Young Leaders Get Sobering Lessons in Campus Politics

By most accounts, high school students get involved with campus government for purely altruistic reasons.

Some might initially take a student government class thinking it will be an easy A. Or they might vie for school president just for kicks. But when they discover student government is hard work, they display uncanny amounts of determination, teachers say.

They don’t quibble about staying after class to paint posters advertising school dances or blood drives. They don’t mind spending lunch breaks working for the campus store.

“At this level, they’re very idealistic,” said Wendy Henchy, associated student body advisor at Oxnard High School. “Most of these kids aren’t interested in politics. It’s what they can do for the school. Sometimes their biggest concern is what kind of music to play during lunch.”

All that changes when students get to community college.

Fueled partly by a growing awareness that they wield little power, cynicism begins to set in. For many students, the goal sometimes shifts from “What can I do for my school?” to “What’s in it for me?”

“You join with the frame of mind that I’m going to make a difference,” said ReAnna Arredondo, 19, an outgoing student body member and past president of the Black Students Union at Ventura College. “But a lot of people leave with a big disappointment.”

Swallowing Down Some Bitter Pills

No one knows this more than Monica Sanchez, who has been embroiled in controversy at Ventura College since the presidential elections in late April.

She said she ran for president with the hope of becoming a voice for students. As president, she imagined organizing rallies and bolstering student involvement in campus activities.

Sanchez, however, came in second to Susan Carrasco. But after Carrasco was disqualified by a student committee for alleged election misconduct, Sanchez won the post. Things turned ugly when administrators stepped in and ordered a runoff election, saying the student investigation was bungled. Sanchez has refused to take part in a runoff, a move that likely would guarantee her rival would become president again.

The former student body vice president does not hide her bitterness. “I thought we had a strong influence and I was so proud of that,” Sanchez said. “It’s really, really disappointing to realize it’s just a show. We’re just thought of as cute, little student government kids.”

Carrasco and Sanchez agree on one thing. The infighting has distracted from the objective of making positive changes on campus.

When both spoke about their decisions to fight for the post, the focus was not on serving the students. “I had thoughts of saying, you know, is it worth the stress?” Carrasco said. “I know I won in my heart. But when I thought about letting it go, I thought, you can’t let them do this to you.

“It’s the principle of the fact I was discriminated against and wrongly disqualified.”

Sanchez cited the same reasons for not participating in a runoff election. “It’s all principle now,” she said. “Purely principle. Part of me says I don’t want to deal with this anymore. It’s all dirty politics.”

Working to Improve Life at the College

Students say infighting is nothing new at Ventura College.

Still, the campus government has made contributions to student life. Most notably, the board initiated forums during which students debated topics such as racial discrimination on campus, and workshops during which they learned how to get financial aid.

Richard La Paglia, director of student activities, credited the efforts by recent ASB members for an increase in student involvement at the school. During the spring elections, the college had the highest voter turnout in years, he said.

“There’s certainly no problem with student apathy,” La Paglia said. “Students are very committed and involved. The more you can get students involved, in addition to instruction, the greater chances they are going to be successful and stay in school.”

Ventura College President Larry Calderon said the main function of campus government is to teach students about the democratic process.

“It’s intended to provide them with leadership skills and see how democracy in action works,” Calderon said. “Some people get very turned on with government and pursue it later.

“The single biggest lesson is learning how to operate within the system,” he said. “When you are going to get involved in society, you have to learn the rules of society.”

He said the recent election controversy served as a valuable lesson to students.

“People say isn’t the controversy uncomfortable?” he asked. “It’s just the opposite. Their minds have been activated and open, and that’s what learning is all about.”

Setting Aside the Differences

At the county’s other two community colleges, however, student body members say greater accomplishments can be made by steering away from infighting.

At Oxnard College, recently elected student body President Juan Gallardo, 19, said at the start of most meetings, students greet each other with hugs.

“That’s how things get done,” he said. “We make it clear that personality issues are left outside the door. We work as a team.”

He said during his election campaign, he remained friendly with his main rival.

“We helped each other,” he said. “I made her posters and she made me posters. We actually walked around the campus, campaigning together. It was a fun election.”

Knowing decisions can be overruled by administrators does not discourage him, Gallardo said. When administrators object to student decisions, students should acquiesce and move on, he said.

“We try not to take ‘no’ for an answer,” he said. “But if they do say ‘no,’ we move to plan B.”

Last semester, students raised enough money to sponsor their first college dance, Gallardo said. Members have also launched a campaign supporting teachers in their contract dispute with district officials.

At Moorpark College, students recently started an escort service, using money from the organization’s general fund. Students can now be safely transported to their cars at night in a golf cart.

Outgoing President Dan Peate, 20, said he traveled to Sacramento to lobby state legislators on a number of bills affecting community colleges. By doing so, he said, student government helped obtain the state funds to expand the college’s child-care services.

He attributed the accomplishment in part to the student government’s solid relationship with the administration.

“They give us leeway and trust us,” he said. “On most issues . . . administration is cooperative.”

Although that does not seem to be the case at Ventura College, Sanchez said she at least will walk away a bit wiser. When she eventually transfers to a university, she said, she will consider again getting involved in student government.

“I’m sure back stabbing will be there, too,” she said. “That’s politics. You see it in every public election. I’ve come to the realization that it’s all part of the game. When you get into politics, you’ve got to play the game.

“But I’ve learned one thing the most,” she said. “You’ve got to play fair. I can take this with me.”