With all the dramatic world events happening in the last two months, it is not surprising three people were elected to serve on the Cerritos College Board of Trustees with nary a whisper.

Oh, sure, a few made occasional appearances on campus.

The two incumbents attended all the proper campus activities, shook all the right hands and observed the Pro Forma rituals of talking to students in front of cameras.

Yet, never did they explain to the students how they intend to continue their vision for this college and its surrounding community.

As for the challengers, a few showed up several times as well.

Two were seen on campus on myriad occasions during student activities, discreetly showing up in their street clothes. Yet, not a word of campaigning passed their lips.

Who are these people? What do they want? How do they intend to make a difference?

As for the other two, if they ever bothered to show up at all, it must have only been to use the restrooms next to the Boardroom.

The Board of Trustees is the body that truly runs this community of 24,000 people we refer to as a college. Yet, where were they when it came time to win hearts and minds?

They were out and about in the surrounding neighborhoods talking to the people who really have the power to get them elected.

All of them realized that trying to get votes on campus is a sure way to lose an election.

After all, people who attend this campus are for the most part working adults with jobs and families to take care of.

They have neither the time nor the inclination to even care who is running this school.

But what about the rest of us?

The percentage is small, true. Nevertheless, many students are here to get more than just an academic education.

There are students here who want to learn how they can make a difference in their neighborhoods and communities.

There are students here who want to learn how to be leaders, who want to be a part of the great experiment called Democracy.

Yet not once did we have a public forum here on campus by the people who want most to be the leaders of this school.

To be sure, the campaigning littered the streets with literature, pamphlets and posters.

There were plenty of debates and forums… yet, not even one of them happened on campus.

The candidate’s bios were covered in the last edition of the paper, but getting some of those interviews were like pulling teeth!

This is not an opinion, it is a fact.

The Board has been accused of not listening to its constituents and their needs.

These accusations have come from disgruntled students and even a few college employees.

Now is the time to change that perception.

To the three newly elected members of the Board, this is your call to action.

You have been chosen to represent the students here and to respond to their stated needs, not to what you think they need.

Use this acknowledgment as a reason to make long overdue changes to the status quo that has reigned for the past eight years.

After today, please do not go back to doing business as usual.