As the dawn of the new year creeps over the horizon, casting a golden glow into the halls of Eagle Rock High once more, a lone silhouette emerges from the morning mist. A man, draped in a dark green cloak with a sun hat of straw perched upon his head, approaches the school on the back of a jet-black stallion. His belt, briefly catching the light, flashes with the glint of a sleek new walkie-talkie.
Students returning to campus to greet the new year stop in their tracks, their curiosity piqued by the stranger’s enigmatic presence. His company radiates a sense of authority as well as security to his onlookers. There is talk fluttering about the campus among students: who is this man? And what is his plan for The Rock?
In an exclusive interview with the man of mystery himself we put those questions to rest and uncover the truth. Who is the man who has come to bring order to ERHS’ dean of students office?
Enter, Mr. Vergara.
Before, however, it is in the opinion of this journalist that there are few students who actually have a solid understanding of what the dean of students actually does.
As Mr. Vergara put simply in our interview, the dean’s main responsibility is “the safety of the students.” That is ensuring that students are respectful of staff, teachers, each other, as well as overseeing any disciplinary actions taken against students. Any sort of detention, suspension, or otherwise would be under the direct supervision of the dean. The dean of students is also responsible for the admission of students.
Ultimately, the dean acts as a liaison between the administration at ERHS and the student body, making it arguably the most important staff position at school.
When I sat down with Mr. Vergara, I wanted to know mainly, what his vision for this school year includes for the students. What does Mr. Vergara believe to be the biggest issue for students at ERHS, and how does he plan to combat it?
We started the interview on the topic of student drug use which has been quite a challenge for deans in years past. Mr. Vergara had this to say:
“Something that I'm doing a lot is monitoring bathrooms. Of course, there is a lot of stuff [vaping] going on in the bathrooms, you know, specifically boys restrooms."
"Kids would tell me– I can't even go into the bathroom right now. Every time it’s just like a cloud of smoke– every day in my mind I'm like– what are we doing about that? I feel I'm gonna be doing a lot in the restrooms.”
He elaborated that by making staff more visible around campus and restrooms, in his opinion it discourages vaping. This is a similar approach taken by administrators last year, however, limits in staff were a significant hindrance.*
We moved on to talk about Mr. Vergara's qualifications for the dean of students.
He mentioned that he’s already been working at ERHS for a few years as a math teacher. He said in this time he’s been able to build relationships with the students here and grow to understand the challenges faced by the school. He’s been dubbed by one student as, “the best security guard on campus.”
Mr. Vergara’s goal as a teacher was to be a relatable adult for his students. Someone approachable, trusted, and capable of supporting his students in and out of the classroom. He says it is this mentality that brought him to the role of dean.
“I didn't want to be the dean [at first] actually. I found out that Mr. Moran was going to be stepping away from the Dean and I felt like there's a need, and I feel I meet the criteria. Also as the JV football coach, I know a lot of the kids already have a good rapport with most of the kids, I think I'd be a good fit.”
There is no better way to follow up that quote than with a quote of my own:
"A great man doesn’t seek to lead… He’s called to it, and answers it."
- Duke Leto Atreides (DUNE)
It is my opinion that this is exactly what our school needs in the way of administration. Staff who take time out of their day to make friends and familiarize themselves with students: not because it's their job, but because they care.
In my opinion, rapport will do more than any monitoring system could when it comes to student drug use or any other misbehavior. It reminds students that staff are on their side. When I sat down with Mr. Vergara, I got the sense that he truly cares about his students and that he intends to do whatever possible to understand them.
When we were wrapping up, I asked Mr. Vergara what his plans were for the future. He said while he’s been teaching for nearly 20 years, he’s ready to settle down as dean.
“I like being the Dean enough that I could see myself staying in this position as long as possible. I've taught for 20 years. I was ready for a change, so this is a refreshing change.”
Whatever happens, it is in the opinion of this journalist that Mr. Vergara will leave a positive impact on our school. We’ll see.
*ALERT! OPINION ABOUT TO BE DROPPED!
As a brief side note, I would like to mention that because of drawbacks to the number of monitors available last year, the administration decided to cope by closing restrooms. This meant that there were fewer vaping hotspots to monitor, and less staff required.
While I do believe that doubling down on staff visibility around campus may be a viable option for decreasing vaping, I think I speak for all students (and teachers) that closing restrooms is not feasible as a long-term solution. I believe that Mr. Vergara is on the right track, but there have to be better ways of helping struggling students that don’t come to the detriment of literally everyone else. If he would like to make a change for the better, re-opening restrooms must be among his top priorities.