Dicto Simpliciter, the fallacy of making sweeping
generalizations, is frowned upon, but admit it, every person
probably commits this same error many times in a single day.
The act is difficult to pinpoint and even more complex to
control. As such, several student groups on campus should be aware
that people are depending on them to be responsible and
organized.
Activities such as exhibitions, parties and even selling food
make their mark on students, and it is important that these groups
put forth an enriched image of their cause because they have a
certain image to protect.
This is why it was more than a bit startling to attend the
Indian Student Union’s Culture Show after-party.
At the designated bus stop, the situation was enough to make
Braveheart cringe.
Imagine a mob waiting for over an hour for a bus that can only
accommodate a bare third of paying guests. No lines, no
organization, and as ISU officer Liza Cyriac said, no written
records of the ticket transactions. She also declared that
transportation was a completely different issue from any of the
other events they have hosted and admitted that this year things
have been somewhat disorganized.
Students leapt through the open windows of the buses; performers
of the culture show were excluded from the buses and pummeled.
Baran Ho, a first-year psychobiology student who is not a member of
the group, left after seeing the situation.
“I felt like it really wasn’t worth it to pay $15
and then be insulted by being turned away by the bus,” Ho
said.
Disorganization in any club is a liability to its status, but
cultural groups tend to have more responsibility to project a
positive image of their members. When any kind of student
organization is disorganized, its chaos reaches anyone else who
chooses to participate in its events.
As one of the people who had invited guests outside of UCLA and
outside of the Indian race to the event, I felt the need to
apologize over and over for ISU.
This is just an example of unfortunate events in one club, but
any sort of student group treads on sensitive ground while
participating in large events.
Peering into the looking glass to reflect on your own cause or
looking through it into someone else’s, we are constantly
pushed to stereotype and judge.
While also fighting against this mentality, student
organizations often succeed at promoting a positive front to the
students of this university, but with every little slip, more
nerves are touched and even more lines are drawn between diverse
individuals.
E-mail Joshi at rjoshi@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments
to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.