“I just thought it was unfair that some of the most dedicated members could be kicked out by a policy change after classes were picked,” said Liu, who was no longer eligible to be a member under the new policies.
Current members and officers of the club have regretted the results of the policy change. However, some feel that a petition is not an appropriate response.
“It’s an unfortunate situation,” FBLA Director of Technology senior Bill Zhou said.
Despite the polarizing nature of this issue, some, like senior Socrates Wong, who is currently in DECA, have refused to pick sides.
“I don’t think it’s that big of a problem. I’m neutral,” Wong said. “It limits some people who weren’t serious, but it also limits some people who were.”
Both organizations will experience a significant loss in membership, particularly DECA, which boasted over 600 members last year. One prominent reason for the backlash against the new membership policy is that many members feel divorced from the organization that they viewed as kin.
“I think the rules should be let up because for some people, it’s a family, and now they can’t participate,” junior Zarek Peris said. “I think the petition is a smart way to speak to[Schmidt], and I hope that it will be accepted.”
Administration has been working with the petitioners to try to resolve the situation. Liu met with MVHS officials on Sept. 9, 2014, to review the issue and attempt to find a solution. While minor edits were made to the policy, no substantial changes were adopted. Liu and other FBLA and DECA members worked on another proposal for the administration, in the hopes that the policy would be relaxed further. This new proposal was accepted, and students who had taken at least two technology classes were able to participate for another year.
Corrections (September 14 at 10:00 p.m.): Dale Barcellos’ first name is Dale, Sept. 9th is Sept. 9, 2014.
