Amid cramming for finals, signing up for classes, and polishing
term papers, students may not be aware that elections for residence
hall student government start this week.
De Neve will be holding elections tonight. Sunset Village and
Hitch Suites will have elections on April 3, Rieber will have
elections on April 7, and other residence halls will hold elections
within the next few weeks after a date is set.
The positions elected by the residents are the president, the
external vice president, and the social/publicity chair.
Presidents represent their building to the University of
California, the Associated Students of UCLA, the Undergraduates
Students Association Council and the UCLA community. The EVPs make
up the On Campus Housing Council and attend Policy Review Board
Meetings. The social/publicity chair organizes and publicizes
events and activities in the residence halls.
However, since many students feel they do not know enough about
the positions or the candidates to make a well-informed decision,
many residents are not planning to vote for next year’s
student leaders.
“They should publicize what they do. If we knew something
about them, what they do for us, maybe we’d consider
voting,” said second-year mechanical engineering student
Jason MacDonald.
To publicize themselves, candidates use flyers and try to meet
as many residents as possible.
“I think they should have a forum because how should we
know who to vote for if we don’t know them? I just know some
of the candidates because they came to my door,” said Tiffany
Yuen, a first-year molecular, cell and developmental biology
student.
Still, other residents feel more publicity is needed if resident
votes are to be elicited.
“I’m not going to vote because I don’t know
anyone who’s running. They don’t really advertise it a
lot,” said second-year sociology student Jennifer
Vonghack.
Further reasons for residents’ apathy towards student
government may stem from the fact that many second-year students
will not be returning to the residence halls, and many first-years
plan to live in different buildings.
“I’m not going to be here next year, and I
don’t think it would be right to vote for someone
else’s president,” said second-year Spanish and
psychology student Cher Palmeri.
Students have said they would have more incentive to vote if
they were living in the same building next year because the results
of the election would then affect them.
“I probably won’t vote because I don’t plan on
living in the same residence hall next year. If I was going to live
here again next year though, I would probably vote because I would
want to have a say in who gets some of these positions,” said
Charlene Wu, a first-year business-economics student.
Election tables will be located in front of dining halls, in
plazas or in large rooms within the residence halls. De Neve will
hold elections in front of the dining hall so students can vote as
they enter or leave.
“Sure, I’ll vote. It’s right there (in front
of the dining hall). I have to eat sometime, and I might as well
vote,” said second-year neuroscience student Sachin
Parikh.
Non-elected positions, including controllers who are responsible
for the residence hall’s budget, internal vice presidents who
record minutes at meetings, and co-facilities commissioners who are
responsible for the building’s facilities, are appointed by
the newly elected president, EVP and social/publicity chair.
Participants of the residence hall student governments are
guaranteed housing in their respective buildings, but they must pay
for it.
Most student leaders also receive a stipend, which varies among
the residence halls because of their different constitutions and
bylaws, said Office of Residential Life Assistant Director of
Programming Services Cheryl Sims.
Residence hall presidents and EVPs sit on the On Campus Housing
Council, and once the OCHC members have chosen their commissioners,
they decide who will become chair of OCHC for the following year.
The manner in which the chair is selected depends on the council,
Sims said.
If no one applies for a particular position, it is held open
until the next year to see if any of the residents are interested
in filling the position or if someone can move up to that position,
Sims said.