A sea of fingers filled the air in the De Neve Auditorium,
“shimmering” ““ wiggling fingers as a substitute
to applause ““ to support candidates running in the
Undergraduate Students Association Council elections.
Candidates for the USAC election came together Thursday night in
a debate sponsored by the Daily Bruin and BruinNews29.
Approximately 90 students were in attendance, 25 of whom were
wearing blue Bruins United shirts, with several others wearing
Student Power! buttons or shirts.
The debate experienced several vicissitudes, including personal
attacks by candidates on one another. Bruin Liberation Movement
candidate Jake Strom, dressed in a chicken suit, openly expressed
confidence in Bruins United candidate Alex Gruenberg. The event
also included the exit of USAC Elections Board Chairman Nathan Lam
from the auditorium after a candidate was allowed to speak out of
turn. He later said in a statement he did not want to legitimize
the event with his presence.
Jenny Wood, a USAC general representative and presidential
candidate with Student Power! summarized her accomplishments on
USAC and other campus groups. She expressed her goals to found an
alternate admissions program that would admit underprivileged
minorities to UCLA and ensure access to sexual health resources on
campus.
Gruenberg, current Financial Supports commissioner and the
Bruins United presidential candidate, said he wanted to make USAC
more representative and Westwood more student-friendly.
Strom said he wanted to make USAC more fun and accessible to
students.
He said a funding discrepancy existed between what he called
“cultural groups” supported by USAC and other campus
groups, and said his fellow candidates represented minority
interests on campus. He gestured toward Gruenberg when he said
“white people in the frat system” and toward Wood when
he said “cultural groups.”
Gruenberg rebutted that his slate, Bruins United, was not
predominantly white candidates, but told Strom his criticism of
USAC was legitimate. “A lot of these students aren’t
being represented. A lot has to do with the folks in power,”
he said.
Wood and Gruenberg disagreed on issues such as repealing the
expected cumulative progress requirement, the minimum unit
requirement that Students First!, Wood’s current slate, has
opposed.
Wood and Gruenberg also took opposing views on changing the
council to a senate system, which was debated earlier this
year.
The second portion of the debate consisted of two town hall
meetings.
The first town hall brought together the candidates for internal
and external vice president positions.
Candidates from both Student Power! and Bruins United discussed
issues such as equity in student group funding and representation
of students within USAC.
“People don’t feel a connection to USAC,” said
Bruins United internal vice presidential candidate Kristina Doan.
“You know there can be more representation at
UCLA.”
When candidates for internal vice president were asked whether
or not a student senate should be implemented, Doan and Students
Power! candidate Tommy Tseng argued over the reasoning behind such
an implementation.
“My question (to Doan) is are you using the senate system
as a political tool to get elected, or do you really care about a
senate system as a good way to better students’ lives?”
Tseng said. During the second town hall, candidates for the general
representative positions answered a similar set of questions from
the moderators.
Candidates outlined their experience, the successes and failures
of the current general representatives, and how general
representatives should address academic policies next year.