CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE : Student, 21, Runs for City Council

Hoping to ride a wave of anti-incumbent sentiment sweeping the nation, a Cal State Northridge student is running for a seat on the Thousand Oaks City Council.

Hagop (Jay) Sagherian, a 21-year-old engineering major, is the youngest of nine candidates for two council seats up for grabs Nov. 3. His opponents include two seasoned incumbents, but he said he hopes his fresh approach to politics will appeal to voters.

“Right now, there’s an anti-incumbent movement in Thousand Oaks,” said Sagherian, who has never held either student government or public office.

“Who knows? Maybe people will say, ‘Hey, this guy’s young. Maybe he’s got some new ideas.’ ”

With only the income from his part-time department store sales job to finance his campaign, Sagherian is depending on a disgruntled citizenry and face-to-face campaigning to gain votes.

“I’m 100% running on my own,” he said. “I just go door to door and talk to people, and that’s how I get my name out.”

Sagherian is focusing his campaign on maintaining the rural atmosphere of the city. He also said he is keeping an ear out for residents’ concerns--something he accuses current City Council members of forgetting this year when they voted to build a large Circuit City store near a scenic part of the city.

Donald E. Davis, a co-founder of the 2,500-member Concerned Citizens for Thousand Oaks, who fought with Sagherian against the Circuit City project, said he admires the student’s willingness to serve.

“I applaud Jay for stepping in and getting involved,” Davis said. “It’s an excellent baptism of fire. I think the young man could very possibly make a career in politics.”

If elected, Sagherian hopes to bring together a coalition of police, educators and community leaders to tackle what he sees as a growing problem in the city--gang violence. He also said he would try to encourage the city to buy its goods from Thousand Oaks merchants to stimulate the local economy.

Unlike some politicians, Sagherian expects to have a bright future even if he loses the election. He has his sights set on a career in electrical engineering.

But Sagherian isn’t planning on losing. He said he will knock on as many doors as he can between now and Election Day.

When he confronts people who believe a student might be out of place on the council, Sagherian points out: “We also have a 30-year-old punk rocker running for City Council.”