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Job fair debate persists: Peace group denied seat with military

Posted on Nov 16, 2008 by Citizens for an Informed Community

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Message*	[b]Job fair debate persists[/b] Peace group denied seat with military By Christine Legere, Globe Correspondent \| November 16, 2008 Though an antiwar group lost its attempt this fall to participate in job-recruitment fairs at Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School, the topic remains alive in the communities. The issue brought out about 100 people for a debate last Wednesday at the high school, where most of the students who attended believed so-called counter-recruiters should be allowed to point out the downside of joining the armed services, since recruiters for the military are allowed to promote their side at the school. "It's important that both sides are represented equally," said Lucas Ivaldi, a senior at the high school. "School is about education, after all." Fellow senior Ryan Duclos agreed: "Coming from a family with a long military tradition, I have learned all about the recruitment process, both firsthand and through my family. I feel the additional information is an important part of this decision." During Wednesday's debate, organized by the high school's newly formed Civics Club, Bridgewater resident Ray Ajemian, a founding member of Citizens for an Informed Community, the antiwar group that had approached the school board about allowing counter-recruiters in, promoted that cause. "I think schools should be a focal point of discussion," said Ajemian, who is an adjunct professor at Massasoit Community College. "As a school system, that should be encouraged. All I'm saying is if you bring in one side, you should bring in the other." On the other side was the regional School Committee's vice chairman, Joe Gillis, who had chaired a subcommittee that studied the issue last summer. The subcommittee recommended against counter-recruiters in the school, and the School Committee denied the request in September. Gillis said he was participating in the debate as a Bridgewater resident and parent. "There's a finite amount of time in a school day," Gillis said. "During that time, we want to give the students positive opportunities and positive options." Gillis said Citizens for an Informed Community was not offering any kind of positive career information. He pointed out that military recruiters, who have been known to use hard-sell tactics in other parts of the country, do not use such measures at the local high school, where they are periodically allowed to come in and set up information tables. As he listened to the debaters, Bridgewater-Raynham senior Sullivan Cohen said he had experienced hard-sell tactics used by some recruiters. "I have been lied to by recruiters regarding the G.I. Bill and the military college fund," Cohen said. "Both were promised to me, but when I did more research on the issue, I found that a rather large percentage of people don't actually receive the promised benefits of either of these." Cohen said he had not filed a complaint, even though he had encountered a problem, because it isn't easy. "No formal complaint has ever been made by me because the school board isn't an open room forum, and I don't believe my complaint would move up the chain of command," Cohen said. Some military recruiters from the area attended Wednesday's debate. Sergeant First Class Steven Gainey, a 16-year Army veteran, heads up the Army's Brockton recruiting office. "I feel I'm 100 percent honest with the kids," Gainey said. "I have friends deployed who were killed. I tell kids up front this is no video game. If you're hit, you'll be injured or you'll die." Gainey said he was not opposed to giving the counter-recruiters a table in the school. But he added: "All they are offering is an opinion. There's no career, no paycheck, and no training. We offer a viable option." Sergeant First Class Arturo Arreola, who recruits for the Army at Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School, said his job is to tell students "the whole picture." He characterized Ajemian's view of military recruiters as old opinions based on old experiences. "It's not about just the war," Arreola said. "We look at the young soldier's future. We give them training and hands-on experience." High school senior Karley Logan said counter-recruiters should stay out of the school. "I have a boyfriend in the Army," Logan said. "I think this country just can't run without a strong military." The debate was arranged to allow both sides an opportunity to air views. It had no effect on the September vote of the School Committee. One question from the audience was whether the counter-recruiters would be interested in coming on probation. Ajemian was enthusiastic about that possibility, but Gillis was not in favor. Siobhan Ditchfield, a Bridgewater-Raynham senior and Civics Club member who moderated the debate, said most of the students she knew didn't oppose counter-recruiters. "I talked to a lot of my friends, and they didn't think it would be a problem," Ditchfield said. Still, she said, she did not envision her fellow students organizing an effort to get the school board to reverse its vote. "I feel most of the students are kind of apathetic," Ditchfield said. Christine Legere can be reached at christinelegere@yahoo.com. [url]http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/11/16/job_fair_debate_persists?mode=PF[/url] © Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company
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Job fair debate persists
Peace group denied seat with military
By Christine Legere, Globe Correspondent | November 16, 2008

Though an antiwar group lost its attempt this fall to participate in job-recruitment fairs at Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School, the topic remains alive in the communities.

The issue brought out about 100 people for a debate last Wednesday at the high school, where most of the students who attended believed so-called counter-recruiters should be allowed to point out the downside of joining the armed services, since recruiters for the military are allowed to promote their side at the school.

"It's important that both sides are represented equally," said Lucas Ivaldi, a senior at the high school. "School is about education, after all."

Fellow senior Ryan Duclos agreed: "Coming from a family with a long military tradition, I have learned all about the recruitment process, both firsthand and through my family. I feel the additional information is an important part of this decision."

During Wednesday's debate, organized by the high school's newly formed Civics Club, Bridgewater resident Ray Ajemian, a founding member of Citizens for an Informed Community, the antiwar group that had approached the school board about allowing counter-recruiters in, promoted that cause.

"I think schools should be a focal point of discussion," said Ajemian, who is an adjunct professor at Massasoit Community College. "As a school system, that should be encouraged. All I'm saying is if you bring in one side, you should bring in the other."

On the other side was the regional School Committee's vice chairman, Joe Gillis, who had chaired a subcommittee that studied the issue last summer. The subcommittee recommended against counter-recruiters in the school, and the School Committee denied the request in September.

Gillis said he was participating in the debate as a Bridgewater resident and parent.

"There's a finite amount of time in a school day," Gillis said. "During that time, we want to give the students positive opportunities and positive options."

Gillis said Citizens for an Informed Community was not offering any kind of positive career information. He pointed out that military recruiters, who have been known to use hard-sell tactics in other parts of the country, do not use such measures at the local high school, where they are periodically allowed to come in and set up information tables.

As he listened to the debaters, Bridgewater-Raynham senior Sullivan Cohen said he had experienced hard-sell tactics used by some recruiters.

"I have been lied to by recruiters regarding the G.I. Bill and the military college fund," Cohen said. "Both were promised to me, but when I did more research on the issue, I found that a rather large percentage of people don't actually receive the promised benefits of either of these."

Cohen said he had not filed a complaint, even though he had encountered a problem, because it isn't easy.

"No formal complaint has ever been made by me because the school board isn't an open room forum, and I don't believe my complaint would move up the chain of command," Cohen said.

Some military recruiters from the area attended Wednesday's debate. Sergeant First Class Steven Gainey, a 16-year Army veteran, heads up the Army's Brockton recruiting office.

"I feel I'm 100 percent honest with the kids," Gainey said. "I have friends deployed who were killed. I tell kids up front this is no video game. If you're hit, you'll be injured or you'll die."

Gainey said he was not opposed to giving the counter-recruiters a table in the school. But he added: "All they are offering is an opinion. There's no career, no paycheck, and no training. We offer a viable option."

Sergeant First Class Arturo Arreola, who recruits for the Army at Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School, said his job is to tell students "the whole picture." He characterized Ajemian's view of military recruiters as old opinions based on old experiences.

"It's not about just the war," Arreola said. "We look at the young soldier's future. We give them training and hands-on experience."

High school senior Karley Logan said counter-recruiters should stay out of the school.

"I have a boyfriend in the Army," Logan said. "I think this country just can't run without a strong military."

The debate was arranged to allow both sides an opportunity to air views. It had no effect on the September vote of the School Committee.

One question from the audience was whether the counter-recruiters would be interested in coming on probation. Ajemian was enthusiastic about that possibility, but Gillis was not in favor.

Siobhan Ditchfield, a Bridgewater-Raynham senior and Civics Club member who moderated the debate, said most of the students she knew didn't oppose counter-recruiters.

"I talked to a lot of my friends, and they didn't think it would be a problem," Ditchfield said.

Still, she said, she did not envision her fellow students organizing an effort to get the school board to reverse its vote.

"I feel most of the students are kind of apathetic," Ditchfield said.

Christine Legere can be reached at christinelegere@yahoo.com.

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