Only at UCSC
At many schools, getting to class means walking across flat ground. At UCSC, it usually means surviving this terrain feature.
What are the hills?
These unofficial rope hangouts tied between trees turned random parts of campus into hidden chill spots.
What are the tree nets?
This street downtown is known for shopping, food, and student outings.
What is Pacific Avenue?
This actress and comedian from SNL and Bridesmaids graduated from UCSC.
Maya Rudolph
What year did UCSC open its doors?
What is 1965?
This unofficial campus tradition involves students running through campus with significantly less clothing than recommended.
What is the Naked Run?
Who made the Porter Squiggle?
Who is Kenny Farrell?
This Santa Cruz state park is a side quest because it has coastal trails, old ranch buildings, and views that make the walk actually worth it.
What is Wilder Ranch?
This Jordan Peele movie has a strong Santa Cruz connection because key scenes were filmed at local landmarks like the Boardwalk.
What is Us?
Before the Banana Slug officially won, students had to fight off this rival mascot in the 1980s
What is the Sea Lion?
This is a common location that hosts forest raves
What is Tree 9?
This location is where students gather and "relax" on a very special day in April.
What is the Porter Meadows?
This Santa Cruz beach is known for its natural rock arch, tide pools, and monarch butterflies.
What is Natural Bridges?
UCSC has a real claim to influence in this field, where its researchers helped push forward the sequencing of the human genome.
What is Human Genome Project?
At this college is where the famous "First Rain" began.
What is Porter College?
This hidden spot in the woods near C9 is known for the tradition of leaving something behind before you leave.
Buddha Shrine
This dark piece of Santa Cruz history still gets brought up whenever people talk about the area’s creepiest connection to UCSC.
Who is Ed Kemper?
This famous highway is known for its sharp turns and quick elevation changes.
This UCSC support program for students from disadvantaged backgrounds was the first of its kind in the UC system and later became a model for the other campuses.
What is the Smith Society?
When this school was founded in 1997, it became UCSC’s first professional school.
What is the Baskin School of Engineering?
This hidden underground spot became one of UCSC’s most talked-about legends, even for students who have never seen it themselves.
What is the Porter Caves
Legend says this eerie campus-area spot is haunted by a woman known as Lily.
What is Haunted Meadows?
If your ideal side quest is driving north on Highway 1 just to stop at dramatic bluffs and hidden beaches, this small town is probably part of the plan.
What is Davenport?
This UCSC alum helped found both The Huffington Post and BuzzFeed.
Who is Jonah Peretti?
For a long time, UCSC was known for this unusual academic system where students got written feedback instead of relying only on traditional letter grades.
What are narrative evaluations?