Thursday, February 4, 1999
USAC does more than protest, complain
RESPONSE: Efforts to address student issues go unnoticed by
Daily Bruin staff editorial
By P.J. Gagajena
It’s the middle of the year. You’re probably just recovering
from winter break and finally realizing that you need to open your
books for class because midterms are around the corner. Some of you
may even be buying your books or readers for the first time.
For many students, this is everyday reality. I know it’s been a
reality for me in the past. But this year, it’s different. This has
been one of the most challenging years of my life.
I was elected into student government as your internal vice
president (IVP) last spring along with the entire Praxis slate. We
won because you believed your lives would change. I ran for office
because I believed that together as students, we could improve the
quality of our lives.
Change does not occur simply because of my title as internal
vice president, or because I am on student council; change occurs
with our efforts together. Since then, your student government has
been working hard to serve student interests.
But the Daily Bruin seems to overlook the real issues student
government has been working on and that I’ve been working on,
specifically. On Jan. 27, the Daily Bruin Editorial Board got their
story wrong about Undergraduate Students Association Council
(USAC). They seem to believe that your student government has only
worked on social justice issues such as the Week of Remembrance
(educational campaign on hate crimes), the Miseducation Tour
(educational campaign on affirmative action and the
prison-industrial complex) and the 100 Years of Resistance
Conference (first global conference of U.S. imperialism in Cuba,
Philippines and Puerto Rico).
We as student government, specifically your Praxis council
members, believe that these are "real" student issues and "real"
campus issues. We have attempted to connect real-life issues such
as globalization and hate crimes with the day-to-day lives of
students here at UCLA.
Yet, while your student government is educating and fighting for
our right to learn in a safe environment and the right for all
people to enter higher education, we are also working on housing
and parking concerns. I have been working with the On-Campus
Housing Council (OCHC), the body responsible for addressing
on-campus housing issues, to resolve housing issues. As USAC, we
respect and commend OCHC for their efforts to address student
interests on the hill. The Daily Bruin and the student body,
particularly on the hill, need to recognize that both OCHC and USAC
are working together to resolve housing issues.
Your student government is also working to solve the massive
parking problem. Most students here on campus struggle everyday to
park. I understand that the stress produced in finding parking
affects our mental, emotional and physical health. Many of you have
even talked to me personally on Bruin Walk or in class about your
parking experiences. I have been working diligently to voice our
concerns to Transportation and Parking Services. The IVP staff and
the Facilities Commission have recently pushed student suggestions
in changing the current points system for receiving parking
permits.
Students must understand, however, that change will not happen
overnight.
Your student government is not always about protests or building
take-overs, although we may have to use such acts as a last resort
in order to be heard and make change. We are attempting to work
with administrators and university officials to solve student
concerns. That is why USAC presidential appointments are
particularly essential to advocating the student voice on various
university committees. To all presidential appointments, thank
you.
Much of what we do as your student government may not always be
visible to the student body. In fact, many of us on council attend
meetings and negotiate with administrators. But we are accessible.
We are always in Kerckhoff Hall. If you cannot physically come to
Kerckhoff, please call us, e-mail us, or give us your suggestions,
comments or questions through the Speak Up! boxes located at 22
locations on campus (including the dorms). We want to hear from you
directly because communication is key to us better serving you.
Now, as we go on with our day-to-day lives as students, we as
USAC hope that you are sound asleep in knowing that your student
government is at work with you. Many of you may believe that I’ve
spouted merely rhetoric across these pages because I am a
student-politician and I know how to say the right things. But, I
didn’t run for office to be a pseudo-administrator or
student-politician. I am a student just like you.
I have experienced and recognized many of the same problems you
experience and recognize. I have been bombarded with flyers and
leaflets along Bruin Walk and I’ve received many parking tickets on
campus. It’s going to take all of us to change and improve this
campus. It may take some time, but it will happen.
I’ve taken a couple of hours of my day to write this letter
rather than working on real issues for the student body, because
our student newspaper couldn’t get the facts straight. It’s truly a
waste of student fees for me to write this submission, but I am
obligated to all students to be "accurately" informed of their
student government.
The Editorial Board of the Daily Bruin has fabricated a story of
student government based on what they want to see and to spark the
reaction that I am giving them through this viewpoint – so that
there will be some drama about USAC. The truth is, there’s no
controversy to discuss because we have been doing all the right
things since we lowered our stipends, successfully brought students
and organizations together during the Second Annual Welcome Week,
and provided the student body with educational programs and direct
services.
I hope that, in the future, the Daily Bruin communicates with
council members about student government activities. And when they
do receive information, that they write about everything we are
working on and not pick and choose programs and projects that
comply with their "controversial" story.
The Daily Bruin has the responsibility to accurately report
stories and issues to the student body. With their Jan. 27
editorial , the Daily Bruin failed and misinformed all
students.
I wish for all students to not accept everything in the Daily
Bruin blindly. I encourage all students to talk directly with their
council members and be part of our work. The student body has many
interests, and we attempt to address all that we can. But we need
your help because student government is only as strong as the
students we serve.Please contact Gagajena with comments, concerns,
suggestions or questions at (310) 825-7306 or
[email protected]. Gagajena is the internal vice president of
Undergraduate Students Association Council.
Comments, feedback, problems?
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