We endorse Avi Oved for internal vice president because he has concrete plans to improve the office’s efficiency and relevance.

Oved’s experience as chief of staff of the IVP office has no doubt prepared him for the position he is seeking. Oved’s platforms are well-developed and do a good job of targeting necessary improvements. He needs to conduct more research in a few cases, such as his goal for a mobile panic button application, and should reassess the feasibility of some platforms, but overall he is a strong candidate.

Lana Habib El-Farra, current external vice president, has not done the research necessary to actually complete her platforms as internal vice president. Some of her ideas are good, but are not well thought out. Her tenure as external vice president this year, while commendable, has taken her away from campus and from understanding the duties of the IVP.

Oved wants to create a marketing/design team within Associated Students UCLA to help student groups market themselves without cost. He also plans to put on a weeklong event in the spring for student groups to publicize themselves and recruit new members. These new platforms are especially useful for new student groups trying to establish themselves on campus, and he has met with the appropriate campus representatives to ensure their feasibility.

Oved also has plans for increasing USAC’s transparency. He wants to enforce a hard 5 p.m. Friday deadline on USAC agenda items, which would allow ample time for students to comment online before the Tuesday meetings in his new section. His plan to release a midyear report detailing what the $4.1 million in student fees funds is a commendable one, but will likely prove too difficult. We encourage him to limit the scope of this platform to account for just USAC fees.

El-Farra mentioned the need for agendas to be posted in time for students to read them, but did not specify how she would achieve this.

The detail that Oved has put into his platforms shows that he is well-prepared for the position of internal vice president.

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43 Comments

    1. As a Hindu, I have been very alarmed about the amount of Anti-Semitism on campus. The embracing of a radical Islamist agenda (by groups such as Hamas) is very alarming to me. I believe that Avi Oved can help bring a sensible and peaceful climate to UCLA. This is an institute of higher learning supposed to be filled with scholars, not a jungle with a bunch of ruffians and rabble-rousing demagogues causing a ruckus. Hindus for Avi Oved.

      1. It’s sad to see that people like you complain about things like Anti-Semitism when I’m just over here trying to read an article about a candidate. YOU just made HIM look bad. Why? Because if people as naive as you, talking about radical Islam and Hamas on something like this, are supporting him, I question my intentions of who to vote for. Like do you not go to UCLA? Why are you talking just about Anti-Semitism? What about the other groups on campus that get discriminated against like the LGBT community, Muslim community, African-American community, etc.

        If you are referring to what is going on in Israel and Palestine, that is different. I am Muslim and have soo many friends that are Jew. I respect them, they respect me, even though we may perceive things differently. “We live in the same building, but we got different views..” You love Jews so you must know Drizzy, right?

        Get your facts straight before you come on here talking ish.

        NAMASTAY sdfadasf… hope you get some sense in your brain with all the “ANTI-SEIMTISM” you see.

        LANA FOR IVP… I was on the fence (not really), but you made my decision SO much easier. Thanks man!

          1. I’m neutral in this whole thing, but just quit with the hashtag
            nonsense. You are not on twitter. This whole hashtag thing is getting
            really old and really ineffective and really stupid.

          2. You change your vote because of some random guy on the internet? Do everyone a favor and don’t vote because you are clearly not voting for the rights reasons.

          3. They didn’t change their vote, it was called IRONY. They made it seem like they were on the fence, when they actually weren’t. Now who shouldn’t vote?

        1. I do go to UCLA and I am talking about Anti-Semitism specifically, because I have never seen so much hatred spewed out against a group that is deemed acceptable. Racism is not acceptable ever. I personally do not believe that the LGBT community, Muslim community, African American community experience as much racism as the Jewish community does. If those communities do experience racism, it is condemned. But if the Jewish community experiences racism, people applaud. Lana tried slipping in some of SJP’s agenda (which is a radical Islamist agenda) into the USAC resolution at the beginning of the year. That is why we cannot have people who subscribe to such things being elected into our student government. To say that anyone who protests against SJP or other radical groups is disrespecting Muslims, is racist. I know several Muslims, who are quite frankly fed up with Israel and Jews being blamed for everything. Make no mistake SJP Bruins is a radical group spewing hatred.

          1. If anything, Jews run everything at this school. I have never heard of any Jew being assaulted or anything along those lines. If it has happened, then I did not hear about it, but it is not a competition as to what groups get discriminated against because ALL GROUPS DO AND THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE AT ALL LEVELS. SJP’s agenda is far from radical Islamist. Just because they support Palestine doesn’t make them Islamist. Besides Muslims, there are soo many Christians and Jews who are actively involved in that club and they are far from Islamist. Lana is far from Islamist the same way you are far from the truth. The same way you know many Muslims fed up with Israel and Jews being blamed, is the probably less than half of the amount of Jews I know who are FOR Palestine. Hence the number of Jews in SJP. Just shut up.

          2. “Jews run everything at this school.” This statement pretty much proves you are a racist. SJP glorifies people like Leila Khaled (on their little lie wall they put up every year), who is a convicted hijacker of airplanes. Hijacking sounds pretty radical to me. But then again, who knows what a racist like you thinks.

          3. “Jews run everything at this school.”
            Do you think we run the banks as well?

      2. This is by far one of the worst posts ever. Critique her for her work on council, not on her religion. And we wonder why campus climate is still an issue?

        1. I did criticize her work. She tried slipping some of SJP Bruins’ agenda (a radical Islamist agenda) in the USAC resolution. Who said her religion was being criticized? Only a racist such as yourself who thinks that all Muslims agree with the hateful rhetoric of radical Islamist groups such as SJP Bruins, would say such a stupid thing.

    1. Didn’t BU presidential candidate conclude her debate closing statement by saying she was upset with the negativity of the campaign? If she can’t mobilize her own party, how can she unite the entire student body? give me a break.

      1. As a student on this campus I have the right to consider the platforms and experiences of each candidate to form my OWN opinions. Give ME a break.

      2. This world isn’t black OR white. Just because that person did not think Lana was qualified doesn’t automatically make that person a representative from BU. There IS another slate and there are independent thinkers.

        Please do not be so hostile because your negativity transcends whoever you are replying to.

        Let’s all be respectful!

    2. I couldn’t agree more with your username. The girl cries when things don’t go her way.

        1. Are you kidding me? This has nothing to do with her gender. I would be saying the same thing if it were a guy who cried when things didn’t go his way instead of being professional.

  1. MOST QUALIFIED CANDIDATE – 100% AGREE WITH THIS ENDORSEMENT – VOTE AVI OVED

    1. That’s the first LA comment I’ve seen that wasn’t distasteful or hateful. #taylorandnicole2013

        1. Ohhhhhh no. The hate I’ve seen by Let’s Act on here tonight shows me that that party cannot reflect my views. Taylor and Nicole for P and EVP, and I’m voting BU on all the other position. Let’s Act (or Let’s Attack, rather) lost my vote tonight.

          1. We may just have to agree to disagree.
            I guess our votes for BA will help, but will cancel each other when you for for BU and I for LA!

  2. Avi Oved, you are a true representative. Like the DB said, you ARE the most QUALIFIED!

  3. Lana is one of the worst council members this year. She was only pushing a radical agenda influenced by her friends in SJP.

    Lana, you’ve silenced the jewish community once before. Not again!

    1. SOOOO TRUEEE!!! she tried to slip some BDS into a resolution hoping that the jewish community wouldn’t notice. How dare she. And then try to get on council again only so she could further SJP’s agenda. Shame on you Lana.

      1. So it’s okay to hate on Lana because she has friends in SJP but it’s not okay to be critical of Darren (BU candidate for AAC) when he’s President/Chair of Bruin Republicans?

        Y’all are on something else.

        1. I see what you’re saying about having friends in groups that seem to be divisive. The only difference is, Lana has a proven track record of misrepresenting the Jewish Community – the ethnic investments wasn’t the first (it started with the UCSA resolution at the beginning of the year). Darren is the chair of Bruin Republicans, but its clear his intentions aren’t to repeal prop 30 or propose resolutions to deny gay marriage. Lana’s intentions are clear, even as SPECIFICALLY POINTED OUT ON THE SJP WEBSITE!

    2. Who said that the radical Islamist agenda only threatens the Jewish Community? It also threatens the Hindu community.

      But overall, I agree with your sentiment.

  4. “Her tenure as external vice president this year, while commendable, has taken her away from campus and from understanding the duties of the IVP”

    This statement is not only false, but is illogical. Does having one position mean that you are automatically disqualified for another? When Obama resolves issues overseas, does he forget how to be President at home?

  5. Lana is way more qualified. I am so disappointed at the daily bruin. Lana has proved she can run an office, and she proved she can run a damn good one. I am not saying that Avi would not make a good IVP. I am just saying that Lana would make a way better one, and that is reflected in her work, the endorsement hearings, and the candidate debates. Lana for IVP.

  6. Lana and Avi both seem to have similar visions for USAC/transparency. However, I cannot excuse Lana’s lack of presence in the EVP office this year. I have accounts from several staffers in her office that she did not perform her duties and would often turn over everything to her executive team. To allow her another term on council, and in a position which she is not “the most qualified, in-house candidate” as she so passionately campaigned last year, would be undesirable. It’s time for some new faces.

    1. I do agree with you. It is time for new faces, which is why I am voting for LA! and BA. Bruins United has been the majority in council for the past few years. Like you said, “it’s time for some new faces.”

      1. This is not about picking a slate. It’s about picking the most qualified candidate for an office. Maybe select members of LA! are qualified for other offices. But for IVP, Lena is not the choice.

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