Charmaine Campbell’s platforms cater to groups USAC typically does not reach, and this board thinks she would bring much-needed diversity to the council.
Instead of focusing on programming events from her office, Campbell wants to help student groups put on their own events, which could help her interact with students not currently involved in USAC.
For instance, Campbell plans to hold a yearlong series of events under the theme “I am a Womyn with a Y” to empower women on campus, including those in the LGBT community.
Campbell recognizes the word “womyn” can be divisive and the first event of “I Am a Womyn with a Y” will be a forum to explain the word’s origins.
Because this word can be controversial, she may be best served by general female empowerment events to attract women interested in the broader topic.
Campbell also plans to work with student-athletes, a community that has an often forgotten history of activism on campus. Athletes helped found the Afrikan Student Union, led protests against the Vietnam War, and used to have a representative on USAC many years ago. If elected, Campbell should find out what changes athletes would like to see or what their concerns are, so she can find concrete ways to connect with them.
Campbell’s struggles as a student commuter have inspired her other platform, which includes expanding the Community Programs Office’s evening van service and holding a commuter fair. Because she has been involved in the USAC general representative office and in outside groups, we think Campbell will add a fresh perspective to the council.
I’m sorry, I can’t take anyone seriously when they insist on using the word “womyn”.
That’s unfortunate for you; we can’t take patriarchy seriously, and that’s why we are doing something about it.
And here is more proof that UCLA has a toxic campus climate, needs a diversity requirement (which includes gender studies), and precisely the reason why Charmaine should get elected!
I’ve taken GS 10, and I still think neo-feminism is bollocks. I believe in equality for people regardless of gender, but the use of words like “womyn” and “herstory” are indicators of a form of feminism which I cannot take seriously.
“sexism doesn’t exist”
……oh wait – “the use of words like “womyn” and “herstory” are indicators of a form of feminism which I cannot take seriously”
Feminists are a diverse group which include many individuals and sub-groups which do not share the same beliefs, much like not all sects of Christianity or Islam share the same beliefs, but they do share some core beliefs.
There are still some sane feminists who actually believe in gender equality and will fight for it even when men are the ones being disadvantaged based on gender (i.e. look at the statistics for custody lawsuits in divorce courts and see who comes out on top). In cases like the one I mentioned above, these feminists will be sympathetic to the plight of men, but do acknowledge that the idea that women are natural caretakers is a product of patriarchy.
However, not all feminists are this compassionate or sane. There are still those feminists who claim that any woman (or womyn) who has ever had intercourse with a man has been raped by the very virtue of her having done so. There are those that believe in the castration of all men to provide a safer world for all womyn-kind. There are those who still believe that womyn need more advantages in education despite the fact that girls now make up the majority of college graduates, college students, and outperform their male counterparts in many other areas of academia.
Alternatively, not all feminists are even women. The belief that people are equal regardless of gender is something which appeals to sane women and sane men alike, but these are not the same individuals who use words like “womyn”. That is the crowd of feminists who prioritize trivial matters such as this instead of focusing on more important matters such as equal pay or gender violence.
I can’t believe that I had to be the one to educate you about feminism. That is sad.
go Charmaine go!!!
As a straight Jewish male, Charmaine’s platforms do not represent me.
I am voting for the party that represents all students.
Join me and vote for Bruins United.
If Bruins United overlooks the people that do exist and apply to her platform, they aren’t representing everyone either. On top of that, not being a woman or LGBTTQQIIAA doesn’t exclude you from being represented. The clear cut idea of what a “man” is supposed to be which is excluding many young men. This issue is tied to rape culture and how people tolerate these issues. Better treatment and tolerance of those groups mean better things for people outside the group and that’s why I feel these topics are important to me. This kind of tunnel vision mindset of “if it doesn’t directly apply to me then it doesn’t represent me” is contributing to the problem of hate-crimes, sexual assault and more. We’re all living in a society interconnected which makes woman empowerment and many other issues relevant to the victims relevant to the people living around them. At the end of the day, this is why we need a diverse board, both BA, LA, and BU, a mixed board will keep all positions accountable and they all perceive different issues better allowing a better coverage of the diverse student body here.
I disagree, BU is serving all students.
We call it LGBTQQIIAA now? This is why I hate political correctness.
It’s fine Frank. That’s why very few people like you.
I still don’t understand why BU would be happy to associate themselves with this Frank character. He has been nothing but a troll, not really giving BU a good name.
I’m not associated with BU. I’m a concerned student making my voice heard. After all, isn’t that what all the candidates have been saying: that everyone’s voice matters?
As another straight Jewish male, I concur.
wow, straight Jewish males coming out in strong support of the status quo- why I am not surprised?
Do you think we run the banks and the media too, you anti-Semitic asshole?
It is exciting to see the Daily Bruin recognize this wonderful womyn’s unique perspective and her passion to address communities that USAC has never reached in the past.
Congrats, Charmaine! 🙂
USAC already reaches out to these communities too much at the expense of others. Let’s not forget that there are literally hundreds of student groups on campus. We need a student government to represent ALL student voices.
I honestly can’t stand this “womyn” shit. I’m a WOMAN, and I will NOT be voting for Charmaine. This sense of elitism and entitlement just because I have a vagina is B.S.. We should be fighting for gender EQUALITY, not babying women because we are such sensitive, oppressed, delicate little flowers. If we’re equal to men, let’s PROVE it rather than force people to agree with it through legislation!
This post gave me hope.
good for you, but this WOMYN will be voting for Charmaine! Ladies and gents, that’s the difference between 2nd wave feminism (circa 1970s) and third wave feminism (feminism of today). Unlike the anonymous post stuck in feminism of the 1970s, I am going to use my voice as a WOMYN and vote with my vagina in mind. Go Charmaine!!!
What’s a womyn? I’m so confused… Last time I checked that wasn’t a word.
It’s not a word used outside of pretentious pseudo-academic feminist circles who believe that they are smarter and better than everyone by the virtue of their having a vagina.
The difference is that the 2nd wave of feminism was sane and actually fought for issues that mattered. Feminists like you give real proponents of gender equality such as myself a bad name.
BU hates people from the LGBTQ community and it is obvious that whenever they get called out for their homophobia they are quick to call people anti-Semitic. Disgusting!!
There is a large difference between disliking the over-politically correct term for a group because one deems it silly and unnecessary, and actually disliking members of that group.
I dislike the term “womyn”, but this does not mean that I dislike women themselves.
Furthermore, the one being called out for homophobia on this page is not even Jewish.