We Love Our Local Community College Cabrillo

On reviewing this issue, Managing Editor Nathan Mixter asked if we had too many stories about Cabrillo College. I hadn’t noticed as I picked the articles we would run. But yes, yes we do have a lot of stories about and by Cabrillo students.

Why shouldn’t we? It’s a measure of the success of our truly great community college that it is putting out so many successful students in all departments.

Have a look at this issue, starting with the cover, which is a first-person account of directing a student play that’s part of a showcase of eight original student plays running at the school from Nov. 3-19. The beauty of watching plays like this is you will forget immediately that these are by students. Their work, as well as the work we’ve seen in schools around the county, easily passes for professional.

Matthew Chipman, the writer of the article, is a Cabrillo Journalism student, as well as an arts scholar. Coincidentally, his mother, Shannon Chipman, has directed the International Academy of Dance’s “Nutcracker” and we are hoping for a first-person account of December’s upcoming performances…at Cabrillo.

Then there’s Ramona Pursley’s account of her three generations of family attending the college this semester. It shows what a community school is really about…community. And lifelong learning. Keep in mind when you see the slight Ms. Pursley, she was a sheriff’s deputy who met her husband Bob while they were both on the SWAT team. When a teacher gets a student like her, they often learn as much from her life experience as they teach.

Erik Chaloub, who writes our regular column on amusement parks…yup, a Cabrillo grad who is now managing editor of several publications, including the Watsonville Pajaronian.

I’m really proud to introduce our new fashion column, keeping up with what young people are wearing in Santa Cruz. Writer Morgan Guerra has her hopes on going to one of the big national fashion schools. She’s getting her start right now at Cabrillo.

Quinn Southall, 19, has two stories in this issue, one about AI and another about educating students about climate change. He also writes for Good Times. And, I can’t help but mention he’s a Cabrillo student and also a great songwriter. He’s on his way to one of the state colleges soon.

I can go on…Todd Guild, a longtime reporter with the Pajaronian, got his start years back Cabrillo.

These people make me proud of our school. And when I say our, I say it both as a resident who moved here in part because of the lifelong educational opportunities and is a part-time journalism teacher at the college. My plan is to retire and study Spanish, music and world history at the school…if I ever get a chance to retire. I’m currently the editor of Good Times, the award-winning weekly newspaper that hired me to my first job when I was fresh out of college and was taking courses both at UCSC and Cabrillo. I also wrote for the San Jose Mercury News.

When I look at an issue like this with so many local success stories, I’m so proud of the school and this community for supporting it. I would be truant if I failed to mention one community member who has done so much to help writers and journalists. Rowland Rebele has a scholarship that pays students to work in the field and get experience, so they can devote their full-time to writing and reporting and afford to live here. He and his wife Pat, have been instrumental in growing a large crop of successful students for more than a decade with a grant that only Cabrillo and Stanford (his alma mater) get. He’s had a hand in so, so many successes I can’t thank him enough.

I’m leaving out plenty of other success stories and would love contributions from others of all ages in the Santa Cruz community Let us know the stories we need to cover and we will!

Thanks for reading!
Brad Kava,
Editor and Publisher