Campaign helps students gain voice

Friday, February 14, 1997

USAC:

‘Our Millennium’ aims to reverse current decline in educationBy
Stefanie Wong

Daily Bruin Contributor

Students may not have direct control over their education now,
but if the undergraduate student council has its way, they will
­ by the next millennium.

The Undergraduate Student Association Council’s (USAC) "Our
Millennium" campaign is attempting to help students gain more of a
voice in their own education and future.

Designed to encourage students to become actively involved and
have more control over their education in the next three years, the
program’s aims are not all that far-fetched.

"Students are not involved in the education process and we’re
saying we need to take a stand and make ourselves more aware so
that we can take back our education and start the new millennium on
the right foot," said Internal Vice President Glenn Inanaga.

The campaign is based on the idea that at the turn of the
century, the quality of education will be abysmal if it continues
at its present rate of decline, according to External Vice
President Alberto Retana.

"The campaign brings students together to defend and push for
policies that will benefit students in the new millennium," Retana
said.

The student council feels that its role in this campaign is to
facilitate the process and to build initial interest in preserving
and improving the quality of public education.

"USAC wants to give students the tools to win the victories on
their own behalf," Retana said.

The program attempts to gain student fee autonomy, increased
voter registration and participation, and to solidify student
support behind USAC and the United States Student Association
(USSA).

The campaign addresses various national, state and local
student-related issues.

"The campaign has many different goals and it is the umbrella
for all the other campaigns such as the domestic partnership, fee
rollback and welfare reform," said Stacy Lee, the external vice
president’s chief of staff.

Other focuses include financial aid, curriculum reform and
affirmative action.

Emphasizing that all students are equally important, the
campaign officially started Tuesday afternoon with a "kiss-in"
which attempted to show that there is a lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender community on campus.

The student council believes that students will be interested
and active in this campaign because it deals with topics directly
affecting all students regardless of their race, color, gender or
sexual preference.

"USAC wanted a campaign broad enough to encompass the diversity
of the school including homosexuals, women, the working class and
people of color because they all have a stake in what’s going on,"
Retana said.

Many students believe that people will want to get involved
because it has a direct impact on their lives and education.

"I think students will get involved in this more than any other
campaign that USAC has had because it affects everyone," said
Connie Lew, a second-year communication studies student.

"The only qualification they need in order to support this issue
is to be a student at UCLA."

However, some students doubt that this campaign will be a
success.

"Students are more concerned with their personal
responsibilities and they don’t have the initiative to get involved
in such a time-consuming project," said David Ngo, a first-year
economics student.

JAMIE SCANLON-JACOBS

(l.-r.) External Vice President Albert Retana and fourth-year
political science student Chris Neal inform students about the new
campaign "Our Millennium," which addresses educational issues.