By Ryan Smeets, Brian Neesby, Joe Vardner and Kristina
Doan
Bruins United was founded because Students First! divides
student groups and because this status quo has been disappointing
students for more than 10 years.
Bruins United opened up group funding for all student
organizations, forged positive relationships with the UCLA
administration, and pledged not to take stances on partisan issues,
because they believe that is not the role of the Undergraduate
Students Association Council.
Before Bruins United took a majority on USAC, religious and
politically affiliated student organizations were denied funding
for the illogical reason that they represent only one
viewpoint.
It is this sort of transparency and one-on-one attention that
was not the status quo before.
Bruins United prevented LAPD from shutting down the Undie Run by
working with administrators.
Students First! claims that Bruins United is the status quo and
wants to end culture nights. But Bruins United Facilities
Commissioner Joe Vardner has actively supported and urged a
potential new funding source that could open up hundreds and
thousands of dollars for culture nights.
Improving Westwood and gaining a campus bar have not been worked
on for years at UCLA. It wasn’t until Bruins United made them
a priority for student government that actual improvements and work
started getting done.
It is these types of relationships and progressive funding
issues that are required to enhance student life.
Students First! continues to promote increasing diversity at
UCLA. Their methods of doing this, however, are completely
backward. Many members of Students First! view the admissions
process as responsible for the low diversity statistics at
UCLA.
The method Students First! advocates to increase diversity is to
allow more minorities into the university by giving priority to
ethnicity. But there is a way to attack the diversity issue from
the K-12 level. We need to increase funding for all outreach
programs, such as the Early Academic Outreach Program. This is the
reason that Bruins United supported the PULSE referendum last
year.
Students First! only focuses on helping a few groups.
That’s why and how Bruins United got started.
Bruins United supports Bruin Democrats and Bruin Republicans,
who once had to threaten a lawsuit against the university for
illegally denying groups funding.
Bruins United has started reaching out to more groups, and we
will continue to do so next year. This entire campus has value,
that’s what Bruins United believes. USAC is not about
politics but about access.
Smeets is the Financial Supports commissioner. Neesby is a
general representative. Vardner is the Facilities commissioner.
Doan is the Internal Vice President.