Cover Story
A Look Back at 1980
Santa Cruz, we hardly knew ya!
By John Laird
Thinking back on the Santa Cruz of 1980 – the year the Student Guide was first published – UCSC enrollment was at just over 5,000, downtown shut down at 6 p.m., the Board of Supervisors and City Council had a majority of Republicans and the Miss California Pageant would still call Santa Cruz home for another few years.
Yes, there were the seeds of everything many Santa Cruzans believe central totheir known universe now. But when that first Student Guide hit the stands, itwas published in a Santa Cruz very different from the one you’re standing inright now.
Of course, the whole country was very different. A gallon of gas was 86 cents.National inflation was over 11%. The average cost of a new house was just over$58,000. You could get a brand new Toyota Corolla for just under $3,700.
The top 10 songs were dominated by disco, with Donna Summer having two of them.The Village People debuted the smash hit “YMCA,” triggering a libel suit fromthe national YMCA. Pink Floyd<continued>
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