Bruin should decry murder
So, neither the Daily Bruin ““ nor any other campus group
““ has denounced the horrible murder of Nick Berg. To top it
off, The Bruin prints an Associated Press article that blames Berg
for not leaving Iraq when he had the chance.
These animals not only killed him, but sawed his head off,
right? Just checking.
Joe Groff Third-year, history
Candidates offer no voting incentive
Regarding the recent elections, and the Daily Bruin editorial
“Online elections should yield more voters” (May 14), I
must ask: Is anybody surprised about the low voter turnout?
I’ve been a student on this campus for four years, and each
year, I meet election week with dread. I think of it as the week
when complete strangers get in my way, interrupt my conversations,
and stick garbage in my face. The campaign strategies, like
distributing Otter Pops, fortune cookies and condoms, are intrusive
and insulting.
The campaigners apparently assume a group of intelligent
students would be swayed by cheap gifts.
As a graduating senior, I didn’t plan on voting this year,
but I would have been more likely to vote if candidates had made
any attempt to explain the issues to me. Until recently, I had no
idea what the Undergraduate Students Association Council was, and I
was equally unaware that $100 of my student fees went to them each
year. I make my decision based on issues, not on how many people in
the same shirt can bombard me on my way to class.
Jonathan Harris Fourth-year, film
Elections about slates, not issues
Through my experiences in this past election, I learned two
important things. First, the Undergraduate Students Association
Council has become a special interest government and second,
winning requires covering the campus in fliers, regardless of your
platform or individual qualifications.
Hundreds of students mobilized for the campaigning process and
thousands were asked to vote because a friend or classmate was
involved.
Yet more than three quarters of the campus did not care enough
to vote in this election. Rather, students continued the usual
trend of simply ignoring their own student government and avoiding
Bruin Walk.
I firmly believe this is because USAC constantly addresses
issues students don’t care about. Slates have made issues
such as the diversity requirement, student group funding and the
minimum progress requirement their main platform goals, claiming
all students are “fighting” for the cause. While these
issues deserve attention, many other equally worthy and less
political issues are ignored year after year.
When half a dozen candidates from one slate enter office with a
few combined goals, the resources of USAC are wasted.
Only a diverse council with many separate goals can adequately
represent a student body of 35,000.
As a former independent candidate and well-informed student, I
believe many of the issues slates address are exaggerated slogans
for special interest issues. This is evident from the pathetic
25-percent voter turnout.
I ask the winners of this election to stop this perverted cycle
and start looking for feedback from students outside of their core
constituency. USAC has the potential to do so much more than cater
to special interest groups.
Michi Kono Former general representative
candidate
Not all indie candidates dead
It’s OK everyone, you can put those Kleenex boxes away.
When the Daily Bruin came out with the editorial “RIP: An
epitaph for the indie candidates” (May 14), I assure you at
least one man was left smiling after reading the sweeping elegy.
Fresh off of a strong finish in the Undergraduate Students
Association Council primaries, internal vice presidential candidate
Darren Chan is actually still alive and well. Even though The Bruin
wishes his spot at the independent grave site does not remain
unoccupied for long, this man is more than capable to run ““
and most importantly, win ““ without a slate. There were
plenty of opportunities for him to take the easy road and win. But,
having a little bit of personal conviction can tend to get in the
way at times.
It is this quality that separates the independents from all
others. The Bruin was wrong to direct former presidential candidate
Doug Ludlow “back to the crew team” and former general
representative candidate Michi Kono “to the MyUCLA
forums.”
Even though the Daily Bruin Editorial Board can ask silly
questions ““ “What? Why? How?” ““ the answers
are visible everywhere on campus. It is ironic to think a newspaper
representing the student body has lost sight of the people who
really matter: not students interested in slate rivalry and
incessant chanting, but students who represent the common man.
Darren Chan has already been making a difference for these people
throughout his entire life.
Richard Meng Second-year, business
economics
SWC tried to stifle free speech
I am writing to contest Student Welfare Commissioner Janet
Chiang’s assertions in “Viewpoint submission
doesn’t speak for SWC” (May 7). Her letter, which
responded to one of my submissions, was superfluous as I made it
clear in my submission that “I am not speaking on behalf of
the office” (“Josh Lawson best choice to correct
corruption done by Students First!,” May 4).
What troubles me is that ““ as Chiang herself told me
““ her letter was reviewed by the Students First! president
before she submitted it. This act of appeasement shows me the real
intent of the letter was a partisan attempt to undermine my
credibility. I am angered my right to free speech is challenged
when it comes to exposing a slate whose bullying tactics often
prevent Undergraduate Students Association Council
“independents” from truly being independent.
Observing Lawson on council for an entire year has convinced me
that he’s the antidote needed to cure the SF! disease of
habitually “empowering” themselves at the expense of
everyone else.
His goal is the same as any student in a black shirt handing out
fliers, or students like last year’s Elections Board chair,
Joseph Vardner, whose efforts to stop the unauthorized
implementation of IP address delays ensured voter turnout would not
be biased by SF!- imposed voting regulations.
Although my submission has garnered criticism, I am satisfied
that I did not agree to go along with whoever was in power just
because it was the convenient thing to do. SF! corruption may pay
off in the short run but ultimately it will be uncovered, whether
the Student Welfare commissioner approves of it or not.
Paul Marian Former SWC internal affairs
chairman