and shabby-chic ambience
than the espresso. The ample seating space pro-
vided by plush armchairs and couches makes it
definitely a coffee shop to study in, as well as a
fun place to spend a Friday or Saturday night.
Just off High Street, it’s one of the most conve-
niently located off-campus coffee shops — just
hop on a 10 and you’ll arrive directly outside
The Abbey.
             
Hours: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thurs-
day, 7 a.m. to midnight on Fridays, 8:30 a.m. to
10:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays
Laptop-friendly: Wi-Fi free
Fair trade: Yes
How to pay: Credit cards, cash
Andrew Allio
Coffeetopia
1723 Mission St.
 
Coffeetopia is a great place for no-frills, tra-
ditional coffee. In addition to brewed coffees,
the menu includes espressos and teas, and they
serve smoothies and bagels and pastries from
local bakeries. If you get whipped cream on your
coffee, definitely try the mocha whip — the rich
cream blended with espresso and sweetened
cocoa is reason enough to stop by. Coffeeto-
pia’s Westside location is conveniently close to
several bus stops, so you can easily hop on a 16
and be there in a breezy 15 minutes. The shop
is a little small, so don’t expect to spread out
your textbooks or study group across multiple
tables, but it’s a very student-friendly establish-
ment, so you won’t get glared at for hanging out
and writing an essay. Like Perg’s, Coffeetopia
features local artwork, but Coffeetopia does not
offer live music. All in all, this is a great tradi-
tional coffee shop, a perfect place to sit down
with a good book.
Hours: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day
Laptop-friendly: Wi-Fi free with purchase, elec-
trical outlets available, computer terminal access for
$6 an hour and printer use for 40 cents a page
Fair trade: Yes, and locally roasted
How to pay: Cash only (ATM in store)
www.cityonahillpress.com

Andrew Allio
Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting
1330 Pacific Ave.
 
While some shops focus on making drinks
that taste more like a milkshake than coffee,
Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting is serious about
its brewed coffee and encourages its customers
to be as well. The shop’s Coffee Learning Cen-
ter offers classes on every aspect of coffee, from
farming and sustainability to coffee apprecia-
tion and cupping. The baristas are friendly and
happy to help, and they definitely know their
coffee. It’s a busy place, so don’t expect to claim
a table to study all afternoon. Live music, lo-
cal artwork and late hours make Santa Cruz
Coffee Roasting a desirable place to go with a
group of friends, and the outdoor seating on
Pacific Avenue is great for people-watching.
 
Hours: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through
Thursday, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays, 6:30 a.m.
to 11 p.m. on Saturdays, 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on
Sundays
Laptop-friendly: Wi-Fi free with purchase,
electrical outlets available
Fair trade: Yes
How to pay: Credit cards and cash accepted
Primer 2010: A City on a Hill Press Publication
Guides Galore
erolaG sediuG
Firefly Coffee House
131 Front St.
The bright colors of Firefly Coffee House,
the local artwork and outdoor fire pit make it
clear that this coffee shop has Santa Cruz cool,
down to a “T.” The coffee is delicious, but save
room for the very tasty pastries and snacks on
the menu. Clearly a student-friendly place, the
coffee house offers students with valid UCSC
or Cabrillo College ID a cup of drip coffee for
only 50 cents. A customer at a nearby table told
me that hanging out and studying is encour-
aged — she was going on her fourth hour in
the coffee shop, just relaxing and reading. Stu-
dents can make good use of the ample seating
and study space.
Hours: 5:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Monday through
Saturday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays.
Laptop-friendly: Wi-Fi free with purchase, elec-
trical outlets available
Fair trade: Yes
How to pay: Cash (ATM in store)
Caroline Egan
Lulu Carpenter’s
1545 Pacific Ave.
             
If you’re looking for a great local frappucino, a Lu-
lu’s Co­ol Cat is definitely your best bet, and offers
the best flavor variety around. Located at the end
of Pacific Avenue, the coffee shop is a bit removed
from the hustle and bustle of the downtown stores
but well within walking distance of the Metro sta-
tion. The stores offers indoor and outdoor seating,
where guests have a choice of a table looking out
onto Pacific Avenue or on the back patio, where
the high brick walls of surrounding buildings and
tall plants give the place an intimate, private feel.
Lulu’s serves great coffee and snacks, and it has the
perfect laid-back coffee house ambiance. The mu-
sic is loud enough that you can enjoy it, but quiet
enough that you can easily read without distrac-
tion. The store tends to encourage this quiet and
calm atmosphere, and seating is somewhat limited,
so this isn’t the place to bring your entire group
to hang out, but it’s a great place for one-on-one
conversation.
Hours: 6 a.m. to midnight every day
Laptop-friendly: Wi-Fi free with purchase, electrical
outlets available
Fair trade: Yes
How to pay: Credit cards, cash, check
Andrew Allio
Continued on p. 38
37
 erolaG sediuG
Guide to Local Coffee Shops
Guides Galore
Continued from p. 37
Cowell Coffee Shop
Cowell College, UCSC
 
The Cowell Coffee Shop reopened last year, and though
it’s smaller than the Stevenson Coffee House, Cowell
is a great place to study. Seating is limited, however, so
don’t bank on finding a table. The menu contains coffee
drinks and sodas, sandwiches, salads, muffins, bagels
and other snacks — notably their giant cookies, which
students can enjoy on the large outdoor patio. The coffee
shop is a good alternative to the dining hall if you’re
stuck in a food rut.
 
Hours: 7:45 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Monday through Thurs-
day, 7:45 a.m to 3:30 p.m. on Fridays, closed on Saturdays,
7-11:30 p.m. on Sundays
Laptop-friendly: Wi-Fi free for students, electrical outlet
available
Fair trade: Yes
How to pay: Flexi dollars, cash (ATM in store)
38
Stevenson Coffee House
Stevenson College, UCSC
One of the most popular places on campus, Stevenson
Coffee House attracts students from all colleges. On
any given day you’ll find numerous students, professors
and teaching assistants hanging out, studying or holding
office hours. The shop is staffed by students who are in
control of the radio, which means there’s usually a good
mix of music genres being played throughout the day.
The coffee is good, and the pastries and sandwiches are
even better — ask any UCSC student what their favorite
on-campus snack is, most will tell you it’s a Stevenson
Coffee House “fudgie,” a brownie-like dessert offered
exclusively at the coffee shop. There is ample seating both
indoors and out, but it’s a busy place, so you might end
up sharing a couch or table.
 
Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. on weekdays, 7:30 a.m. to
5 p.m. on Fridays, closed on Saturdays, 8-11:30 p.m. on
Sundays
Laptop-friendly: Wi-Fi free for students, electrical outlets
available
Fair trade: Yes
How to pay: Flexi dollars, cash, (ATM in store)
www.cityonahillpress.com
 erolaG sediuG
Guides Galore

Tuesday Nights:
Santa Cruz’s
Best Kept Secret
By Joey Bien-Kahn
Contributing Writer

Coming to college I’d anticipated Wasted Wednesday, Thirsty Thursday and an all-around disheveled weekend. But, as a result of an arduous

commitment to drinking, I discovered the best kept secret in Santa Cruz: Tipsy Tuesday night.

A savvy drinker knows that any night at the bar should begin with On top of all that, Harbor has live music almost every night and
a pre-game. I don’t care how much money you made at your lemonade incredible mixed drinks served with freshly squeezed fruit juice.
stand this summer — it’s just bad business not to have a buzz on before The only knock on Harbor is that even on Taco Tuesday, the bill will
going to your local watering hole. start to add up after a while. A certain CHP writer can tell you that
So, your first stop an awesome deal can quickly turn to an expensive dinner. Some quick
should be U-Save math: Four tacos and four pints at $5 a piece equals $20.
Liquors (across from But, if you pre-game right, money should be of no concern. Friendly
Safeway off Mission service and the intimacy of the joint make Harbor Café the highlight
Street). U-Save has of any Tuesday night.
great prices, a huge
selection of liquor and
is far less crowded
than Safeway. Usually,
a fifth of Jim Beam
will be on sale for $10,
but if not, Old Grand
Andrew Allio Daddy Whiskey is
always a worthwhile
alternative for $10. Grab a 2-liter of ginger ale and mix up a few
whiskey gingers (1 part whiskey, 1.5 parts ginger ale, a squeeze of lime
juice) for you and some friends.
Now that you’re feeling somewhat loose, hop in a cab over to
Harbor Café (7th Street on the Eastside). I know the East Side is far
away, but I promise that Taco Tuesday at Harbor Café is worth the trip.

Prescott Watson

Prescott Watson
As though paying $5 for a fresh taco (chicken, beef or fish) and a
pint of Longboard Island Lager weren’t good enough, Harbor Café’s
outdoor patio, furnished with picnic tables and heat lamps, is the
perfect place to enjoy a warm Tuesday night.
Just a few blocks away, another great deal and welcoming patio call
to any Santa Cruz beer-lover. Every Tuesday Seabright Brewery (right
across from Betty Burgers on the East Side) has Neighborhood Night,
offering $7 pitchers of any of its half dozen home brews. I’d recommend
the IPA, though personal preference always reigns supreme when it
comes to beer.
Neighborhood Night is crowded and loud, and it can feel
intimidating when you’re inside. The bar area gets congested, and later
in the night it can be hard to find a spot.
But if you can get a table on the patio, Neighborhood Night is great.
The crowd is a mix of UCSC students and Santa Cruz locals, and the
hectic atmosphere allows for easy mingling. If after a pitcher or two the
streetlights over Murray Street start to dance, offset your intoxication
with one of the brewery’s fried appetizers or their incredible pulled
pork sandwich.
It’s now 11 p.m. on a Tuesday night. Common sense would tell you
to return home and go to sleep. To get some rest to prepare for the
excitement that will be Wednesday afternoon. But remember: Fortune
favors the bold. And on Tuesday night, you can find the bold downtown

42 www.cityonahillpress.com
 Guides Galore

at the Blue Lagoon on Pacific Avenue.
The Blue Lagoon hooks a sizable chunk
of UCSC students and Santa Cruz locals on
Tuesday nights with the almost unfathomable $2
well drinks and $2 Pabst Blue Ribbons deal, an
incredible value for any student struggling to get a
buzz during the Great Recession.
erolaG sediuG
while hip-hop plays through the speakers.
Adjacent to the front room is a pool room
with two relatively well kept pool tables. The
affordability of the bar makes pool games for
drinks a real possibility on Tuesdays. But, as
always with barroom billiards, make sure to
hash out the rules before the break, and watch
for hustlers.
The back two rooms are both dance floors.
The low lighting and mirror-covered walls
give the Blue its own variety of ambience,
which some people of a more puritanical
persuasion call “sleazy.” But hey, it’s Tuesday
and you’re wasted: Enjoy the scene.
It was in the wee hours of last Wednesday
morning, as the pre-dawn sky twinkled
in soft whiskey glaze, that my scrambled
mind focused itself. Under the influence
of a number drinks, a handful of cigarettes
Prescott Watson and two chalupas, I felt perfectly content, at
The Blue is split into four sections — the one with the universe. I thought about how
front room has a long bar along the left wall with the handful of years during which it’s socially
booths along the right. The area gets crowded, acceptable to be drunk on a Tuesday is quickly
but Sal the bartender pours a great whiskey Coke diminishing, and I wanted to scream this news
that is worth the wait. Also, there is a TV behind from the rooftops.
the bar that shows classic films, such as “Ferris So, carpe dies marti — seize the Tuesday. You’ll
Bueller’s Day Off ” and “True Romance,” on mute be glad that you did.

Wednesday Trhough MoNday:

Sating your thirst every other night of the week
By Arianna Puopolo
Co-Editor-in-Chief

The Poet and the Patriot 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall

At The Poet and Patriot pub, the live
music, wide selection of beer, wine and ciders
and the expertise of any of its friendly bar
tenders makes enjoying your evening easy.
In addition to weekly Sunday-night trivia,
the Poet — as it is fondly referred to —
plays host to local bands Thursday through
Saturday evenings. The dart board-lined
walls, sports broadcasting via two large flat
screens and plenty of seating make the Poet
the perfect place to if you’re in the mood to
cozy up to a friend or loved one and enjoy
a pint. The authentic Irish pub serves beer,
wine, cider and low-proof spirits. 320 Cedar
St., off Birch Lane.
Restaurant and Pub
This burgers-and-brew hot spot
boasts — you guessed it — 99 varieties
of beer. From local microbrews to big-
name imports, if you like beer, 99 Bottles
probably has something for you. The food
menu comprises typical pub food, including
burgers, nachos, mozzarella sticks, fries and
fish and chips. There is a veggie burger and
portobello sandwich, but vegetarian and
vegan options are limited. 99 Bottles hosts
trivia nights every Wednesday. It’s also a
wine-and-beer-only establishment, but it
has mixed drinks with low alcohol content.
110 Walnut Ave.

Rosie McCann’s Irish Pub Parish Publick House

and Restaurant
Rosie McCann’s hosts Santa Cruz’s
Monday-night trivia. Find a seat at the bar
to enjoy whatever sports game is on TV
that night or strike up a conversation with
the person sitting next to you. 1220 Pacific
Ave.
This Westside British-style pub hits
the nail on the head with its recreation of
the English pub experience. Each item on
the food menu, including fish and chips,
chicken wings and other pub classics, has
a recommended beer pairing. The Parish is
perfect for enjoying a night out with the
people you like drinking with most. 841
Almar Ave.

Primer 2010: A City on a Hill Press Publication 43

 erolaG sediuG
Guides Galore
A TASTEBUD-TEMPTING GUIDE
TO NATURAL FOOD STORES
Caroline Egan
STAFF OF LIFE
NATURAL FOODS
This local health-food haven has been pro-
viding Santa Cruz midtownees responsibly
produced bulk and health food since the 1960s.
The self-proclaimed “natural foods supermar-
ket” has a hot bar, deli and vast produce section
with locally-grown fruits and vegetables. A
variety of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free
ingredients and prepared foods make Staff
of Life especially appealing to shoppers with
dietary restrictions. Prices are comparable to
similar stores and the sense of community
and ambiance is priceless. 1305 Water St., near
Soquel Ave.
46
BY ARIANNA PUOPOLO
Co-Editor-in-Chief
Caroline Egan
NEW LEAF
COMMUNITY
MARKETS
This small chain of conscious, consumer-
friendly vendors has five stores in the Santa
Cruz area. The shelves of every New Leaf
market boast local produce and baked goods.
Bring your own shopping bag to earn a token
from your cashier to donate ten cents to the
local organization of your choice. Downtown:
1134 Pacific Ave., Westside: 1101 Fair Ave.,
Capitola: 1210 41st Ave, Felton: 6140 Highway
9, Boulder Creek: 13159 Highway 9.
Caroline Egan
FOOD BIN
Its proximity to UCSC makes this source
of natural food groceries and snacks readily
available to students living on campus.
Although it is not the best financial option,
this site boasts local produce and baked goods
as well as items available in bulk. Shelves are
loaded with everyday food products. This
rather small locale packs in the punch with
its closeness to campus. Sister vendor the
Herb Room shares the lot with Food Bin
and provides easy, earth-friendly access to
bulk personal hygiene products as well as
homeopathic health supplements.
1130 Mission St.
www.cityonahillpress.com

Andrew Allio
SHOPPER’S
CORNER
Another Santa Cruz landmark, Shopper’s
Corner embodies the essence of this city’s love
for locally produced and sustainably nourishing
food. With a store inventory including interna-
tional foods, organic produce and an old-style
butcher’s counter, Shopper’s Corner can meet
all of your local shopping needs. 622 Soquel
Ave., on the corner of Branciforte Drive.
Primer 2010: A City on a Hill Press Publication
Caroline Egan
Andrew Allio
TRADER JOE’S
This national food chain caters to
economically-minded shoppers looking for
household staples, sweets, treats, deli meats
and cheeses and international cuisine. Its
convenience and affordability make it a one-
stop-shop for any student on a budget. 700
Front St.
Guides Galore
erolaG sediuG
Caroline Egan
FARMERS’
MARKETS
Farmers’ markets provide an affordable, engaging
way for shoppers to learn a little more about where
their food comes from. Taking the time to stroll
through the aisles of one of Santa Cruz’s several
markets is a great way to people-watch, enjoy the
sun and support your local farmers.
Aptos (Cabrillo College): Outside the
city line, Santa Cruz’s neighbor city Aptos hosts
yet another farmers’ market. Poised atop the
Cabrillo College parking structure, this three-
tiered smorgasbord of locally grown and sold fruits,
vegetables, flowers, meats, eggs and prepared foods
attracts the family crowd. Locals and students
alike can indulge in earth- and body-friendly fun,
snacking on dates, sampling seasonal fruits and
shopping for a health-conscious week of eating well.
Cabrillo College, 6500 Soquel Drive.
Saturday, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Westside: Most days of the week the parking lot
and the shabby, grass-covered clearing aren’t much
to look at, but swing by on a Saturday morning and
you’ll be met with the bustling crowds of farm-
ers’ market shoppers. There are several booths of
prepared food, as well as countless local produce
vendors. Don’t forget to pay a visit to the raw choco-
late vendor (hidden in the front corner), and say
“hi” to Tony at the Santa Cruz Pasta Co. table. The
market will let you take a minute to learn about local
agriculture businesses. Western Drive and Mission St.
Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Downtown: Infamous for the drum circle
made up of local transients, you’ll never have the
same experience twice at this farmers’ market. Local
farmers and food vendors sell their wares at this
bazaar-like open market at the Cathcart and Cedar
intersection. Often frequented by students, the mid-
week downtown farmers’ market is a great venue
for socializing, snacking and shopping. Lincoln and
Cedar streets.Wednesday, 2:30 to 6:30 p.m.
47
 Going Home

emoH gnioG
PRESS PAUSE, RETURN HOME
A summer at home can feel paralyzing after the first year away

BY BLAIR STENVICK
Contributing Writer

When I first agreed to write about

my summer, I thought it would be
easy. But when I tried writing it, the
thoughts wouldn’t come, and the
blank screen stared me down with
so much intensity that I had to close
my laptop to prevent a minor anxiety
attack.
It’s not that I don’t think I’ve
changed, because I know I must
have. After a year of protesting
budget cuts and fee hikes, I’m afraid
I’ve grown more cynical, and barely
passing general education science
classes didn’t do much for my self-
esteem or boredom threshold. At
the same time, I also know that
I’ve gotten better at expressing my
opinion in a room full of strangers, as
long as those strangers don’t mind a
few pauses and some light stuttering.
I have the university to thank for
that.
There’s also the whole thing about
figuring out what I want to do with
my life. I’ve been thinking about that
issue for years, but never before have
I been pressured to make an actual
decision — like choosing a major
— that would affect my direction. I
ILLUSTRATION BY Rachel Edelstein
finally did that this past year, and the
relief and peace from that decision
comforts me to no end. ILLUSTRATION BY Rachel Edelstein
At home, my life is on pause, so
for the first part of the summer it was
difficult to remember that I’m in the remembering that permanence even where I grew up, but instead imagine I’ll probably start missing home.
process of shaping my life. I was too exists. You might think this sounds Santa Cruz, where I’ll be soon, or But it won’t be this transitory state
busy sitting on my couch in pajamas, fun, like a brain vacation, but in San Francisco or New York, where I I’ll be wanting — it’s a memory of
eating Cheerios and watching “The reality it’s a little disconcerting, like hope to be someday. (If you’ve ever a time when I belonged here that
View.” Yes, I do have a part-time not having a home. been to Sacramento, take a minute I’ll want to go back to, but that
internship that’s engaging, and I’ve Maybe it’s that I’ve been home to laugh at the idea that I’d compare time is long behind me. The truth
been enjoying spending quality time long enough, or maybe forcing it to any of those cities.) I suspect my is that everyone’s moving on to the
with old friends, and, to some extent, myself to write this article has family is probably getting tired of next stage of their lives in some
my family. But everything here and sparked something in me, but I’m sentences beginning with “In Santa way, and it wouldn’t be healthy to
now is temporary — half of my finally waking from my mental sleep Cruz…” and “When I graduate and try to deny that for too long. I don’t
belongings are packed away in the and starting to grow restless. Walking move away, I’m going to…” think I’ll spend an entire summer in
garage, waiting to  return to Santa down the streets of Sacramento, my What’s funny is that about a Sacramento again. Reality suits me
Cruz — so I had a difficult time hometown, I don’t see the place month after I’m back in Santa Cruz, better.

Primer 2010: A City on a Hill Press Publication 49

 Going Home

emoH gnioG
WHERE THE HEART IS
BY ASA HESS-MATSUMOTO
Contributing Writer

I didn’t really come to notice attention more than I do. More

how strongly college had affected often than not, I found myself just
me until I returned home. My per- killing time (in the case of sum-
sonality, my body and everything mer, temporal genocide).
that was distinctly “me” did not so But all the fun things I had
much change as it did adapt. These liked to do back in high school are
adaptations had been subtle until tired and sad now. The mini-golf
brought under the stark light of course had one less hole from poor
home. maintenance, the roads past the
I went home, expecting noth- wineries were worn and cracked,
ing to have changed — my high and the old sports field had knee-
school would still be there, the length grass.
same friends would be around to As for my family, my college
call up, same roads to drive with experience has taught me that I
the same sights to see. am more like my father than I’d
And in a lot of ways home was care to admit. It’s odd to find that
precisely that. Many of my friends
who had gone to the local junior
college still lived in town with
their parents. Our catching-up
I rarely talk to the man when I’m
at home, yet find quite a few like-
nesses of him in myself at college.
I could be just another head-
POPPING THE BUBBLE
conversations had a sameness to case for the Freuds in the psych BY MELISSA JANSON On my own in the dorms, I
them. department, but I find my little Contributing Writer began to understand the value of
But there wasn’t a lot to talk phenomenon quite quaint. time spent with loved ones.
about once we’d brought each “Home” will always be here I never realized how much I I am naturally, irreversibly dis-
other up to speed. for me. But halfway through my would miss home-cooked meals tancing myself from my home as I
There were still kids tethered to college education, I find there and my mother’s good-intentioned grow and progress through college.
the routine of class bells and lunch are things I want to take care of nagging during my first quarter in I know that the time I spend at
breaks who would pause to call before deciding where the next Santa Cruz. After graduating from home now is precious and limited.
out my name as I passed by. place I call home will be. If home high school, I found myself devot- Returning home, after a year
To be fair, it’s not like there was is where the heart is, then by all ing less time to family as I longed away, I worried about how the dis-
anything terribly new that could means, for now, I’m making mine for the freedom that college would tance and time away would impact
happen in my small town over a UCSC. bring. Constantly rushing off to my relationships with my closest
year’s time. spend the majority of my summer friends back at home. Would we
However, roaming with friends before I left, change and drift apart?
“home,” as I am I never thought that I’d reminisce But the distance has actually
increasingly be- about the days spent with Mom strengthened our bond. It’s as
grudged to call and Dad. though we picked up right where
it, was not quite Being away at school without we left off. We’ve each grown and
timeless. While my family members giving un- matured, and become busier with
I have adapted, conditional love and support was greater responsibilities, yet I feel
home has also initially shocking. that now we laugh together harder
changed. There “Wow,” I thought to myself. “I than we ever have before.
are new build- really am on my own.” Back in the L.A. area, it’s
ings, new paved I began to realize how much I also nice to get a taste of the big
roads and sev- truly appreciated a warm embrace, city again. I enjoy the hustle and
eral people who an encouraging smile or some wise bustle and the stress of the hectic
have changed words of advice from the family. freeways and bustling intersec-
residences or At UCSC, I can’t walk five feet tions. It’s energizing watching
moved out of down the hall to my sister’s bed- the constant flow of hundreds of
town altogether. room door. Even though her voice people coming and going.
Of my few was just a phone call away, during Yet, having lived in Santa Cruz
friends who my first year at school I sometimes for nine months, I learned to ap-
remained in felt like we lived a million miles preciate the humble, laidback vibe
town, most have apart. of a small town. Simple and
new friends or Ever since I returned home,
relationships I’ve done my best to cherish every
Continued on p. 53
that need their moment I have with my family.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY Rachel Edelstein

Primer 2010: A City on a Hill Press Publication 51

 POPPING THE BUBBLE
Continued from p. 51
down-to-earth, Santa Cruz is some-
where I can slow down and take a deep
breath. Life is slower-paced here and the
meadows and ocean views on campus
allow me to experience a sense of peace
and serenity I had never known before.
It’s a nice change. I enjoy taking the
time out of my day in Santa Cruz to ad-
mire the flowers on the way to class and
breathe in fresh air, instead of L.A. smog.
UCSC has also changed the way I
see the world. My high school years of
learning lacked lessons that I could relate
to everyday life. I see how the major-
ity of my time was spent preparing for
standardized and Advanced Placement
tests. Having attended Santa Cruz for a
year, I feel that my “real” education has
finally begun.
My social science professors have
exposed me to a new world of informa-
tion, opening my eyes to the injustices
of racism, class inequalities and lack of
opportunity. They have challenged me to
question things that I might have never
thought about before.
In my suburban neighborhood, these
problems were out of sight, out of mind,
never really confronted or acknowledged.
I live in a secluded bubble, far away from
uncomfortable issues.
Primer 2010: A City on a Hill Press Publication
Rarely ever before college did I have
discussions about the rights of im-
migrants or the challenges people with
mental illnesses face.
The bubble that once enveloped my
mind has finally popped.
I am exposing myself to a whole new
way of thinking and level of awareness.
After being at Santa Cruz for a year, I
experienced a newfound sense of em-
powerment and motivation.
I can feel myself becoming increas-
ingly driven to make a change in the
world and to fight for social justice with
the support of my powerful peers and
wise professors. I have become even
more open-minded and liberal while
learning about myself in relation to the
world.
While being away, I’ve learned to
truly appreciate some of the people that
I love most in life and I am grateful
that Santa Cruz has changed my way of
thinking.
I’m looking forward to returning in
the fall to the positive environment of
this laidback college town and the people
in it that will help me further develop
into a well-rounded and conscious
person.
51
 stropS
Sports

FINDING YOUR STRIDE

Athletic community defies negative stereotypes
By Alejandro Trejo
Contributing Writer

It’s a misconception that the UC Santa Cruz isn’t a school for sports. UCSC has 12 NCAA teams, 24 sports clubs, nine
intramural leagues and more unofficial sporting events than you can count. Too often people think that instead of football games
there are protests and instead of passing around a ball we pass around bongs. Considering the fact the NCAA sports aren’t as
high-profile here as they are on other UC campuses, it’s understandable how this stereotype may have come into being.
But in fact, the UCSC campus thrives on physical activity of all kinds. Take a short trip out to the East Field on a sunny day
to see why it’s so easy to stay active on our campus — the view of the Monterey Bay is perhaps one of the best campus vistas in
the country. Couple this with the variety of sports programs the campus offers and what you get is a diversity of programs that you
won’t find elsewhere.

NCAA Division III

The various National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) Division III teams on campus do rather well,
especially considering the extremely limited budget of the
athletic department compared to other Division III schools
throughout the state and country. The latest budget for the
athletic department was $1.1 million, which is considerably
lower than the Division III average of $1.9 million. Four out
of 12 teams were nationally ranked this year, and over 20
individual awards were handed out to UCSC athletes.
One example of UCSC athletic success is the men’s tennis
team, which has been nationally ranked No. 1 nine times
since 1976. The men’s team has made 13 finals appearances
and has won five singles championships and nine doubles Illustration by Louise Leong
championships.
Not enough proof ? The swim and dive team has 53 All-
Americans and 281 combined awards, yet another example of Intramural
the campus’ history of excellence and competitiveness. The popular intramural program offers everyone on campus the opportunity
It’s not all about the NCAA-sanctioned teams here to participate in everything from flag football to inner-tube water polo.
though — there are over 20 club teams on campus including Students can sign up for intramural teams or create a new team with a group
ultimate, disc golf and fencing, to name some of the more of like-minded individuals. Sports include basketball, flag football and softball.
unique options. Championship T-shirts and bragging rights for a year are the rewards of the
champs of each league.
There are four types of leagues offered: “A,” “B,” open and co-ed. Anyone
can play in any of the leagues, but the co-ed league requires team membership to
Club sports
be 50 percent male and 50 percent female, while the open league has no gender
Club-level sports have been a part of the campus since
requirements. “A” leagues are considered more competitive, and players on “B”
1967, starting with the men’s rugby team, which was the first
leagues are more likely to be playing for fun.
team to use the banana slug as a mascot. Club teams have
The intramural program is extremely popular during the fall and spring
always been run and funded by the student players who are a
quarters, so make sure to sign up early if you decide to join, because the leagues fill
part of the program.
up quickly. Some sports are only available for two quarters, such as futsal (a type
A range of clubs and activities offer more choices to
of indoor soccer), which is offered during the rainy fall and winter quarters.
students who may prefer a little less — or a little more —
Students looking to go out and have fun in a relaxed sporting environment
physical contact, such as warrior yoga, sailing, battojutsu (a
should consider intramural leagues, which are offered fall, winter and spring.
Japanese martial art using swords), tango, salsa and tap dance.

Continued on p. 62

54 www.cityonahillpress.com

Talking Spirituality and Sports
Q&A with renowned sports psychologist Jerry Lynch
By Julia Reis
Contributing Writer
For someone who has worked with highly-
touted collegiate and professional athletes from
every sport imaginable, Jerry Lynch may be the
most inconspicuous figure at UC Santa Cruz.
His eminence and name recognition in the
realm of sports psychology earn him instant
recognition in locker rooms and playing fields
across the country, but on campus he is an
unimposing figure. Lynch doesn’t let his stature
get in the way of his day-to-day dealings with
young athletes. He responds to phone calls and
e-mail inquiries with an unbiased promptness,
whether they’re from a young basketball player
in Ann Arbor, Michigan asking for advice or
from his friend Phil Jackson, the longtime
coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Many people are surprised to hear that
UCSC has a sports psychologist in the first
place, especially considering the athletic
department’s limited budget. In fact, Lynch
has been working closely with men’s tennis
coach Bob Hansen and his athletes for the past
21 years, proving instrumental in their seven
NCAA Division III championships. He has
also assisted the women’s tennis team, as well
as both the men’s and women’s soccer teams,
and he says that he will advise any team on
campus headed by a coach who “has a vision
beyond just winning.”
In his 35-year career, Lynch has worked
with 35 national championship teams and
Primer 2010: A City on a Hill Press Publication
Sports
stropS
written 10 books, the most popular of which
is “The Way of the Champion.”
What has Lynch done to propel so many
teams to such great heights? Ironically, the
success of his teams and athletes stems from
refusing to make winning a priority. Instead
he applies a mix of Eastern thought —
Buddhism, Zen, Taoism — with Western
psychology into the philosophy that failure is
a necessary part of sports and life, especially
for champions.
City on a Hill Press: What made you decide
to go into the field of sports psychology, and
when did you embark on this as a full-time
career?
Jerry Lynch: I’ve always been a gym rat and
always loved sports and known a lot about Courtesy of Jerry Lynch
it, and it seemed natural for me to combine
my avocation with my vocation…but when I He’s a gem, and his record shows it. There’s
first got into it [in 1975], it was very simplified a lot of love in his coaching, and I reinforce
sports psychology. I would go in and teach ath- that, because it’s the key to good coaching. I’m
letes and teens mental strategies so they could not talking about romantic love — I’m talking
win, but over time I began to see the really about respect and compassion and all those
deep connection between the value of sports as wonderful qualities that enable people to really
a microcosmic classroom for life. want to work hard for you. His kids will do
CHP: Please speak to your experiences with anything for him, because he treats them like
UCSC men’s head tennis coach Bob Hansen human beings, and his success is because of a
and his players over the past two decades. lot of those things.
JL: Bob Hansen and I have become close kin-
ship friends. It’s been a wonderful experience… Continued on p. 57
55
 Sports

Interview with Jerry Lynch

Continued from p. 55
CHP: What is your approach for working with
athletes?
JL: My approach combines Eastern thought
— Buddhism, Taoism, Zen — with Western
psychology, and when I put them together you
have a mish-mash of unbelievable kinds of
thinking to help people deal with problems.
We don’t even talk about beating an opponent
or winning a national championship. We talk
about what are you going to do to deal with
your fear, how will you be more compassionate
… We practice meditation so we can quiet our
chattering mind and use that to an advantage so
we go on the courts and are at a level of playing
our best. If we do that, we’ll probably win, but if
we don’t, we’ll feel that we played our best.
CHP: What are some of the most common
reasons that athletes come to you for assistance,
and how do you solve their problems?
JL: People will come to me for many reasons.
Ostensibly, the reason usually is “I’m good, but
I choke or I fail and I don’t like to fail and I’m
in a slump”: the obvious external manifestations
of failure. [But] when an athlete is in a slump,
it’s not a physical crisis — it’s a spiritual crisis.
I’m telling them we have to look at failure as
something different from what you’ve been
looking at it as. I’m saying failure is wonderful
— it’s our teacher. Don’t run away from it, and
you’ll become better. In Chinese [they] say soft
is strong. Water is so soft, yet it wears away rock
and lights cities.
CHP: What is the philosophy behind “The Way
of the Champion”? In other words, what is the
“way of the champion?”
JL: A champion is not someone who wins the
medal, but anyone whose main goal is to do the
very best they can today to be the very best they
can be so that they can position themselves for
personal or collective victory. All people who get
stropS
crowned national champions were champions into Duke and [North] Carolina and these big
before they got crowned. programs, and it’s all about winning… Up here
CHP: Who are some well-known collegiate and at UCSC, we want to win, but it’s not all about
professional athletes that you’ve worked with winning. It’s about developing fine young men
personally? and women.
JL: [Professional golfer] Vijay Singh was a client CHP: What is the one indispensable piece of
of mine just recently. I’ve also worked with Steve advice that you would give to an athlete at any
Kerr, the former Phoenix Suns general manager level of competition?
and former Cleveland Cavaliers general manager JL: An athlete, to stay on track, to be focused and
Danny Ferry, [as well as Philadelphia 76er] Elton to compete at a high level, needs to continue to
Brand on a collegiate level. And I haven’t worked know why they love what they’re doing. If they
with Kobe [Bryant], but he read my books stay in touch with that, they’ll be able to do what
because [Los Angeles Lakers head coach] Phil they need to do in order to get what they want. I
Jackson and I are friends, and he asked me to want people to follow what they love.
send a book to Kobe. For more information about Lynch, visit his
CHP: Phil Jackson is also very much influenced website at wayofchampions.com.
by spirituality, isn’t he?
JL: Phil’s parents were both missionaries and
he was born and raised near the Dakota
Indian tribe, and hanging
up in his office he’s got all these
replicas of Native American culture.
The other thing he’s done
is he’s created a room
where the practice facility
is in El Segundo that’s
called the Warrior Room,
and what they do is the
athletes go in and meditate
before a game or practice… We
have an interesting relationship.
We don’t meet and have a beer,
because our lives are very busy, so
we communicate by e-mail, and that
seems to work, because he requests my
books and I get to see how they work
with those athletes.
CHP: What do you like about working
at UC Santa Cruz?
JL: The thing I’ve most enjoyed is that
it’s pure. It’s sport for the sake of sport,
not sport for the sake of money. You go
Illustration by Rachel Edelstein

Barrios Unidos Develops Community

Continued from p. 21

Having spent years getting to know the inmates
she works with, Irvine no longer thinks of the
men as criminals to be feared, she said.
“All the men in our class are as likely to kill a
person as anyone who’s free,” Irvine said. “I think
that most people might be scared of murderers
and might assume that it’s like an unending
pathology, that once you’re prone toward murder
you will murder again.”
Irvine explained that for most of the men
a variety of sociological and personal reasons
contributed to the murders they committed 20
or 30 years ago. Having been in prison for many
years, the inmates she works with have become
different people, people who have a very good
understanding of the consequences of their
actions, she said.
“The men we work with are equal to or more
skilled than people who are free because they are
working so hard to become free,” she said.
Irvine described her conviction that the men
she worked with — not all inmates, but those
whom she teaches — are no longer the same
people they were when they committed the
crimes that earned them life sentences years ago.
Through the prison project many of them are
given an opportunity to prove this, she said, and
to stop the cycle of violence that landed them
in prison.
“I sit in these meetings and think, ‘Why aren’t
these men on the outside?’” Irvine said. “They
should be directors of nonprofit organizations,
and they want to do that, because they’re all so
personally committed to stopping community
violence and stopping young men from being
incarcerated, so no one has to experience what
they’ve experienced.”

Primer 2010: A City on a Hill Press Publication 57


Conspiracy Theorists
Go Gaga Over Pop’s
Leading Lady
Rumors abound about artist, pop
phenomenon, and sometimes intersexual
Illuminati puppet
By Patrick Rooney
Contributing Writer
She is everywhere. Her music dominates the
radio and music videos. To quote Vanity Fair,
she is the biggest pop star in the world. But that
doesn’t even begin to cover it.
Conspiracy theories have shadowed Lady
Gaga from the very beginning of her rise to
international fame. The theories run the gamut
from the claim that the pop star has a male
alter ego with the moniker Joe Calderone to
the allegation that Lady Gaga is a follower of
Satan. The most famous of these theories is that
the star has a penis, based on blurry YouTube
videos in which there appears to be a bulge in her
underwear.
Since the rumor emerged, journalist Caitlin
Moran followed Gaga into a Berlin sex club
bathroom at the singer’s invitation and wrote
confidently that the rumor is untrue.
But a new, odder conspiracy theory is on the
rise. The Vigilant Citizen, a website devoted to
reporting the activities of an alleged secret society
which controls pop culture, has made the claim
that Lady Gaga is an “Illuminati puppet.”
The Illuminati were an 18th-century society
made up of Enlightenment-offshoot freethinkers
and were rumored to have conspiratorial and
revolutionary tendencies. They were banned by
the Duke of Bavaria, a proponent of enlightened
despotism, less than a decade after their inception,
along with all other secret societies in the region.
Nevertheless, the society is a favorite bugbear of
conspiracy theorists, much like the Masons.
“Lady Gaga incorporates in her videos, photos
and shows symbolism that refers to the Illuminati
and mind control,” said the creator of the website,
who goes only as “Vigilant,” in one of several
posts on Lady Gaga.
Vigilant describes a mid-century covert CIA
program known as “Project Monarch,” which
explored techniques of mind control. The program
was in fact investigated by Congress in 1975, and
Primer 2010: A City on a Hill Press Publication
it allegedly used drugs
and induced trauma
like electric shocks
on American citizens
to produce an effect of
brainwashing.
Lady Gaga, according
to the article, is likely
herself brainwashed by
the Illuminati, but more
importantly, “her whole persona
(whether it’s an act or not) is a
tribute to mind control, where being
vacuous, incoherent and absent minded
becomes a fashionable thing,” Vigilant said in
the post.
Alison O’Connor-Korb, a third-year classical
studies major and KZSC instructor, is amused
by the conspiracy theories, but remains skeptical.
She prefers to analyze Gaga as a musician, and
not to look too far into outlandish claims.
“I like her for various reasons,” said O’Connor-
Korb in an e-mail. “Namely for the fact that her
music is (fairly) universal. You can get a car filled
with people who have varying musical tastes, and
for some reason, Lady Gaga is common ground
between all of them. The other big reason is her
sheer gimmicky-ness hides surprising depth:
She’s a good singer and piano player who has her
heart in the right place.”
Lady Gaga is far from the first celebrity to
attract conspiracy theories. At the height of the
Beatles’ fame, the theory was that Paul McCartney
had been killed in a car accident and replaced by a
look-alike. Skeptics scrutinized album covers and
interpreted lyrics, finding mountains of so-called
evidence to support their claim. The King of Pop
himself, Michael Jackson, had numerous theories
that followed him through his troubled life and
untimely death. From the claim that he slept in a
special chamber to slow the effects of aging to the
Arts & Entertainment
tnemniatretnE & strA
Illustration by Louise Leong
lingering
questions
that still
surround
his declared
homicide, not
even death has
staved off the rumors
that follow Jackson.
Nor are conspiracy theories
limited to entertainers. It’s practically a historical
tradition for presidents to be considered the
Antichrist in certain circles, from Franklin D.
Roosevelt to Barack Obama. And today, polls
show that a solid majority of Americans believe
that President Obama’s birth certificate is a fake,
and that he is not really an American citizen.
Vigilant said Lady Gaga uses symbols to
brainwash her hordes of impressionable fans.
“You only need to look at a  couple of
Lady Gaga pictures or videos to notice that she is
constantly hiding one of her eyes,” Vigilant said
in a post.
Vigilants explains that the “All-Seeing Eye” is
an occult symbol that goes all the way to the eye
of Horus, from Egyptian mythology.
David Morales, an employee of Streetlight
Records in downtown Santa Cruz, is as skeptical
as O’Connor-Korb of both the penis and
Illuminati conspiracy theories.
“It’s not true,” Morales said. “People are bored.
They’re just trying to get a story.”
The Vigilant Citizen website contains detailed
Continued on p. 61
59
 noinipO
Opinion
Blame Goes Beyond BP
Why the energy corporation isn’t the only one at fault for the oil spill
It’s often said that good journalism is, es-
sentially, good storytelling. That’s why a news
piece is often called a story — it’s important
to report the facts accurately, but it also takes
skill to shape these facts, make sense of them
and present them in an interesting and ap-
pealing way. While turning news into stories
has proven itself to be integral to journalism,
it can also increase the risk of oversimplify-
ing events and ideas into a formulaic plot
that isn’t exactly the truth. That’s what hap-
pened this summer with the BP oil spill.
When it dawned on the American public
that the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico this
April was really more of a disastrous gusher
than it was a minor spill, and that it had
already started to ruin lives and the environ-
ment, everybody wanted
someone to blame.
Headed by
ILLUSTRATION BY RAMILLE BAGUIO
60
BY BLAIR STENVICK
Contributing Writer
outwardly unsympathetic CEO Tony Hay-
ward (who was seen relaxing on his yaught
during the peak of public outrage) and
arrogant chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg
(who called those affected by the spill “small
people”), BP presented itself as the perfect
villain in a tragic narrative. The media
latched onto and propagated this idea, and
it became the story in most people’s minds:
Although Obama should have acted more
quickly, BP deserved the lion’s share of
blame for the spill.
And it certainly does deserve blame.
After the spill, it came to light that BP’s re-
search and planning for disasters was laugh-
ably inadequate, and the company’s sluggish
and limited response felt like something
made specifically for political cartoon-
ists and late-night talk show hosts to
skewer. But to believe that the spill,
and the obscene amount of time
it took to properly fix the leak,
was entirely or even mostly
BP’s fault is a dangerous
and self-serving view for
Americans to have.
Corporations exist to
make money for their
shareholders. This
is a simple fact.
No matter how
many commercials
a company puts out
touting philanthro-
py, the company’s
bottom line is to
make money, quickly
and often. Accord-
ing to BP’s website, 39
percent of its beneficiary
shareholders in December 2009
(this includes both individu-
als and institutions) were
American. Therefore,
you could say that part
of BP’s job was to make
money for Americans.
Compare that to the
supposed first prior-
ity of any government,
especially a democratic one
such as ours. A democratic
government should protect its
citizens from infringement upon their rights,
and from disasters — disasters that could
possibly be prevented, such as the oil spill.
Looking at these two agendas side by side, it
is clear which entity holds more responsibil-
ity for damaging the lives of many Ameri-
“In the marriage between energy
giant BP and the U.S. government,
it took both sides to produce such a
monumental failure.”
cans: the government.
Through tougher regulations and stan-
dards for drilling, and more effective work
from agencies such as the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. govern-
ment could have prevented the oil spill or
at least responded to it more effectively. The
government could have demanded proof
from BP that drilling in the gulf couldn’t
produce an unmanageable spill, or at a least
required a better thought-out response plan
in case the unthinkable happened. In the
marriage between energy giant BP and the
U.S. government, it took both sides to pro-
duce such a monumental failure.
Another duty of a democratically-elected
government is to represent the people. And
what do the people want? Oil. We say we
don’t like global warming, and bringing
up high gas prices is a sure way to start a
passionate conversation. Yet collectively we
overwhelmingly choose cars over public
transit or other alternatives.
Of course, all this doesn’t mean that
we shouldn’t still hate BP for causing this
country’s worst environmental crisis ever.
But it does mean that we should remember
to spread the blame around a little more.
Give some blame to the Bush administration
(remember them?) for relaxing standards in
government. Blame Obama for not revers-
ing this attitude of complacency enough to
prevent the spill. Blame corporate interest
groups in D.C., and blame Congress for
representing their interests more than those
of their own constituents. And every time
you stop at a gas station, don’t forget to send
a little blame your way.
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Gaga Conspiracies
Continued from p. 59
analyses of Lady Gaga’s videos “Paparazzi,”
“Telephone” and “Alejandro,” which mirror
the approach taken by “Paul is dead”
theorists.
“Lady G is talking in a vaporous    and
robotic way, as if she  was lobotomized,
about a man who ‘swallowed her brain,’”
Vigilant said in an analysis of her intro tour
song “The Brain.” “If this is not about mind
control, I have no idea what it’s about.”
In her summer interview with Rolling
Stone magazine, Gaga threw fuel on the fire
by describing a recurring nightmare which
she explicitly refers to as an Illuminati
torture method.
“I have this recurring dream sometimes
where there’s a phantom in my home,” Gaga
said in the interview. “And he takes me into
a room, and there’s a blond girl with ropes
tied to all four of her limbs. And she’s got my
shoes on from the Grammys. Go figure —
psycho. And the ropes are pulling her apart.
So I looked up the dream, and I couldn’t
find anything about it anywhere.   And my
mother goes, ‘Isn’t that an Illuminati ritual?’
And I was like, ‘Oh, my God!’”
“Monster,” the song Vigilant considers
evidence of Illuminati brainwashing,
happens to be O’Connor-Korb’s very
favorite Lady Gaga song.
“I actually love all the Illuminati
conspiracies,” O’Connor-Korb said in
the e-mail. “Someone who even pushes
whatever sort of boundaries a little bit is
going to garner fame and notoriety. She’s in
the public eye, and she’s a bit different than
what we expect, so CLEARLY she has to
have a penis or be an Illuminati puppet!”
In any case, Lady Gaga’s career has been
far from harmed by the theories. Even
between new albums, Streetlight Records
sells one or two Lady Gaga CDs every
day, Morales said. The obsession with the
talented pop star continues to grow, fueled
by conspiracy theorists as well as average
young people hungry for new music, turning
Gaga into a “Fame Monster” herself.
FINDING YOUR STRIDE: SPORTS ON CAMPUS
Continued from p. 54
UCSC’s location also makes it the perfect place for seeking outdoor activity.
The forest in upper campus has trails for hiking and even mountain biking.
And don’t forget Santa Cruz’s reputation as a surf city.
Those who think that UCSC is a school filled with pot-smoking couch
potatoes are just wrong. Our campus is filled with different communities,
lifestyles and perspectives, yet sports and exercise can bring them all together.
With such diversity of physical activities on campus, there’s something out
there for everyone to participate in. Whether you’ve played since you were
62
five, or if it’s the first time you’ve stepped away from the computer in a long a
time, becoming a part of the athletic community can only benefit you and your
college experience.
Want to get involved with campus athletics? Simply look online, or check out
the OPERS offices, open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more
information, visit goslugs.com for NCAA Divsion III teams,
ucscsportsclubs.com for club teams and ucscintramurals.com for intramural sports.
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