Robbie Clark
Though it’s not common for an out-of-house candidate to
challenge an in-house candidate for a commission, cultural affairs
candidate, Robbie Clark has both the programming experience and
vision for the office essential to warrant a vote for herself over
current CAC chief of staff Luke Patterson.
Clark, who is running on the Student Empowerment! slate and is
currently the chief of staff for internal vice president Kennisha
Austin, served as the program coordinator of the African Student
Union and has helped put on large-scale events like the Hip-Hop
Xplosion. As CAC, she’d like to focus her efforts on
education as well as entertainment. She cites her efforts in
educating students about Proposition 21 ““ which in 2000 aimed
to get more juveniles tried as adults ““ at that year’s
Hip-Hop Xplosion as an example of programs that can be both
educational and entertaining.
Patterson is essentially asking voters to opt for him because he
worked for the cultural affairs commissioner this year, and said he
will efficiently carry out programs already in place. But this
efficiency is highly doubtful, given that Patterson acknowledged as
of late last week that he “doesn’t have anything
planned yet.”
One concern of both candidates is their shared idea to
politicize the cultural affairs office. Though USAC officers can
and should take political stances on issues important to UCLA
students, these two candidates might not be able to do that without
discouraging some groups on campus from pursuing the services of an
office that should be open to all. It is scary that both candidates
say they would let students hang a giant “End the Occupation
Banner” outside their office window (Patterson actually did
allow this earlier this quarter) while saying they would have to
think twice before approving an “End Suicide Bombing”
banner. Making such biased decisions, when both candidates claim to
want to serve all UCLA undergraduates, does not make any sense at
all.
A candidate who would not perpetuate this kind of contradiction
is optimal, but does not exist. So, go for the candidate who has
actually planned something and vote for Clark.