Beginning today, Bruins United wants you to “join the party” by voting for their candidates in the 2009 undergraduate student government elections ““ but why?
The Bruins United team members each have the personal backgrounds, experience and initiative to run an efficient student government representative of all students on campus.
I urge you to look into each candidate and carefully research the ticket to see for yourself.
They go above and beyond the candidates put forth by Students First! (SERVE? QUALIFIED? If they can’t manage to keep their name straight, I don’t know how we’re supposed to.) As a team, the main goal of Bruins United is to make sure each student is fairly represented.
As presidential hopeful Jess Rogel said, “Bruins United really is the party that stands for every student (and gives) a forum for different communities to actually voice their concerns.
“A lot of people forget that Bruins United is a relatively new party; this is only our fifth year running. Five years ago, only 42 student groups were able to apply for funding.
“That’s just unfair, but unfortunately that’s something that Students First! advocated for for a long time and that took not only new policy but a lot of different student groups coming together and saying, “˜This isn’t fair. We want equal access, equal opportunity.’ I think that is what Bruins United is,” he said.
Indeed, where Bruins United was founded on the basis of truly uniting Bruins, Students First! supporters have a history of offending certain student groups, including their opponents.
According to Joline Price, a former USAC general representative, a Facebook advertisement during USAC elections two years ago read, “Bruins United is part of the same Zionist NeoConSpiracy responsible for 9/11. Don’t let THEIR media fool you. Vote for ANYONE but Bruins United.”
Even now, Students First! supporters have been circulating divisive accusations regarding Bruins United political persuasion. Claims of Republican bias in Bruins United, are of course, untrue.
When I sat down with Rogel, he described himself as “progressive” and “liberal.” His team counts sustainability, equal access to resources, and diversity among their greatest priorities.
The Bruins United slate takes diversity incredibly seriously. The various political schools of thought represented demonstrate what Rogel and his crew like to call “diversity of opinion.”
The multiple South Campus candidates demonstrate a genuine attempt to reach out to engineering and science students in what could be called a diversity of goals and interests.
The six members of the Greek community also illustrate the representation of diverse communities. Students First!, on the other hand, has no “openly Greek” candidates as stated by their General Representative Candidate, Jason Tengco.
Bruins United values diversity of culture and backgrounds. Students First! says they have this same respect.
However, members of the Jewish community on campus seem to feel statements by Students First! are empty.
Students First! was almost completely in power of student government this year when the Gaza conflict resolution was passed. The resolution called for a cease-fire between Israel and Palestine and largely condemned Israel, and Israel alone.
Many Jewish students felt alienated by this resolution. Representatives from organizations like Bruins for Israel have asked for an explanation and the Students First! candidates repeatedly claimed that the resolution was not exclusive of students and was purely humanitarian.
Essentially, during the endorsement hearings, the Students First! candidates looked self-described alienated students in the eye and said no one was alienated. The apparent continuing pain of the Jewish community would demonstrate otherwise.
Apparently, Students First! only wants to put some students first.
On the other hand, all Bruins United candidates have vowed to vote “No” on any similar partisan acts in the future. Even openly pro-Israel students, like internal vice president hopeful Sharona Daneshrad, have promised that this objectivity would hold fast ““ even if such a resolution supported Israel. Bruins United will do everything they can to ensure that they represent all students.
Both parties are forced to take affordability as a priority, given the current economic hardships of both students and the university.
A side-by-side comparison of the platforms, however, makes me wonder how seriously Students First! really takes this campaign promise.
For example, during the endorsement hearings, the general representative candidates got an opportunity to square off and present their plans.
Tengco of Students First! was a little too enthusiastic about his oh-so-adorably named “Bruins Out of the Bubble,” which would transport students out of Westwood and into the greater Los Angeles area. Though vague, it sounds interesting enough, but as I heard one audience member quip, it also “sounds expensive.”
Conversely, Addison Huddy of Bruins United proposed having advertisements in the course readers.
That is a realistic solution to help keep textbook costs down for students on a direct level.
Of course, while Bruins United members do take their future responsibilities seriously, they know how to have a little fun. That’s why Rogel wants to renew the Blue and Gold spirit.
“I know that one of the differences between Bruins United and Students First! is that we also promote campus spirit,” Rogel said. “Some people are like “˜Oh my God. That’s so ASB’ but really, the one thing that we all have in common is being Bruins.”
“One of the things I’ve been working on is a North versus South Campus War, which is fun and (would also provide) space for South Campus identity and for people to come together and promote their causes,” he added.
For these reasons, I’m logging on to MyUCLA today and proudly joining the party. I implore you to do the same. Bruins United has a strong history of acceptance and tolerance and an even stronger plan for the future.
For more information about Bruins United, their platform and their candidates, check out bruinsunited.com. If you plan on joining the party, e-mail Bowers at kbowers@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.