UCSD Craft Center

[nibot]

The UCSD Craft Center (some pictures) sounds awesome. I just picked up their catalog from outside the Grove Cafe, since hyperionab mentioned that they have a neon sign course. Sure enough, they do ("This course will introduce neon design and fabrication. Instruction will cover tube bending, pattern making, history, tube processing and installation. Students will learn all the necessary skills to complete a project in neon. Class will meet once a week for lecture and demonstration and students will sign up in class for an additional tutorial session."). It sounds incredibly awesome. But I'm leaving UCSD before the class ends. Maybe I'll take it anyway. There are lots of other cool things at the Craft Center: stained glass, glass blowing, weaving, photography, lampwork class studio, steel fabrication ("This course will cover basic techniques for cutting, welding, forging, and cold fastening steel"), mosaics, and small scale bronze and aluminum casting. Whoah! The ASUC Art Studio at Berkeley has a very nice photographic studio (even with a color processor) and ceramics studio.. but no steelworking or glassblowing or neon sign making. UCSD wins points here. I understand CalPoly SLO also has a pretty amazing craft center.

The Grove Cafe has rapidly become my favorite campus eatery, just because it doesn't exude the rampant commercialism of the other places. It's a student-run cafe with associated co-op charm and the atmosphere is made quite pleasant with an abundance of plants and the availability of yummy cheese danishes. Also, I think the employees are cute. I think Berkeley needs some student run fooderies on campus -- like the UC Davis "CoHo" or the UCSD "food co-op" and Grove Cafe. I propose that we storm the FSM cafe and take it in the name of the People. That would be fitting, wouldn't it? Amina Sutherland's column "The Gloves Are Off" describes my sentiments pretty much exactly.

Comments

[kari-marie.livejournal.com]

I took glass beadmaking at Cal Poly's craft center several times, and had a wonderful time. It was great to pop in there between classes or after work and make a few beads--really relaxing. I made a bunch of nice Christmas presents one year, and I still have a whole box full of beads left over.

Good stuff.

[shamster.livejournal.com]

Yes, the CP craftcenter is an amazing and mystical place. I spent most of my time in the ceramics area throwing pots that I ended up selling or giving away, but have also done some woodworking, glass bead-working, ermm... there's more I just can't remember. Sort of becomes a blur because it's just SO MYSTICAL! Holly spent a lot of time in the photo studio, and they'll play whatever CD you bring! whoa!

Very fun. If you stick around and meet people then it becomes like a genuine clique and then outsiders seem so much more on the outside than within LE CLIQUE!

[roxymartini.livejournal.com]

Also, I think the employees are cute.

*raises eyebrow*
They'd better be boys. Or else I'm an utter and complete failure.

PS you should take pictures of these cute boys. for me.

[roxymartini.livejournal.com]

Also, co-ops aren't necessarily efficient. (So they might not even be less expensive). Our co-op, for instance, was supposed to be spending $5 a day on each of us- just for food. approximately $200 a day for the house. And we had to eat things like christmas tree flavored beet. And starve for weeks. and we went over budget. Co-ops (since they aren't about profit) generally see much ineptitude in management.

[nibot.livejournal.com]

Even if co-ops are less efficient (say, "less well managed"), they can be cheaper because there's no third party siphoning off profit.

In the absense of any other justification, I find co-ops more aesthetically pleasing.

[roxymartini.livejournal.com]

I find co-ops more aesthetically pleasing.

socialist tendencies. don't be silly.

[cheeseparade.livejournal.com]

dude, i totally agree with you about the UCB food situation! UCSC has a little student-run co-op "organic foods" type store, we should at least have something like that.

aaaaand we need something like the SD craft center too! i get so jealous because i have a friend there, and she's always talking about her glassblowing class and her weaving class. i would totally take all of them.