Marcus Paca would probably have been voted “best dressed” at his graduation from City Hall’s “Democracy School.” Will he also one day be voted into public office?
Paca was one of 25 New Haveners who spent six weeks learning how government works. Friday night was their Democracy School graduation. (Click here for a diary by one of last year’s graduates.”
They gathered under the vaulted ceiling of the aldermanic chamber to celebrate. Some of the graduates, like Jeffrey Kerekes, had joined Democracy School to find more outlets to be politically active citizens. Others, like Paca (pictured accepting his diploma),seemed to be using the class to prepare themselves for a run for office.
The Democracy School, which met for two hours every week for the past six weeks, provided residents of New Haven with a primer on the inner workings of city government. Each Wednesday evening, students were introduced to a different city department, from parks to police, and given the opportunity to ask questions about how decisions are made at different levels.
Students apply to the school by filling out a simple questionnaire. Emily Byrne (at left in photo), the mayor’s policy analyst and organizer of the Democracy School, said that they try to fill the class with residents from all sections of the city.
Friday night’s graduation was an informal affair: no “Pomp and Circumstance” and not a tassled mortarboard in sight. Before presenting the graduates with their diplomas, Mayor John DeStefano sat on the aldermanic conference table and engaged the graduates in a discussion of the problems facing New Haven. The conversation revolved around several themes, including crime, taxes, and downtown development. Several students were concerned about the perception of New Haven as a crime-riddled, unsafe place.
Citizen Jeff
For Jeffrey Kerekes (pictured listening to the mayor’s remarks), a psychotherapist and one of the founders of the New Haven Citizen Action Network, enrolling in Democracy School was an extension of his ongoing involvement in local politics. Kerekes said that he enjoyed meeting the other students in the school. “It’s good to know that other people are really interested in changing things,” he said. “I like to see people involved, in this time of apathy.”
Kerekes was slightly disappointed that the class sessions were not as interactive as he had hoped. “It was a bit more like ‘Meet New Haven’ than ‘Democracy School,’” said Kerekes. “It was a quick intro to the different city departments and not so much a dialogue with the different departments.”
Several graduates said that since taking part in Democracy School they felt empowered to engage with city government to solve problems in their neighborhoods. “I found this to be wonderful,” said Rebecca Turcio. “It gave me a better idea of how to help my community.”
“I feel encouraged to get involved,” said another woman, “I have a better sense of where to call and who to call.”
Candidate (?) Marcus
When it was Marcus Paca’s turn to receive his diploma, he took the mayor’s hand and turned to pose for a campaign-style grip-and-grin photo. Flashbulbs popped, startling the mayor, as one of Paca’s many family members — he had brought his fiancee, son, cousin and brother — took pictures.
After the ceremony, Paca (pictured listening to the mayor’s remarks) was acting every inch the political candidate, regaling a reporter with his personal history and his record of community service. Paca, who grew up in New Haven and later moved to New Jersey, said that he is a volunteer in the public schools and a telecom marketing consultant. He explained that he had enrolled in Democracy School after moving back to New Haven six months ago, when he saw that “there are a lot of things happening in New Haven that need dialogue.”
Paca called Democracy School an opportunity to “meet with all the major players and ask them the burning questions.” He said that the group’s “burning questions” had to do mostly with everyday concerns like traffic, trash removal, and taxes. Asked if he had found the answers he was looking for, Paca paused and replied, in the diplomatic fashion of a practiced politician, “Well, I got answers.”
Asked if he was, in fact, running for political office, Paca smiled and shook his head no, but added wistfully, “if the people call me, I will respond.”
“He’s got my vote.” said a classmate, as she grabbed her coat to leave.
Byrne is currently organizing the next session of the Democracy School. Applications will be available on the city’s website.