My interest was piqued when I saw the front page article, “Groundskeepers speak about their heritage” last week. I was dismayed to see the article go off topic with misleading information. I want to dispel the idea that most of our five laborers are illiterate.

To begin with, the reading and writing skill levels are not pertinent to the performance of their daily tasks or the great work they do in keeping the campus grounds safe and looking good. Regardless, one has his degree and was a teacher, one has a degree in horticulture and another teaches youth about the Bible. One creates name plaques with wood for friends and customers while the last laborer’s writing and reading skills are quite sufficient. They have their forklift certificates, regularly attend safety and equipment training classes and are keenly attentive in their tasks to insure the safety of themselves and all students and staff on campus. Degrees are not required for the classifications in our department though many have furthered their education with degrees, certifications and licenses in their field of work as arborist, operator, groundskeeper, irrigator and sports turf maintenance. We have varying levels of education and experience but I consider myself and the others in my department professionals in our chosen field of work.

I do appreciate that you pointed out the pride that the immigrant coworkers have in obtaining U.S. citizenship, but you should realize that not all of the immigrants in our department are of Hispanic descent. A majority of the staff is Hispanic, but I would venture to say that our department is more diverse than the ethnic demographics of the landscape industry throughout California. I was confused about the inquiry as to whether the Hispanic crew members associated themselves as native Californian or Mexican. The issue and conclusion was unclear to me — though I personally believe they are all both proud of their heritage and their Mexican or dual citizenship.

Michael Griffith, groundskeeper
Horticulture, Clark College
Managerial Economics, UC Davis

But is it fair to dislike an artist because of his fans? Surely, I’ve got to give Skrillex some credit for being an Aphex Twin fan. But then again, how much credit do I need to take away for being the lead singer of the emo-core band called From First to Last?

Which really brings me to the most interesting point about Skrillex. His post-punk roots are still heavily ingrained in his appearance and musical composition and yet he is making music for the same bros that bullied him in high school. Though he is the face and purveyor of the bro-step genre, he has more in common with members of Silverstein than anyone who opens for him.

Back in the car, his set was loud and violent, often reaching a crescendo (better known as a drop today) that seemed to last for minutes. My friend explained that Skrillex was particularly good at hitting the drop at the right time and although I appreciate good timing as much as the next guy, my ears were beginning to bleed (and not in a good way).

When “Bangarang” came on, we all agreed that it was his catchiest song, though I noted it was the only one that didn’t feature as many overdone build-ups, instead focusing on using synths to create an actual melody that followed some sort of pattern for a prolonged period of time.

All was great until, at a softer (relatively speaking) point in the song, Skrillex yells “BANGARANG” which shattered any hope of me becoming a fan. There’s nothing like an artist yelling the title and only words of one of his most famous songs during the song that really sets me off.

Although I literally had the sound of Skrillex in my ears for another three hours after the car ride, I felt as if I had delved into a culture that I had yet to explore. For a period, I was open to new ideas, putting past judgments and snobberies aside, ready to learn what high school-aged ravers and so many of my peers I guess already know: Skrillex is loud and pretty annoying.

It’s easy to hate on something, but it’s hard to hate on something and then give it a chance only to realize you were right to hate it in the first place.

ANDY VERDEROSA retired from the rave scene in 2001 and continues to live a quiet, post-dubstep life. You can reach him at asverderosa@ucdavis.edu.

During the month of May, the members of Yolo County California Youth Connection would like to commemorate Foster Care Awareness Month by sharing their experiences in the foster care system. Their stories aim to highlight the important role every community member can play to support youth who find themselves in foster care. While some youths’ experiences are negative, others’ are positive thanks to members of the community who step up to address the needs of foster youth.

We are California Youth Connection (CYC), whose early lives have been influenced in many ways by the adults around us. CYC is a statewide organization, made up of current and former foster youth ages 14 to 24, empowering foster youth to create and reform the policies that affect them. The Yolo Chapter was established in 2011 and is currently working to improve the accessibility of local resources in Yolo County for foster youth. Additionally, they established a new student organization, Aggies Empowering Foster Youth (AEFY). AEFY’s members are students, staff, faculty and other community members who are willing to support CYC in accomplishing its mission through outreach in the community.

In addition to CYC and AEFY, two other important organizations exist to support county foster youth that derive support from the campus community — The Guardian Scholars Program (GSP) and The Yolo Youth Project (YYP). GSP is a campus-based support program at UCD that helps former foster youth navigate their way to successful attainment of college goals. Mentors are recruited annually from both the campus and Davis communities to provide an array of guidance for these former foster youth students. YYP is providing newly emancipated youth with furniture and housing supplies and practical life skills as they take on independent living responsibilities.

Receiving a foster family is, of course, a fabulous gift for any child or youth in need of a good home. But, mentoring is also an option that can take on many forms and provide valuable support for foster youth. There are a variety of ways to support these children and youth.

Something that may seem little to you can make all the difference to a foster youth. Visit the CYC website for information on ways to get involved. Take that step to make a difference in a child’s life!

— Aggies Empowering Foster Youth

On the same week, on May 7, 2012, another student organization, Aggies For Israel, released a statement endorsing the US-Israel relationship. This endorsement included many Associated Students of the University of California, Davis (ASUCD) representatives’ names and titles, stating their support of the statement’s message.

My name, Rebecca Sterling, and my title, ASUCD President, both appeared on the statement. However, I will make no statement of my personal beliefs or my position on the issues of the Middle East. An inherent result of the elected title I hold is that it is my primary responsibility to represent my position and not my personal opinions.

I am writing to express my disappointment in the use of the ASUCD titles in this statement. It is strictly against our Association’s policy for any representative to use their title for political endorsements.

As such, I would like to extend my sincerest apology to all members of our community who were affected by this statement.  ASUCD representatives may not use their titles for political endorsements and I will hold myself accountable for the failure in communication that resulted in the inappropriate use of these titles.  Since the incident, these titles have been removed and all individuals involved have been addressed.

As an Association, we do not directly take any political stance on particular student movements and ongoing international issues. We do encourage the freedom of expression of all groups and do hope to provide a safe environment on our campus for all opinions to be expressed.

Again, I am terribly sorry for any pain or detriment that may have resulted from this incident. I am proud to be a member of a student body that is so well-informed and active in ongoing international politics and look forward to much more discourse on these critical issues.

Rebecca Sterling
ASUCD President

JORDAN S. CARROLL is an old codger who can be reached at jscarroll@ucdavis.edu.