• The Very Persistent Slug – AA/PI/SWANA Year-End Ceremony

    Merrill Cultural Center 200 McLaughlin Dr, Santa Cruz, CA

    Save the date and join the Asian American/Pacific Islander Resource Center (AA/PIRC) on Friday, June 5th from 6-9:30pm at the Merrill Cultural Center! Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with our ceremony beginning at 6 p.m. Come celebrate the graduating students who have contributed to the Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Southwest Asian & North African (AA/PI/SWANA) community at UCSC. […]

  • Changemakers with Dr. Cornel West

    Merrill Cultural Center 200 McLaughlin Dr, Santa Cruz, CA

    We are engaging education and we are honored to host Dr Cornell West as a Keynote speaker for this year’s Changemakers: Resisting Hopelessness, Shaping Our Future Through Love! This event will take […]

    Free
  • The Helene Moglen Lecture in Feminism and Humanities: Donna Haraway

    Merrill Cultural Center 200 McLaughlin Dr, Santa Cruz, CA

    Donna Haraway, “Staying with the Trouble for Still Possible Times” Wednesday May 20, 2026, 5:30 p.m. There will be refreshments from 5– 5:30 p.m., the talk at 5:30 – 7 p.m., and a reception at the very end. Merrill Cultural Center In-person only The sky has not fallen – yet. In troubled times, this lecture […]

  • Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed

    Merrill Cultural Center 200 McLaughlin Dr, Santa Cruz, CA

    Please join us as Quinn Slobodian & Ben Tarnoff discuss their new book, Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed (April, 2026). A Financial Times Most Anticipated Nonfiction Book of the Year • A Kirkus Most Anticipated Nonfiction Book of Spring 2026• A Literary Hub Most Anticipated Book of the Year A pyrotechnic examination of Elon Musk as a symptom and avatar […]

    Free – Registration link below
  • The Power of One: A Celebration of Earth Day at UC Santa Cruz

    Merrill Cultural Center 200 McLaughlin Dr, Santa Cruz, CA

    In honor of Earth Day, The Power of One brings together the campus and the community for a unique blend of film, dialogue, and environmental stewardship. The program begins Friday evening with a special campus screening of The Power of One documentary and a panel discussion featuring filmmakers Alex Valdez and Pablo De la Fuente. They will explore […]

  • Nowruz

    Merrill Cultural Center 200 McLaughlin Dr, Santa Cruz, CA

    Join AA/PIRC and the Iranian Student Union on Tuesday, March 10th from 7:30-9:30pm at the Merrill Cultural Center to celebrate Nowruz — the Iranian/Afghan New Year! Come learn about the significance of Nowruz, enjoy delicious food and activities, be together in community, and more. Register at: bit.ly/nowruz26 You Belong Here: The programs and services described here […]

  • Distinguished Teaching Award Lecture — Teaching Week 2026

    Merrill Cultural Center 200 McLaughlin Dr, Santa Cruz, CA
    Hybrid Event

    Join us as Distinguished Teaching Award recipient Laurie Palmer, Professor of Art, shares her insights on teaching. This lecture is one of the key events featured in Teaching Week 2026.
    Starting in 2018-2019, the Distinguished Teaching Award recognizes outstanding teaching on our campus. This annual award is an opportunity to acknowledge the pedagogical contributions of our colleagues that include—but also go beyond—any one particular course. It seeks to recognize an instructor that has made significant contributions to educational equity within and beyond UC Santa Cruz.

    Free to the public
  • Teaching Symposium — Teaching Week 2026

    Merrill Cultural Center 200 McLaughlin Dr, Santa Cruz, CA

    This is the kick-off event for Teaching Week 2026. The symposium will showcase the work of instructors (including grads, lecturers, senate faculty) presenting on a teaching innovation, activity, program, or scholarly work. Presentation modalities include posters and short spoken presentations. Application to Present RSVP here to attend

    Free
  • “The Eternal Song” Film Screening

    Merrill Cultural Center 200 McLaughlin Dr, Santa Cruz, CA

    About the Film The Eternal Song is a cinematic journey through timeless lands and Indigenous cultures. Voices from across generations and traditions invite us to witness the enduring scars of colonization on lands and peoples, and the healing pathways carried through ancestral wisdom. Entrusted with medicine stories, the film grapples with colonial legacies, intergenerational trauma, […]

  • “The Eternal Song” Film Screening

    Merrill Cultural Center 200 McLaughlin Dr, Santa Cruz, CA

    The Eternal Song is a cinematic journey through timeless lands and Indigenous cultures. Voices from across generations and traditions invite us to witness the enduring scars of colonization on lands and peoples, and the healing pathways carried through ancestral wisdom. Entrusted with medicine stories, the film grapples with colonial legacies, intergenerational trauma, and the culture […]

  • UC Santa Cruz NAI Chapter: From Campus to Commerce Winter Event

    Merrill Cultural Center 200 McLaughlin Dr, Santa Cruz, CA

    Join us for an engaging gathering at the intersection of breakthrough science and real-world impact featuring: ​A fireside chat with accomplished inventor and NAI Fellow David Schaffer – UC Berkeley Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Director of QB3, and Director of Bakar BioEnginuity Hub – with a conversation exploring translational research and commercialization successes […]

    Free
  • Labor Against ICE

    Merrill Cultural Center 200 McLaughlin Dr, Santa Cruz, CA

    Trump’s second term has been marked by a dramatic increase in immigration enforcement operations, including the deployment of federal and national guard troops to major cities across the United States. Ramped-up ICE raids have resulted in injuries, deaths, and the disappearance of migrants and non migrants alike. As legal challenges demanding the cessation of indiscriminate […]

    free
  • The Everett Program Presents: Envisioning Digital Justice Together | 7th Annual Project Showcase

    Merrill Cultural Center 200 McLaughlin Dr, Santa Cruz, CA
    Hybrid Event

    The Everett Program Presents: Envisioning Digital Justice Together | 7th Annual Project Showcase
    This showcase aims to highlight the incredible work of our students, who have completed a year-long practicum conceptualizing and using digital technology to work with nonprofit organizations on social justice issues from climate justice to the racist impacts of the carceral state.
    This year, Showcase is an event in which the audience can not only come together to support these wonderful students and their work, but to envision a range of digital futures together.

    All are welcome! RSVP with the QR Code found on the poster 🙂

    Free
  • Ellen Bass: Morton Marcus Poetry Reading

    Merrill Cultural Center 200 McLaughlin Dr, Santa Cruz, CA

    Join us for the 15th annual Morton Marcus Poetry Reading, featuring honored guest Ellen Bass. Poet Gary Young will host the program, and the evening will include an announcement of the winner of the Morton Marcus Poetry Contest (recipient receives a $1,000 prize). Ellen Bass’s most recent collection, Indigo, was published by Copper Canyon Press in […]

  • Plenary Session for Crown Students: Chatbots on the Couch: AI, Mental Health, and the Ethics of Digital Empathy

    Merrill Cultural Center 200 McLaughlin Dr, Santa Cruz, CA

    Location: Merrill/Crown Auditorium Event Type: Panel Discussion / Plenary Session Sponsor: Crown College Open to: UCSC Students, Faculty, and Staff Event Description: As artificial intelligence increasingly shapes mental healthcare—from chatbots offering therapeutic support to algorithms detecting early signs of distress—we face urgent ethical questions about trust, privacy, bias, and the future of human connection in […]

    Free
  • Fiesta on the Hill

    Merrill Cultural Center 200 McLaughlin Dr, Santa Cruz, CA

    Join Merrill and Crown Programs Offices for an evening of food, fun, and community. Enjoy tamales, Mexican corn, music, and piñata fun while connecting with fellow Slugs. This festive event also features “Slugs Go Slow,” an initiative focused on making safe choices and building meaningful connections. Come for the food and celebration—stay for the community […]