Los Angeles Valley College - Crown Yearbook (Valley Glen, CA)

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President for 'Respunsi E Eu ernment' By Vanessa Finan Illustrated by Robert Lachman During confrontations with the Associated Students Organiza- tion Council of Spring 1973 a large contingent of students debated the lack of proper representation for minority factions at Los Angeles Valley College.. Their struggle to create the offices of commissioner of Black studies and commissioner of Mexican-American studies was voted down by the existing council. The dissatisfied contingent, seeing a need to further its goals and ambitions, crystalized into a prominent student power. They organized a slate and regarded themselves as United Students for a Responsive Government. From there, the voting student body chose to staff the council with all but two slate candidates. Serving as a nucleus of that group was a certain young lady who at the time served as president of MECHA. Une recall election and 59 headaches later she was voted into the office of AS, student body president for Fall Semester 1973. For the first time in her career, jo Anne Orijel was a winning number on the roulette wheel of politics. I believed that a different attitude in government was necessary, and that I had the ability to do the work, explained the 24-year-old Virgo. The position of leadership is a hard one, and it becomes 10 times harder when you become a leader of leaders, said Miss Orijel. During her experiences while working with fellow council members, Miss Orijel found each one to be a strong leader. However, the Latin-American studies major does not plan to pursue a career in politics. With a Mexican-American heritage Miss Orijel aspires to become a teacher of Latin-American studies. The key influence in this decision was Valley College's Manual Rodriguez, asso- ciate professor of Spanish. lt was Dr. Rodriguez's teaching and his absorption in his subject that really encouraged me to change my major, explained Miss Orijel. The former nursing major exhibits a desire to work with Mexican-American students through counseling. Already, Miss Orijel has received a reputation as being a competent student adviser for her efforts in Valley's student advisers office. 16 Student Body President Jo Anne Oriiel, competently mastered the techniques of parliamentary procedure while holding her office. Open council discussion led to student unity and campus improvements throughout the fall semester. iii

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3? 1 ---L......,. George Palovitch works on the electronic lighting control circuits throughout the campus. teachers turn off the two rows of lighting nearest the windows, asserting that avail- able lighting would be sufficient for class- room procedures. Primarily, Berko emphasized, the staff would like to equip the rooms with light and heating timers regulated on an hourly basis, supplying forgetful faculty members with an insurance policy so the energy rates won't go up. lt's become the staff's second nature to turn out any lights in rooms that are unused, said Herko. Currently, custodians only light the room they are working in during the after-hours cleanup, while the rest of the building is dark. Even with utility cost increases, we feel that with our conservation programs, we are holding the line on our energy expen- ditures, said Berko, emphasizing that the upcoming sweltering summer months would prove to be the hungriest energy eaters ol all. Valley Colleges president, Dr. Robert Horton, was among the first to experience a lighting reduction in his office, and the faculty had to tote home some of their convenient, yet energy-eating, appli- ances. lierko is very optimistic because of the cooperation received from all. Oh, but lust one more thing, he said ' Don't forget to turn off the lights. ll fi i i i 4 , l i 5 Julian Berko, plant facilities director, discusses areas for possible energy cutbacks with electrician Fred Ortiz. i...A UUIE sit? I 3 '

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Massive arches dominate the architecture ofthe San Fernando Valley Mission. Miss Oriiel interprets the mission as being a representative symbol ofthe Valley. Miss Oriiel explained that when counseling Mexican-Ameri- cans who did not have the right attitudes impressed upon them at an early age, she attempts to revamp their philosophies and enhance their aspirations. Along with her professional interests, Miss Oriiel enjoys singing, drawing, and writing. The San Fernando High graduate held the position of editor of the school's literary magazine, Tiger Tales, for two and a half years, Through this experience she found, Sometimes it's hard to translate my feelings to paper, but other times it's my only recourse, As early as the middle of the fall semester, Miss Oriiel recognized that This school has really been an experience for me. It knocks the idealism out of you. Miss Oriiel initially became involved with student government because she believed the most important thing was to achieve an avenue for student involvement. While in office Miss Oriiel has enlarged her former philosophy and found the real back- bone of her efforts to be in the promotion of such an avenue and to gain the interest and help of Valley College students. I T J ' Zu' l TQ 5 i' .55 l have a rich heritage, said Miss Oriiel, who emphasizes the educational experience the San Fernando Mission affords. , as