UCSC Colleges: Stevenson College

This post is a part of my 10-post series about UCSC colleges.

History

Founded in 1966, Stevenson was UCSC’s second college. Stevenson is named after Adlai Stevenson, a former Illinois governor who also ran against Dwight Eisenhower for president.

Theme

Stevenson’s theme is “Self and Society” — the theme revolves around how an individual can find him/herself and how he/she can later benefit society.

It’s definitely worth noting that Stevenson’s core course actually takes two quarters, but it fulfills more general education requirements than a normal core class. I did recommend not deciding on a college based on its theme, but be aware that the core class can be very tiring.

Location

Stevenson is next to Cowell College at the upper campus. Stevenson doesn’t have its own bus stop, and residents at Stevenson basically have to walk through Cowell to reach most destinations, though this walk is not too far at all. The field and athletic facilities are right below Stevenson.

The Humanities area is very accessible from Stevenson, as well as Crown and Merrillcolleges. The bookstore area is nearby as well. Science Hill and the media center are farther away, however — walking and taking a bus will probably take about the same time (roughly 15-20 minutes to reach your destination). Walking from Stevenson is never too tough.

Housing

Stevenson has 8 dorm buildings that offer singles, doubles, and triples. Most students will end up living in a double. The apartments at Stevenson are similar, also containing doubles, singles, and a few triples for a total of five or six roommates.

As with all apartments at UCSC, these are generally off-limits to freshmen. As far as I’m concerned, the apartments look very new and modern and are more accessible than the dorms. The apartments also have a beautiful view of the bay.

Dining

The closest dining hall to Stevenson is located at Cowell. As I mentioned earlier, this dining hall is currently under renovation, and I’ll be able to provide more information when construction is completed.

Things to Remember

  • Stevenson also has the same amazing view that Cowell does, especially from its apartments. That knoll probably has the best view from campus.
  • I believe Stevenson also shares the Jewish stereotype with Cowell.