In remembrance of Terry
The late Terry Freitas would have enjoyed drinking coffee and talking politics late into the night at the café that now bears his name.
On September 20, this inviting, student-run nightspot, formerly known as Café Revolución, was rededicated as the Terry Freitas Café, commemorating a young alumnus who died while helping an indigenous people maintain its ancient culture.
Terry Freitas’s grandparents, Ethel Shelley and the late Dr. J. Joseph Shelley, made the rededication possible with a generous gift to Colleges Nine and Ten.
“I am so fortunate to have a family of movers and doers—a wonderful, giving family,” Ethel Shelley said before the ceremony.
Freitas (Crown ’97, biology, environmental studies) traveled to Colombia after graduating to work closely with the U’wa, an indigenous people whose way of life was being threatened by oil company interests. During a 1998 trip, he and two colleagues were kidnapped and murdered by the revolutionary FARC group. But Freitas, during his short life, built a strong and enduring relationship with the U’wa while helping to set up the U’wa Defense Working Group and organizing to stop drilling on U’wa lands.
The donation establishes the first permanent endowments for both colleges, and will provide an array of student support.
In addition, the café was refurbished and will be able to expand its hours of operation.
The renamed café will reflect the themes of College Nine (international and global perspectives) and College Ten (social justice and community) while presenting a range of music, spoken word, and artistic programs.
The café reflects the values of both colleges and honors the life of an idealistic young man who followed his passions and his political consciousness, said Helen Shapiro, provost of colleges Nine and Ten.
“We appreciate this opportunity to inspire future generations of UCSC students to carry on his work,” she said.