The undergraduate student government election process began last night at the candidate orientation meeting held in the Kerckhoff staterooms.
Much of the meeting was dedicated to outlining the schedule of events and rules regarding campaigning, which included guidelines on when people can leaflet, formats for fliers and expense requirements.
Sixteen of the 20 people who declared their intentions to run are from the two major slates, the equivalent of a campus political party, Bruins United and Students First! Four people are running as independent candidates.
Creating transparency within USAC, addressing the concerns of students and promoting student unity are common aspects of the Bruins United slate.
“Bruins United has a tradition of making sure that government represents all students and students feel invested with that government,” said Natalie Gonzalez, a third-year anthropology student running for general representative.
Students First! candidates focused their platform around environmental sustainability, improving quality of eduction, promoting student engagement on- and off-campus, and ensuring the health and wellness of students.
“Students First! will continue the legacy of putting students first. We will be committed to maximizing the student experience here at UCLA,” said George Chacon, a second-year international development studies and sociology student who is running for Cultural Affairs commissioner.
The two of the three presidential candidates represent the major slates; the other is independent.
Running for Students First! is Homaira Hosseini, a third-year political science student who said she believes her current work as chair of the Student Fee Advisory Committee will give her valuable knowledge if elected.
“I feel like I have versatile skills and experience that I can use to help maximize the student experience at UCLA,” Hosseini said.
Matt Sandler, a third-year music student specializing in saxophone performance and the presidential candidate from Bruins United, said that if elected he would try to serve the student body as much as possible.
“I hope to represent people of all walks of life at UCLA. USAC is the body representing the entire undergraduate population, and I hope to address the needs and concerns of each one of those students,” Sandler said.
The third presidential candidate, independent candidate Jeff Matt, a third-year political science student, said he wants to focus on student fees and making college more affordable.
“I have some good ideas; I know they’ll be beneficial. At the heart of most students’ problems is money. Saving students a lot of money: That’s my main goal,” Matt said.
Lydia Kim, a third-year psychology student with Bruins United, and Evan Shulman, a fourth-year cognitive science student with Students First!, will be running for internal vice president.
Both Kim and Shulman focused on facilitating open dialogue with students and working with student groups.
“I realized that I love working with student groups,” Kim said.
Shulman echoed Kim’s enthusiasm for interacting with students.
“I’m really excited to be with Students First! I look forward to talking with students,” Shulman said.
Jesse Melgar is the current external vice president and will be running unopposed for another term.
Melgar said he hoped to expand on programs that have been implemented in the past year, such as the Bruin Lobby Corps and Election Invasion Program, as well as advocating against increases in student fees.
“The way we (keep fees from rising) is to meet with UC regents, state assembly, senators and other elected officials,” Melgar said.
Along with the candidates, the meeting also introduced a new referendum that will be on the ballot for students to vote on called the Green Initiative Fund.
The referendum would increase student fees by $4 and would raise $200,000 a year to be used toward making the school more energy efficient.
“It’s the students’ way to take a stand. Hopefully this will enable the students to do this,” said Kasey Topp, a fourth-year microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics student.
Topp added that the fund would be regenerating because the money that is saved from using energy efficient practices would go back to the fund.
Similar referenda have been implemented already at other UC campuses such as Berkeley and Santa Cruz.
Voting for USAC positions will begin May 5 at 7 p.m. on MyUCLA and will end May 8 at 7 p.m.