Members of the Students First! slate have remained tight-lipped
about the students who will run for next year’s undergraduate
student government under their slate, but the most likely candidate
for president is Allende Palma/Saracho, the current internal vice
president.
Though he had hoped to graduate at the end of this quarter,
Palma/Saracho said he will be staying for an extra year and said he
may be running for Undergraduate Students Association Council
president.
Anica McKesey, the current USAC president, also said
Palma/Saracho is a possible candidate, but declined to make a
definite statement.
The suggestion that Palma/Saracho may run for president was
corroborated by External Vice President Matt Kaczmarek, who said
Palma/Saracho was a possible candidate. Kaczmarek also would not
say definitely that Palma/Saracho would be running.
Students First! will officially announce its candidates during
the orientation meeting for this year’s candidates this
evening.
Palma/Saracho has been involved in council as a member of
Students First! for most of his time at UCLA. He ran for a general
representative position in 2002 and lost. He then took the chief of
staff post for T.J. Cordero, last year’s internal vice
president.
During his time as internal vice president this year, some of
Palma/Saracho’s primary goals have been to advocate to regain
funding for outreach and labor studies programs.
As a member of MEChA, a Chicana/o cultural organization on
campus, Palma/Saracho has also represented minority students on
council.
As a presidential candidate, Palma/Saracho would be competing
with General Representative Josh Lawson, who is running under the
Equal Access Coalition slate and Bruin Democrats president Doug
Ludlow, an independent candidate.