Friday, 5/23/97 Students First! prepares next term’s agenda for
council USAC: Group controls majority of seats, plans to stay on
previous path
By Stefanie Wong Daily Bruin Staff After spending thousands of
dollars on signboards and flyers and hundreds of hours campaigning
on Bruin Walk, Students First! has again gained control of the
undergraduate student council (USAC). Next year’s government plans
on continuing the work established by the two previous Students
First!-controlled councils, in addition to supporting a few new
issues of their own. This being Students First!’s third bid for
control over USAC, members of the slate were surprised to win but
believe their track record is what convinced students that they
were the most qualified for the jobs. "I think (Students First!)
had a very concrete message," said internal vice president-elect
and Students First! member Carol Lee. "The students that we were
able to reach through our programming (during the last two years)
really saw that," she added. Next year, Students First! will
control 11 of the 13 USAC seats, with independent candidates
holding the remaining two. The group’s majority in student
government virtually ensures that they will face little opposition
and that their agenda will easily be met. "It’s a continued
emphasis on student services, including the student advocacy office
where we can touch a lot of students personally and (establish) an
increased focus on campus-based issues in terms of the housing and
administration," Lee said. Chancellor-designate Albert Carnesale’s
direction of UCLA will likely prove to be one of the larger issues
that the student government will need to address. The change in
university leadership may alter a few policies, possibly giving the
student government an opportunity to push their issues onto
Carnesale’s agenda. "One of the most important things for next year
is for the student government and the student body to effectively
work with the new chancellor," said current USAC President John Du.
"If the new chancellor does not prioritize an affordable and
accessible education, then students must come up with different
strategies to ensure that those concerns are prioritized," he
added. Some of the issues that the slate will continue to work on
next year are the general education diversity requirement, fees and
financial aid and increasing outreach to students. "It’s our
responsibility to take stands on things that we feel affect
students and we’ll continue to try to listen to student input," Lee
said. However, some students believe that over the past two years,
student government has excluded certain groups and that next year
will be the same. "I do believe that this past year student
government was effective with respect to a few key issues," said
Stanley Pham, a first-year biochemistry student. "However, I have
felt left out of the process and can only hope that next year’s
government devises a plan to include more students in achieving
their goals," he added. Lee contends that the student government
has been inclusive over the past two years and that the incoming
council does not plan to diverge from that path next year. She
cited such programs as last fall’s voter registration campaign and
the continuation of the Campus Interaction Forum as examples of how
the council has been inclusive of all groups. "This year we’ve
worked with a lot of student groups. If you look at each of the
offices I think they’ve worked with numerous student groups on
every campaign that they put out," Lee said. "I think that if you
put all the issues that we’ve worked on together, we were able to
encompass and address a lot of students’ needs," she added. Another
concern critics have of Students First! is the possibility of an
abuse of power as student leaders. "They’ve been called the great
political machines and there’s no one to stop them," said
first-year political science student Roee Ruttenberg and Access
Coalition member. "Without a functional checks and balances
(system), there’s nothing to stop them and they have this immense
power that they can abuse and the general student body will never
know," he said. Though the Judicial Board is established in the
undergraduate constitution as the official check and balance of the
Council, Ruttenberg believes that the board does not always
adequately do its job. However, Lee feels that the J-Board has
fulfilled its responsibilities and that USAC has a larger group to
answer to. "It’s the students who vote, who voice their concerns
and ask questions and make criticism. Students serve as the
greatest checks of the student government," Lee said. Despite the
criticism and concerns, there are beliefs that Students First!’s
third year in power will be a success. "I think Students First! has
a clear vision for the student government and the student body and
I’m confident that the new leadership will be able to lead students
at UCLA into the next millennium," Du said. Previous Daily Bruin
Story: Election ResultsMay 9, 1997Students First! Accused of
Illegal CampaigningMay 12, 1997