Looking at the official student group endorsements for the
undergraduate student government, it is evident that some groups
stayed within slate lines, some unexpected groups came together,
and other communities were divided.
A few minority student groups supported a majority of the
candidates from the Students First! slate.
Nashaun Neal, chairman of the African Student Union, said his
group supported the most qualified candidates, and slates were not
an issue.
He added that some of the candidates were not answering their
questions directly and “didn’t address the needs of our
community.”
Neal said slates should not be looked at as a negative presence
in the election process.
“They are a group of students working together to achieve
a common goal,” he said.
Other groups such as Nation 2 Nation, a group designated to
serve UCLA’s international student community, chose to
endorse members of the Equal Access Coalition for all
positions.
Joon Hwang, a member of Nation 2 Nation, said he knew the
candidates and had helped them campaign. Cultural Affairs
commissioner candidate Hannah Olade of EAC is also a member of the
group, which is endorsing candidates for the first time.
Hwang added that the group believed in Equal Access
Coalition’s platform and supported them.
Not all groups were so firm regarding endorsing candidates of a
specific slate.
The student groups within the Jewish community, who are often
expected to support the same candidates, went separate ways this
year.
Miriam Segura, the external vice president for the Jewish
Student Union, said there is room for ideological diversity within
the Jewish community because the community is diverse racially,
culturally and politically.
She added that the endorsed bodies are fairly representative of
their constituents and represent the different streams within the
Jewish community.
Segura was personally involved in the endorsement process and
said her group and Bruins for Israel, the other large Jewish
student group on campus, had ongoing discussions throughout the
process.
“There was discussion (between the groups), and we decided
what’s best for our constituents, and sometimes that means
disagreeing,” Segura said.
The area of difference between the two groups was their choice
for Undergraduate Students Association Council president.
Bruins for Israel endorsed EAC candidate Josh Lawson while JSU
supported independent candidate Doug Ludlow.
Ross Neihaus, president of Bruins for Israel, said he believed
Lawson was most knowledgeable about how to make the campus function
responsibly.
Aside from this division, other groups on campus have found a
way to work together when it comes to endorsements.
Bruin Democrats and Bruin Republicans are often seen as the
opposing sides of an argument, but they released identical
endorsements to make a statement on behalf of both parties.
Ludlow, the current president for Bruin Democrats, was not
involved in the groups’ endorsement decisions as he is a
candidate for the presidency himself.
Kristina Doan, internal vice president for Bruin Democrats, led
the endorsements for the group as next year’s president.
She said both groups endorsed Ludlow because his campaign issues
are not partisan and both Bruin Democrats and Republicans will
benefit from all the issues addressed.
This move shows that the two groups have put their differences
aside and are working together on issues, even as the groups do not
agree on a lot when it comes to politics, Doan said.
The two groups started with different lists for endorsements and
worked together, she explained.
“We ultimately came to a result that we are both happy
with,” Doan said.
Both groups see this agreement as a stepping stone and hope to
work together next year during the presidential elections.
Matt Knee, a member of Bruin Republicans, said the identical
endorsements were a conscious effort to advocate for balance in
USAC and on campus.
“(The endorsements) are not merely symbolic … We mean
all of them,” he added.
With reports from Ellen Kersten, Bruin contributor.