Rodney Loche runs for city council seat

Loche is running for the Hayward city council seat.

Courtesy | Rodney Loche

Loche is running for the Hayward city council seat.

Rodney Loche,
Hayward City Council Candidate

I appreciate the opportunity to share some thoughts and ideas regarding the future of Hayward with CSUEB students and readers of The Pioneer Newspaper.  This publication is a fitting forum because I believe that it is the students who reside in or travel through our city on a daily basis that provide possibly the biggest opportunity for Hayward to make significant strides both economically and academically.

When I speak to residents and various community leaders about the need to strengthen the relationship between the city and its educational institutions I am often met with various negative responses such as “CSUEB is a commuter school,” or “The school isn’t even called Cal State HAYWARD anymore.”

The truth of the matter is none of the responses I receive are significant reasons to continue the ineffective and inadequate student outreach by the city.  And by the same token, the students of CSUEB, Chabot College and other local places of education could benefit as well from a city that puts emphasis on the need to draw businesses that cater to students, encourages student friendly programs near campuses and pursues opportunities for real world internships in partnership with local public and private entities.

I guess the real point in a nutshell is that we need each other.  Hayward needs its student population in order to grow.  Students need the city of Hayward to provide more substantial opportunities for both leisure and personal development in order to receive the most complete education possible.

It is my goal to create avenues where the students here in the heart of the Bay can be a catalyst to turn the city of Hayward toward a more effective prosperous destination for future scholars for years to come.

In addition to our challenges to strengthen the relationship between the city and its institutions of higher education, there are a number of additional issues that must be addressed if we are to offer residents the environment and opportunities they deserve. I would rather begin by pointing out some of the positive things about Hayward because, in my opinion, they are too often overlooked.

The diversity of our city would be tough to find anywhere else in the world.  Not only are we diverse, but our residents enjoy and relish in the city’s diversity.  We have a progressive community of people who care about the well being of their neighbors.

Hayward’s gay prom has taken place continually since 1995 and is one of the first of its kind.  People have come from other states and even other countries just to attend.  The city of Hayward (along with much of the Bay Area) was among the first to step up and lead the country in divesting from South Africa during apartheid.  These are just a few of the wonderful special things about our city and its people that make it so unique.

Now with all of that being said, we can do better.  While holding onto the exceptional aspects of our city we must do more to address our struggling K-12 school system.  While not losing sight of who we are we have to make our city more welcoming to current and potential businesses.

While maintaining our respect for our neighbor we must work harder to provide a safe and secure environment for all of our residents.  As a member of Hayward City Council these challenges of improved K-12 education, greater economic development, safer streets and more engaging opportunities for youth will be my areas of focus.

As a member of the city council I look forward to the opportunity to bring residents, organizations and city leaders together to address these and other issues.