I am an alumnus of UCLA and a former Undergraduate Students Association Council president, concerned with the recently leaked photo of the current undergraduate student body president flashing a gang sign.
As a student and an elected student representative, I did many things during my college years I regretted and wished I could take back. Even now, after many years on this earth, I still do things that could be described as “boneheaded.” The current student body president most likely regrets his action and wishes he could take it back.
There are two things, though, that concern me.
One is that this incident appears to be the latest in a series that have contributed to a hostile campus climate for the African American community on campus.
I note that they have responded directly to USAC, and they can speak for themselves on the issue. But as an alumnus, I want to make clear that former Bruins note the mounting incidents occurring on campus and stand with African American students, faculty and staff who are appalled by the recent action and are looking for a definite campus response to this issue.
The second point I would like to make concerns campus elections and student governance. I was one of the first student body presidents elected as a “slate” candidate in 1982. I ran with the Third World Coalition, which sought to increase the representation of students of color in student government.
We didn’t run for USAC just to get elected. We ran to press issues like divesting Associated Students UCLA investments in South Africa and increasing the access of under-represented students to UCLA as elected representatives.
Current student politics seems to have devolved into simply seeing who can put together the best slate to get their group into office, as opposed to getting elected to represent the entire student body and press current student issues.
USAC has a proud tradition of fine student representatives who everyone at UCLA can admire. That pride took a big hit with the recent action by the USAC president, but it cannot tarnish the overall reputation of student government.
I urge current students who are running for USAC to remember that their goal should be to represent all of the student body, not just a slate assembled to capture the most votes on election day. If you have candidates who are truly representative of the entire campus, you will have student representatives who will make better decisions and set a better example for all of UCLA.
Grace is a UCLA alumnus who graduated with a B.A. in political science in 1984 and a former USAC president.