Thursday, May 7, 1998
Small offices must confront larger issues
for elections
USAC: Less-known posts in limelight with role of government
under fire
By Dennis Lim
Daily Bruin Contributor
With independent candidates and political slate Sanity ’98
stressing the role of campus issues in this year’s election, the
role of smaller offices in USAC that handle them have taken center
stage in this year’s election.
Candidates Mike De la Rocha, John Strelow, Kei Nagao, Charles
Ku, Melissa Bullard and Marselle Washington have all set their
sights on USAC offices that traditionally have had a smaller role
in USAC and stress campus issues.
The candidates will compete for the positions of cultural
affairs commissioner, campus events commissioner and general
representative.
The cultural affairs commission, the office that focuses on
creating programs that raise cultural awareness, has two candidates
vying for its position.
Praxis candidate Marselle Washington, the current cultural
affairs chief of staff, wants to diversify the type of events that
the cultural affairs office puts on.
Praxis, a new student slate formed in the demise of Students
First!, advocates student activism and participation.
"I want to put on a wider range of events next year. For
instance, I would try and put on concerts other than hip-hop, like
what happened this year," Washington said.
Washington wants to distribute questionnaires to find out what
kind of concerts and events students would like to see.
An outsider to the cultural affairs commission, Melissa
Flores-Bullard, along with her fellow Sanity ’98 candidates, wants
to reduce the size and power of student government.
"I want to cut the money USAC receives through stipends and
direct the leftover money to fund programs that benefit the campus
as a whole," Flores-Bullard said.
Flores-Bullard hopes to make a proposal to make the currently
mandatory USAC fees optional in the future.
The office of general representative has a less clearly defined
role in USAC. Officers in these positions traditionally choose an
issue they feel is important to the campus and focus their work
toward that issue.
Emphasizing his disgust with student government, John Strelow,
the Sanity ’98 candidate for one of the general representatives
positions, hopes to reduce the amount of politics in USAC.
"I want to make student government more accountable to the
students. I want to cut USAC fees, focus more on campus programs
and restructure the way student government runs," Strelow said.
With his fellow Sanity ’98 candidates, Strelow hopes to address
more specific campus issues like meal coupons, van rides and
housing.
If elected, Strelow would implement an open-door policy allowing
any student to voice concerns over student government directly with
him.
Kei Nagao, one of the general representative candidates from
Praxis, wants to support student activism.
"A lot of people don’t realize how much of an effect outside
events have on them," Nagao said.
Nagao plans on accomplishing this goal by expanding the
speak-out program, creating more educational forums for students
and faculty, and co-programming with other student groups.
Praxis candidate Mike de la Rocha wants to focus on eduction
issues, specifically those concerning students of color.
"Currently, educational opportunity and access is being attacked
from all sides of society," de la Rocha said.
"From the passage of Proposition 209 to the attacks on bilingual
education, students and specifically students of color are
increasingly finding themselves in a precarious situation," he
said.
De la Rocha plans on using the round-table discussions Nagao
proposes to bring students, faculty and community members together
to discuss these educational issues.
Unlike its counterpart – the cultural affairs commissioner –
which targets specific groups, the campus events commissioner’s
main goals are to entertain the campus as a whole.
Charles Ku, the only candidate for the position, has served in
the campus events office for the past three years as an advertising
associate.
"The campus events commission has historically done various
speakers programs, film screenings and concerts. In the 1998-1999
year, there would be no doubt that this history of events will
continue along with some minor changes," Ku said
Ku plans to bring back the Mardi Gras fundraiser for Uni-Camp
and the B-Boy summit, a convention to promote knowledge of the
hip-hop culture next year.
"I’m running for fun – good, wholesome fun," Ku said.