Political Make-Believe : Education: Simi students stage a lively convention, complete with delegates, a platform and a speech by Ronald Reagan.

It was a make-believe political convention. But that didn’t keep former President Ronald Reagan away.

Indeed, Reagan was the honored guest Thursday of the Sequoia National Party convention of 1992 as staged by the eighth-grade class of Sequoia Junior High School in Simi Valley. The convention, held in the auditorium of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, was designed to teach students about the electoral process by letting them nominate their own presidential candidate.

The convention looked and sounded a lot like the real thing. The auditorium was decorated with balloons, flags and campaign posters. And each of the 500 student “delegates and convention officers” did their best to mimic their real counterparts as they shouted, rang bells, pounded gavels and blew horns.

Even Reagan was moved by the excitement displayed at the convention. “You must know, you’ve inspired me to run for yet another term,” he joked.

Reagan then told the students how important it was for them to learn about government and, when they are old enough, to participate in choosing the nation’s leaders.

“Every citizen has the right and the responsibility to help decide who those leaders are,” he said. “I hope some of you today will seriously consider public office someday.”

History teachers Ginny Duhm, Theodore Enke and Ron Lucio began organizing the convention in October. After students studied and researched the nomination process, they split up into delegations from each of the 50 states. Candidates launched campaigns and competed in primaries.

The students even wrote a party platform, calling for a reduction in defense spending while allocating more money for education and social programs.

Enke said the convention was to be held at the school. But Reagan library officials agreed to let the students use the auditorium, then notified the school that Reagan was willing to participate.

But Enke said the most important part of the exercise was that students got a better understanding of how the electoral process works.

Lucio agreed, adding, “My dream is that when they all turn 18, they will all register to vote.”

Student Mike Mnoian, 14, said that’s exactly what he plans to do.

“I know more now about how it all works,” Mike said. “It makes me want to go out and vote.”

Nick Fide, 13, said he felt the same way. “It’s totally cool.”

And who would they vote for if they could?

“I like (Pat) Buchanan,” Mike said. “We were doing fine. Then (George) Bush got in and the recession started.”

“Buchanan over Bush,” Nick said. “I think we need a new person for the economy, to get things going a little faster.”

Andy Corrign, 14, took a different view.

“I want Bush to win, but it would be nice if we could have Ronald Reagan again.”

When the final ballot was cast Thursday, the Sequoia National Party had nominated the first female presidential candidate in its short history.

Jennifer Levy, 13, beat classmate Joey Reid, also 13, for the nomination.

FYI

For those who missed it, the Sequoia National Party Convention will be broadcast on Comcast’s Channel 19 at 5 p.m. Saturday. It will be shown again on the same channel at 3:30 p.m. March 7 and at 5 p.m. March 8.