Welcome to Slug Stories
Slug Stories is new initiative from College 9 & John R. Lewis College inspired by Story Corps and Humans of New York: the creation of a story archive of all entering students, written early in their first year, based on a prompt that asks students to talk about formative experiences, overcoming struggles, identity, and aspirations. This effort includes a narrative writing component added to the Core Course; “story slams” around themes like resilience, grit, perseverance; a social media and outreach campaign showcasing our diverse students; a rich database for faculty and student research generating information about our changing student demographics; and an innovative initiative exciting to donors, alumni, and prospective students.
The benefits of the “Slug Stories” project are manifold: it symbolizes that all of our students are part of the tapestry that is this university. For underrepresented students especially, the act of personal narrative entails assertions such as: “I have a voice. My experiences are meaningful. I am clear about my aspirations and goals about higher education.” This project gives students the opportunity to critically examine the way in which others have “storied” them, and to explore whether these ascribed identities truly represent their own experiences and potential. Both prospective and enrolled students can access the database and hear the stories of their peers, realizing that they are not alone in their struggles and challenges, hopes and fears. Moreover, using the database as a wealth of information for undertaking research demonstrates the synergies between the many missions of our campus. Students feel a strong sense of belonging when they see themselves as producers of knowledge: we can simultaneously retain and train them, building a sense of belonging as well as honing writing, analytical inquiry, and critical thinking skills.
Featured Stories
Monica Galliani
I, a current student at UCSC in College 10, landed here almost entirely by privilege and support from my family and community members. However, I can’t deny that there were some hurdles I had to overcome along the way. The chain of events that led me to Santa Cruz were a long list of “almost didn’ts” along with difficult decisions and sacrifices…
Haofan Wang
“What’ 6 times 7?” “42!” “how about 9 times 6?” “54!” My mom keeps asking me while we were walking home from the park. These are typical conversations between my mom and me in my elementary school days. My reward for answering all the math questions efficiently and accurately was usually a piece of dark chocolate. The consequence of giving an incorrect answer, however, was more math questions…
Leilani Anon.
With the abundance of diversity within the America, it seems that the embracing of other cultures is inherent, but this is not a universal concept. Being Asian-American, I noticed this within myself. Growing up, I was more likely to dismiss my Filipino culture because I saw it as “weird”. Despite my mother raising me with Filipino influences in the household, I was not able to embrace it the way I should have and chose to deny this side of me…
Leif Erickson
Until recently, I would have considered and described myself unabashedly as more conservative than liberal. I grew up in relatively moderate household when it came to politics. My mother was born to liberal parents who passed on most of their beliefs to her. My father was born in Kansas and raised by a conservative farming family. Because of my wide spectrum of views…