Is there a world to come UCSC?

History and context

Most of us know the university of California, Santa Cruz was first constructed in 1965, but what about before that? Before 1965, the land was occupied by a limestone manufacturing complex. Plenty of these structures are still here, such as the blacksmithing station and some barns you might see on the outskirts of campus. This quarry was in commission during the gold rush until 1920. But what about before that?

Before the limestone quarry and the farms, spanish colonizers built a vineyard over the Great Meadow. In order to do so they had to cut down parts of the forest, much like the UC Regents who would construct our campus decades later.

Finally, we reach the origin. The Awaswas-speaking Uypi Tribe were here first and foremost, making it an important part of our campus history. The UC has a land acknowledgment that recognizes the history of the campus and it's origin that is sometimes mentioned in lectures by professors.

The campus now includes almost 20 thousand students, many of which are facing housing or food crisis'.

- Environmental Impact -

Along with the historical impact of UCSC, there is also the environmental aspect! The construction of the campus meant cutting down tons of redwood forest, disrupting animal habitats and floral ecosystems. Not much can be done at this point of course, however it is important to keep this in mind when we think of adding more housing to campus.

On one hand, we have a housing crisis, on the other, more on campus housing would mean deforestation and more ecological disruption. It is a lose-lose situation that we cannot do anything about other than be aware.