Cynthia Rabuy, a second-year American literature and culture
student, is almost sure to win the election for Financial Supports
Commissioner. As the only candidate running for the position, one
vote in her favor will put Rabuy in office.
But whether she should be there, and whether or not the
commission should exist at all, are more debatable questions.
Though Rabuy’s enthusiasm toward USAC is encouraging, she
is not ready to be an officer. She is neither familiar with council
procedures nor with the functions of the Financial Supports
Commission, and she appears to have few independent ideas separate
from the party-line Praxis ideology.
Rabuy’s naive, but well-meaning ambitions reveal she has
little understanding of the powers of her intended commission. She
has based her campaign on unreasonable goals, including increasing
the accessibility of on-campus housing and prioritizing students
over staff and faculty in on-campus parking.
These plans, though they may be noble, simply cannot be carried
out.
On-campus housing is inaccessible because it is full; Rabuy
can’t offer students more space unless she plans to build new
residence halls. And unfortunately, student parking cannot be
prioritized over staff and faculty who spend regular hours on
campus in order to keep UCLA going.
To her benefit, Rabuy does have a personal mission. Her own
involvement in the Campus Retention Committee as well as personal
frustrations with financial burdens have made her poignantly aware
of student concerns. When she is elected, Rabuy certainly will have
positive motivations keeping her going; she’ll just have to
streamline her goals and determine what she can actually get
done.
Rabuy’s vaguely defined ideas match her vaguely defined
position. The USAC constitution and bylaws need to be revised so
that Financial Supports is given specific goals that don’t
overlap with the Facilities Commission.
Rabuy, and the undergraduates she represents, would be better
served if she first gained more useful experience as a staff member
in a better defined commission or office.