CANCELLATION: UCSC Rock n' Roll on the Knoll Benefit Concert

To Chancellor Blumenthol and to the Event/Program Coordinators of UCSC-

As you may be aware, the Rock n' Roll on the Knoll benefit concert scheduled for this Sunday on UCSC campus has been canceled.  This event was planned as a fund raiser for the Homeless Services Center of Santa Cruz and was to feature eight bands that were to begin playing at noon.  It appears that the University has called off the event at the last minute (on Thursday before the Sunday event) as it needs to export some number of its' police force to Merced on Sunday to help with a graduation that will include a guest appearance by Michelle Obama.  This event has been in the works for over three months, and over 1300 students have sent RSVP's via Facebook committing to attend.  There was a suggested donation of $5 but admission to the show was to be free.  Planned features were food and beverages, bring-your-own clothes tie-dying, and face painting.

This cancellation is not the fault of the students who have been volunteering much of their time and efforts in planning it.  The University had already changed the date that it had committed to once, moving it from Saturday May 16th to Sunday the 17th as it had accidentally scheduled it on the same day as a Multi-Cultural Festival, and the organizers had to do tons of extra foot work to contact all persons involved to make that change.  The University is apparently considering doing this event on another day, but the details are up in the air as yet.  So far, it appears that it won't even occur on a weekend day.

As the former Food Service Director of the Homeless Services Center, I volunteered my own time and efforts in contacting over 30 local media sources with a press letter.  The letter stated clearly that media coverage of the event would help to make the greatest positive impact on the local issue of homelessness, as public awareness is just as important a result of such an event as is the financial contribution that it raises.  The letter was designed not to increase attendance, as it stated clearly that this concert was planned for the students of UCSC, but rather to invite the media to attend, enjoy, and cover the event so that the larger community of our area would see what a positive thing the students of the University had managed to make happen.  Now, the coverage of the event will surely be diminished, as well as the amount of funds that will be raised (as most of us are aware, students are more likely to be busy on a week day than on a week end day).

As I am also one of the musicians who has set aside time, I am admittedly doubly frustrated.  When the University did force the concert to move from Saturday to Sunday I wondered how it could possibly be so disorganized, and now I must admit that I am just plain boggled.  I hope that this all ends up being a worthwhile investment of the efforts put forth by the students involved and the musicians who still end up playing (when and if this event does end up happening), and I especially hope that the final result ends up being that the needy persons of our area get something out of it all in the end.

I must state, however, that I am thoroughly embarrassed.  I cannot commit to volunteering more of my own time and effort, or to playing music at this event again-- whether it ends up on being on a Wednesday or a Friday or during the next full solar eclipse.  My name is at the bottom of all of the letters that went out to every local media source, asking them to come down to see the truly positive and generous side of UCSC and to share that magic with the rest of the community.

I have heard plenty of positives and negatives about UCSC over the years in the local media;  this town seems to have a real love/hate relationship with it overall.  One minute, the University is being praised and the next it is being criticized in a never-ending cycle.  Sometimes it seems like UCSC is carrying the torch and leading the way to the future, and the next minute it seems like it is totally disconnected from the world around it.  To me, this event is/was a real opportunity to make the connection to the greater surrounding area's issues and for the community surrounding the University to take notice of that and to give it some respect.

Sadly, it appears now that whatever mechanisms are at fault will end up representing the disconnected side of the equation.  UCSC is now likely going to be viewed as having made just one more play on the 'who-cares' end;  with the result being the appearance that someone up there in some building in some office sees this as 'it's just some bands' and shrugging off our collective efforts as something that can be rescheduled as easily as getting some floors waxed.  Personally, I would love nothing more than to ask Mrs. Obama myself if this is what she would have wanted... and who knows, I may get to do just that some day.

I hardly have even one business day now to attempt to reach any of the media about this and to inform them that they should not waste their time coming to campus on Sunday, and I don't know that I will bother.  It may be best for them just to arrive and see an empty field-- this may say more than I can with a day of emails and phone calls.  The one call that I do know that I will make will be to inform the great people that run the HSC of the cancellation, and they probably won't be surprised to hear the news as they serve a community every day that all-too-regularly gets made a low priority.

I do very much respect the vision of the students and bands who are still trying to make this happen, and for all of their positive intentions and for all of their efforts, I say ROCK ON.  Hopefully, when all is said and done, the needy of our community will still benefit from their hard work.

To whomever blew it on the University's end, however, I hope that you understand that whether it is intentional or not, this move only contributed to making the appearance of a large, aloof, and disorganized machine that is disconnected from the concerns of the rest of our community.

As the author of this letter, I am representing only my own views, and not the views of the students whom are involved in the event or the Homeless Services Center.

I respectfully request that this email be forwarded to any and all persons directly involved with the planning of this and similar events on UCSC campus.

Please see the attached press letter that was sent to local media, as well as the following list of media sources that were contacted.  This email and the attached letter will be forwarded to these media sources for use in editorials, etc. along with a basic notice of cancellation of the event.

Nate Bennett
(Nate's Action Playset)


Santa Cruz area media sources contacted by letters, email and/or phone:

kpig (radio)
kazu (radio)
connection magazine
ksbw (tv channel 8)
kion (radio)
register-pajaronian (newspaper)
kkup (radio)
kcba (tv channel)
kwav (radio)
cabrillo college voice (newspaper)
santa cruz sentinel (newspaper)
kapu (radio)
community tv of santa cruz (cable channel 23)
santa cruz comic news (paper)
krxa (radio)
radio liberty
kusp (radio)
metro santa cruz (paper)
831 magazine
mid county post (newspaper)
frsc (free radio santa cruz)
press-banner (newspaper)
good times (newspaper)
your music magazine
kcbs (radio)
city on a hill (newspaper)
kzsc (radio)
bruce bratton online
KBOQ (radio)
growing up in santa cruz (news-website)
santa cruz wire (news-site)
santa cruz independent media center (news-site)

To our Esteemed First Lady Mrs. Michelle Obama (and/or to any of your assistants):

I am writing to inform you of an unfortunate, and most likely unintended situation that has occurred as a result of your visit to the graduation ceremony at the University at Merced on 5/17/09.

An all-day concert featuring eight bands that was to benefit the Homeless Services Center of Santa Cruz, and was planned to be held at the Stevenson College at the University of California at Santa Cruz, has been canceled at the last minute as an indirect result of your visit to Merced.  This concert has been in the works for over three months and over 1000 students have sent RSVP's via Facebook committing to attend.  There was a suggested donation of $5 but admission to the concert was to be free.  Planned features were food and beverages, bring-your-own clothes tie-dying, and face painting. 

Currently, the Homeless Services Center is operating on a budget that is so small that $5 can help to provide up to 30 meals.

As the Food Service Director of the Homeless Services Center from 2001 to 2004, I fully understand that media coverage of this event would help to make the greatest positive impact on the local issue of homelessness, as public awareness is just as important a result of such an event as is the financial contribution that will be raised, and thus I volunteered my own time and efforts in contacting over 30 local media sources with a press letter about this concert.  This letter was designed not to increase attendance, as it stated clearly that this concert was planned for the students of UCSC, but rather to invite the media to attend, enjoy, and cover the event so that the larger community of our area would see what a positive thing the students of the University had managed to make happen.  Now, even if the event is rescheduled, the coverage of the event will surely be diminished (if not quashed completely) and the amount of money that would have been raised will certainly be lessened as well. 

On Thursday, 5/14/09, with less than a three day's notice, the University announced that our concert could not be held as some of our campus police officers are needed to assist at the graduation ceremony at which you will be speaking and thus will not be able to attend to the concert.  This is the second time that the University has canceled the event, and this time with an insultingly short notice.
 
Our Bay Area media sources are now aglow with the excitement generated by your visit, which certainly is an honor for the entire area.  However, UCSC has not made a single official statement regarding this unfortunate cancellation.

As I know that you are very busy, I have attached the press letter that was sent to the Santa Cruz area media sources in case you, or any of your assistants can find a few moments to read it, but I believe that you probably can understand the frustration that some of us here in Santa Cruz are now feeling.

If you (or any of your assistants) could manage to make a simple statement regarding this item, perhaps some of the attention that was hoped for from our area's media could be recovered.

Thank you for considering this request.

Please feel encouraged to read the attached press letter that was sent to the local media sources listed below.  Also attached is a letter that I have sent regarding this unfortunate situation to the Chancellor and Event Planners of UCSC. 

This email will be forwarded to these media sources for use in editorials, etc. along with a basic notice of cancellation of the event.

Santa Cruz area media sources contacted by letters, email and/or phone:

kpig (radio)
kazu (radio)
connection magazine
ksbw (tv channel 8)
kion (radio)
register-pajaronian (newspaper)
kkup (radio)
kcba (tv channel)
kwav (radio)
cabrillo college voice (newspaper)
santa cruz sentinel (newspaper)
kapu (radio)
community tv of santa cruz (cable channel 23)
santa cruz comic news (paper)
krxa (radio)
radio liberty
kusp (radio)
metro santa cruz (paper)
831 magazine
mid county post (newspaper)
frsc (free radio santa cruz)
press-banner (newspaper)
good times (newspaper)
your music magazine
kcbs (radio)
city on a hill (newspaper)
kzsc (radio)
bruce bratton online
kboq (radio)
growing up in santa cruz (news-website)
santa cruz wire (news-site)
santa cruz independent media center (news-site)
 
My personal contact information is included in the attached letter that I have sent to the Chancellor and Event Planners at UCSC in case it is needed for any reason.

As the author of this letter, I am representing only my own views, and not the views of the students whom are involved in the event or the Homeless Services Center.

Nate Bennett
Food Service Directer of the Homeless Services Center of Santa Cruz