Nothing green about day at OCC

Alicia Robinson

Green Party gubernatorial recall candidate Peter Camejo may be the

headliner Friday at Orange Coast College, but it wasn’t his hard work

that landed him on campus.

It was Candy Pettus’.

The sociology and anthropology professor was the force behind

Friday’s visiting scholar program, which in addition to Camejo’s talk

will include three panel discussions by faculty members on social

responsibility and how it relates to people’s beliefs and behaviors.

“The event was primarily designed to set a dialogue on campus as

well as with the larger community about the issues,” Pettus said. “We

hope what they’ll get out of it is the need for action, the need to

be aware of ... how our decisions individually can have far-reaching

implications and how therefore we need to be responsible about the

decisions we make.”

Activism may not be as prominent today as it was in the 1960s, for

example, but people have mobilized effectively on some issues, such

as budget cuts to schools, Pettus said.

Pettus said her goal with the program was to educate students

about social activism and empower them to work for causes that are

important to them.

The visiting scholar program was started last year with state

grant funds by Lesley Danziger, staff development coordinator at OCC.

This year, Danziger asked the Orange Coast College Foundation for

funding to keep the program going, foundation Executive Director Doug

Bennett said. The foundation is a nonprofit organization that offers

scholarships, grants and other programs to benefit the school and its

students.

“The foundation just saw this as a good program to promote

interaction between faculty members and an opportunity for students

to hear distinguished speakers,” Bennett said.

Camejo’s visit is the second of this year’s two events, to which

the foundation committed a total of $10,000. The visiting scholars

are suggested by OCC faculty members, whose proposals are voted on by

a faculty committee. Bennett said the foundation has pledged the same

funding for next year’s program and Danziger already is taking

proposals.

The other event this year was an appearance in April by peace

activist and author Le Ly Hayslip and discussions of community

service and civic responsibility. Bennett said that event was popular

with students and faculty.

“The goal of the foundation is to support the college, so we take

on specific bigger programs like buildings and that sort of thing,

but we also wan to support the academic life of the college and this

seemed like a good way we can do it for not a lot of money,” he said.

Camejo, who is also an author and the founder of Progressive Asset

Management, a company devoted to investing in socially responsible

businesses, will discuss social responsibility and his experiences as

a social activist in Friday’s program.

While he has a history of vili rights activism, Camejo drew

statewide attention as a candidate for governor, Pettus said.

The visiting scholar event will begin with a talk by Camejo at 10

a.m. Friday in the science lecture hall at Orange Coast College, 2701

Fairview Road, Costa Mesa.

Panel discussion by school faculty begin are scheduled from 1 to

2:30 p.m. in the various rooms of the science hall. The event is free

and open to the public.

For information, call (714)432-5725.