By Russ Megowan Crack! cries the firewhip as it unleashes a massive plume of fire and smoke into the air. The crowd goes wild. Crack! Another fiery plume rises into the air, leaving a smoky trail lingering in its wake. For many, fire dancing is a novel party trick that appears at a range of [...]

By Marie Haka It included an evening-gown competition, a question and answer panel about ancient traditions, a talent contest and … sheep butchering? All are part of the annual Miss Navajo competition held in the Navajo Nation, which is located in the four corners region of the American Southwest. The event combines aspects of mainstream [...]

By Any girl who has walked down Pacific Ave. on a Friday night knows something about catcalls. Chances are she also knows a thing or two about how to ignore them. What isn’t so easy to ignore, however, is the brutal response from a neglected cat-caller. Take, for example, a scene I witnessed this past [...]

By Elizabeth Limbach Founded in 2006, QQPoC is a crossroads of people with diverse cultures and genders that connect to offer support, open dialogues and take action. Unlike registered UCSC student organizations, the QQPoC is a workgroup composed of students, staff and faculty and is made possible through the collaborative efforts of four UCSC Ethnic [...]

By Edith Yang The Kinetics Poetics Project, an annual spoken word festival at UC Santa Cruz, will take place Feb. 3 through 7 in the Porter dining hall. There will be six featured artists performing at the festival this year, as well as a workshop and open mic on the last day. Jack Rusk, co-producer [...]

By Rod Bastanmehr As the lights dim, and audience members settle into their seats Feb. 1 and 2, attendees of Acquire’s “Disneymania” may find themselves overcome by a range of emotions. There is sure to be the obligatory shock and awe at the sheer magnitude of the voices coming from onstage. It’s almost certain that [...]

By Nick Winnie Hollywood, it seems, has been turned on its head. Ever since the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike, both the town and its television and film industries have hardly resembled their usual selves. The studios’ normally bustling, chaotic sets became eerily calm and quiet when the strike halted production on [...]

By Russ Megowan What do a flamethrower, glow-in-the-dark sneakers and a giant labyrinth have in common? They are all housed at the Museum of Art and History on Front Street as part of the exhibit “Close to the Flame: In the Spirit of Burning Man.” The exhibit, which runs through Feb. 3 at the Solari [...]

By Cyrus Gutnick They stand on the court, ready, like warriors prepared for battle, on edge, balanced on the balls of their feet. They wield a racquet in one hand and the other is held up, palm facing the opponent, a stance that keeps them ready for anything that comes their way. For a sport [...]

By Nicole Ramsey Just as the UC Santa Cruz Cycling Club gets ready for another season, the rain puts a damper on high early season spirits. Despite the fact that the races continue on, rain or shine, the Slugs are finding it difficult to ride in the face of the storm. “It’s not a lot [...]