FRESH DIRT > UCSC named second most “hipster” U.S. college
The Huffington Post recently released a list of the most “hipster” colleges in the country, and UC Santa Cruz neared the top of the list at number two, coming in just behind Grinnell College in Iowa.
“Hipsters, scenesters, whatever you call them—they’re abundant in Santa Cruz,” said the website. “They’re riding their fixed gears on campus. They’re studying at Caffe Pergolesi. They’re even surfing!”
A true hipster is never self-identified, but two individuals whom HuffPo would probably classify as such gave their opinion on UCSC’s rank while—what else?—hanging out at Perg’s.
“I think hipster has become, ironically, the popular culture at Santa Cruz, because it’s become the social norm to not conform,” says Brittney Bevalaqua, a senior from UCSC’s Stevenson College. “Santa Cruz is this school where it’s really eclectic, from hippies to intellectuals, who all coexist harmoniously.”
Jacqueline Brandabur, a junior who also hails from Stevenson, adds, “Definitely with our friend group … I’m sure there are a few people who would call us hipsters. It’s a big source of humor for us.”
The pair recalled some especially hipster-esque experiences, such as when they came to Caffe Pergolesi to study on Labor Day and told an employee they were glad it was open. He responded by telling them “holidays are really mainstream.”
Apparently listening to music is also too mainstream, as Bevalaqua and Brandabur met people once who claimed to only make their own music, and refrained from listening to anything else.
Overall, Bevalaqua says she’s glad she goes to a school that’s a little offbeat.
“Honestly, I think it’s refreshing,” she says. “I’d rather have the Santa Cruz mentality of [a] hipster and going against the grain and being odd rather than having the mentality at UCLA, where it’s all money, all name brands, and that’s who you are.”
At this, she pauses for a moment to reflect on what she had just said.
“Oh my God, I’m such a hipster!”
PHOTO: Jacqueline Brandabur (left) and Brittney Bevalaqua (right) pictured at Caffe Pergolesi. Photo by Blair Stenvick.
