Friday, February 6, 1998
Put student power to use
ROLES: Campus needs people with initiative
to tackle social issues
By Darnell Grisby
Is UCLA all that you believed that it would be? Did you think
that friends of yours would be victims of sexual harassment? That
financial aid would give you continuous drama? Did you expect your
dormitory to be severely impacted by construction – and you still
end up paying the same as everyone else?
To be honest, I expected more than I have gotten. I’ve had an
excellent time here, but the fact remains, we need to change a few
things. The privatization of our university, and the lack of a firm
commitment to higher education from our state government has left
too many of us feeling a sting.
Throughout the years, one can trace how California’s attention
has shifted from higher education to incarceration. Instead of
spending the money necessary to educate the citizens of this state,
our lawmakers have chosen to focus on jailing.
Furthermore, none of us can ignore the relentless construction
on campus, which has proceeded without substantial student input.
Many of us fear that our campus will soon be as crowded and
cluttered as that of our crosstown rival.
And the administration has continued to ignore the students and
staff who have been victims of sexual harassment. And, all of us
are fully aware of the "technology" fee.
I could go on with a laundry list of problems that students are
encountering, but I think you get the picture. Your student
government is attempting to work on all of these issues and more.
There are issues on the national, state, local and campus level
that directly impact our education and futures. Every day, there is
a new issue, and some would argue that the times we are facing are
as pressing as those in the ’60s and ’70s, if not more so.
Yet, although we all see the problems, too many of us are
choosing not to get involved. People may assume others will take
care of the problems.
The problems are so deep and confounding that more people are
needed to move the issues in our direction – that’s what we call
student power. Student power is the ability to make the powers that
be give us what we want together.
When a multiracial force of students changed our world 30 years
ago, they laid the foundation for a more successful future for all
of those who came after them. What are we going to leave
behind?
The problems that are so pressing today constitute the next
level of work that needs to be done. Yet, too many of us are so
narrowly focused on ourselves that our student power has been
diluted. It is fine to focus on ourselves, but we must all realize
that what goes on around us will also affect us. If the system that
we live under is still messed up, you can lay your foundation and
still never reach your full potential!
If the students in the ’60s had just focused on themselves, they
would have had degrees, but some of them wouldn’t be able to eat
where they please, or use a water fountain.
Today’s challenges are less clear, but still as infectious.
Regardless of our political ideology, in an interdependent,
capitalist society we must build a collective vision of our future
to best reach our individual goals.
Without this collective outlook, student power is weakened. Yes,
some victories will be had, but not at the level that we all hope
for.
Our student government has reached some lofty goals in the past
few years. During these recent attacks against student power, I
believe that we have held firm and have proven to be the most
effective student government in California (other campuses will
quietly agree).
Just this year, we teamed up with others to urge the UC Regents
to move away from discrimination based on sexual orientation. We
have been successful in our attempts to maintain outreach and
retention projects that we hope will protect diversity after
Proposition 209.
The General Representatives office is planning a symposium
regarding race on college campuses. We believe that together as a
campus, we need to discuss issues of diversity and how it impacts
our education and futures. As the most diverse top university, many
look to us for the solutions of today’s and tomorrow’s challenges.
We must step to the forefront.
The General Representatives office is continuing to work on
changing the university’s anti-victim sexual harassment policy.
Other offices are working on a variety of safety, health and
academic issues that impact our education, while providing quality
campus events that seek to bring the campus together.
The university’s needs are being dealt with by a council that
runs on the model of student empowerment through student power.
This reality is best reached when all Bruins see the importance of
their involvement in their futures. If students would devote at
least two hours a week to the issues that they care about, by
volunteering with student government – student power will be
strengthened. By providing their voices to the chorus, all Bruins
will benefit and we will have a brighter future. Student power
guarantees these outcomes.