Athanasious is a third-year psychology student running as a SURE
candidate for general representative.
By Maggy Athanasious
This year’s Students United for Reform and Equality (SURE)
slate is very different from the slate that ran last year.
Last year SURE ran on the platform of changing USAC from its
current parliamentary system into a senate system. This
year’s SURE slate has no desire to change the structure of
the council. The problem we now see lies in the priorities
designated by council and not the structure per se. Our platform is
based on realistic changes that council can make to increase the
visibility, representation and responsiveness of USAC. SURE was
founded in opposition to Student Empowerment! because many students
feel that the opposed slate’s narrow agenda neglects the
issues, needs and problems that all students face, including
students in their own coalition.
SURE recognizes that diversity and access to education issues
are important and should always be a staple of USAC’s focus.
But student government should also address other issues that are
important to students as well.
SURE candidates pledge to fix the problems that plague USAC
while acknowledging and retaining the current positive programs and
activities that USAC now implements. One of the key reasons that
issues beyond diversity are often not addressed is that no council
member really knows what students want. Hardly anyone has ever
asked.
In fact, the only randomized campus-wide USAC survey of student
opinion to be done in several years was done by a SURE general
representative this past year. Students should have a government
composed of individuals who see themselves as representatives first
and advocates second. Being a representative is impossible without
actively seeking what issues students want their governing body to
address.
While our position may be different from last year’s SURE
slate, our fundamental goals are the same. In the eyes of Student
Empowerment!, the only students that are worthy of USAC
representation are the ones that are in their voting bloc.
The SURE slate has no obligation to any single constituency on
campus. We think that every student group on campus, as well as
individuals who are unaffiliated, contribute positively to campus
life and should be represented equally and fairly by USAC. Within
our slate we encompass a broad spectrum of campus life, yet unlike
Student Empowerment!, we are not controlled by these groups.
Not only does SURE vow to enhance representation, but we also
promise to increase visibility in order to keep students informed.
Since Student Empowerment! has been the dominant ruling coalition,
visibility has become non-existent. As council members, we will
remedy the situation by submitting at least one Daily Bruin article
per office per month, increasing the circulation and frequency of
the USAC newsletter, creating more opportunities to become directly
involved with student government ““ particularly through USAC
internships for course credit ““ and updating the USAC Web
site to make it easy to navigate and access.
SURE is about working to discover the needs of the student body
and addressing those needs in a way that serves the broader campus
community. If this vision of USAC is more in line with your own,
then let your voice be heard in the upcoming elections fifth
week.