Two dozen professional and amateur competitors put their salsa and chili recipes to the test in the first annual event, which had been stewing in the mind of Flea Market Event Organizer Rich Alvari for years

He let the melancholy acoustic guitar riff of his masterpiece, “Ayo for Yayo” loop as the audience went bonkers. He touched outstretched hands and extended the mic to us so we could finish off the final chorus a capella. He turned to the crowd, inhaled deeply and hollered, “Make some noise for drugs and alcohol baby!”

The name of Santa Clara’s improv troupe, Inoperable Humor, was at first just a “stand-in joke name” created by the founders. But it stuck, because the first rule of improv is to accept all offers.

Hosted in the resplendently verdant Golden Gate Park, the three-day affair offers a complimentary sonic smorgasbord of mid-major talent on intimate stages with cutesy names like “Arrow” or “Rooster.”

As the sun went down, the lights stayed on in San Jose’s South First Area (SoFA) district. Every first Friday of the month, local spots keep their doors open late, offering self-guided tours of art galleries, sizzling munchies from well-regarded restaurants and performances by local bands.

“It’s been very exciting because I love the idea of combining art with the sciences.”

Kanye West is nearing the age where many great musicians begin to slip.

Students are easy marks. They require little labor for landlords to make ludicrous profits and are near graduation by the time they realize they’ve been had.

At 3 a.m. Sunday morning, an obscene hour to be awake, hundreds of gaudily costumed Santa Clara students were drinking, blasting EDM and piling into trains, party buses and carpools headed to San Francisco for the annual Bay to Breakers footrace.

Santa Clara students talked straight about being gay this weekend at the annual Drag Show. Participants shined, comfortable in their own skin, as they performed harmlessly risque routines, vibing off the crowd’s cheers and showing a more fun side of the LGBT community.

Fraternities have an image issue. Stories about property damage, whimsical racism or semi-consensual sex have teetered these macho pillars of university life. XYZ aims to be different.

Gangsters can be gay too. Santa Clara’s first ever Queer Film Festival premiered this week to tell unconventional stories.

The Bay Area is a diverse place, where multiple cultures and backgrounds intermingle. Solo artist Salvador Santana and his music are a reflection of that spirit.

Santa Clara is not the best place for gay students to find dates. Across the board, queer students experience a lack of prospects and dating opportunities.

To celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, a parade of cultural events will march through campus in the next two weeks.

The Santa Clara’s Scene section dives into the dating scene and sex lives of the student body to unveil the experiences, perspectives and challenges facing Broncos.

“Talking about vaginas is a taboo topic, while talking about male genitalia is considered comedic and normal."