May 17, 2010   Message: haha i love just reading the posts on this site, especially parents who try to bring down IV because their son or student couldn't handle it. Doesn't that reflect of the parents and how they raised their children, if you treat your child like an inmate of course when they come here there going to be out of control, its the first time in there lives their responsible for their own well being and don't have there helicopter parents hovering over them. Yes your kid may be book smart and have the grades to get into this university but do they have the maturity and responsibility the parents were suppose to instill in them years ago. Personally I love this place, it is one of the most beautiful spots to go to school. I'm sitting in the library writing this and i have a ocean view,. You don't get that anywhere else. Big 4 accounting firms recruit right out of this school simply because the students are not only book smart but they are also social and outgoing instead of plain and dull. Many of you are reading this calling BS but its the truth, don't get me wrong i can party like the best of them, but i also hold down 2 jobs and 16 units and have a internship/job lined up for when i graduate next year.

This school is built to test our limits and temptations we will have in real life. But if your student is focused and wants there goals bad enough, nothing will stop them  best reguards, Signed  Class of '11      Editor's comment:  I am sure that the Big Four are looking for people who know how to roll joints, use cocaine, and are experts at sexual assaults and cover ups.

May 2, 2010   Message:  Thank you for your work.  I was not aware of it when I just recently made my decision not to send my son to UCSB. It was his first choice. 

He is young and relatively inexperienced and I just did not think he had the emotional or mental maturity to handle what he would be in for with the heavy social scene.  Your site only confirmed my decision, for which I am grateful.

I will explore the site., but wonder if you can address the dorm situation along the same lines as the party scene. For instance, Santa Catalina looks paradisical, lie a country club, but it seems too ideal, to open.  Thank you.  Signed BDR   Editor's commments.  We get loads of comments about the dorms.  Noise, booze, drugs, sex -- pretty much anything goes. 

May 1, 2010  Message:  Thank so much for making this website. I thought I was the ONLY student at UCSB who wanted to leave because the partying (In my opinion) is INSANE. I am over joyed that you are trying to show people what a dirty environment isla vista has grown to become. I came here as a freshman in Fall 2008 and I actually ended up leaving the school in April 2009 because I could not handle the lifestyle. All of the sex, drugs and partying made me so depressed. Before I got to the school I had never partied and I didn't plan on it. Let me just say that going to UCSB and trying not to participate is extremely difficult. All of my roommates and people that I met were obsessed with getting trashed and hooking up. I did experiment with drinking, but I have remained a virgin (by choice, not because I am religious). It is so depressing because IV and UCSB look so beautiful. We are right by the beach, the weather is beautiful and many classes that I took were very interesting. However, after a few weeks of experiencing the party madness I became disgusted of the place. I kept up a great GPA because I didn't get trashed on the weekends, but I only knew one other girl who wasn't into hooking up and taking 7 shots per night. I am currently debating on whether I should come back to UCSB . I ended up taking my sophomore year at OCC by my house because I was over the way of life in sb. I even had a lease on an apartment with my roommate set up, yet the thought of returning to IV and dealing with partying made me feel sick to my stomach. I came up to visit her recently and we went to a mutual friends house. We were bored so I asked what we could do in IV and our friend said, "Well you could drink, get high, or hook up with guys." and he wasn't joking. I am so angry at UCSB for condoning this lifestyle. They do nothing to try and stop the sale of alcohol or punish those who go too far with partying. I am seriously considering transferring to a lower ranking UC riverside, just to get away from UCSB. So many girls wear trashy dresses and the guys basically end up getting lucky at every party. Sex is considered to be super casual and almost every morning my freshman year I heard about who was having sex and how many people everyone was sleeping with. It was horrifying. I am all for having fun and even a few drinks, but UCSB takes it to an unhealthy level. I really admire this site and I wish you the best of luck. Do you have any advice for me on if I should return to UCSB? If I do I would try to find other activities besides partying (which seems hard). Thank you again. Signed JG

April 2010

Message:  First off, GREAT SITE! I'm glad I'm not the only one able to see all of the destructive behavior in IV.  I've said it to many other people and I'll say it again, many of these students are delusional.  They believe they are "living life" and that there is nothing wrong with their actions/thoughts, but to me it's simply a pathetic excuse and justification of their indecent and (personally) immoral behaviors.  They act as if they're the only ones on the planet, not considering the many other residing families with children.  I work at the IV teen center and these kids need a lot of attention, not drunken morons and skanky girls to model off of.  It's a culture of selfishness with no self-control. I don't see how it's fun to laugh at a friend who is so intoxicated that his/her body shuts down.  It's sad and pathetic. Keep up the good work guys, your voices have not been heard.  It's a fight uphill, especially against kids who think they're smart (but not wise).  They believe they're adults simply because they can drink (haha), but you're fighting for a great cause.  God Bless, guys! Signed LT

Message: I just want to say that your site is sad. I feel that life is tough and UCSB life can be too, but then again so can life at any other school, or no college at all. actually i think life could be way worse. I have been at UCSB for three years now and I am graduating earlier than four years...with no summer school... no AP tests, just hard work. I just want to make sure parents realize that UCSB is in no way a bad influence on their children, IV definitely can be, but not UCSB. That distinction should be made a little more clear i think. i have lived in downtown  Santa Barbara for the past three years and I dont have to deal with any of the unnecessary details of IV, but I also miss out on lots of great events, and no i dont mean parties. students collaborate on so many good causes and being focused in an area like IV just  helps sprout some of the great changes that do happen. Those things shouldnt be overlooked. Unfortunately, the parents that keep they children away are just not sure if they did a good enough job for their kids to survive life. Let it happen and encourage the positive things. Make your kid live in Santa Barbara, or Goleta, outside of IV, if that would make you feel better. And for the record I have never done drugs in IV, got drunk in IV or in trouble in IV, but its definitely happened elsewhere... so is it really IV? i dont think so, its just life. Good and Bad. Where did you guys go to school again, UCSB and where? anywhere?  Signed CG

Message:   Please note that the Sunday Feb.7, 2010 Santa Barbara News Press Article "SLO Villa owner cries foul"..UCSB student retreat called a dangerous boozy affair that left damage in its wake. A must read for your site but no a surprise with the typical "Animal House " attitude and lack of respect for others peoples property by many UCSB Students.  Signed WC

Message:  You guys are a bunch of losers that are trashing an amazing place probably because you were the only ones out of twenty thousand that couldn't get any ass because you were too busy breast feeding off your mom since you couldn't manage leaving home to go to college. Signed FU   

Message: Its crasy, how closely related is the party scene in Sb to some LA areas (SC,Cpt,Lwd,Lb,SUrgate,prmnt). Makes me wonder how bad is the drop out rate. Im still transferring their though.....

Message: I enjoy how this site responds to only portions of the arguments that disagree with them.  Furthermore, I enjoy how these partial responses usually completely miss the point. Such practices really lend themselves to credibility.  I'm really shocked more people don't take this site more seriously.  Signed MP 

There is plenty of blame to go around but the nexus of all the blame is the complete failure of UCSB to even acknowledge that there is a problem – if we don’t admit that there is a problem, we cannot find a solution.  

Clearly, someone like Noah Krom would not be thought of as the type of person who would engage in the alleged behavior that culminated in his death.  He comes from a good family and enjoyed every economic and social advantage.  Undeniably, police agencies should not be so callous as to not even investigate the report of a potentially fatal fall from a cliff that has been the site of many deaths.   Surely, young people (UCSB students) should not be so uncaring as to merely accept the fact that “who cares if some dude went over the cliff, let’s get back to our party.” 

What we know is that Noah was found dead at the bottom of the cliff many hours after he fell.  What we don’t know is what caused him to engage in the behavior that is, at least in part, responsible for his death.  What social forces allowed Noah to think that his conduct was appropriate and acceptable.  What we don’t know is whether the police department’s failure to adequately investigate the incident contributed to his death – could Noah have been saved if he were found immediately after the fall?   We also don’t know to what degree the cavalier attitude of the locals to aberrant behavior contributed to Noah’s death.  Without knowing the causes (and all of them) of Noah’s death, we cannot work to stop other tragedies from occurring. 

The public should have all the information surrounding this death and the deaths of all UCSB students.  Yes, it might embarrass the family, the university, and the community as a whole.   I, for one, am willing to accept some short term embarrassment if it might save a life. 

I would again like to extend my sympathy to the Krom family.  And while I am saddened that the publication of the causes of their son’s death may be painful and embarrassing, I would like to assure them that understanding the root causes of their son’s death could save someone’s child from a similar fate.  

This is not and should not be a political issue; it is a moral issue. Signed, The Editor of the Dark Side of UCSB

12/12/2009   Message: One thing's for sure:  If a young person dies in Santa Barbara, there is a chance that NO toxicology report will be issued.   Remember the tragic death of Noah Krom, last June?  There is still no released toxicology report over six months later!  An Orange County blog operated by Art Pedroza, The Orange Juice Blog, is inquiring to why the death of a son of an OC political candidate is being neglected or maybe even being covered up.  There are a pair of stories running right now, for anyone who is interested.  Comments are always welcome there.

UCSB student asks why their newspaper stopped covering the death of Noah Krom

http://orangejuiceblog.com/2009/12/ucsb-student-asks-why-their-newspaper-stopped-covering-the-death-of-noah-krom/comment-page-1/#comment-113193

 What really happened to Noah Krom?

http://orangejuiceblog.com/2009/12/what-really-happened-to-noah-krom/comment-page-1/#comment-113189

Signed Red V  Editor's comment:  We posted a comment on the orangejuiceblog.com  

12/9/2009      Message: The crime statistics posted on this site do not necessarily indicate that more crime is being committed. Rather, they indicate that more arrests have been made.  The explanation is that the IVFP's budget has grown substantially in recent years and more police on the street mean more arrests are made. This is not at all unique, if the budget is increased at any police station in any college town nationwide the result is going to be higher crime statistics.

I am an alumni of UCSB and I lived in Francisco Torres my freshman year and Isla Vista the next three years. My parents knew I was going to a party school, but they trusted me enough to make good decisions. Did I party excesively? Yes. Did I make mistakes? Sure. Did I do anything uncharacteristic of a young adult between the age of 18 and 22 that has recetnly been emancipated from parental control? Absolutely not. This website seems to be ignoring the obvious. Kids will be kids. They will do stupid things, and they will pay the price for their actions. Part of growing up, speaking from experience, is that a lesson is best learned the hard way. I had the best time of my life in Isla Vista, but I also learned that partying like its your job doesn't pay very well. It seems cliche to say that one partys in college to get it out of their system before entering the proverbial "real world," but there is a lot of truth to that. College is the segue between childhood and responsible adulthood. The unfortunate and inevitable consequence of this transition is that students are going to make mistakes, sometimes big mistakes, sometimes worse. This is a fact that can't be changed no matter how many statistics or videos you post. Telling an 18 year old not to party excessively is as futile as telling an 18 year old to abstain from sex or telling a german shepard to stop being a dog. In fact, your approach is dangerous in its futility. Rather than telling students practical ways to stay safe while partying. For example, girls, don't buy drugs by yourself at 2 am. To preemptively deflate your counter argument, I am not saying it was her fault she was attacked. I am only saying it was a poor decision to go buy drugs at 2 am.

Also, I am offended by the name of your website. You claim to acknowledge that SBCC is part of the problem, yet your smear campaign is aimed almost entirely at UCSB and its administration. Again speaking from experience, I can assure you that the VAST majority of problems in IV are caused by SBCC students that don't have the grades to get into UCSB and come to SB on their parents dime for the sole purpose of partying and fighting.

Finally, I would like to address any parents that may read this. If you don't trust your kid to make good decisions, don't send them to UCSB. They will be exposed to drugs, alcohol and sex and there are plenty of online colleges they can go to that will shield them from reality. If, however, you trust your kid and dont think it is unreasonable that they want to go to a fantastic university in a virtual paradise, send them to UCSB with sound advice on how to make good decisions.

By the way, I graduated in four years as did my older sister (who also lived in FT and IV the following three years). We both partied and got good grades. I am now at a top tier law school and she is at a top tier medical school.

P.S. I understand your website has at least one UCSB student working for it, but it would appear the vast majority of the Darkside's employees have never actually lived in IV. Sure, you've "been" there as you site claims, but only to get the damning proof you required for your site. You can not possibly understand IV culture and the unity and sense of comradery one feels when living amongst so many young adults of duel aspirations to have fun and to get a great education. It is a remarkable culture and I doubt there is anywhere else like it in the world.  Signed MP 

 Message: I thought you posted within 24 hours? Do you only post comments that support your cause and crude opposition comments that support your point? If in fact you do not post every reasonable comment made, wouldn't it be fair to say you are also required to surrender any claim to credibility? What is this, Fox News?  Signed MP.  Editor's comment:  We are on break -- just like the Nexus.  As to your long post above, you make our point -- you just don't believe the system can or should be changed.  Your belief is that somehow people 18 to 22 who attend UCSB should be exempt from the law -- they should be allowed to" segue"  through a period of lawlessness (without consequences) to adulthood.  What other group of people 18 to 22 should be exempt from the law?  How about gang-bangers?  How about drug-dealers?  Should  being a UCSB student exempt you from criminal behavior?   As to your no harm no foul attitude, try pushing that on the parents who have lost (means dead) children at UCSB.  Regarding you comments about SBCC is part of the problem. we agree.   Regarding you suggestion to rename the website, would you approve of:  "the feckless Yang, UCSB cover-up, SBCC criminal babysitting service dark side of the violence, drug and booze soaked IV.com" website. 

12/6/2009  Message: This is a ridiculous website.  I dont know what it is you are trying to do - fight world hunger and childhood cancers - don't slander a public institution.  And if you are so very interested in improving UCSB and IV - donate money.  Create a drug/booze free roller rink.  Do something pro-active.  Because this isnt it.  And it makes you look small. Signed Anon.  Editor's comment: Apparently you didn't read much of our website.  We have donated thousands upon thousand to sponsor alternative events (means no booze or drugs). We have also demanded that UCSB dedicate a part of its Fund for UCSB to address the issue -- the do not.   

December:  Message: This website is ridiculous and completely untrue. The "crime" in which you speak of comes from drunken people who forget they're not allowed to carry alcohol out in the streets, if you read the police blotter it is very rare that anyone gets into serious trouble in IV. For those big events in which serious damage has occurred, (Floatopia, Halloween) nearly 100% of the trouble is caused from out of towners, and not the students/residents of UCSB/Isla Vista. You need to stop placing the blame on the environment and allow individuals to take personal responsibility for their own actions. Many of these "sexual assults" you refer to are just dumb girls who get to drunk and are oblivious to who's bed they wake up in the next morning. But at the risk of sounding whore-ish they claim it was an "assult". We're in college, at an amazingly beautiful academically outstanding institution. You can try to make Isla Vista sound like a terrible place, but there is no where else I would want to spend my 4 years in college. I absolutely love it here, as do thousands of other people. No one ever FORCES you to drink here, and I have never once been pressured to try drugs. Granted, much of the socialization centers around drinking and going out, but that does not have to be the case, there are plenty of other clubs and organizations to get into. For anyone who is thinking about coming to UCSB, I have two words of advice "DO IT!". Despite what this ill-informed website will tell you, it is an absolutely amazing place to spend your college years.   Signed K.  Editor's comment:   In the interest of the writier's personal safety, we are taking great care to not release his identity -- call rape and sexual assault victims whore is not a good idea.  For a more factual information try watching this video.  

11/6/2009  i read the questions posted and they do not sound like from actual  people. can you add a bit more credit to them? i understand the annoymous part, but manybe ask for graduating year and if they are an iv resident or not  Signed YB.  Editor's comment: All of our comments are taken directly from emails sent to us via the website.  We do not use names but leave in any identifying information within the body of the email.  See entry below as an example. 

11/6/2009   Message:  Hi, I love you site I fully support all your claims and hope you can spread the word! Current UCSB Sophomore  Signed BH. 

10/16/2009   Message: Our son is now a senior at UCSB and we have all learned a lot - the hard way.  We have a good relationship with our son he said that just about everything in IV revolves around drinking and he simply can't get away from it although he has tried, especially after one of his friends in IV died in June as a result of drinking.  Our son has many good friends but they all drink at every opportunity and he can't seem to find many (any?) kids who don't drink.  When he comes home he is relieved to be away from the pressure to "party" all the time. At least we know not to let our other kids attend UCSB and we have warned many friends not to send their kids there because of the terrible drinking/drug situation. It is too bad the administration and police don't care enough to clean up IV. Signed RC   Editor's comment:  Well said.  Our best to your son, and we hope that he can be of  some positive influence on his friends -- it is clear that  the UCSB/IV glitterati will not.  

9/14/2009   I'm going to UCSB as an incoming freshmen need any help???   Signed HM.  Editor's comment:  Stay sober, don't do drugs or commit other crimes and you should be OK.  Oh, stay out of IV when the party scene is on full blast.  

9/14/2009  Message: There is tons of information of this site and it is all incredibly insightful, so thank you to the sponsors for allowing this dialogue to take place. That said, I have a number of points I want to make.  

To the parents who decide their students attendance, that is just wrong. The student is the one who will be attending the university so they deserve some form of input; however, the importance of parents in both financing college and providing valuable experiences is great as well. It is a delicate balance I hope more parents think about.  

To the alumni who must deal with the tarnished reputation of UCSB, I would like to extend my hopes that the ways of IV residents change to restore UCSB's name.

 To the "students" who major in drugs, sex, and drinking, I hope you see the effects of your actions. You're hurting your body, your relationships, and pouring money down the drain, all in the name of fun. How much partying will you remember versus how much course material will you remember and use...It's all about priorities.

 To the administration, I wish a far more punitive approach was taken to students who demonstrate this kind of behavior. Not only would it cut costs from the programs the University is trying to throw at the problem (CASE is a fat joke-One counselor portrayed partying/drinking/drugs as a good thing).

IV is a blight on UCSB's reputation as a quality research and education institution and the problems there MUST be curtailed.  Signed  J

9/14/2009    Message: At first, I thought this site was taking action in a very misunderstood way; the majority of the students, from what I have seen from speculation, are actually hard workers - if not, how could they have gone in the school in the first place? But then again, I read that this site was to address the few who are inclined to do whatever they want. This (behavior) is very wrong, and I'm glad you are keeping your head up amidst this "supposedly" tough environment. Is all of this due to the school's not caring about the few, but watching the majority?  

I am an incoming freshmen there for the fall of 2009, and I felt sickened by most of the things I have read here, and almost, even felt bad for sending my SIR here. I don't plan to "party till i  puke", nor do I plan to get a DUI and wreck a life. What I truly want is a great experience, and I believe that is what UCSB can offer me. Your goal is to make UCSB a better place, but why not address the majority of the serious students? Is this another example of how a D can outshine several other exemplary notes?  

You say you want to improve life in UCSB, yet wouldn't one possible resolution be bringing in "good" people to UCSB? With their judgment, they could influence peers to act for the better, not for the worse. As you all know it, true friends, in sobriety, look out for each other, no? ;).  As again, I am an incoming freshmen that may possibly be naive to what I have yet to see, but I'll thank you for the warning and definitely look out for my back when I am out in IV.  Signed C.  

9/14/2009   I was viewing your website and wondering why you have the article about the ucsb graduate who was fatally struck by a car near sbcc. I can't see how that incident makes ucsb and IV a bad place. I suppose if you were trying to paint the victim as drunk and stumbling in front of a car, which didn't happen by the way, then I suppose it might make ucsb graduates look bad, and if that was your intention, then you are a very bad person. One should respect the deceased and not use their death to paint a bad image of their alma mater. I also wanted to thank you for devaluing the reputation of my alma mater, I really appreciate that. I agree that IV has its problems, but any logical person would know that your approach to solving them is completely counterproductive. And just to let you know, ucsb is continuing its climb in the us news and world report's rankings. Why don't you put that up in the news section of your site. I truly hope you email me with some explanations, because I'm very confused by your logic.  Signed SW.  Editor's comment:   As far as we can tell from the news accounts, both parties had been drinking.  Alcohol abuse at the UCSB/IV scene has caused the death of dozens and dozen of people over the past few years. We would like to see the abuse slowed down just a little bit.  Perhaps this is too much to ask?   

9/14/2009    Message: I stumbled across this site on accident.  I am a UCSB graduate that attended from 1992-1994 and again from 1996-1998.   In the meanwhile, I took a two year leave of absence after getting accepted in Berkeley again as a Junior.   In the end, I couldn't bring myself to go to Cal because it could never be Santa Barbara.   You want to talk about crime and assault, then try visiting Berkeley at night and you'll then realize what a wonderland UCSB is.    

When I lived in Isla Vista (Trigo, Pasado and DP), I never even carried a key to my house because it was so safe there.  We never locked the doors.   I was there during the last major Halloween before the police ruined it and it was insanely fun.  For 99% of the people there, it was safe as well.     

People need to understand that college is a place to prepare you for LIFE.  It isn't there to babysit and shelter people.  This site is doing a huge injustice to UCSB though I don't think it is your intention to do so.    

When I was there, women would have no problem walking outside at 2am in the morning because it was so safe.  The level of violent rape (someone jumping out of the bushes) there at the time was absolutely miniscule.    

So why all the rapes, fights and injuries?   It is because people are idiots.  When you attend UCSB, you are an ADULT.  So people need to start acting as such.   Should a woman be able to walk completely naked down the streets of Harlem or Compton at night without being assaulted?  Of course she should.   However, that is utopia and not REALITY.   At UCSB, women need to take accountability for their actions as well.   It is really quite simple:  Don't place yourself in a potentially bad situation.   What does this mean?   This means either don't go out to party at all or if you do go out, take proper measures.  These measures include items such as bringing along RESPONSIBLE friends to make sure nothing happens to you, not over-drinking, only drinking from bottles or cans that are still completely sealed to ensure drugs haven't been placed in the drink, etc, etc, etc.  If women would do those things 100% of the time, then the level of sexual assault at UCSB would plummet in a free fall.  

Fights happen for the exact same reason... people out of control with their drinking.   People dying by falling off of the cliffs from too much alcohol.  Etc, etc, etc... This is where natural selection takes over.   If people are so ignorant that they choose to place themselves in these situations, then they pay the price.    

If you want to be 100% sure you don't get hurt at Halloween, then don't go.  If you want to make sure you don't get in a fight on DP on your way home, then there are other places to live besides IV (Goleta, FT, Santa Barbara, etc).   If you don't want to be sexually assaulted, then take proactive preventative measures well before the situation can even possibly come to that point.  And so on and so forth.   

As for the booze and drugs, ugh.  The DEA sure has a handle on the drug issue here in the US don't they?   The drug issue can NEVER, EVER be solved.  We need to wake up and realize that fact.  You can go to 99% of high schools in this country and find commonly used drugs.  Once again, it is up to the individuals THEMSELVES to decide if they want to partake or not.  If you are around someone doing drugs and you don't want to do them, then pick up your feet and leave... simple as that.  

The facts are that if someone chooses to attend UCSB because of the university's superlative academics, then they could schedule all of their classes during the day and spend their off time in the library on campus or in a nice Goleta apartment studying and they would NEVER be placed in one of the dangerous situations that are being alluded to here.  

People need to stop hand holding everyone.   If the world would have it your way, they'd stop the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona because someone might get hurt.  They'd cancel all 4th of July parties in the US because someone might get drunk and hurt someone or get burned from fireworks.   Indy Car, F1 and NASCAR would be banned because someone might crash.  They'd end all karate classes because someone might get injured.   Etc, etc, etc...  

Let these students grow up and face the realities of life.  You learn just as much in college when you are outside the classroom as when you are in it.  Students make mistakes while in college so that they can learn from them and hopefully don't replicate them later on in life.   

So if you want to help reduce the rate of sexual assaults at UCSB (which is admirable), tell people to use common sense and to think before they act.  Tell women what the realities are and educate them as to how to prevent it.   If they then choose not to heed that advice, then they are on their own and the hand-holding needs to stop.    If you want to help reduce the rates of alcohol and drugs, then educate people to the realities.  If they then choose not to heed that advice, then they are on their own and the hand-holding needs to stop.  And so on and so forth.   

College is a place to graduate from adolescence into adulthood.  I don't know of too many adults that hire babysitters to watch themselves when they are home alone.  Thus, we don't need to babysit these adults either.  Provide them guidance, yes.  Babysit, no.  Peace.   **TS    Editor's comment:  There you have it ladies.  Stop dressing provacitvely, acting slutty, and getting drunk and that should solve most of the problems. 

9/14/2009   as a fellow web developer, i understand the difficulties of running a website with all original content. I just wanna say that you guys suck why not devote your time to actually making some sort of difference. Why don't you go become a cop and arrest my high, drunk ass when i stumble around iv every weekend.  Signed AK   Editor's comment:  And who says the kids at UCSB aren't intellecual?    

9/13/2009   I am currently a student at UCSB, and no, I am not going to start by saying that you guys are all racists, republicans, or just plain assholes. Because, honestly, no one deserves such harsh words like that. But I do find a problem in the overwhelming bias that your website has. Yes, I know it is called “the dark side” for a reason, but you make it seem like UCSB is a horrible, lewd, dangerous place. Come on, this isn’t some bad neighborhood in Oakland. To me, Isla Vista is can be related to the island of the Lost Boys in Peter Pan: one square mile of 18-22 year olds, living without parents – of course some shit is going to go down. We are young, and definitely not accustomed to such freedoms, so we indulge to the fullest, and before we learn all the rights from wrongs, we sometimes indulge in excess. I am no way making excuses for crimes that are committed, but you make it seem like it’s on the daily.  The overwhelming majority of UCSB students I’ve met are politically proactive (what about that death cab concert we won for registering the most voters in the country!), environmentally-conscious (regular adopt-a-blocks, beach cleanups, and the all-around consensus that floatopia created too much trash this year), creative (hello, new downtown iv!), super friendly (thank you to micheal h., who found and returned by expensve, simcard ready phone when I lost it one night on dp), and helpful (thank you to all the fellow volunteers that worked at the mac during the jessusita fire).

            I guess what I’m trying to say is, it would be more beneficial to those parents and prospective students out there if you actually mentioned accomplishments the community is making towards bettering themselves, instead of hating on Chancellor Yang every chance you get. This website is no better than those of neo-nazis and those of the far right (or far left) if it doesn’t do more than spew out its own propaganda.  p.s. If the Dalai Llama doesn’t have a problem with UCSB, neither do I!  

This will have a greater impact on the UCSB/IV party culture than anything previously discussed on this site. It will mean that many students will have to take classes on Fridays on Mondays -- and some unfortunates may actually be forced to get up for classes that begin at 8AM. Oh the HORROR!! Signed: CB  Editor's comment:  We agree.  Of the "students" who cause the worst problems, most are not full-time honor students.  Notice how close the vote was?  Scary!    

The first is that Jessica has ALWAYS taken full and total responsibility for Alex's death. She has never said it was not her fault. What she has said is that her memory of the wreck was that someone stopped or slowed quickly in front of her, and she swerved into oncoming traffic to avoid rear-ending the car in front of her at high speed. This may well be the dillusional memory of someone with a very high BAC, but it is her memory. She still takes total and full responsibility for Alex's death and has from day one.

The second thing is that Jessica did stop drinking. After spending a month in a wheel chair with two broken legs and a month on crutches, her friends finally got her out of the house. They took her dancing and some drinking -- a beer or two -- but no one was getting drunk. This is the sworn testimony of one of her good friends (and a friend of Alex's also, by the way) at the sentencing hearing. Jessica drank a little at first, and eventually quit drinking altogether.

However, she did post party pictures on her MySpace. Let me tell you, People (I really want to say "Kids," 'cause it feels more lovingly parental, but some "20-somethings" have objected to being referred to as "kids," even lovingly, by this 50-something.) But, let me tell you, your MySpace can land you in prison, and I don't mean jail, I mean PRISON, the BIG house. And that's what happened to Jessica. She never did anything illegal after the wreck, but her posting of pictures of herself, to share with her friends, having fun with friends - with alcohol in some of the photos -- after she caused Alex's death, did her in. The DA printed them in full color and pounded her on the stand about every one of them. You should have seen her on the stand. I have never seen such courage or presence. She never denied her culpability or lack of judgment and never broke. The judge, on the other hand, never got past the photos.

Jessica signed up with an AA counselor and, before being shackled in front of her mother and father and escorted out of the courtroom, she was attending several alcohol substance therapy programs.

Jessica is a first-time offender, a rape crisis counsellor, a caretaker of autistic adults, and what the probation officer called "a good kid." It reminds me of the proverbial good girl who had sex once and got pregnant.

But, enough about Jessica! Let's talk about -- Alex? Loved to drink. Drank a LOT in Isla Vista. He had been drinking with Jessica all evening and asked HER for a ride home. Contrary to popular belief, Jessica did NOT knock Alex out, wrap him in a pink blanket kept in her trunk for just such a purpose, and belt him into the death seat. They walked together to the car, not staggered, but walked. (That is Jessica's memory of it.) Jessica fiddled in her purse for her keys, called a friend to say they were leaving the party, and they drove off together. Two consenting adults. They BOTH made bad choices, because they had been drinking so much. Yes, I, too, wonder who let them drive away? Friends don't let friends drive drunk. Let's remember that from now on.

So, now. Me. Alex's Dad, Roger. My husband, Alan ( Alex's father for 19 years.) My mother and father, Alex's Nani & Gramps. We all feel the same, and have from the beginning. When I assumed that whoever was at the wheel of that car had simply passed out and run straight on into oncoming traffic, I felt the same way. So I guess you could say it is unconditional compassion for anyone who kills a friend, colleague or even a stranger because they screwed up and made a very bad judgment call. Due to his or her own negligence. My first thought of this young woman was, "Man, she is going to suffer from THIS for the rest of her life." Don't you feel that way? When you hear about a drunk-driving fatality, don't you always look to see if the driver, the person at fault, survived? I do. What an inhumane burden to shoulder for the rest of your life. And on top of that, she is involved in a dramatic and traumatic incident -- fatal car crashes are no picnic in the first place, even if you weren't the driver. I know. I was in one when I was 16. My sister and cousin died in front of me. So on top of severe damage to her body, and trauma to her mind and dealing with having killed someone, she has to think about being a felon for the rest of her life, getting an attorney, pleading to the court, and maybe going to prison. And exactly HOW does she pay the bills?

So, as a mother, as the letter on my blogg (http://AtTheHearth.WordPress.com) says, my heart broke for Jessica. Somehow, she became one of the kids for me, just like all the other young men and women in Alex's extensive but tight Santa Barbara friend family.

We asked for leniency (probation) for her, because, as Alan said, "it's the right thing to do."

I also know that, there but for fortune, go so many of us, including Alex. Now the work ahead of us is to create a multi-fasceted program of social change, marketing change and tool use. We DO need to start using breathalyzers. We DO need to say, "Friends don't let friends drive drunk." We do need to get 5% of the alcohol companies' marketing budgets and create get-home-safely programs. It CAN be done.

Just think, if every 6-pack came with a little breathalyzer, some people might never use them, toss them in the trash (recycle, please), but think of the MESSAGE it sends. Let's make it OKAY to give your friend a hard time for not using his breathalyzer before he gets in his car after a few drinks. Let's teach ourselves what .062 or .20 FEELS like. Let's take back responsibility for ourselves and for one another. Let's show each other we care about one another, and risk the relationship in order to keep our friend alive.

Ahhhh, but I ramble. Love to you all,  Susan, Alex Baer's Mom  

PS  One more thing, cut Paige Reid a little slack. She is a gentle soul (as opposed to some of the rest of us) whom my son loved. Their relationship was causing him to turn his life around in terms of sobriety, albiet not quickly enough to save him. She has been brutalized by the loss of her daily, loving companion. Paige is looking for some good to come out of Alex's death. She will help make that happen.  Paige, Caleb Day and Reid Spencer are putting together a concert "Another Way Home" at sOhO on April 13. Maybe you can encourage people to participate. Free brealalyzers?? Not tempted?  Editor's comments:  Thank you very much for taking the time to post your comments.  Our best wishes to your family and to Jessica's family as well.  I hope that everyone can emerge from this tragedy.    

I saw the "party till you puke" attitude and it is way out of control. The fact of the matter is it is never going to stop. UCSB trys every year to do something whether it's dry fraternities, upsidedown cups, or Bills Bus, nothing will stop college students who are just so excited to be free from parents or whatever. Do you know how many students fall off the cliffs in IV every year beacause they are so drunk? atleast 4. It is really sad, and no one really reports on them either.

All we can do is hope that people will take responsilbilty for their actions. Whether its driving drunk or even a drunk in public. And just because you have "gotten away" with it once, twice, or even ten times, it doesn't mean that you will NEVER get caught. And when you do, you should be prepared to pay the concequences no matter what they are. - AS

Message: I am responding to your "sad commentary" article. I thought it was pretty good until you started attacking everyone at the end. Who are you to say anything? I am a friend of Alex's, I do not live in SB anymore. So, it was out of my hands AND i'm sure most others to decide whom he got a ride home with.....also, you should really get your story straight before ranting and raving about what happened.

I saw the "party till you puke" attitude and it is way out of control. The fact of the matter is it is never going to stop. UCSB trys every year to do something whether it's dry fraternities, upsidedown cups, or Bills Bus, nothing will stop college students who are just so excited to be free from parents or whatever. Do you know how many students fall off the cliffs in IV every year beacause they are so drunk? atleast 4. It is really sad, and no one really reports on them either.

All we can do is hope that people will take responsilbilty for their actions. Whether its driving drunk or even a drunk in public. And just because you have "gotten away" with it once, twice, or even ten times, it doesn't mean that you will NEVER get caught. And when you do, you should be prepared to pay the concequences no matter what they are. Signed AS.  Editor's comment:  Dear AS.  Thanks for posting the comments.  I am truly sorry for the fact that we have to meet (even if only online) because of the death of a friend.  We agree with your comment that someone who drives drunk should be prepared to pay the consequences.  However, while we agree on the fact that the UCSB/IV party scene is out of control, we do not agree that it cannot be fixed.  In truth, UCSB does nothing to stop the party.  They merely give it lip service.  They take no effective action to tone down the party scene (and save lives) because it works for them.  It brings in lots of money for them.  It would be easy for them to stop the party.  Start expelling people who are felons or who are dangerous.   UCSB already has the rules on the books to take action, they simply refuse to do so.  UCSB expels almost no one.   They don't want to look judgmental.  One thing I have learned about UCSB students is that they want to graduate -- they want the UCSB degree.  They want the good job that the degree helps bring to them.  If they knew  that excessive partying and committing crimes would get them expelled, they would mitigate their behavior.  UCSB can control the party scene, they just refuse to do so.  What is even worse is the fact that the UCSB attitude ( you can do anything you want and get away with it) carries over after graduation.  The drunk driver in this case will pay a horrible penalty in her life for buying into the UCSB ethos.  When you get to the real world, UCSB's look the other way policy  cannot protect you.  

As a 1984 Cell Biology/Physiology graduate who successfully survived the UCSB experience, and as one who did study while actually enjoying my time on campus, in IV and on DP, I look back fondly at those years.

After graduating and spending one more year at UCI, I worked as a medical technologist in research and then moved on to air pollution chemistry in Los Angeles. The UCSB education more than adequately prepared me for the modern analytical laboratory workplace. And now, working for the past ten years with a multinational chemical company as a lab manager/chemist, I look to UCSB as a source of new talent for industry and academia.

One thought as I view the campus, now from afar, in Northern California. Please fight the Darkness of Bad Grammar! Read and write in clear English. Please!!!

I confess that I cringe when I see the grammar of many who write in the Daily Nexus on-line edition. And furthermore, the subject matter of the majority of the reporting and opinions focuses inordinately on the "dark side" of UCSB, most often with a flippant attitude toward it. The so-called "Weather" column is incoherent and inane. If the Daily Nexus content and syntax, aside from the writings of "Liberty Belle" and a few other thoughtful individuals, are a reflection of tomorrow's workforce, we may be in more serious trouble than I originally thought.

Finally a supportive word to the wise targeted toward "Dark Side" readers presently at UCSB, from one who has long since passed through the system - -Moderation. Please. For the benefit of the collective student health and mind, practice moderation There is an entire life ahead of you.  Sincerely,  KF  Editor's comment:  Couldn't have said it better.  Thank you for providing some guidance tempered with time.   

"If you really spent a lot of time in Isla Vista or listening to people who live there, you would know that 9 times out of 10, violence, rape and desctruction are perpetrated by immature SBCC wannabe gangstas. You seem to be blaming UCSB students.. while it is the City College douchebags who really have no reason to be there who cause all the problems.  PLEASE address this difference on your website. PLEASE delve deeper into this scourge and help us all. Signed BH"

"I find it extremely unsettling that this website talks down upon SBCC and the "bonehead" classes that are taught there. SBCC is one of the top Community Colleges in California and not everyone who goes there is lazy. Many students are seriously attending SBCC as a less expensive alternative to completing their General Education. Please keep your negative opinions to yourself until you have fully researched SBCC and all the excellent programs of study and transfer resources available there. Signed Tom."

My school may have its faults, as does each and every school, at any level of education, but UCSB and its students are not completely to blame. I would appreciate it greatly if the ills of the IV slum could be referred to the "dark side of IV" so that people from outside of the university community don't come to associate the slanderous material of your website with one of the country's best public schools.  Signed J.M.   Editor's comment:  Thanks for the interesting email.  You seem to agree with us regarding what we see as aberrant behavior.  You just think that UCSB shouldn't take the rap for being part of it.  We agree that SBCC and the out-of-towners contribute to the problems.  Almost all of our articles and editorials say just that.  Try reading this editorial.  However, UCSB created IV and has benefited from the party school image.  Now, people are beginning to wonder about the quality of the school because of the mayhem that it helps to sustain.  If everyone in IV is an adult, then way is there all the "blatant stupidity?"  The truth is that 18 to 20-year-olds are easily manipulated.  Left to their own devices, you get IV -- Lord of the Flies meets Real World TV.  Do you think that parents taught these hooligans to behave the way they do?  I wonder what IV would look like if only ten percent of the parents of UCSB students came to town for a weekend.  The university and SBCC have an obligation to set the tone of the university and to exclude people who poise a threat to other students.  If you don't believe me, try reading the UCSB  General Standards of Conduct (SW, 101.00) which reads in part: "

1. Non-Academic Conduct

... In instances when the health and safety of the individual or members of the University community are involved, the campus disciplinary process will be implemented immediately upon notification of the charges."

The tone at UCSB is to "party till we puke"   Everything from simple drunkenness to felony assaults are ignored by the school.  They (the administration)  know that if they take meaningful action against students, it will highlight the problems at UCSB.  They prefer to ignore the issues.   UCSB could be a really great school but it is being held back by its party school reputation.  A reputation that it uses to recruit more party animals.

There is not a moment of doubt for me, that certain atmosphere at UCSB, constant parties, and I.V. environment influenced my Ex-boyfriend into act of Violence. There was nothing UCSB did to help me, not even to tell me where he was hiding while he continued to attend UCSB. UCSB powerfully "looked after" and "protected" him from paying for his crime, after all he was a good student, and I was the just a Victim.

The one vague phone call from someone at UCSB asked if I would wish to appear for UCSB originated "On-campus" trial of my ex-boyfriend, that is after Restraining Order from the court. I was not going to be a puppet for students studying "criminal law," nor was the person calling looking for positive answer.