STORY AND PHOTO BY JASON GREEN, STAFF WRITER
Cypress College students voice their opinions on the proposal approved by the NOCCCD’s Board of Trustees to further develop a policy which would allow commemorative flags to be flown on NOCCCD campuses.
After the North Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees approved a new flag policy to move forward with its development, which would allow commemorative flags to be flown on NOCCCD campuses, Cypress College students voiced their opinions on the proposal.
The proposal comes after July’s meeting where board trustee Ryan Bent of Yorba Linda put forward a policy to limit flag displays to only the United States flag, state flags, school flags, or national flags to promote the idea of neutrality, which was not passed.
The new policy, Board Policy 3830, suggested by Board of Trustees President Ed Lopez, would allow commemorative flags such as “Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, Pride Month etc…”, to be flown below the United States flag and California flag during their respective month. According to the NOCCCD’s Aug. 22 agenda, “the District’s flagpoles do not serve as a forum for free expression by the public. Only those commemorative flags listed in this policy or otherwise approved by the Board of Trustees may be exhibited.”
“No one should be upset.” said NOCCCD board member Stephen Blount, who supports this August proposal. Theater major, Iain Deber said “I like this policy simply because America is nothing without the parts that make it.” Deber said that the policy would be a safe place in the political shift in the country.
Christine Jun, a Political Science professor said that change can cause “cultural anxiety”. She did not feel bothered by the policy because she is immersed in California’s diversity, and said that she would focus on other things such as homelessness.
Cypress College’s LGBTQ+ Liaison, Jenelle Herman stated in a Discord message, “it is important for individuals within these diverse communities to see themselves represented and to feel celebrated across our campuses so that they know they belong and are an important part of our District community.”
Alternatively, as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and a psychology major, Caitlin Nash expressed that the community does not deserve special treatment. She said does not “feel represented by the [pride] flag.”
“We are together. We are all equal,” Nash said.
