Student groups hear from USAC candidates

As part of the endorsement hearing process for the upcoming student government elections, representatives from various student organizations gathered together Wednesday to finish up the last day to question candidates and decide which ones to support.

The question and answer sessions allowed student organizations like MEChA and the Iranian Student Group to voice their concerns to candidates and then decide whether to endorse them in their races for offices in the Undergraduate Students Association Council.

The endorsement process consisted of three days of sessions with the candidates and representatives of student organizations, spanning a large scope of student interests.

Candidates were allowed two minutes to present their platforms before representatives questioned them on a number of different issues ranging from how they would improve communication on campus between organizations to whether they would celebrate Israel’s 60th national anniversary.

While the hearing was intended to help organizations decide which candidates to support, many organizations often already have favorites in mind prior to the hearings. Many organizations in the past have supported candidates according to slate affiliation, with groups such as Hillel supporting Bruins United candidates and MEChA endorsing Students First! candidates.

Still, representatives from student groups said the hearings allowed for open dialogue from all sides and helped to inform organizations of what issues are important to other groups.

“I like to hear both sides to really understand what students really want. You get to hear the needs of the campus,” said Danny Torres, the ally and outreach chair for BlaQue, an organization that supports black members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

While Torres said BlaQue already had candidates in mind, the most important factor in his group’s decision would be how candidates addressed the issues his organization finds important.

Lauren Klein, the publicity chair for Hillel, said though Hillel traditionally supports Bruins United candidates, she would give a fair chance to other candidates.

“I came in with an open mind for any candidate,” Klein said. “If someone really impressed me, then we would switch.”

Klein said the endorsements organizations make help students decide who to vote for, since individuals may not have the opportunity to question candidates in the same way that student groups do during the endorsement process.

Kyle Kleckner, the elections board chair for the USAC elections, said the hearings provide candidates and organizations an opportunity to get a sense of the issues that are important to students.

“It gives a candidate an opportunity to express their view on the issues that are important to the organizations. Secondly, the groups are able to express to their members which candidates they support and which they feel would be best,” Kleckner said.

The hearings were presided over in a orderly fashion, which some student organization representatives said allowed for a calm setting in which candidates could address the issues most pertinent to student groups.

Beeta Baghoolizadeh, a second-year international development studies student and representative from the Iranian Student Group, said the relaxed setting gave her an opportunity to hear candidates speak before elections begin and the student body becomes polarized.

“It’s my way to better understand the candidates before all the hoopla,” Baghoolizadeh said.

The hearings also served as an initial introduction of the candidates to the student body.

“It’s a good way for candidates to practice their skills and to vocalize their platforms and to really educate the student organizations that come to endorsements as to how they’re qualified,” Torres said.

Student organizations can begin to publicize their endorsements after they are turned in on Friday afternoon.

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