Our History - ARC Students for Change

The Students for Change campaign has deep roots in student leadership at American River College.  On our homepage, you will find the mission statement of the Associated Student Body. Yes, we support the mission of the Associated Student Body....because we wrote it.

One year ago, the students for change campaign was founded to bring a real leadership to the student body.  Two years ago, a Student Association administration took office with the sole purpose of pressing their own personal, fundamentalist agenda upon 40,000 of the most diverse students in the country. These Student Association officers failed miserably to adequately represent their student body, instead focusing their attention on their social agenda.  In their first semester they publicly supported proposition 8 on behalf of the entire student body, despite overwhelming outrage and dissent from their constituents.  Making public television and radio appearances as ARC representatives in favor of Proposition 8, the image of American River College quickly became tarnished as an intolerant and un-diverse college.  Later in the same year, the same student administration opposed the national day of silence and also publicly opposed Earth Day, stating that Earth Day was based in Pagan worship and was therefore a sin in the eyes of God.  The social agenda was carried at the same time the Student Association was attempting to channel thousands of dollars of student funds into an off campus news publication solely published for the Sacramento Slavic Community, which was also this administration's chief ethnic background and primary political supporters.  When this administration was finally removed from office and replaced by Students for Change, there was in excess of $7,000 in unpaid and disputed bills that the Student Association had failed to pay.

After a year of irresponsible leadership, the Students for Change campaign formed to elect new leaders and a new vision in last years April General Election.  Reaching out to students with a genuine commitment to student issues and equal representation, the Students for Change campaign surprised the Student Association members seeking re-election and were triumphant in what was the most highly contested and politicized student election in the California Community College system of 112 colleges.

With victory in hand, the Students for Change, helmed by President-Elect David Fisher, Vice President-Elect Shaine Johnson, and Representative-Elect Jeremy Palmer, set out to implement a bold new agenda focused first on repairing the damage done by the former Student Association and then to build what President Fisher describes as a "foundation of relevance."  Just ten days after taking office, the new student administration held their first public meeting, announcing their vision for the future of student representation and introducing three bold new initiatives.  First, the Student Association was immediately transformed into the Associated Student Body, complete with a re-vitalized logo, mission statement, values, and core beliefs.  President Fisher made clear that the new face of the student body had to be an organization that traded in the mistakes of the past for a new era of responsible student representation.

Next, the new leadership set out on its bold legislative agenda.  With the support and urging of President Fisher, the board introduced nine separate pieces of legislation just ten days after taking office, the process of correcting the previous year's mistakes and leading into a new year of progress had begun. Vice President Johnson introduced The Access and Success Advocacy Act, calling for significant reforms to student representation code and regulation. Representative Palmer introduced The Social Relativity Act, nullifying the former Student Association's support of Proposition 8 and setting student leadership on the path of equal representation, Finance Director John Throm introduced The Textbook Affordability Commitment with VP Johnson, making it a top priority of the new leadership to pursue a textbook rental program and to implement additional steps to reduce the cost of textbooks on campus. Representative Hartkopf and VP Johnson introduced the Guaranteed support stabilization Act, restoring funding that was cut off by the former Student Association to the Inter Club Council and the American River Review, an award winning liberal arts publication. Vice President Johnson and Representative Palmer, together, introduced Digital Signage - Building the Foundation of Relevance, the first major investment into student body made by student leadership in years. 

Almost one year later, the new Associated Student Body sits as one of the most respected organizations in the Los Rios District, building bridges every day between students, faculty, staff, and administrators.  A new campus environment is being fostered every day, and students can feel the difference. Campus clubs and organizations have received substantial endorsement and financial support from the Associated Student Body after being shunned by the former Student Association.  Reforms are now in place to provide a structure for quality leadership for years to come.  The campus once again operates in an environment of mutual respect with an appreciation for and celebration of our student body's diversity. A $30,000 investment has been made into a new digital signage network set for installation this Spring.  This investment in student involvement will connect students to their campus through a 21st century network of digital communication.  The Associated Student Body has made many significant accomplishments, negotiating a student website, a new student body office to be built in a new Student Center that will expand benefits currently offered to students, and successful celebrations and events that have brought smiles to ARC students and families in need of help and support, and all of these accomplishments serve to expand mutual respect of the student body and their cause. 

However, there is one crowning achievement above all the rest. The Associated Student Body recently announced the unveiling of the American River College Textbook Rental Program. The Associated Student Body's many talks, meetings, and negotiations with the college administration and Beaver Bookstore has culminated into the announcement of a program that will be available to students for the Fall Semester of 2010.  The ASB has negotiated for the program to be fully funded by the college and managed through the bookstore in cooperation with faculty who will participate in the pilot year of the program, thus creating a program that actively engages the entire ARC community.  After being promised by the former Student Association and failing to make any progress, the Associated Student Body has made good on its promise implement this program. You can read about the details of the program in the ARC newspaper's April 7th edition.

As the reformers and leaders of the Associated Student Body, the Students for Change campaign has come a long way from one year ago to now, but the battle remains the same.  The same members of the former Student Association whom we took up arms against one year ago have come back after a hiatus at Sacramento City College in order to challenge progress and reform at ARC.  The same students who are responsible for the outrage of a community are back for more, and so our Students for Change campaign has been revitalized to ensure that the solid foundation that we have built for our student body remains.  Our mission is to elect quality student leaders to the Associated Student Body so that our college does not fall back into the dogma of one year ago.  We have made much progress on behalf of our students, but our work is not done.  We have accomplished textbook rental, but we still have a recycling program to create, we still have good work yet to be accomplished.

Last year, our victory was a surprise. This year we cannot be seen as the underdog, but that only makes our victory that much less certain. The former Student Association members will do more in this election, and so we must.  Just as we saw them demonize and slander our candidates one year ago, we expect them bring their bigotry and narrow mindedness back to this election in an effort to scare and take advantage of uninformed students.  While they were inept leaders, they are skilled campaigners and have an ability to take advantage of and prey on voters that, while appalling, must be respected. 

This is why we, the ARC Students for Change, ask for your vote and participation in this student body election.  Please take the time to research this site and find one of our campaign representatives on campus so that you can find all the information you need to make an informed decision.  Please vote, the stakes are simply too high not to.