The candidate orientation meeting for the Undergraduate Students Association Council kicked off election season on Tuesday night, as 24 candidates officially announced their intentions to run.
The USAC Elections Board held the mandatory meeting at Kinsey Pavilion and gathered together candidates from the two major slates ““ groups of candidates who pool their resources and share mutual goals ““ as well as a handful of independent candidates.
Both Students First! and Bruins United have participated in USAC elections in previous years and are running again this year. Slate Refund, which was established last year, is not running in the upcoming election.
Intended independent candidates as well as potential candidates from both slates will be competing for positions such as president and internal vice president. But some positions, such as Student Welfare commissioner and Campus Events commissioner, are uncontested.
Gabe Rose, a prospective presidential candidate and third-year political science and communication studies student, said his slate, Bruins United, will be focusing on four main points: increasing assistance with academics, addressing transportation issues such as parking, initiating funding fairness and reform, and creating an atmosphere to increase what he called “Bruin spirit and pride.”
Several intended candidates running under Bruins United agreed that their platform has been formed to serve the student body.
“The overarching umbrella for our platform is working for the students. Ultimately everything we do is for the students,” said Michelle Lyon, a second-year political science and English student who plans to run for general representative under Bruins United.
Mae Cauguiran, a second-year English student and intended general representative candidate for Students First!, said her slate’s platform included “increasing access to education, providing a safer campus environment, and making the college experience more affordable for UCLA students.”
While both slates spoke generally about their platforms, neither group was willing to disclose their strategies to improve UCLA in detail until later in the election.
In addition to slate platforms, some intended candidates said they have specific ideas as to what they plan to do if elected.
Addar Weintraub, a second-year economics and public health student and prospective Academic Affairs commissioner candidate under Bruins United, said if elected she would like to continue pushing for an undergraduate business minor as well as pre-professional counseling on campus.
Intended candidates from Students First! declined to comment about specific goals they had for their potential positions, but Sanobar Sajan, a general representative candidate applicant, said she believes while each Students First! candidate has individual goals, those goals ultimately fall under the broader Students First! platform.
Matias Ramos, a third-year political science student who hopes to run for Financial Supports commissioner, said his campaign would reflect the platform of Students First!, which was committed to continuing a “legacy of leadership.”
Gregory Cendana, the current internal vice president for USAC and Students First! candidate for president, said he wanted to ensure all students had access to affordable education and a safer environment.
“I want to be in a position to effect concrete change,” Cendana said.
Rose said if elected he will focus on making sure UCLA continues to recruit what he called the best and the brightest, as well as a diverse student body.
He said it is important that UCLA “retain and improve (its) standard as one of the best universities in the country.”
There are two independent candidates running for the position of president.
Dave Valk, a second-year political science and sociology student, said he wants to run to offer students unification.
“The two major parties do not represent diversity, and the party system aims to distract UCLA students from important issues,” Valk said, adding his campaign would host an event in the North Village to mark its beginning.
The other independent candidate, fourth-year mathematics and economics student Jose Manaiza, said he wanted UCLA’s vast resources to be more accessible to the student body.
“I want to make sure UCLA students know what they need,” Manaiza said.
Manaiza added that he would work toward reducing student fees and increasing financial aid packages in order to attract a more diverse student body.