Student Lookout: Vegan bites, stress relief recs and some mild film disappointment

Hello again, friends,

Hope everyone has had a great Earth Week and perhaps opted to travel by foot, bike or public transit as much as you could. Obviously that applies to every week and not just this one, but regardless, props to you if you made the extra effort.

In other news, any Oakland A’s fans out there should shoot me a message to lament about the team. I went to two games last weekend and somehow this team looks worse in person than on TV, which is very, very hard to do. The pitching is historically bad, and that’s not hyperbole. Doesn’t matter if you score 6 runs in a game if you’re giving up 17. That’s directly referencing last Friday’s game, in which the A’s walked 17 (!) Mets hitters — the second-most in a single game in franchise history. It was, without a doubt, the worst game I have ever seen.

I feel like I have to start wearing a paper bag to these games.

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Deals Download

• Students (and teachers) get 10% off at Well Within on Thursdays.
• HoM Korean Kitchen offers 15% off for students.
• Seymour Marine Discovery Center offers free admission to UC Santa Cruz students and 25% off for all student tickets.

BEST DEAL OF THE MONTH: Student tickets at Kuumbwa Jazz

Located in downtown Santa Cruz, Kuumbwa Jazz is a nonprofit providing Santa Cruz the full spectrum of jazz music through live performance and education. Check out an upcoming show and take advantage of discounted student tickets.

➤ Want to share these deals with your friends? Have them sign up for Student Lookout texts with this link.

Good Eats

Veg on the Edge ($$)

Vegan readers probably know this place well, but it’s still worth a shoutout. The fusion restaurant in Abbott Square downtown has all your plant-based needs, like West African-inspired stews and soups, wraps, unique side dishes like peppered plantains (highly recommended) and, of course, a selection of the ubiquitous Beyond Burgers.

Recently, Jessica M. Pasko — one of the local food writers filling in for Lily Belli while she’s on maternity leave — confirmed that Burger. has closed its Mission Street location after its Aptos location shut down in August. Quick reminder, though, that Davenport’s Whale City Bakery will take the Aptos location’s place in the near future.

Take this weeks news quiz

Inside Santa Cruz: End-of-school-year stress relievers

Wow … it’s mid-April already? Being a Cabrillo student, it feels like it was just yesterday that I was stressing about the beginning of spring semester. Now I’m just trying to survive the last month and half I have left. The ending of a quarter or semester can be incredibly stressful for anyone at any age. It’s a time of angst, where you’re getting excited for summer yet simultaneously having to do so much in a short period of time. It’s important as students to know that while this is a demanding period, you should always find time for a break to enjoy yourself. So for this edition of Inside Santa Cruz, here are three things that can help take your mind off of the end of the school year stressors.

So-So Vintage Market

Location: Front and Cathcart streets, in the parking lot behind Kianti’s Pizza and Pasta Bar in downtown Santa Cruz
Dates and hours: Check the market’s Instagram page for the latest information; from June to September the market will be happening Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Who doesn’t like a little retail therapy, especially when it has an early 2000s (Y2K) theme? Vintage Harley Davidson, Betty Boop, Disney and Sanrio items — that list just scratches the surface of the variety of brands offered at this market.

The pop-up vintage clothing market makes its way to Santa Cruz typically once a month, usually setting up in the Front Street parking lot behind Kianti’s Pizza and Pasta Bar. You’re greeted by a balloon archway and a pink wooden sign that says “So-So Market,’' along with some of the most fashionable customers and vendors. Generally the market will have themes, one of them being a “$5 Market” where items can be $5, $10 or $15.

So-So Vintage Market is an extension of the So-So Supermarket in San Francisco and Berkeley, where vendors can apply online to sell their clothing both in store and at pop-ups, which makes pricing specific to the seller. My friends and I have never spent more than $20 on a vintage item, but we’ve always been willing to spend more because of the quality and the extensive selection some vendors have. It’s not just clothes but also Bay Area crafters who sell crocheted hats, jewelry and other accessories.

The Loft Coffee Shop ($$)

Location: 2701 Cabrillo College Dr., Aptos
Hours: Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.

The Loft Coffee Shop is tucked away behind Cabrillo College and a stop I usually make to rev up for my 9:30 a.m course. You’re welcomed by the smell of espresso shots being pulled, coupled with a bright and modern minimalist atmosphere. It can be hard to miss, but just above the coffee bar is a loft seating area, which is where “The Loft’’ in the shop’s name comes from. It offers free wifi, making this a relaxing place for students to do their homework.

A personal favorite of mine is the sausage, egg and cheese sandwich, which I’d say is arguably one of the best to-go breakfast sandwiches I’ve had in Santa Cruz. It arrives piping hot every time, has the gooiest cheese and comes on a soft, pillowy croissant bun. Another amazing thing about this place is that a portion of its profits go to nonprofit organizations. Currently it is partnering with Prakash for India, which empowers young women and men in Nagpur, India, by “teaching them marketable trades and life skills so they can build self-reliant, spiritually vibrant, transformed lives.’'

Moran Lake Beach

Location: 22775 E. Cliff Dr., Live Oak

Like many in Santa Cruz, I am a sucker for the beach just so I can soak up the sun and feel the sand in between my toes. But I’m not necessarily the most sociable and I find crowded beaches to be a bit overwhelming, especially when I just want to take my mind off of things.

Moran Lake Beach is a great place to escape school and people. Just along East Cliff Drive and across from a coastal lagoon, this beach offers a beautiful and tranquil place to collect your thoughts. It’s a small beach where people surf and bring their children and dogs, but I’ve never experienced crowds. It’s a wonderful spot for people-watching, picnicking or just being with yourself. There is a parking lot just across the beach, next to the lagoon. If the beach isn’t of interest, a dirt trail winds along the lagoon through a stand of eucalyptus trees. It’s important to note that high tides often make the beach unwalkable, so be sure to check the tides before you make this adventure.

Around Town - Events

Here is an event you should check out:

Santa Cruz Earth Day Celebration, Saturday, noon - 6 p.m.

Finish off Earth Week with a multivenue celebration in downtown Santa Cruz. From Abbott Square to Hotel Paradox, you can attend talks, see live performances, and dabble in some arts and crafts. Head to the Museum of Art and History for a number of special exhibitions as well.

Free naloxone (Narcan) drive-thru event, Saturday, noon - 4 p.m.

Head to Parking Lot R at Cabrillo College for a free Narcan distribution event. Given the prevalence of fentanyl in the community, with no signs of the opioid crisis slowing down, it’s never a bad idea to have a potentially life-saving resource and to learn more about the local resources available.

The Secret Film Festival, Saturday at 11:55 p.m. to Sunday at noon

Ever wanted to spend all night in a theater? Probably not, but if you do, now is your chance! The Secret Film Festival will screen consecutive films for 12 hours straight for their Santa Cruz premieres. In the past, attendees have been treated to local premiers of movies like “What We Do In The Shadows,” “It Follows,” “Prospect” and more. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity.

➤ Want more? If you’re still looking for great things to do, check out Wallace Baine’s Weekender here.

How I got my job: El Sistema’s Isabelle Tuncer

Isabelle Tuncer, executive director of nonprofit organization El Sistema Santa Cruz.

(Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz)

Kaya sat down with Isabelle Tuncer, executive director of El Sistema Santa Cruz, an organization that looks to uplift students through music and art while breaking down socioeconomic barriers that prevent youth from different backgrounds from connecting.

She talks about how her work can act as a form of support for those in crisis, the trauma that many of the students have faced over the past few years because of COVID closures and storm-related flooding, and how important passion is in whatever line of work one decides to pursue.

This week, I watched: “Enys Men” (2023), directed by Mark Jenkin

Still from “Enys Men.”

(Via Fangoria)

I had been dying to see this for months, as the previews were extremely captivating. Mark Jenkin is the mind behind “Bait,” which I enjoyed and wrote a little bit about a few weeks ago, so I was eager to get to the theater for “Enys Men,” a super quiet, fully experimental horror movie shot on grainy 16-millimeter film, emulating a 1970s aesthetic through its folk horror lens. The film is absolutely beautiful. Lush colors and a unique, desolate setting pop right out of the screen and really allow you to enter the world. On paper, this is right up my alley.

And yet, I felt very little for this movie.

The movie follows an unnamed wildlife volunteer on a remote island who observes the growth of the same flowers day in and day out. Over time, the past, present and future blend together and you’re left questioning what is real and what is not. It’s filled to the brim with vague symbolism and abstract imagery, but it is so opaque that even the most attentive viewer will likely have difficulty deciphering its message. Themes of haunted pasts and personal transformation rear their heads, and I think the island itself acts as a sort of metaphor for this through structures that appear dilapidated in one shot and perfectly kept in the next. But these ideas never quite come together for me, and I think had Jenkin pushed them a little further, the experience would have been a more visceral one, even if the film remained meandering and plotless.

That said, it’s an experimental film, and you probably shouldn’t go into one of those expecting much of a story. This is a movie that the viewer will take from it what they will, and it just didn’t quite click with me the way I wanted it to. However, the fact that a major, award-winning film distribution company like Neon is putting this out for a wide audience is nothing short of amazing. As is the case with “Skinamarink,” that’s reason enough to make it and to see it.

Rating: 2.5/5

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And that’s another week in the books. Those of you who are seniors will be graduating before you know it! Make sure to spend time with the friends you’ve made, because that last day of school sneaks up really quickly.

Enjoy your weekend!

— Max