Now that the primary election has taken out any one who dared to
be different and we are back to good old slate politics, the real
elections can begin. But there is a lesson to be learned.
Sure, none of the Slate Refund candidates were elected. But
because of them we have to wait for the runoff election before we
know who won some of the Undergraduate Students Association Council
positions.
That alone should tell the other slates that they have been
unable to reach an important part of UCLA’s voting students,
minority though they be.
That group of people has made it very clear: They’re not
happy with the status quo. They want something different.
And that’s not counting those who weren’t motivated
enough to vote.
Each slate has its loyal constituents ““ and they’ll
all be there next week yelling their respective cheers.
The challenge now is for the Bruins United and Students First!
slates to reach the average student in the runoffs and serve them
once elected, rather than lose them to apathetic defeat.
As for the passionate displays of joy outside of Kerckhoff Hall
when the primary election results were announced Thursday night, we
can only hope that fervor will translate into the work of next
year’s council.