Our Mission
Student Media’s mission is to provide UCSC students an opportunity to explore, discover, and share local and global issues through the mediums of print and broadcast.
This mission is achieved by challenging students to think critically about the environment they operate within, and by giving students the tools and the agency to create a media dialogue about that environment. The result is a diverse community of students operating in a multitude of organizations, creating a variety of content and transforming themselves in ways that will inform their work beyond graduation.
SOMeCA Values
The following SOMeCA values were selected through surveys and discussions amongst students, staff, and alumni.
Get Connected
Meet the Student Media Advisers!
Susan Watrous, Print Media Adviser
Susan has been the Print Media Adviser for Student Media since 2005. She brings a strong journalistic background to the position and consistently pushes students to achieve beyond what they think is possible with their work. In addition to advising Student Media organizations, Susan is a faculty member and instructs multiple courses on campus. Susan sees the success of her students as a success of herself, and is always available and open to work with all members of Student Media.
Email: swatrous@ucsc.edu
Alex Santana Jr, Associate Director
Alex is a slug alum from the class of 2014. During his time at UCSC, he was involved in Student Media through OTS, FPC, SCTV and he was the Broadcast Coordinator. After graduating, Alex worked for KSBW Channel 8, NBC Bay Area, The Diversity Center of Santa Cruz County, and The Digital NEST.
Email: asantan3@ucsc.edu
SOMeCA is made up of Student Organization Advising & Resources (SOAR), Student Media, and Cultural Arts & Diversity (CAD), and it supports student organizations at UC Santa Cruz. SOMeCA’s professional staff offers leadership training, mentorship, organizational advising, and project management training to student leaders. SOMeCA services are designed in collaboration with students and colleagues to meet the changing needs of the UCSC student body.
About SOMeCA
UCSC Press Center
Press Center, 1156 High St, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
The Student Agency Model
At UC Santa Cruz and in SOMeCA, the Student Agency Model is integral to the success of student organizations and community building. This model is a response to the persistent disenfranchisement of youth and the lack of opportunities for them to participate in democratic activities that reflect and affirm their experiences, opinions, and ideas for social change.
The Student Agency Model is an innovative and creative approach to student development that fosters students’ responsibility and empowerment, emphasizing that students are not only leaders of the future, but also leaders today. This model cultivates transformative leadership — leadership that changes the world — which emerges when students are empowered with the skills to address the needs their communities face.