Each fall, Porter College hosts EnCore, a culminating showcase of Porter 1, the college’s core course. The event features multimedia art and book projects created by students through the Creative Commons and invites the campus community to view, interact with, and celebrate the thoughtful, personal, and often provocative work students produce throughout the quarter.
“EnCore is Porter’s largest and most popular plenary,” said College Academic Manager Leah Browne. “The books are displayed and select students are awarded $400 gift cards to Bookshop Santa Cruz.”
Held in the Porter/Kresge Dining Hall, EnCore features hundreds of student projects inspired by themes explored in the Porter 1 curriculum. Guests circulate through the space, engaging with a range of formats and interpretations—each project reflecting students’ unique perspectives and artistic approaches.
Porter 1 is an interdisciplinary writing and critical thinking course centered on the theme of the self and community in the arts. Students explore how artists, writers, and thinkers across disciplines engage with identity, society, and transformation. Through readings, discussion, and creative practice, the course encourages students to reflect on their own perspectives while analyzing works from a diverse range of cultural and historical contexts. The culminating EnCore project asks students to synthesize these ideas into a creative work of their own, often using bookmaking, visual art, or multimedia formats.
Projects are recognized in a variety of ways. The James C. Hall Award for Outstanding Creative Project is awarded to three students annually, and one project is selected by university archivists for inclusion in the permanent artist book collection at McHenry Library’s Special Collections.
Student Zuri California received the Student’s Choice award for Welcome to the Jungle, a project inspired by Rebecca Solnit’s Open Door and the idea of freedom in the act of getting lost.
“Porter 1 was a space where I felt encouraged to think critically and explore ideas without the pressure of just producing work for the sake of it,” California said. “The discussions, readings, and creative freedom pushed me to reflect more deeply on my perspectives and artistic approach. I especially appreciated how the class allowed us to bring our full selves into the work rather than stripping away our personal experiences in pursuit of academic objectivity.”
Rory Nadeau received a Creative Commons award for her project Is This the American Dream?, which examined questions of identity, culture, and belonging.
“I was honestly really surprised to have won anything because there were so many great projects that people put so much effort into,” Nadeau said. “I hope anyone who can relate to my project feels inspired to take pride in their culture and honor themselves and their heritage—resisting the notion that there’s a ‘right way’ to be American.”
University archivists selected Spiraling by Josie Pottier for inclusion in Special Collections. The multidimensional project stood out for its creative execution and deep engagement with the course’s themes.
By emphasizing the connection between creative expression and academic inquiry, Porter 1 invites students to engage with big questions in a personal way. EnCore offers a public platform for students to share their final projects beyond the classroom and take part in a tradition that values both self-reflection and exploration.
