UC Santa Cruz group provides safe space for students on 420 Day

On the University of California Santa Cruz campus, a group called “The Cove” hosted a non-traditonal event on the unofficial pot holiday, April 20.

They call it “The Other 420,” but there’s no marijuana there. The student group instead grilled burgers and put out a full spread of food Saturday afternoon.

They said they wanted to give students a place to go where they would not feel pressured to take part in 420 activities.

Senior Haley Scott-Skinner said, “This can be an overwhelming experience and you might feel pressured to partake in something that youre not ready for or do more than youre willing to do. When in doubt, we want to be able to provide people a place where they don’t have to feel like that.”

“The Cove” offers services to students who are recovering from alcohol or other drugs, who have family members who have suffered from addiction or are interested in supporting others in recovery.

Students who voluteer there say they want “The Cove” to be seen as a safe place for all students. The group has hosted this event for the past three years and want to see it continue to grow.