Reagan Drawing in OCC Booklet Spurs Complaints

A drawing of President Reagan in Orange Coast College’s new, fall catalogue of classes has triggered a minor political and academic controversy.

About 15 residents of the Newport Beach-Costa Mesa area, as of Thursday, had called the college to protest the catalogue’s illustration of Reagan flanked by a Nazi swastika. College officials explained that the illustration was “a mistake” and was never intended to be offensive or political.

Nonetheless, the drawing made some Republicans in the staunchly Republican Newport Beach-Costa Mesa area see red.

Called ‘Distasteful’

“The artwork is distasteful,” said Tom Fuentes, chairman of the Republican Party in Orange County. “It certainly could be interpreted as a distinct slight to the President.”

The drawing in question is supposed to illustrate Orange Coast College political science classes on current issues. Specifically, the drawing was attempting to depict the issue of Reagan having visited a German cemetery where Nazi SS soldiers had been buried.

The illustration shows a smiling, almost leering Reagan. A large Nazi swastika is in the background. In smaller detail are tombstones and ghostly looking figures around the cemetery.

Jim Carnett, director of community relations at the community college in Costa Mesa, agonized Thursday as he reviewed how the drawing came about.

“There was never any intention to criticize the President,” Carnett said. “This is a very Republican campus. I myself am a Republican and voted for Mr. Reagan. The drawing is just a student’s illustration that doesn’t succeed.”

Carnett, who is in charge of the catalogue, said that he first saw the student’s illustration when he returned in late June from a vacation. By then, Carnett said, it was too late to recall the 230,000 catalogues that had been mailed to residents.

“The student who drew the illustration was trying to show the controversy over President Reagan’s visit in May to the Bitburg cemetery in Germany, but the symbols all come together so that the illustration doesn’t work,” said Carnett. “It’s no excuse, because I still am to blame, but had I been here, I would have kept out that drawing.”

Some Callers Outraged

As Carnett had feared, many residents of the Orange Coast College area didn’t understand the Reagan illustration.

Calls from outraged residents have been coming in to the college this week.

One caller to the college’s new president, Donald Bronsard, was county Republican Party chairman Fuentes.

In an interview Thursday, Fuentes said Republican Party headquarters received several calls about the catalogue. And the issue also erupted at the regular meeting on Wednesday of the Republican Executive Committee, he said, adding:

“Four people brought copies of the catalogue and put them on the table.”

Fuentes said that after he made calls to OCC President Bronsard and Coast Community College District Chancellor David Brownell, he understood the circumstances behind the drawing and realized that “it was just an unfortunate situation.”

Takes Responsibility

Carnett, in a separate interview, winced as he looked at the controversial drawing in the catalogue. “The student had no intention of trying to make a statement with the drawing,” Carnett said. “He’s just a graphics student here we hired to make an illustration. I hear he’s very upset about all this, and I’m not going to disclose his name. He is, after all, just a student. It’s my responsibility, not his.”

As a result of the controversy, Bronsard instituted changes in how the catalogue is given its final proof reading. “Now, the dean of instruction will have the final sign-off on the blue line (final proof),” Carnett said.

Carnett has been with Orange Coast College for 14 years. His public relations work for OCC has garnered it numerous awards for for outstanding college promotion.

Fuentes said he could sympathize with the problems of trying to keep glitches out of publications.

“I majored in journalism at Santa Ana College,” Fuentes recalled. “And one summer there, I had to put out the student handbook. I kept my fingers crossed the entire time. So, sure, I can understand how these things happen.”