AN EDUCATION ABOUT PRESIDENCY : PRINCIPAL MAY CAST ELECTORAL VOTE.Byline: Yvette Cabrera Daily News Staff Writer For three decades, Principal Michael Bennett
Michael Bennett (April 8, 1943 - July 2, 1987) was a Tony Award-winning American musical theater director, writer, choreographer, and dancer. has traversed the halls of Los Angeles' schools bestowing praise, knowledge and, of course, tardy tar·dy adj. tar·di·er, tar·di·est 1. Occurring, arriving, acting, or done after the scheduled, expected, or usual time; late. 2. Moving slowly; sluggish. slips. But come December, Bennett may find himself in the halls of the state Capitol. The Francis Parkman Francis Parkman (September 16, 1823 – November 8, 1893) was an American historian, best known as author of and his monumental seven volume France and England in North America. Middle School principal recently was picked by U.S. Rep. Howard L. Berman, D-Mission Hills, to cast one of California's 54 votes as a member of the state's Electoral College electoral college, in U.S. government, the body of electors that chooses the president and vice president. The Constitution, in Article 2, Section 1, provides: "Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, . ``I think it's a great honor when you have the chance, even though everyone knows the outcome when the polls close in November, to say I was one of those who really got to vote for the president,'' said Bennett, 54, a history buff and former social studies teacher. But Bennett - who also was selected as a Democratic elector elector German Kurfürst. Prince of the Holy Roman Empire who had a right to participate in electing the German emperor. Beginning c. 1273, and with the confirmation of the Golden Bull, there were seven electors: the archbishops of Trier, Mainz, during the 1988 presidential elections - is not booking his ticket to Sacramento quite yet. He'll only head to the capital if President Clinton wins in the Nov. 5 election. Under the electoral process, individual voters do not vote directly for the president. Instead, they cast their ballots for slates of electors electors, in the history of the Holy Roman Empire, the princes who had the right to elect the German kings or, more exactly, the kings of the Romans (Holy Roman emperors). committed to a certain party's candidate. In most states, all of the electoral votes are awarded to the slate that receives the highest number of that state's popular vote. If the Clinton-Al Gore ticket wins, Bennett will head to Sacramento with the rest of the electors, representing the state's 52 congressional districts and two U.S. Senate districts, to formally cast their ballots. Until then, Bennett's top priorities are his 1,022 students at the Woodland Hills middle school. While most of Bennett's students won't vote until the next century, he has made sure they know exactly what an elector is. ``My teacher told me they are people that get to vote for the president,'' said 13-year old Gabriela Martinez. ``And I think it's a good thing that Mr. Bennett was chosen because it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to choose who's going to be president.'' Other students quibbled over who they preferred for president, but agreed that their principal was special. ``I think he's lucky because only people that are gifted get to choose the president,'' said 10-year-old Reza Barani. Usually only Parkman's eighth-graders take U.S. history, but because it's a presidential election year, Bennett has directed all of his teachers to teach special lessons on the electoral college and the elections. ``You have a window of opportunity, and if you don't take advantage of what's going on What's Going On is a record by American soul singer Marvin Gaye. Released on May 21, 1971 (see 1971 in music), What's Going On reflected the beginning of a new trend in soul music. in the real world and bring it to the kids, it has no meaning,'' said Bennett, who has set up mock elections for his students. Bennett said he has always had a love for politics. Since moving from Brooklyn to the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. in 1959 with his family, Bennett has been politically active. He said he has protested the Vietnam War Vietnam War, conflict in Southeast Asia, primarily fought in South Vietnam between government forces aided by the United States and guerrilla forces aided by North Vietnam. ; went to the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago; and joined the California Federation of Young Democrats, becoming statewide vice president, then running for president against longtime friend Berman in 1967. Berman went on to win a state Assembly seat in 1972, while Bennett focused on his teaching career, which he began in 1966 in East Los Angeles East Los Angeles, uninc. city (1990 pop. 126,379), Los Angeles co., S Calif., a residential suburb of Los Angeles, in an industrial area. It has a large Mexican-American population. There is a performing arts center and a cultural center. A junior college is there. . Today, Bennett is treasurer of the Los Angeles County Democratic party, chairman of the 40th Assembly District and serves on the state Democratic Central Committee. And this time around, Bennett thinks his chances of going to Sacramento as an elector are strong. Ever the educator, Bennett said he'll take his two daughters along for the civics civics, branch of learning that treats of the relationship between citizens and their society and state, originally called civil government. With the large immigration into the United States in the latter half of the 19th cent. lesson. ``I think it's like one of those historic moments,'' said Bennett, recalling how his wife was at the Ambassador Hotel when Robert Kennedy was shot. ``You do remember those moments and kids need to have an appreciation of that.'' CAPTION(S): 2 Photos PHOTO (1) Taking his cue from Principal Michael Bennett, student Ivan Queued contributes to the recycling effort at Parkman Middle School. (2) Michael Bennett hands out ``Catch 'Em Being Good'' cards in exchange for cans. Hans Gutknecht/Daily News |
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