With years of experience and a fresh perspective to offer, the
newest undergraduate student councilmember jumps into the council
midyear with an immediate mission: to provide a student voice that
he says has not been heard all year.
Adam Pearlman, the new Undergraduate Students Association
Council facilities commissioner, aims to be a liaison between
students and administration on all facility-related issues.
Former-Facilities Commissioner Annie McElwain hardly made any
accomplishments in the office due to personal issues that she said
she had to deal with. McElwain resigned early this quarter.
Having sat on governing boards for the Housing Administration
and the John Wooden Center for the past four years, fifth-year
political science student Pearlman said he has contacts with
facilities-related administrators and the resources necessary to do
his job.
“I just need to get the administrative stuff out of the
way and go at it,” he said, referring to the task he faces of
coming into USAC in the middle of the year.
Pearlman’s top priority is to provide basic, comprehensive
student input to all the boards that the facilities commissioner
must sit on, including the Wooden Board and the Campus Facilities
Coordinating Committee.
Topping Pearlman’s agenda his first week in office is to
hire staff.
Pearlman said he needed people who were responsible, and who
could run the commission in case he was gone.
Pearlman said he also hopes to develop means of communication
with students.
Pearlman said he plans to have newsletters to update students on
his commission and obtain student opinion at least every quarter.
The newsletters will contain contact information and be placed in
various “hot spots” around campus.
Still, Pearlman said he already has a general idea of student
facility needs with his experience.
Pearlman’s experience was the basis of USAC President
David Dahle’s appointment and many councilmembers vote of
approval.
“He had an incredible understanding of the duties of the
commission,” said Financial Supports Commissioner Andrew
LaFlamme.
“(Pearlman) was very willing to work on Council, willing
to work with the commission … and would be taking
initiative,” said Suzanne Yu, community service commissioner,
whose vote change last week made the difference in Pearlman’s
appointment. Pearlman’s appointment was approved 6-5-0.
Dahle added that Pearlman would add a viewpoint that USAC has
been missing.
“He has been at UCLA for a long time, and he is
independent,” Dahle said.
Regarding USAC passing political resolutions, Pearlman said
resolutions should only be passed as points of information and not
to declare political positions.
“It is arrogant for USAC to assume to know what all
students feel. … Sometimes Council doesn’t recognize that
there are two, three, even five sides to an issue,” he
said.
Though Pearlman was appointed by Dahle, a member of the Students
for United Reform and Equality slate, and rejected by all members
of the Student Empowerment! slate at the USAC meeting last Tuesday,
Pearlman said he had no political alignment.
“I would love to stay out of the politics; I don’t
have the time or energy for it,” Pearlman said.
“If (USAC) is clouded with politics, nothing will get
done,” he said.
He added that he didn’t take any of the heated comments
made during his appointment personally.
All councilmembers said they wanted USAC to move forward from
the division and tension that resulted from Pearlman’s
appointment.
“The best way to relieve the tension is by doing work. …
We shouldn’t be spending more hours bickering,” said
Academics Affairs Commissioner Chris Diaz.
“I’m going to continue to do the work I normally
do,” said External Vice President Chris Neal. “If
(Pearlman) approaches me, I am willing to work with him.”
Pearlman said he felt it was important to work together with all
the Council.
“We have so much on our plate, dwelling on (partisanship)
won’t do any good,” he said. “As long as I do my
job, it will be OK.”