Students First! was crucial to divestment
As one of the founding members of the Darfur Action Committee
and legislative director of the University of California Sudan
Divestment Taskforce, I am writing to in response to Michelle
Sassounian’s May 11 letter, “Robles’ campaign
claims misleading.”
Sassounian wrote, “The Students First! campaign continues
to take credit for victories it has not contributed to. From the UC
Sudan divestment campaign led by Bruins United external vice
president candidate Katie Tokushige to the struggle to expand
funding for all student groups.”
Members of Students First! ““ and some of their candidates
specifically ““ not only contributed to, but were a crucial
part of the divestment effort.
They were a critical part of UC Sudan divestment from its
inception to its successful conclusion and at every step along the
way, helping to lead the movement not just in words but in
substantive action.
Our organization received enormous support from the USAC
president’s and external vice president’s offices,
currently held by Students First! members. It is offensive that
Sassounian would exploit this movement as an election ploy,
demeaning the contributions made by many Students First!
members.
Although the Darfur Action Committee and the UC Sudan Divestment
Taskforce have chosen not to officially endorse candidates,
independent candidate for Facilities commissioner Dorothy Le and
Students First! internal vice presidential candidate Gregory
Cendana were both executive members of the UC Sudan Divestment
Taskforce and were absolutely vital to the campaign’s
success.
Karina Garcia Legislative director, UC Sudan Divestment
Taskforce
Chang can reach out to student groups
What makes UCLA so vibrant? The 700-plus student groups active
on our campus.
As the Undergraduate Students Association Council internal vice
president this year, I learned that the most important and unique
role the IVP plays on council is serving as the liaison between the
hundreds of student groups and USAC.
Stacy Chang’s range of experience and leadership in
student groups makes her a perfect fit for the office of IVP. From
serving as philanthropy chair of Kappa Delta to being on the Dance
Marathon committee and actively participating in the Asian American
Tutorial Project, Chang understands the needs of UCLA’s
diverse student organizations.
Part of Chang’s realistic platform includes empowering
student groups. Her vision for aiding groups goes beyond quarterly
recruitment fairs.
She plans on developing their leadership skills, providing them
networking opportunities throughout the year, and working to ensure
that student groups have space for their materials.
Finally, Chang has the proven leadership experience of uniting
these groups for a common cause. As part of the steering committee
for the Katrina Relief Dodgeball Tournament, Chang helped bring
together over a dozen student groups to raise $1,610 for Hurricane
Katrina victims.
What the campus needs more than anything are enthusiastic
leaders like Stacy Chang to unite students and student groups
together to serve our larger community.
Kristina Doan USAC internal vice president
Cendana will turn words into action
There is no doubt that Gregory Cendana is the best choice for
USAC internal vice president.
Cendana’s broad experience on campus and established
relationships with administrators ensures that his plans will
become reality.
Cendana is the current vice chair of the chancellor’s
Student Fee Advisory Committee, chief of staff for the USAC
external vice president’s office and vice chair of the
On-Campus Housing Council.
Cendana is also incredibly passionate about the work that he
does.
No matter what the goal ““ whether it is stopping student
fee increases or divesting from Sudan ““ Cendana has
consistently demonstrated his ability to successfully advocate all
UCLA students. He understands that it is not enough to simply
pledge support for important issues, but that you must also put
words into action.
Working closely with Cendana for the past year, I have witnessed
his unwavering commitment to improving the everyday life of UCLA
students.
As internal vice president he will continue to work on items
that benefit the entire student body.
He will establish an ASUCLA Bruin Discount Program to make
textbooks and meals cheaper at campus eateries. He will bring
student workers together to collectively address insufficient
work-study opportunities and inflexible scheduling. He will sponsor
quarterly student organization recruitment fairs on the Hill to
bridge the divide between on-campus residents and our more than 700
student organizations.
In addition to his unmatched experience and firm plans, Cendana
is a charismatic and compassionate leader. He will unify our campus
and create change to benefit everyone.
Jeannie Biniek USAC external vice president
Sassounian’s claims are unfounded
Current Academic Affairs Commissioner Michelle Sassounian
criticizes someone she knows little about and a platform she does
not seem to understand (“Robles’ campaign claims
misleading,” May 11).
My platform is not simply to expand the Undergraduate Student
Initiated Education program, but to expand student-initiated
education in general.
I will work to provide structural support for students
interested in independent study and creating their own majors. I
will work with faculty to give students more units for
participating in the USIE program. I will also work with
bruinwalk.com to create a classified section where students and
faculty can easily communicate on available research and internship
opportunities.
In addition, I will educate the campus on academic policies and
educational resources that impact students by hosting Academic
Empowerment weeks. Finally, I will increase student representation
on the Academic Senate so policies such as expected cumulative
progress are not imposed on students without their input.
I will continue to expand the USIE program because many students
benefit from being able to teach their own seminars and receive
units for them.
My two years as a site coordinator for the American Indian
Recruitment Project with the Student Initiated Access Committee has
given me a grasp of the concept of holistically developing and
empowering students to make the most of their academic
experiences.
I strongly believe that as students, we deserve a relevant
education that will go beyond merely preparing us for our careers
and will prepare us to become well-rounded individuals who are
invested in our education.
Brenda Robles Academic Affairs commissioner
candidate
USAC affects you directly, so vote
UCLA is considered to have one of the strongest pools of student
leaders in the nation, from advocacy and activism to service and
special event planning.
As an alumnus, I am always amazed at the new ideas and passion
of student government participants.
USAC has been a driving student force behind such efforts as
protecting student interests through advocacy at the UC level and
national level ““ instituting academic departments in ethnic
and gender studies, advocating increased student involvement in
university governance, and establishing the largest student-run
community service commission in the United States. Current students
should be proud of this legacy.
Despite this history, student government election turnout has
fallen into the 25 percent to 35 percent range. In the “real
world” we have come to expect that election turnout in the
United States is less than the majority ““ even in critical
presidential elections.
But unlike municipal government, where you don’t generally
notice the changes advocated by local leadership, members of USAC
have the potential to affect student life on campus.
They do this through the legitimate voice of students to Murphy
Hall, through the allocation of over $2 million of funds for
hundreds of student groups and USAC efforts, and through a
multitude of student appointments to critical university oversight
committees.
I ask that you take five minutes to read through the respective
platforms of this week’s run-off candidates for USAC. Then
take another two minutes to vote on MyUCLA. That short commitment
to the electoral process shows you care about your life as a
student, not just coming and going to campus.
Todd Sargent Alumni Representative to USAC,
2005-2007