Council Meetings

Held at the Renaissance Sports Club, the council was joined by special guest Cricket Jamet! Cricket shared about her experiences as a part of WAVE, Women for American Values and Ethics, as well as the importance of voter registration. The council also made progress regarding their upcoming Human Trafficking awareness event.

Hosted at the Soka Dining Hall, we discussed Super Tuesday as well as the primaries for local elected officials. Additionally, we learned more about the Aliso Viejo City Council Meetings which are held on the first and third Wednesdays of every month. We concluded with Ross explaining the economic state of Aliso Viejo and how that affects budgeting.

The Renaissance Hotel hosted our February meeting where we met with Ross Chun to discuss the student perspective on e-bikes and regulatory laws, the impact of the primary election on local government, and the rise of antisemitism within schools due to the Israel and Palestine conflict. Ross spoke about his involvement in the League of California Cities, an association of cities that work to defend and expand local control through advocacy efforts.

Caught in the rain, Ross led the council on the anticipated tour of Soka University. Having planned the idea back in September, the rain wasn’t enough to stop us from learning about the Concert Hall and Black Box Theatre! Founded in 1987, this private liberal arts college is known for its curriculum that capitalizes on leadership and responsible citizenship. It was founded upon the Buddhist principles of peace, the sanctity of life, and human rights.

Held at Seven Seas Roasting Co., the council was joined by School Board President, Krista Castellanos, and Luca Grecu Klaus. They led discussions about safety within the school district and what to know about the upcoming election year as several members will be able to vote. Topics such as the No Place for Hate Club, City Elections, the 2016 Sustainability Form, and the significance of civility and communicating with others. The meeting ended with Ross sharing about Martin & Skyelur’s Story with Promise Orange County; highlighting the prominence of homelessness and how families combat it.

We were joined by Aimee Monahan of the Aliso Viejo Democratic Club who shared upcoming volunteer activities and spoke on the importance of the primaries in March. She and Ross discussed civil duties such as representation, equity, transparency, and support of those in need within our communities. The meeting concluded with an Elevator Speech Workshop designed to help members gain confidence in speaking skills. Executive members, Sanvi and Maya, felt this was a crucial skill to develop after attending a Chamber Meeting in August and experiencing the opportunities that rely on being able to pitch yourself and your cause.

Our second meeting began by encouraging members to share about a topic they are passionate about within Orange County. Everyone went around and shared a couple sentences and how they hope to spread awareness and complete further research for an article that would later become a part of our Prominent Issues series. This meeting took place in the Aliso Viejo Town Center and we had the pleasure of dropping in on the Incoming Soka Students Tour of Aliso Viejo!

Our first meeting consisted of introductions and debriefings on the various duties associated with each position within the council. Our advisor, Ross Chun introduced himself and shared upcoming events in need of volunteers such as The Aliso Viejo Scavenger Hunt.