Wednesday, 5/14/97 Crude campaigns mar elections Selfish pride,
rampant mudslinging cast dark shadow over highly qualified
candidates
By Katherine Krok As they are in order, I want to extend my
congratulations to every victor in last week’s USAC election, as
well as a good luck wish for those in the runoffs this week.
However, a few other comments are also in order. I must admit I was
encouraged by the number of students running this year. We’ve come
a long way from the passive days of yesteryear (four or so years
ago), when student interest deemed the race worthy of page 26 (at
best) in our beloved Daily Bruin. But in the last few years,
student interest in government and its need for change has grown
rapidly, offering multiple platforms for undergraduates to choose
from. Kudos also to the excellent qualifications of each candidate.
As The Bruin so kindly noted, we had a lot of well-deserving
candidates, rather than a few among a pool of mediocre hopefuls.
This, unfortunately, is where my optimism, hope and excitement come
to an abrupt stop. Know that what I have to say applies to every
platform in participation, including the consistently successful
Students First! None are free from blame. To be brief, blunt and
crude, the way campaigns were run – mudslinging and all – was
disgusting. First of all, I will be the first to commend any kind
of school spirit. What you exhibited was not school spirit. If you
thought so, take a second look at your motives. The purpose of the
student council is to improve the college experience of UCLA
students, ultimately increasing UCLA’s quality overall. The only
difference between each of you should be the game plan for
obtaining this goal. I read about the various visions held by this
year’s panels – the priorities, the issues. Did any of you bother
to do the same? Or did you have the audacity to believe that any
idea beside your own was nothing but detrimental? It sure seemed
that way at the presidential "debate." The only spirit exhibited
there was of selfish pride, not school pride. There’s a big
difference. When we thirst for the blood of the evil Trojans,
that’s school pride. When we rally against the yellow and burgundy
plague that is USC, that is school spirit. It brings us together in
unity as one school, reigning victorious. It makes me sad to know
that many of you envisioning a better UCLA were hateful toward
other fellow students with similar visions. When you had
opportunities to voice your viewpoints and goals, you wasted your
time slamming the opposition. Why didn’t you let us decide which
vision we wanted? Did you actually think we’d choose a victor based
on who could use the most expletives to describe another panel?
Wake up, we’re at UCLA because of our intelligence. What you did
was insulting. Considering your qualifications and experience, one
would think you would be mature as well. The fact that you didn’t
have confidence in your own party’s position to let it stand alone
only weakened it. Mudslinging never succeeds in strengthening one’s
side. Maturity and experience should have taught you this. Only
serious and well-founded concerns about another party’s integrity
should ever be raised. This year, however, each panel was to be
commended for its passion, qualifications and progressive goals.
Mudslinging was out of place and disgraceful. There were other
campaign methods that were disturbing, such as the chalk
declarations made upon such treasured buildings as Powell and Royce
Hall. Writing on the traditional billboards of green plastic
hanging on fences around construction areas is one thing, as is
writing on the sidewalks. Writing on the structures that symbolize
all that UCLA is only shows disrespect. If anything, it ensured a
loss of my vote in such a tight race. Please do not think I am
naive enough to think a perfect election could ever take place on
this campus, but I am offended because I thought we were better
than this. I know not all of you participated in such ridiculous
behavior, but I wonder whether or not you bothered to confront
those around you, especially your leaders. I thought students with
resumes like yours would have some self-respect and dignity. Your
actions negated such a possibility. I thought you would respect the
voters enough to allow them to make their own judgments of the
parties. Maybe next year. Previous Daily Bruin stories: Are you
sick of USAC elections? Boycott!