<p>Okay so I have family in California (I live out-of-state) and colleges were brought up a lot. And each time someone mentioned Berkeley someone would always said it was a hippie school. This happened more than one time by the way. So about a week later when I got home I googled it and it is a hippie school! I asked why they labeled it that and why it is a hippie school and they just said “it just is and it’s always been one”.</p>
<p>Can someone please explain to me how it got labeled a hippie school?</p>
<p>Sorry if this is a dumb topic, but I’m kind of curious to know…</p>
<p>the town of berkeley is very liberal and hippie-ish. there are lots of tattoo shops, smoke shops, street vendors,etc. on any given day you can probably find some sort of protest going on either on campus or in town. i live near about 10min away and its just a very laidback place to hang out and shop. just walking down telegraph, you'll see a lot of interesting people. its not an uptight, typical college town.</p>
<p>If you google up San Francisco, you'll probably end up with a "hippie" city, ergo... Berkeley's average student tends to be liberal, but, as with all big schools, if you're conservative, you'll find your own niche. The largest political group on campus is supposedly the Republicans. Don't let that label bother you if its concerning college choice.</p>
<p>I'm from SF and i know tons of people that go to berkeley. I went there and it pretty cool and the hobos are nice so yea... The food is pretty good. Now, i feel like a top dog. Lol, I'm liberal but just about everyone i know is democrat like myself. I think i enjoy the whole accepting and helping everyone nature. I think being too liberal bad but then my friend ( who i really good friends with) he conservative so you'll find all sort of people and he want to imprison all the stupid people who is like everyone below 3.5 just about. I think the hippie school thing is just cause of the history but mostly a really good school that very competitive.</p>
<p>UC Berkeley gained its status as hippie haven during the 1960's. It became a nexus for drugs, flower children and anti-Viet Nam War protests. Since those days the university has somehow managed to retain this hippie element.</p>
<p>Well, obviously not many of you except for TheLegend & kctv have visited Berkeley *recently," if ever. Yes, there are vestiges of hippiedom, but most of what's left in that regard is tokenism. Telegraph Avenue has changed markedly -- not just the folks on it, but the stores as well, for the most part. The latest "demonstration" was over the oak grove and the stadium, just this week; it was tiny. The once-flower children have mostly gone mainstream, left for other parts. Right now there's probably more activism on east coast campuses, & probably way more drugs in private colleges north, east, & south of Berkeley.</p>
<p>Also, the student body itself is now way more 'conservative' in the sense of conventional, than in the late '60's.</p>
<p>As for dirt, the 2 dirtiest locations I know of right now are: (1) San Francisco (except for about 4 neighborhoods). I'm a native, so I'm not flaming. (2) Lower Manhattan.</p>
<p>Epiphany said:
"Well, obviously not many of you except for TheLegend & kctv have visited Berkeley *recently," if ever."</p>
<p>Five family members attended Berkeley. My best friend and maid of honor in my wedding attended Berkeley.....</p>
<p>Epiphany said:
"Yes, there are vestiges of hippiedom"</p>
<p>How is this different from:
"the university has somehow managed to retain this hippie element."
I didn't say that all of Berkeley was filled with hippies, I said there was still a hippie element that remains there.</p>
<p>Well, we're up to 7 or 8 family members.;) -- spanning extremely pre-hippiedom to the inclusive period & beyond...</p>
<p>The vestiges of hippiedom have all but vanished, unless one is actually looking for them. (Same for The Haight, in the City.) I actually wouldn't characterize the remaining vendors on The Av as even vestiges, myself, but that's fine if you wish to use that word. Vaguely street people, possibly, but not hippies. (Street merchants in tie-dye shirts don't qualify, imho.)</p>
<p>That's fine: it's artificial for more modern people to try to recreate A Time. Movements & the people making them colorful are events & periods unto themselves, produced from unique circumstances generally not repeated. However, I'm thrilled to see a genuine interest in music of the time, by current youth. Enjoy having many conversations about this with people aged 16 to 25.:)</p>
<p>While the football game was on this weekend, redemption was great, a bunch of tree huggers were living in trees to prevent cal from cutting them down. Cal planted these trees 80 years ago, and they are right next to the football stadium. Only in Berkeley.</p>
<p>^^ Indeed. :) (However, in true Hippie Days, the demonstration would have been much larger -- a la People's Park....and unfortunately, possibly with some violent results as well, just as then.)</p>
<p>The city of Berkeley is still "hippie-ish" but the university itself isn't - at all. It's a pretty normal university, at least compared to the 60s and 70s.</p>
<p>Politics wise? Like any other top college, most students are liberal, but there is a large and influential College Republican movement.</p>