Whether you attend Cerritos College to take a course that you couldn’t take somewhere else or you’re here as a regular student, it’s always a good idea to grasp a general understanding of what’s happening on campus, especially if it can indirectly affect you.

Students are being given the opportunity to become involved in choosing the new president of Cerritos College and yet nobody seems to care.

As many may or may not know, current President Dr. Linda Lacy is finishing her last semester here as she is retiring.

This means that in a matter of months we’ll be having someone new representing over 23,000 students and faculty members.

The school has set up a timeline of the presidential search process.

It is giving the students and faculty an opportunity to voice their concerns on the decision of who becomes the new head honcho and it is important that we become actively involved in doing so.

During a board meeting, Dr. Edward Hernandez of Community College Search Services provided the Board of Trustees with a list of the five Presidential candidates.

These meetings, which take place on Wednesdays at 6:30 in the Cheryl A. Epple Board Room, are open to the public and many don’t take advantage of our right to watch history unravel before us as the college makes this important decision.

On March 9-12, the candidates will participate in public forums to showcase who they are, as well as an opportunity for students and faculty to speak out, ask questions or even just sit back and listen.

Here is a list of the five candidates:

-Dr. Jose Fierro, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer at Laramie County Community College. (Cheyenne, Wyoming)

-Dr. Peter Perhac, President/CEO of Steamboat Campus, Colorado Mountain College. (Steamboat, Colorado)

-Dr. Angélica Loera Suarez, Vice President, Student Affairs Division at Southwestern College. (Chula Vista, California)

-Dr. Rajen Ramalingum Vurdien, President of Fullerton College, North Orange Community College District. (Fullerton, California)

-Dr. Monte E. Perez, President of Los Angeles Mission College, Los Angeles Community College District. (Sylmar, California)

It’s no secret that a lot of students on campus are not involved within campus, but how often does a college get to elect a new president? Not often.

A student’s primary goal is to succeed in the future.

Whose overall job is it to assure that success is being met as proficiently as possible? The president’s.

The public forums give students the chance to ask questions or voice opinions about how each candidate will affect the school.

Wouldn’t you like to know a little about the person whose job it is to oversee your education and overall success?

The selected candidate would be held accountable for everything that may or may not happen at Cerritos College.

As students, we should be aware of who is leading our school and our education.

Whether you are only here to transfer schools in a few semesters or you just need one class that you couldn’t take at another school, something as big as choosing who is in charge of your school will affect your outcome.

This is why students and faculty need to make the effort to attend the public forums and future meetings.

This decision is not chosen by the spin of a wheel, but goes through an immense process of elimination to select the perfect candidate.

So why do thousands of students take it so lightly? Get involved and be a part of the decision.