<p>after kewkiekid's post, I've been surfing a bit to determine whether the lack of a central meeting place is urban legend (or dare I say hidden controversy). I still haven't found an answer, but did come across this interesting article on UCSC LTP (LongTermPlanning) <a href="http://www.priven.com/aaron/writings/suapaper.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.priven.com/aaron/writings/suapaper.html</a></p>
<p>how are the athletic facilities at ucsc? does it cost extra or is it included in tuition? what kind of things do they have? a buncha weights? punching bags?</p>
<p>I've never really used the facilities, sad to say, though I've heard great things about them and always see students coming on the bus from the center, so I can tell it's in good use.</p>
<p>We actually have really nice facilities considering we are a Div III school. :P There's an ID check on the main entrance, and I got in fine, so I assume it's covered in student fees. You can rent a locker for an extra fee, too. There are also a few programs that may cost a nominal fee, but it's very much worth whatever it is (and I'm talking like special classes, the kind that come in the catalogues every quarter -- juggling, kayaking and the like). </p>
<p>Go here for more info: <a href="http://www2.ucsc.edu/opers/%5B/url%5D">http://www2.ucsc.edu/opers/</a></p>
<p>
[quote]
how are the athletic facilities at ucsc? does it cost extra or is it included in tuition? what kind of things do they have? a buncha weights? punching bags?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>The wellness center (gym facilities) are includied in the fees, you don't pay extra for it, they charge you whether you use it or not. there are free weights and machines in the gym. outside is a pool, tennis courts, LARGE field (soccer, rugby, ultimate frisbee are big), and a half mile track. there's also basketball courts and raquetball courts. there may be more, but i can't think of them right now. there are a lot of classes as well, especially martial arts.</p>
<p>avoidingwork - i'll try to find a site with info, i can't seem to right now. but there's a new LRDP (long range development plan) at ucsc right now and there's a LOT of fighting over it. basically the regents want to double the size of the campus in the next 20 years and no one is happy about it. our campus cannot sustain that kind of student body, nor can the town.</p>
<p>What percentage of the school is made up of middle of the road students? What percentage of the students smoke pot? How many students participate in intramural sports?</p>
<p>In case anyone's interested, UCSC's average accepted Fall 2005 stats were:
3.68 UC GPA
1198 SAT I and 593 SAT II Writing (or new SAT score = 1791)
598 SAT II Math</p>
<p>dstark- There are a wide range of students at UCSC. I believe some of the people I meet are not serious about their academics. On the other hand, I meet a ton of extremely hardworking and dedicated students who really thrive at UCSC. Many students smoke pot but I don't think that this should detract from anyones opiniuon of the campus. There are probably more people here who enjoy marijuana than those who would prefer to drink alcohol.</p>
<p>In regards to the athletics/recreation facility, It is gorgeous. The track has a view of the entire Monterey bay and there are numerous facilities freely open to students. There are also adventure outings for a nominal fee that students may participate in such as rafting, hiking, backpacking, etc. Santa Cruz's proximity to
wilderness is really an asset to the students.</p>
<p>today i found out that the santa cruz area has one of the highest concentrations of white supremecist groups... whats up with this?</p>
<p>First of all, I have experienced nothing in Santa Cruz to make me feel that minorities would ever be unaccepted or persecuted here. Also, It is quite arrogant to post something like that without citing where you found the information, or even if the information is credible. Percentage wise, we all know a little about statistics. Santa Cruz is a small place so say, even if there were one or two lame white supremacist orgs. in Santa Cruz county, that could be a "large percentage" of groups. Santa Cruz proper is a small area compared to the county. I am from San Diego (near downtown) and I suppose I could say that there are a ton of white supremacists in San Diego county. If I said this, I would be including the far flung eastern region of San Diego county which is known for white supremacists. There beliefs never infringe on anything I, or anyone else I know does around the San Diego Bay. This (if at all) is how Santa Cruz could be. I would like to know where you got your information.</p>
<p>sorry for being so arrogant :rolleyes:</p>
<p>it was mentioned by a guest speaker today in health, she said that being in the SF bay area, people here are more open to gay, "but if you go an hour south to a play like santa cruz, there is a large white supremicist following. thats something most people dont know. in a place like santa cruz a gay person may not feel as comfortable with coming out."</p>
<p>I'm sorry, perhaps arrogant was not an appropriate word. Santa Cruz prides itself on being progressive and very liberal. There is an almost overwhelming sense of tolerance and acceptance here and I know that there is a significant queer community. We had a college night dinner with a "queer awareness" theme a few weeks ago.</p>
<p>i took a tour of the campus the other day. it doesn't seem to have a anti-queer atmosphere at all. i saw a lot of posters about gay, lesbian, bi, etc activities like a fashion show and some dance. the tour guide pointed out some center nestled among the trees and mentioned that there were other places in the different colleges. i would think a white supremacist would have the harder time "comming out" with their views.</p>
<p>anyhow, i loved the campus. it was better than i imagined. can't wait till i go back as a student. there's so much more i want check out. :)</p>
<p>when i visited i saw a flier on the bus stop flier walls things that said UCSC had a magic mushroom club... soweet</p>
<p>Santa Cruz is tolerant to the point of excess. I'm guessing that SF person just had no clue what they were talking about (or else they were thinking maybe Gilory or Monterey). :P</p>
<p>There are, of course, a fair share of people who probably hold the views the speaker said they do, but to say that there's a "large white supremicist following" is to go a little on the fringe. If it does exist, I'd be willing to side with Mr. Goose on saying that it would be on one of the far sides of the county. The university and the city (which is where you will spend most, if not all of your time) definitely aren't like that.</p>
<p>I think it would be great if anyone reading this thread who currently attends UCSC could provide their opinions and input. Obviously, every student here has their own feelings about this school.</p>
<p>Just... opinions? Because that would be a very long post indeed. I know that when I had specific questions from people considering UCSC to answer, I wrote PAGES of information for them (including a few PMs for one stint). </p>
<p>Maybe we should compile a FAQ for UCSC and go from there. ;)</p>
<p>Yes, you may be right. One thing I am sure many are curious about is life at each individual college. I would like to know more about this myself. Stereotypes aside, if anyone has a first hand account of living at one of UCSC's ten colleges, I would love to hear from them. If anyone would like, I can tell you about life at Stevenson.</p>
<p>I can talk about life at Porter. We have the stereotype of crazy/druggie/wild/hippies etc. That's not all true, I promise.</p>
<p>Does anyone know about the econ program @ UCSC? Also, how's the surrounding area of Santa Cruz? Anything else besides surfing, boardwalk, and downtown?</p>
<p>I meet a lot of economics majors. You can surf to the UCSC economics dept.'s website and there you'll find the various econ. major infromation. I know there is a regular economics major, one with an environmental concentration, and even a biological concentration. If you are a nature priented person, there is plenty to do in Santa Cruz. A lot of good shows come through Santa Cruz as well. You migh ask yourself, "What is there to do in any city?" No city is fun unless you put in some effort. I have found a lot to do here.</p>