Letter to the editor: Please accept my apology, Cabrillo trustee Adam Spickler writes

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To the editor:

I want to address comments I made recently at a public meeting on the renaming of Cabrillo College, regarding older white members of our community who subscribe to the Santa Cruz Sentinel, and my assertion that they do not make up a majority of our county, but “have a loud voice.” Understandably, some took offense to this. I very much regret having offended anyone and I sincerely apologize.

As an older white person myself, what I meant but failed to say effectively in that meeting is that I feel responsible as a trustee to ensure we all get a chance to hear from a diverse range of voices and people in our community regarding our college’s name. This is what I should have said and is what I meant to express.

It’s sometimes challenging to balance my obligation for ensuring students feel their voices are heard on this issue, alongside those of valued community members voicing their opposition, and I aim to do better. This is not an excuse for my comments, but I hope it provides some context in this otherwise tough community dialogue.

I hope that you’ll accept my apology, as it is genuine.

Adam Spickler
Cabrillo College trustee