California is home to many higher education institutions. A 2022 Statista report indicates that it had 384 institutions in 2021, the most of any state that year. California also has the most college students, with 2,637,722 enrolled in 2022. This is mainly attributed to the number of universities in the state and the high-quality education they offer. Given this, high school seniors and soon-to-be university students may be attracted to studying in California. Still, they must first decide what type of institution to attend and which one. To this end, this article lists the top private universities and colleges, state universities, universities of California, and community colleges to consider. Private…
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Everyone is a Winner When Kids Have the Supplies They Need to Start School
There’s nothing better for kids than the first day of school. It’s like the first day of the baseball season: everybody’s a winner. They’ve got the shiny new backpack, be it Spiderman, Roblox or Barbie (probably not Oppenheimer). There are the fresh new pencils, crayons, notebooks, book covers. And there are endless possibilities. They strut into the classroom that first day so proud and colorful. But what if your kid can’t afford all that new stuff? How would that feel? It’s too sad to even think about. Luckily, people in Santa Cruz have taken up the challenge to help the 2,000 or so students who are unhoused or living in…
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Santa Cruz Turns Out to Stuff the Bus
When word got out that hundreds—no, thousands—of students didn’t have the money for school supplies, Santa Cruz residents, businesses and charity groups got in gear. They came up with a program called “Stuff the Bus,” which literally filled a giant yellow school bus with backpacks stuffed with the needed supplies, including pens, pencils, notebooks, crayons, erasers, glue, highlighters, staplers and index cards. The good news is that the project has gathered some 2,000 backpacks so far. The bad news is that so many kids truly need them and they are struggling through homelessness and poverty. Among the groups sponsoring the program, which got going some 14 years ago, are United…
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Ramifications of Affirmative Action Ban in College
Who benefits from Affirmative Action? Affirmative action policies were designed to address historical and ongoing inequalities by providing preferential opportunities to Black and Hispanic students that have been marginalized or disadvantaged. These policies were aimed to promote diversity, inclusion, and equal representation in education. Who is targeted by Affirmative Action? Critics of affirmative action argue that it is unfair to Asians and Whites who may be denied admission to as a result of these policies. They believe that affirmative action can result in reverse discrimination by favoring individuals based on their race or gender, rather than their individual merit. It undermines the principles of fairness and equality; students should be…
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Something You Never Get Over
In early July, I interviewed Dr. Gail Newel, who was retiring from her position as County Health Officer, about her career. We talked about how Santa Cruz had just logged its first official death from “tranq,” an animal sedative called Xylazine that is extremely dangerous for humans. I knew we’d talk about the opioid epidemic and I suspected what she would say about the causes. But one statement she made brought me up short: Santa Cruz has a bigger problem than most counties in the state and it stems in part from our local culture. “We have a pretty active glorification of drug culture [in Santa Cruz],” Newel said. “I’m…
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Mama Bear Self Care Back to School
It’s that time of year when we are hitting the stores to get our kids school supplies and enjoy the last few weeks of summer. This is also the time when we may feel a bit sad that the summer is coming to an end as we’ve just been getting into the flow of the non-scheduled routines. Or maybe you are reading this so excited to get back to your kids’ school routine – either way, there is a transition coming up and I want to share a big tip on preparing for this change as a parent to keep it smooth for our kids. Everyone talks about the village…
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Time to Celebrate Breastfeeding
It’s clear that working parents are more successful with their breast/chestfeeding goals when they are given adequate support. Pressures to get back to earning a paycheck often compete with the ability to get breastfeeding firmly established Not enough parents qualify for paid maternity leave, with some back to work even before the typical six weeks given by state disability. While there are supportive employers out there, many workplaces ignore the needs of their breastfeeding employees, making pumping and storing milk at work difficult. While the California Breastfeeding Coalition works with parents who feel their employers are ignoring state and federal guidelines for lactation support at work, not every parent is…
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At 93, Owen Hand is the Golden Conqueror of the Courts
Owen Hand, 93 years young, steps off the court victorious. He’s just won three sets of tennis against competitors 30 years his junior. Celebrated by a chorus of congratulatory calls from players and friends across the Tennis Club of Rio Del Mar’s courts, Owen bashfully jests to me how his on court running really isn’t quite what it used to be. Born on July 4th, 1930, Owen always had athleticism coursing through his veins. “I was always the first kid playing at the park and the last kid to go home… I played any sport I could but baseball was really my thing.” His passion and skill for baseball lured…
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Riding High in Rough Seas
Bianca Dootson is a 22 year old full-time student and professional longboarder who, despite her relatively short time on the waves, is swiftly riding her board to competitive heights. Unlike many of her peers who were surfing since infancy, Bianca didn’t come from a surfing family. Despite growing up around the ocean in Monterey and Santa Cruz, she only discovered her love for the sport at eleven years old, after taking a lesson while on vacation in Hawaii. “Generally, if your parents are surfers, you start surfing before you can even walk. I started a lot later than a lot of the kids… So I surfed twice as much and…
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Coloring Contest Winners
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Coloring Contest
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Best of 2023
We asked you to share your favorite places to take your kids and places you enjoy as a family. We wanted to know what businesses you consider the Best in Santa Cruz, and man, did you ever respond! Thanks to everyone who answered our survey. Camps Day Camps Kennolyn Day Camps kennolyncamps.com Runners up Henry Cowell Girl Scout Day Camp Farm Discovery at Live Oak Residential Camp Kennolyn kennolyncamps.com Runners up Mount Hermon Mission Springs Dining Bakery Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria 504 Bay Avenue, Capitola 831.462.1200 gaylesbakery.com/ Runners up Companion Bakeshop The Buttery Coffee Shop Verve Coffee Vervecoffee.com 4 Santa Cruz locations Runners up Lula Carpenter’s Cat & Cloud Breakfast…
