Monday, 4/28/97 MEChA hosts forum for students Conference draws
large audience, aims to motivate students to strive for higher
education
By Hector Ronquillo Daily Bruin Contributor Seeking to encourage
Latina/o high school students to strive for higher education,
Movimiento Estudiantil Chicana/o de Aztlan (MEChA) founded the
annual Raza Youth Conference four years ago to show Latina/o youth
that college is a necessity – not a luxury – for success beyond
high school. This year’s event, held on campus last Saturday,
invited over 1,000 high school, middle school and college students
from Los Angeles County and surrounding areas – some from as far as
the Central Valley – to participate in the 25 workshops and student
panels. "We have a goal every year to reach 1,000 students, and we
reached 1,000 this year. (Participation) has been steadily
increasing each year," said Henry Perez, a second-year Chicana/o
studies and history student and co-chair of the conference. "We are
trying to address the conditions in our community, like the 52
percent drop-out rate, through workshops, speakers and student
panels," he added. The theme of the conference, which focused on
keeping education accessible to all, highlighted MEChA’s desire to
instill in the students the belief that higher education is a goal
that is both possible and worth pursuing. While keeping with the
theme of promoting education, the conference also sought to teach
students about their history and culture and establish a sense of
pride for their identity – an aspect of education that MEChA feels
is often missing from the curriculum. "I want to see every student
here apply and go to college," said Eddie Hernendez, a USC graduate
student in urban planning and public administration. "Our work is
not done until all these kids are in college. Then they will
continue the tradition of helping other students and make them feel
like they belong in college," he added. Hernandez later spoke at a
workshop promoting the establishment of MEChA chapters in high
schools. "Our goal is to have the students take their education
into their own hands," said Liz Espinoza, a second-year English and
economics student and co-chair of the conference. "They cannot wait
to be asked if they want to go to college because no one is going
to serve it to them on a silver platter." The workshops, with
topics ranging from the history of the Chicana/o movement to
careers in various fields, gave the participants an opportunity to
learn about different issues that affect their lives and addressed
the tools necessary to accomplish their goals. "These workshops are
not only about becoming a professional and making lots of money,"
said Margarita Gonzalez, a fourth-year history and Chicana/o
studies student and MEChA chairwoman. "(The students) must realize
that they have the responsibility of giving back to their community
with whatever career they have and help improve the conditions of
their community." The student panels allowed participants to have
an open discussion about issues of concern on their community such
as education, gangs and gender roles. Rather than being lectured,
participants conversed among themselves in a forum that allowed a
better understanding of the experiences of other students who
encounter similar problems. With little restriction on
self-expression, the participants asserted their beliefs in hopes
of reaching a resolution to change the status quo. "Student panels
such as these are vital because we do not have many opportunities
to get together and talk about (issues) that are really important
to us," said Jeni Perez, a participant in the discussion and
student at East Los Angeles Community College. "It is good to
communicate with each other and understand that many of us are
going through the same things," Perez added. The conference also
aimed at educating the parents of students who choose to pursue a
higher education and showed them how they could better support
their children in their studies. This component of the conference
served to help parents become more involved in their child’s
education, addressing issues that make it difficult for parents to
take an active role in their child’s education. "Our purpose (is)
to motivate and empower the parents so they can in turn motivate
their children to strive for higher education," said Emma Chavez, a
second-year sociology student and parent conference coordinator.
"We are giving them the tools they need like information about
financial aid, admissions and resources available on campus, like
retention programs," Chavez added. For the UCLA students who helped
make the event possible, the end of the conference brought to rest
nearly five months of work. The last few days were especially
tiring for students who worked constantly to ensure that the
conference would greatly benefit the participants. "I want to see
all the students motivated and feel like they belong on this
campus," said second-year political science and history student
Brian Tabatabai. "They just need to study hard and not be afraid to
apply because they have a lot of Raza here ready to support them,"
Tabatabai added. With recent debates concerning the availability of
higher education to underrepresented groups, some UCLA students
feel it is important to give younger students the strength to
overcome obstacles that may stand between them and success in
higher education. With the largest turnout of participants in the
history of the conference, UCLA students were excited about having
the opportunity to help other students from their community. "This
was our most successful RYC," Gonzalez said. "The large turnout
motivates us even further to keep moving forward and continue our
commitment to putting on such a crucial event." For the
participants in the event, the conference increased their awareness
of issues in their community and motivated them to take hold of
their education – the most powerful instrument for affecting change
in their community. "I learned a lot about my culture and history,"
said Romina Yepiz, a junior at La Puente High School. "I wanted to
go to college before I came to the conference, but now I am
motivated even more." With reports from Frances Lee, Daily Bruin
Contributor. AARON TOUT Stevenson Middle School student Alonso
Rubalcara, 14, break dances at a lunch break at the Raza Youth
Conference. AARON TOUT As part of the Raza Youth Conference,
L.A.-area high school students hold panel discussions to talk about
relevant issues in their lives.