![Sammy Slug and alum Sammy Slug and alum](http://connect.ucsc.edu/s/1069/images/editor/enews/2017-may/sammy-slug-alum.jpg) | Slugs get their day in the sun | Alumni Weekend 2017 drew a throng of happy revelers, with more than 1,700 alumni and their guests flocking to campus to remember, reunite, and reignite their passion for learning. | | ![Students in lab coats](http://connect.ucsc.edu/s/1069/images/editor/enews/2017-may/lab-coats.jpg) | Science dreams | A recent visit by local high school students was part of an ongoing outreach effort by UC Santa Cruz’s STEM Diversity Programs, which encourages students from underrepresented groups to pursue careers in the sciences. | | ![Field with poppy](http://connect.ucsc.edu/s/1069/images/editor/enews/2017-may/field.jpg) | Alluring acreage | For about a decade, institutional investors have been buying up farmland across the country in a trend that could have significant impacts on farmers. | | ![Niketa Calame portrait Niketa Calame portrait](http://connect.ucsc.edu/s/1069/images/editor/enews/2017-may/niketa.jpg) | Niketa Calame: Acting with purpose | When Niketa Calame (Oakes '02, theater arts) was 5, her mom put a microphone in her hand. It was, says Calame, as if she had suddenly come alive. | | ![Jennifer Andaluz and microphone Jennifer Andaluz and microphone](http://connect.ucsc.edu/s/1069/images/editor/enews/2017-may/andaluz-jen.jpg) | Jennifer Andaluz: Providing stepping stones to college | Jennifer Andaluz (Oakes '94, American studies) doesn’t believe in predictions indicating low-income, minority students are unlikely to attend a prestigious university. In fact, the charter school network she cofounded is intended to disrupt that kind of data. | | | Alumni Regional Events | Silicon Valley – Tuesday, May 16 | Kraw Lecture Series 2—Mark Akeson: The Science and Engineering that put DNA Sequencing in Space at UC Santa Cruz Silicon Valley campus | Santa Cruz – Saturday, May 20 | Alumni and Student Volunteer Service Day at Natural Bridges | » More Regional Events | | ![Juan Mejia filming the charcoal market in Ravin Djab, Haiti, very close to the Dominican border city of Jimani Juan Mejia filming the charcoal market in Ravin Djab, Haiti, very close to the Dominican border city of Jimani](http://connect.ucsc.edu/s/1069/images/editor/enews/2017-may/juan-mejia.jpg) | Lights, camera, social action | Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, UC Santa Cruz’s Social Documentation program produces socially conscious films that shine light on neglected subjects. | | ![Table on the farm Table on the farm](http://connect.ucsc.edu/s/1069/images/editor/enews/2017-may/farm-table.jpg) | Pop-Up: Righteous farming | Graduates of UC Santa Cruz’s Farm & Garden apprenticeship program have been planting the seeds of organic farming all over the nation. | | The Campaign for UC Santa Cruz | |
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