Rename Cabrillo College? Why Not Consider This …

By Doug Barr

I’m making a call to action! “Honor Cabrillo College” by opposing the negative impact of an in-progress college name change.

This HONOR Cabrillo College campaign simultaneously advocates a more acceptable approach to meet the same goal more effectively and universally: Implement multiple means to separate a remote 15th century explorer from the incredibly positive 20th/21st century 60+ year history of CABRILLO COLLEGE!

Suggestions:

1. Declare and celebrate the distinction with a public “divorce,” complete with Cabrillo College, public officials, campus constituencies and community dignitaries, removing explorer references.
2. Create an outdoor relaxing campus (garden or patio) setting that identifies and fosters permanent awareness of this debate/outcome, respectful of contrary opinions. Permanently “educate” future visitors of the impact of negative human behaviors today and the distant past where the explorer is a primary, but not an exclusive, example. Promote continuous goals of mutual respect, positive interactions, “listening,” and friendship among all peoples!
3. Identify an annual date for renewed reminder and awareness of the basis for this original event; and the often-emotional conflicted struggle resulting with celebrating “Cabrillo College”!
4. “Model” future serious life or organizational disagreements, that continuing debate and real “listening” makes “middle ground” the optimum vs. divisive permanent separation.
5. Create public statement/policy that ALWAYS officially publicizes, states in writing, with oral / verbal communications “CABRILLO COLLEGE” as two inseparable words!
6. Fostering consistency, redesign necessary athletic uniforms, public sale T-shirts or sweatshirts, and emblem paraphernalia to ensure “Cabrillo College” is universally represented never again by a single surname reference.
7. Create and emphasize Cabrillo College and community wide publicity that announces a mutual solution that pulls together/reunites a disenchanted community; donors (and disappearing donors) back into the fold of CABRILLO COLLEGE support. Become a model SOLUTION to the universe, avoiding the destruction of the incredible positive history of CABRILLO COLLEGE, and no longer insulting the thousands recently disenfranchised who created or benefit from such.

I offer this as a single individual from afar: 300 miles south and 32 years removed from Cabrillo College.

Yet, as a 16-year resident of Watsonville and professional at Cabrillo College, the privilege included Community Education, Business then Student Services, and Instruction.

The impact of Cabrillo College and the larger community framed the whole positive foundation of our young family and future life. The values of respect and rewarding interactions with and among all cultures, ethnicities, and lifestyles, were fostered through every day of those 16 years of experience at Cabrillo College and the surrounding communities.

Try Again! Make YOUR VOICES (ignored once) to Cabrillo College “Trustees” via President Matt Wetstein. Don’t give up! Help avoid what will be more divisive approaches before such are necessary.

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Doug Barr was the initial director of Cabrillo College Watsonville Center, founding board member of “Agriculture,” a member of the “Focus Agriculture” charter class, during the 1980s served on the Board of Director of Santa Cruz County NAACP, and Santa Cruz County Volunteer Bureau. He now lives in Mission Viejo. To reach him, email: honorcabrillocollege@gmail.com

Editor’s note: Barr says he has adjusted a $25,000 bequest in his will to the Cabrillo College Foundation, conditional on the name remaining Cabrillo College, and urges others to do the same.

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Share Your View With Trustees

Cabrillo College board members are: Donna Ziel, Adam Spickler, Christina Cuevas, Rachael Spencer, Martha Vega, Dr. J. Dan Rothwell, Steve Trujillo, and student trustee Deviné Hardy.

To reach you representative, see www.cabrillo.edu/governing-board/