Youmun Alhlou has worked in five different Undergraduate Students Association Council offices, establishing relationships with councilmembers and office management that would serve her well during a shortened term in office.
Her platforms, however, are quite narrow in scope. Alhlou chose platforms that would likely be accomplished during a shortened term in office, but her challenge would be finding ways to institutionalize these programs in the coming years.
Her first proposed platform is to introduce the Perspectives Showcase – a program that started at UC Berkeley and encourages cultural groups to team up and put on a collaborative performance – to Ackerman Grand Ballroom later in the school year.
While the board does not doubt Alhlou’s ability to run the event as planned winter or spring quarter, preserving it in coming years and making it appeal to a wider range of students will be a significant challenge.
Alhlou also said she plans to create a study abroad guide for UCLA students that includes lists of approved classes, scholarship guides and student advice blogs.
Additionally, she wants to survey students to improve the UCLA Career Center’s BruinView job search site.
To this end, Alhlou has laid some groundwork, setting up meetings with the Career Center’s Brian Guerrero and Financial Supports Commissioner Heather Rosen. Both ideas have the potential to serve portions of the student population, particularly upper-level students looking to enter the job or internship market, but could fizzle out after her tenure without significant planning and marketing.
We also take issue with Alhlou’s absence from the special election endorsement hearing on Oct. 9. While we agree these hearings have often devolved to little more than canned questions from slate supporters, Alhlou is still running for a popularly elected position and should have attended to demonstrate accountability to the student body.