Tuesday, 4/8/97
Students First! faces challengers
Two opposing parties aim to make student association more
accessible to voters
By Stefanie Wong
Daily Bruin Contributor
The races for the undergraduate student government offices are
heating up, and three parties are already taking the soapbox in
anticipation of the May elections.
The incumbent slate Students First! is likely to continue its
focus on widespread access to education; Bruin Vision returns from
last year’s fight for Kerckhoff Hall with an emphasis on campus
safety; and the newly created Access UCLA is hoping to increase the
diversity of views on the student council.
Students First!, which has dominated the Undergraduate Student
Association Council for two years, hopes to continue efforts such
as a book lending program and a campaign for education diversity
requirements in a third.
Students First! has not yet written its official platform, but
the slate is likely to once again focus on immigration reform,
registration fees, affirmative action, diversity and retention.
Bruin Vision’s top objective is to provide voters with more
options this spring.
"We’re aiming to basically give students more of a choice, to
basically try to represent more ideas that aren’t really being
represented," said David Krinsky, Bruin Vision’s external vice
president candidate.
Bruin Vision is also again advocating the sale of alcohol on
campus or opening a pub.
Besides bringing in revenues for the university, they believe
that it is safer for students to drink on campus than in Westwood
or elsewhere.
"When you get people going down to Westwood to drink you deal
more with people getting into their cars afterwards or longer walks
back to their apartments or dorms," Krinsky said. "You’re running
into a lot of risk."
"If someone is just drinking on campus you’re dealing with a lot
less people driving and a lot less people being hazardous
pedestrians," he added.
Access UCLA is a "student coalition (that is) an alternative to
the idea that you need to vote for people who all think the same,"
according to the party’s mission statement.
The party is a "diverse group of individuals" who believe
unanimous agreement between council members on issues is not always
necessary, said Access UCLA’s presidential candidate, Ben
Hofilena.
Instead, Hofilena said, conflicting ideas on council represent
the differing opinions held by the student body.
While the party has also not yet drafted a platform, Access UCLA
hopes to give students greater access to the university and student
government, according to the party’s mission statement.
Although Bruin Vision and Access UCLA are rivals for spots on
the student council, they do share some similar goals and
objectives.
For example, both parties are championing the the need for
greater diversity of thought in the student government.
"I think USAC gains a lot of things when you get people of
different groups in (student government) because of the fact that
there is more representation of the different people, views and
ideas," Krinsky said.
The two parties also agree that this year’s elections needs to
stay away from political mudslinging and remain focused on the
relevant issues.
"There was a lot of mudslinging in last year’s election, and I
hope we’re not going to get as much of that and focus on the issues
and our own qualifications and not the lack of others," Krinsky
said.
On one issue at least, clear differences are already emerging
between the incumbents and the challengers.
Both Bruin Vision and Access UCLA question USAC’s recent
approval of an increase in the student activities fee from $7.50 to
$51.
Although USAC itself was initially skeptical of raising the fee,
officials were eventually convinced that it was necessary to keep
the financially struggling Students’ Association afloat.
"Student government supports the student union fee because we
recognize that without the fee the possibility of our student
association being taken over by the university is very real," said
USAC Internal Vice President Glenn Inanaga.
"The reasoning behind the fee increase is a simple choice
between student services, free study space and free meeting rooms
that Ackerman provides or being taken over by the university," he
added.
Currently, all three parties do not have complete slates and are
still in the process of looking for qualified candidates.
"Students First! is right now looking for the most qualified and
experienced candidates possible in order to serve the student
body," said USAC President John Du.