While partisan politics continue to provide the background music
for much of the undergraduate student government’s affairs,
the four independent members on council say they are swinging to
their own beat.
With five councilmembers belonging to the Student Empowerment!
slate, four belonging to the Students United for Reform and
Equality slate, the remaining four independents are important
factors in all decisions the Undergraduate Students Association
Council makes.
With the recent appointment of new Facilities Commissioner Adam
Pearlman, USAC saw the impact of the swing of just one vote.
Pearlman, one of USAC President David Dahle’s
recommendations to fill the open USAC position and a
self-proclaimed independent, was first rejected with a 5-6-0
vote.
Several hours later, he was approved with a 6-5-0 vote.
The difference was independent Community Services Commissioner
Suzanne’s Yu’s change in vote.
At first, Yu agreed with all five Empowerment! councilmembers
that Pearlman was not the most qualified candidate, she said.
But, with further discussion Yu said she felt that Matt
Kaczmarek ““ the candidate that Empowerment! members were
pushing for ““ was overqualified. Yu added that she would make
sure Pearlman is doing his job the rest of the year.
“Since my vote was pivotal, I will hold him accountable to
all the goals he said he will accomplish,” she said.
Though appointed via a partisan process, Pearlman has repeatedly
said he will not contribute to divisive council politics and will
not favor either slate.
As the heated discussion regarding Pearlman’s appointment
circled around the table, slate objectives were apparent to many,
including the independent councilmembers.
“Being an independent, its transparent what goes on, and I
can’t help but think its unfortunate,” said Student
Welfare Commissioner Crisette Leyco.
Leyco pointed out that some councilmembers seemed to be closed
off to all other possibilities.
“There should be more compromising on both sides … we
lack that,” she said.
Before Pearlman’s appointment, only Yu and two other
councilmembers sat on council as independents.
This year marks the first time in several years that one slate
has not dominated council.
Last year, with a council consisting of mostly Empowerment!
councilmembers, things went more smoothly, said Campus Events
Commissioner Ryan Wilson, also an independent.
“The split makes everything a battle,” he said.
The split also gives more weight to the independent
councilmembers’ decisions.
This year, the three councilmembers’ decisions have led to
the approval of presidential appointments, the passing of
resolutions without overwhelming support, and the prolongation of
discussions on controversial issues.
The independent councilmembers said they come to council free of
slate influence.
“The good thing about being independent is that I can come
into the meeting with an open mind … I haven’t (previously)
met with slate members or anything,” Leyco said.
“I am not pulled to either side,” said Yu, who added
that an advantage of being independent is the ability to hear both
sides of an issue.
Other councilmembers said their slate affiliation did not
pressure them to vote either way.
“I feel no pressure to vote a certain way,” said
T.J. Cordero, internal vice president and member of the
Empowerment! slate.
Slates are beneficial because students of the same ideology can
work together for a common goal, Cordero added.
But Financial Supports Commissioner Andrew LaFlamme, although a
member of the S.U.R.E. slate, said a council of independents might
benefit students more.
Independents wouldn’t be influenced by a certain agenda,
LaFlamme said.
A council of independents could focus on a task as a whole,
without the divisions that slate affiliations bring, he said.
LaFlamme ran in 2001 as an independent for the position he now
holds, but lost.