• September 2023

    A Brave Space for All

    By Sion Erkiletian, Juniper, and Daphne The Queer, Trans & Allied Student Summit of the Central Coast has a special place in my heart because of how much fun I had when I attended last year. It was a very powerful experience, and I made lifelong friends that will forever be in my heart. When I first got to the summit, I was immediately given a warm welcome by friendly attendees, kind volunteers, and I realized I wasn’t alone. I observed delighted youth from different counties participating in activities, and it felt impactful to be in a space so unapologetically queer. My name is Sion Erkiletian, and I am a…

  • June 2023

    Elemental Tree Network Offers Natural Help for Trees

    Over 300 years have passed since California first felt the effects of colonization, but a key victim’s story is still unsung. Siena King, 32, and Sprout Weinberger, 26, are tree specialists tending to Santa Cruz and the greater Bay Area with one thing on their mind: restoration. Siena and Sprout founded Elemental Tree Network, a queer women-owned company, in 2021 inspired by regenerative action and traditional ecological knowledge. Sprout, a soil scientist, oak specialist and arborist was born and raised in Malibu. She moved to Santa Cruz to study Biology and Horticulture at Cabrillo which led her to Santa Cruz Permaculture Program in 2018, where she met Siena: her partner…

  • March 2023

    Addressing Period Poverty and Menstruation Stigma

    Period poverty is defined as the struggle those who have a menstrual cycle face while trying to afford menstrual products. Despite not being able to control a menstrual cycle, those who have one are still left to purchase products that some cannot afford. I believe that menstrual products should be an approved item to purchase using government subsidies or covered through medical insurance. To help alleviate this problem for our local community, I have started a school club called “That’s on Period Project.” That’s on Period Project’s goals are to raise awareness about the stigmas surrounding menstruation, to raise money to purchase period products and to organize period product drives.…

  • January 2023

    Transitioning from High School to College

    In the media college is portrayed as the golden years of youth, celebrated as the best time in one’s life. Coming into college there are so many expectations, it’s a burning fire of both excitement and anxiety. For years I dreamed of the college application process, opening my letter to my dream school, UCLA, and starting out on the best four years of my life. I got that far, Now with the first quarter complete it’s still the hardest transition I’ve ever had. Although things are definitely not what my senior self expected, I’m slowly figuring it all out. Within the first few weeks of college everything that I once…