By Scott B. Wong
Daily Bruin Staff
Candidates vying for the three available spots as general
representative on the Undergraduate Students Association Council
have more freedom to choose which issues to focus on than do those
running for other council seats, due in part to the loosely-defined
roles of the office.
The five candidates are Theo Apostol, Christopher Cheng, David
Dahle, Cindy Mosqueda and Breana Teubner.
USAC bylaws state that general representatives are responsible
for maintaining communication with student groups, including the
On-Campus Housing Council, and for representing the collective
interests of the student body.
Mosqueda, a third-year sociology and Chicana/o studies student
running on the Student Empowerment! slate (formerly known as
Praxis), said the vagueness of the bylaws’ definition of the
position is one of its strengths.
“General reps have the unique opportunity to work on
issues important to students that might not be addressed by other
council members,’ she said.
Because other USAC offices are so specific, Apostol, a
fourth-year psychobiology student, said he would open up the
general representative office to all issues of student-based
concerns.
“It would help me give back the government to the
students,” said Apostol, who is a Student Empowerment! slate
member.
But other candidates said the lack of defined job duties hinders
the office.
“In the current system, it can’t be held
accountable,” said Dahle, a third-year political science,
women’s studies and sociology student. “The structure
of USAC is not amendable to good government.”
Cheng, a third-year communications and political science student
running on the S.U.R.E. slate ““ which stands for Students
United for Reform and Equality ““ said he will be accountable
to students by publicizing the USAC Web site and keeping it
up-to-date with events and weekly e-mail from the council to
students.
Teubner, a third-year cultural anthropology and American
literature and culture student, said students should expect more
from their government at UCLA.
“I feel that, with a population of more than 30,000
students, a government of 13 members is not acceptable,” she
said.
Apostol, who is assistant director of Samahang Pilipino
Education and Retention and a resident computer intern for housing,
said he wants to implement two things on campus: accessibility and
an alternative education.
He wants to create a USAC internship, because he said a lot of
students don’t see the relevance of student government.
“Through an internship, they will learn about what each
office does,” he said.
Apostol said he would like to improve accessibility by holding
residence hall office hours and campus office hours.
Other ideas include holding focus forums for alternative
education, where students can discuss issues pertaining to campus
issues, possibly those in Daily Bruin viewpoint articles.
“We’re students here at UCLA, but there’s an
education outside of the classroom,” he said. “When
everyone gets to express their views ““ that’s the
alternative education we can give one another.”
Cheng, a founding member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and
director of university relations for the Interfraternity Council,
said he wants to see projects on which all of council will
collectively work.
“Right now, council has their own personal agendas,”
he said. “Everyone has their own projects that they want to
do; they don’t get along personally or
professionally.”
Cheng also said he wants to focus on improving the social image
of Ackerman Student Union.
“I always envisioned Ackerman Student Union as a hangout
for students who have a break between classes,” he said.
“Ackerman is a place you buy books, food or go shopping.
There is no opportunity for interaction.”
He wants to work with the Associated Students of UCLA to build a
bar and grill, with the potential for serving alcohol.
“I want Ackerman to be a central pub,” he said.
“The first thing to go would be the arcade.”
He also said he wants to investigate what he calls the
“Hedrick funk” ““ the sewage problem at the
dorms.
“The facilities commissioner has said this is a problem
that can’t be dealt with, and the administration
doesn’t see it as problem,” he said. “I see it as
(a) health hazard. It could have serious health
implications.”
Dahle, who currently serves as campus safety director for the
Student Welfare Commission and is chief deputy staff for President
Elizabeth Houston, said he wants to bridge the gap between USAC and
the OCHC.
“Now the relationship with OCHC is not a good
relationship,” Dahle said. “It’s very tenuous,
and there hasn’t been any visible attempts to reconcile the
differences.”
OCHC is the largest student group in terms of membership and is
an untapped resource, said Dahle. As a special events coordinator
for Hedrick Hall, and a residence assistant next year, he said his
experience and involvement in on-campus housing will give him
opportunities for co-programming.
“I guarantee I will hold council meetings on the Hill and
make USAC more visible,” Dahle said. “Right now
it’s more transparent.”
Additionally, Dahle wants to enforce a no-finals-on-weekends
policy to accommodate religious observances, increase value for
meal coupons, and increase Wooden Center hours.
Along with other members of the S.U.R.E. slate, Dahle said he
plans to change USAC’s composition to a senate system.
“We’re the only UC that doesn’t have a senate
system,’ he said. “It’s a political
oligarchy.”
Mosqueda said she wants to work on two key issues: campus safety
and the implementation of a diversity requirement.
“I plan to hold workshops with other centers that offer
similar services to students on things such as self-defense and
domestic violence/partner abuse,” Mosqueda said.
She would like to continue the Days of Dialogue and Democracy in
Action programs, which provide a space for students to express
their views on issues important to them.
Mosqueda said she will work with student organizations,
encourage students to come to the general representative office and
to communicate their ideas, criticisms and suggestions.
Teubner, who said she believes candidates definitely need to
enter the race with a platform, would like to form and head a
committee of student group leaders and serve as its liaison to
USAC.
“There’s not a lot of accountability right
now,” she said. “The committee is what I want to do
““ it’s the kind of leader I am.”
Teubner, the third candidate running on the S.U.R.E. slate,
currently serves on the speaker’s staff of the Campus Events
Commission. She also serves as a student representative on the
ASUCLA Communications Board.
“It is a good opportunity to work with the editors of
ethnic publications,” Teubner said. “I really enjoy
people doing that ““ educating people through
literature.”
Because holding positions on USAC and the Communications Board
would create a conflict of interest, Teubner said she would resign
from her two-year board appointment if elected general
representative.
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