With slim margins determining every race in the Undergraduate
Students Association Council runoff elections Thursday night,
Bruins United and Students First! each won five seats on the
council.
The remaining three seats will be filled by independent
commissioners.
Just over 29 percent of undergraduates ““ 6,865 students
““ voted in the runoffs, 313 more than voted in the primary
elections.
Marwa Kaisey of Bruins United won the presidential race, edging
out Students First! candidate Lucero Chavez by only 152 votes.
“I’m a little bit in shock, but I’m really
excited and I’m ready to start working,” Kaisey said.
“I even have a midterm tomorrow, but I’m still going to
party.”
All candidates were celebrating, both before and after the
results were announced. While Bruins United 8-clapped, Students
First! chanted to the beat of a water jug-turned-drum.
Other positions were also hotly contested. P.C. Zai of Bruins
United, a current general representative, won the Facilities
Commissioner race by a margin of only 1.38 percent, handing
independent candidate Dorothy Kieu Le her second straight loss in
USAC elections.
The office of the internal vice president was the only other
executive office to be decided in the runoffs. Gregory Cendana of
Students First! will be internal vice president next year, having
won 51.83 percent of the vote. Tina Park of Students First! won the
external vice presidential race in the primaries.
Cendana said he was looking forward to taking office.
“I’m feeling good,” he said. “I’m
looking forward to advocating for social justice.”
But some candidates expressed concern over the voter
turnout.
“I wish voter turnout was higher in both the first and
second rounds,” Park said. “This means we need to
engage the campus in a different way.”
Last year, 32.7 percent of the undergraduate student body voted
in the runoffs.
But after the results were read, many candidates had already
turned their focus toward next year.
Students First! candidates vowed to keep working on their
platforms regardless of whether they won their races.
“Even though we didn’t win all the offices,
we’re going to continue to fight,” said newly elected
general representative candidate Carlos Saucedo. “Me and
Samer (Araabi) are going to control the gen rep office.”
Araabi, of Students First!, also won a general representative
position, as did Bruins United’s Joline Price.
Many Bruins United candidates said they thought a split council
could be advantageous.
“There never should be a unanimous vote,” said Nat
Schuster, the newly elected Academic Affairs commissioner
candidate.
“There should be dialogue,” he said.
“That’s what college is for, what USAC is for ““
lots of discussion.”
Shauna Peterson, who ran for the office of general
representative, was the only Slate Refund candidate to make it to
the runoffs. Peterson formed an alliance with Bruins United, and
said she was happy with how the slate did in the election.
“I have faith in all of them,” she said. “Next
year should make for exciting politics.”
Candidates and supporters from both slates lingered after the
results were announced to celebrate their victories and motivate
their slates to further action.
Outgoing Financial Supports Commissioner Ryan Smeets put on a
superhero mask and sat on a friend’s shoulders as he led
Bruins United in an 8-clap.
Later, as they congratulated each other at Meyerhoff Park, many
Bruins United candidates said they were optimistic about the
future.
Students First! supporters formed a large circle on Bruin Walk,
where each of the candidates and some supporters gave closing
speeches.
Amid chants from slate groups, newly elected candidates said
they were ready to start making an impact on the lives of UCLA
students.
“We don’t run for these positions. We run to create
positive change,” said Marivell Caba, next year’s
cultural affairs commissioner.