Candidates vie for internal vice president

By Linh Tat

Daily Bruin Staff

Three candidates want to tackle the day-to-day problems of
student life in their bid for internal vice president of the
Undergraduate Student Association Council in the May 10-11
elections.

Ramzi Ajami and Elias Enciso are running for the Viable
Alternative and Praxis slates, respectively. John Pham is running
as an independent.

The IVP deals with on-campus issues like housing and parking.
They also sit on USAC’s appointment and constitutional review
committees, ensure the council is functioning properly, and work
directly with the different offices, including the
president’s office, said current IVP Ramon Richardson.

“When the president needs you to take on more
responsibilities, it’s your duty to fulfill them,”
Richardson said.

Ajami, a second-year cognitive science student, said he is
concerned that not all student groups have a strong relationship
with USAC.

“There’s no contact between USAC and student groups
not adamantly Praxis-related,” Ajami said. “By and
large there are other student groups that aren’t opposed to
Praxis; they’re just not related to them.”

Enciso, a third-year political science and Chicana/o studies
student, said he wants to increase student involvement on campus,
improve the parking situation, end tensions between USAC and
university police, and deal with issues like hate crimes.

“Student involvement offers a stronger voice when
you’re speaking against such issues as hate crimes,”
Enciso said. “Historically change has happened through
coalitions.”

Pham, a second-year pre-psychology student, said he decided to
run as an independent to better represent the opinions of
students.

“My goal is to represent the concerns of our school at
large and not that of divisive slates’ concerns that will
interfere with both collaborative program efforts and with getting
all of the council members’ views heard,” Pham said in
a statement.

Ajami, said in addition to bettering relations between USAC and
the On Campus Housing Council, he wants students to be aware of
what USAC does by sending weekly agendas via e-mail to student
groups and by ensuring the USAC Web page is updated.

“Student knowledge of USAC is really low,” Ajami
said. “USAC has conceded that.”

Ajami said he wants to make himself accessible to students by
holding regular office hours. This would help students feel more
connected to USAC, he said.

Through his involvement with various organizations, Ajami said
he is sensitive to the needs of different students. As the Campus
Relations Commissioner for OCHC the past two years, Ajami acts as
the liaison between OCHC and USAC. Ajami said his observatory role
on USAC has allowed him to identify its problems more clearly.
Ajami was also the administrative assistant for the Campus
Retention Committee over the summer.

Enciso said he would like to create a USAC newsletter, listing
ways students can get involved on campus. He said he would also
like to see more co-programmings with OCHC during Welcome Week.

In addition, Enciso said he wants to work with student
organizations in filling out request forms for program fundings and
facilities usage so they can focus on producing the programs rather
than busying themselves with paperwork.

Since many students are not on campus every day, they should be
allowed to buy parking permits valid only for Tuesdays and
Thursdays or Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and pay less for such
permits, Enciso said.

Enciso said he is also concerned with how the UCPD treats
students. “I want UCPD to go through mandatory student
sensitivity training so students will feel more comfortable going
to them for help,” he said.

In his three years at UCLA, Enciso has served as the community
director for his floor in Dykstra Hall, assistant manager of the
Center for Performing Arts, and is a cheerleader. Enciso has also
served as treasurer and co-chair of La Familia ““ a Latina/o
gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender student group ““ and
has worked in the general representative and internal vice
president offices of USAC.

Pham was president and external vice president of his house at
Sunset Village during his first year.

He quoted a verse from the Bible to describe his understanding
of the role of a leader: “Speak up for those who cannot speak
for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up
and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and
needy.”

Pham said he will turn his attention to providing more money for
outreach programs, academic development, and university
research.

Funding outreach programs would increase student diversity on
campus and make the university more accessible to underrepresented
students, Pham said.