UC Santa Cruz Parties Like it’s 1965

Last week, UC Santa Cruz took Throwback Thursday to a whole new level. Setting the wayback machine for the year 1965, dining services and university relations put on a party that took everyone back to the time of go-go boots, Beatles haircuts, TV dinners and Space-Age snacks.

The menu, served at five dining halls, included things you’d see in a groovy dinner party in 1965: beef bourguignon by Julia Child, mac and cheese made with processed cheese, cocktail meatballs, stuffed peppers, pigs in a blanket, French onion dip made with soup mix, mocktails, Cool Whip desserts and more.

The contrast is sharp between old school cool cafeteria food and the new school food served today. 1965 was the dawning of the age of convenience foods, a move to all things instant.

“It’s really come full circle,” says Dining Services Director Scott Berlin. “Now, people want farm-to-table, they want whole foods and a mac and cheese made with four different local, artisan cheeses.”

But once the culinary time machine was activated, Berlin admits, “I had forgotten how good Velveeta tastes.”

The party, attended by 2,100, was part of a campuswide celebration that marks UC Santa Cruz’s 50th year. One of the “younger” campuses in the UC system, UC Santa Cruz is nestled in California’s redwoods and is known as “The Original Authority on Questioning Authority.”

Back in 1965, the dining hall had just 652 students to accommodate. Now, it serves 17,000. The day of the throwback party, customer counts went up 7 percent, according to Berlin.

As he donned hippie gear for the party, Berlin quipped, “The irony is, most people around here dress like this every day.”

The shindig was a big hit, Berlin says, with a DJ spinning classics and students, faculty and staff all dressed the part.

“The costume that brought an instant smile to everyone’s face is a go-go girl,” Berlin adds. “Everyone recognized the fringed dress, the boots with fur. And a lot of people dressed like “Mad Men,” too.”