DE-Cal Exposes Students to City Government

Nearly one out of every four Berkeley residents is a student, but only about one out of every 16 Berkeley commissioners is a student.

That ratio is on the rise, but it is still too low, said UC Berkeley sophomore Tiffany Batac. And with her new DE- Cal course, Berkeley City Commissions, Batac hopes to see it change.

"Students have so much power and don't even realize it," Batac said.

Berkeley city commissions is a two-unit DE-Cal that tries to give students an inside view of Berkeley's bureaucracy.

During classes, students attend City Council and commission meetings, network with city officials, and discuss different issues that the city and campus are facing. The semester will culminate in a mock City Council meeting, where students will simulate a meeting in council chambers under the watchful eye of some of the city's commissioners.

The DE-Cal will encourage students to become familiar with how a city like Berkeley is run, Batac said, and will hopefully spur them to become involved themselves by taking seats on one of the city's 48 commissions.

The commissions serve as advisory boards to the council, on issues ranging from health to peace and justice. Some, like the Zoning and Adjustments Board, and have the power to make real policy decisions in the city.

Batac, who has worked with council members in San Diego, but has yet to serve on any Berkeley commission, said that she is looking forward to learning more about the bureaucratic process along with her students.

Only about seven students are currently enrolled in the DE- Cal.

This is only the first semester that anyone has taught the course, Batac said, and they were trying to keep its numbers down.

Batac and freshman Arman Rezaee, the other course facilitator, have been meeting with Councilmember Kriss Worthington, who represents the student-heavy Southside District 7, to set up the course's logistics.

Worthington said he wants to see more students in the city government's ranks.

"There's some (student) voice, but I think there's still a long way to go" Worthington said. "They're enthusiastic and have a lot of good ideas."

Currently, there are only about 22 students serving on city commissions, although there are a few serving as chairs of commissions such as the Peace and Justice Commission.

Ryan Houk, a junior social welfare major, has served on the Homeless Commission for over a year, and was recently appointed to the Human Welfare and Community Action Commission by Mayor Tom Bates.

Houk has been interested in homelessness issues for years, and had already worked with various homelessness agencies and advocates before he joined the city commission.

But Houk felt he would be in a better position to help the homeless by actually joining a branch of the city government.

"I wanted to see what changes I could make on a broader scale," Houk said. "Part of me wanted to see the other half."

But a DE-Cal is not the path towards getting more student voice in city government, Houk said.

"It's not a matter of taking a class about it," Houk said. "A better course of action would be to just get involved directly."

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