When you think of USAC, what comes to mind?
I’ll venture a few guesses: Flier bombardment? Color wars? Weird people inside Kerckhoff?
In fact, you may be among the 70 percent of campus who doesn’t bother to vote in Undergraduate Students Association Council elections every year.
As your 2007-2008 USAC president, I would like to say, I understand.
Student government may seem extraneous, and I can’t blame you for being annoyed by elections. But I’d like to share with you my thoughts about our campus.
I’ll be the first to admit that USAC ““ just like our beloved university ““ is far from perfect. We often get caught up in ridiculous partisan bickering, and there are still inequities and unfairness that exist in the resources we provide. But it’s too easy to focus on the negatives.
Ever been to a two-dollar movie in Ackerman? USAC’s Campus Events Commission works hard every week to make that happen. Make it out to the JazzReggae Festival a few weeks ago? USAC’s Cultural Affairs Commission is in charge of that. Been to Dance Marathon, a culture night, or pretty much any program on campus? Chances are, it was at least partially funded by USAC.
And with the recent election of a new council, we’re coming up with our own ideas to change this campus.
From throwing huge concerts in Pauley Pavilion, to getting meal swipes usable all over campus, to fighting for increased fairness for all student groups, we’ve already begun our work.
At the end of the day, we’re elected to do everything we can to make this campus a better place for you, and we take that responsibility very seriously.
So the question is, where do we go from here?
We could pat ourselves on the back, tell ourselves how cool we are and hope the rest of you start agreeing.
Or, we can rededicate ourselves to thinking bigger and better. We can go beyond fulfilling our campaign promises. We can rise above partisanship and selfishness, and remember that we were entrusted by you, our peers, to always stand up and fight on your behalf.
I would like to bring this back to all of us. As UCLA students, we are truly blessed with all the resources anyone could ever ask for.
One doesn’t have to look far to see our potential for greatness.
Whether it’s leading the fight against genocide in Darfur or creating Dance Marathon, the largest student-run philanthropy on the West Coast, UCLA students have done, and continue to do, some truly amazing things.
As I walk backward around campus giving my tours, I see parents’ jaws drop when I describe what we do here and then drop a little farther when I tell them that it is entirely student-run and operated.
So whether you are leaving UCLA or coming back for more, never forget to think big. Never doubt your own potential to do great things, in Westwood, California, or South Africa.
We have the opportunity to change not only our campus, but the world, and we should never forget that.
Rose is the 2007-2008 Undergraduate Students Association Council president.