True Bruin, a new slate planning to run candidates in the upcoming undergraduate student government elections this spring, is changing its name after administrators raised concerns about politicizing the university’s values.
The newly formed party which went public this quarter, is the first slate – or group of students who pool their resources and run on similar platforms – other than Bruins United and Students First! to run candidates for Undergraduate Students Association Council offices in several years.
The slate’s leaders are in the process of renaming it to Bruin Alliance because the university felt the slate name would be confused with the five True Bruin values of the university: integrity, excellence, accountability, respect and service, said Taylor Bazley, a third-year political science student and co-chair of Bruin Alliance.
Kris Kaupalolo, adviser to the USAC Election Board, approached Bazley last week and advised him not to use the name for the slate, Bazley said. Kaupololo could not be reached for comment.
Bazley said he then met with Debra Geller, chief administrative officer and executive director of Student and Campus Life at UCLA, informing her of the name change.
The administrators’ major concern was adding political meaning to the True Bruin values, Geller said.
“Every UCLA student has the potential to be a True Bruin so it would be inappropriate for students running for office to imply other candidates are not (True Bruins),” Geller said.
Bazley said they chose the name Bruin Alliance because the slate aims to represent all students.
David Mangold, a fourth-year business economics student and co-chair of Bruin Alliance, said he hopes the name change will help the slate maintain a healthy relationship with the university.
“True Bruin is UCLA’s (name) and to politicize it would dilute its meaning and value,” Mangold said. “We want the True Bruin name to stay clean.”
Email Chen at hchen@media.ucla.edu.
Lol what is a “true bruin?”