T.J. Cordero
An effective internal vice president must have a vision in line
with the needs of the students they represent. Both Student
Empowerment! candidate T.J. Cordero and SURE candidate Justin Levi
have well-defined plans for next year’s IVP office. But
independent candidate Avneet Kaur, while well-intentioned, lacks an
intimate understanding of campus policy. She is naive in thinking
the UC can solve issues of housing and transportation by buying up
properties in and around Westwood to meet demand.
Cordero and Levi have a more realistic solution to the housing
crunch ““ to subsidize off-campus housing, and to fight to
keep BruinGo!. The two candidates also agree on slowing the tide of
enrollment and both have pledged to generate more student
involvement in council next year.
But unlike Levi, Cordero has demonstrated the ability to carry
out his vision. Cordero is willing to take the housing issue one
step further, as he plans to create a Chancellor’s Housing
Advisory Board to give students an opportunity to advocate their
housing needs. Cordero has also pledged to sponsor a series of
programs called “Know Your Rights,” informing students
of their rights as renters, employees and victims of sexual
harassment.
This year, Cordero served as the USAC Finance Committee chair.
While the committee has come under criticism for making several
questionable funding allocations, this can be attributed more to
the failure of the council as a whole. Cordero’s working
knowledge of the funding process will bring much-needed experience
to the council, and can play an key role in ensuring fair funding
to student groups.
Levi, who has never served on council, wants to initiate a
policy for the council to take no political stance on issues that
don’t directly affect campus. While the nature of this
proposal is to be diplomatic, it dangerously ignores larger issues
that may one day affect students. If the UC had been in line with
Levi’s proposal in the ’80s, the university would not
have taken a stance against apartheid by divesting from South
Africa. Levi also stated that if asked to vote on issues he felt
didn’t directly affect students, he would abstain. The
council simply cannot lose a vote as important as the IVPs.
Levi claims to be effective in bringing people together, but as
the president of the Jewish Student Union this year, he has done
little to bring together members of his group and other student
groups, such as the Muslim Student Association. He claims to have
solicited several groups to put on joint events, but has no results
to show for his efforts.
Vote for Cordero for internal vice president, because he has
proven that he has the experience and ability to carry out his
campaign promises on council next year.