Protests about Tibet, campaigns for presidential primaries and heated debates centered around the anniversary of Israel’s creation are only some of the causes students have rallied around this past year.
With the array of issues in the political realm, the past school year was marked by debate and division as well as cooperation and unity.
The ongoing conflict in the Darfur region has been one of the topics that students have rallied behind to influence foreign politics.
“One of the things we’ve all agreed on within our group is (that the situation in Darfur) is a defining issue in our generation. … This is a problem our generation is going to inherit,” said Chris Ah San, president of the Darfur Action Committee.
The importance of the ongoing problems has motivated students to send letters, coordinate protests and plan events, including the Mighty Mic concert at the end of the year that raised $21,000 for aid to the Darfur region.
“Students have always been the first ones to organize and take action on certain events. … We know we’re the ones who are going to make a difference. We are the ones taking the initiative,” Ah San added.
Unlike the support for Darfur, the presidential primaries have split people over various issues and candidates.
Student groups even saw division in their own ranks. Such was the case for Bruin Democrats during the primaries when two separate groups emerged, one endorsing Sen. Hillary Clinton and the other endorsing Sen. Barrack Obama.
While this trend may cause tension, there are beneficial aspects that can result from conversation about the elections.
“Having two candidates is a tough issue to address. While it is divisive sometimes, often many times, it definitely does have its benefits and is healthy for a college campus,” said Jesse Melgar, president of Bruin Democrats.
Melgar stressed that though there might be division over candidates, the upcoming elections have brought together more people than they have partitioned.
“Having candidates who represent diverse aspects of the population have brought together different organizations,” Melgar said. They have “opened up dialogue to organizations that haven’t historically had conversation,” he added.
David Lazar, chairman of Bruin Republicans and a former Daily Bruin Viewpoint columnist, said he believes that though there might be debate among students about candidates, the upcoming presidential election should not cause as much conflict as those in the past.
“I think this election might be a little less divisive than the 2004 election,” Lazar said.
Lazar said he thinks Republicans on campus have not experienced the same division Democrats have experienced during the primaries.
“I think for our group we are used to having different groups (support different) candidates,” Lazar added.
Some of the biggest issues facing the two groups for the future are global warming, taxes, health care, gay marriage and the war in Iraq.
Rick Tuttle, administrative alternate for undergraduate student government, said the concern students have shown to current events is similar to that of students in the past.
“There is a good deal of interest in the campaigns this year and certainly in the past. I think (the attitude students have toward politics) is similar in that UCLA students in general have a large interest in international matters,” Tuttle said.
Despite the type of activism he has seen in the past year, Tuttle said he believes the upcoming elections could bring about different attitudes from students.
“I think (next year) could be very interesting. … It remains to be seen how it will affect students,” he said.