Break cycle of domination by Praxis

By Bill Elliott

“Had it always been like this? Always in your stomach and
in your skin there was a sort of protest, a feeling that you had
been cheated of something you had a right to. It was true that he
had no memories of anything greatly different. (Yet) why should one
feel it to be intolerable unless one had some kind of ancestral
memory that things had once been different?” ““ George
Orwell, “1984.”

It is sad that these lines from George Orwell’s novel,
“1984 ,” can be applied to UCLA’s student
government. Even fifth-year seniors can’t recall a time when
the Undergraduate Students Association Council has not been
dominated by only one party (first, Students First!, and now
Praxis). In the time of that domination, student government has
primarily left memories of radical protests, offensive stances on
politically heated issues and the creation of a council that is
remarkably heavy-handed in its dealings with groups not belonging
to the Praxis coalition.

In addition, Praxis has formed such a monopoly on student
government that it has invaded several aspects of its function. The
Student Judicial Board is rarely ever active in hearing cases
against the council (there is currently only one case pending
before this supposed supreme court of USAC). Also the fact that
Praxis is running nine candidates this year (as opposed to the
usual six or seven) shows that the will of the slate to dominate
and monopolize USAC is stronger than ever.

Yet, the question that must now be raised is whether or not this
absolute control is deserved. Despite the incredible ability of
Praxis and its predecessor to stay in power these past five years,
its performance in office has not had the same longevity. Few
students know what USAC is or what it does. It is now studied only
a by a scholarly few, and it rests within its ivory tower of
Kerckhoff Hall, rarely ever descending upon other parts of campus
to educate students or represent their general interests.

This is truly sad, especially when the accomplishments of Praxis
are compared with the ambitions and objectives of Students First!
That slate, Praxis’ predecessor, sought the preservation of
programs that protected students of color, such as affirmative
action. It also sought to educate the campus on pertinent issues of
campus diversity.

Certainly some elements of Praxis have been successful in trying
to maintain campus diversity (particularly the groups making up the
Student Retention Center), yet many of the other methods employed
by Praxis to promote diversity, such as protests and building
takeovers, often alienate more students than they attract.

Praxis has also failed to educate the general campus on the
issues of diversity. Few affirmative action debates have been held
this year, and the definition of diversity has been narrowed by
Praxis to include only race and religion. Different viewpoints and
lifestyles are rarely ever addressed by the Praxis-dominated
USAC.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, in its constant focus on
issues pertaining to diversity, USAC has neglected nearly all other
aspects of student life. With a constituency of more than 24,000
students, this is not acceptable. USAC takes very little action to
correct problems with various student services on campus (e.g.,
parking, educational and interactive programming, etc.), and it
does little to promote students’ interests in local
communities, like Westwood.

In light of its poor performance and its continuous desire to
dominate USAC, it can be said that Praxis has stopped being a group
that seeks to help students. It has, instead, become a slate that
seeks authority only for the purposes of domination and financial
benefit. Student groups belonging to the Praxis coalition are
awarded considerably more funding than groups not associated with
the slate, much like the Party described by George Orwell in
“1984.”

Praxis’ cycle of efficiency is winding down, and it has
few new inspirational leaders to help it pioneer a new era. It has
no new Stacy Lees, no new Liz Geyers and no new Mike de la Rochas
to give it capable leadership, and there is no reason to justify a
Praxis reign that extends endlessly into the future.

This all being said, one final question must be posed. How can
one party that represents the views and interests of so few beyond
its own slate stay in power for so long, especially when there are
more than 24,000 eligible voters? Perhaps this is the greatest sign
of Praxis domination. By removing student government from the life
of the average student, few people on this campus know or care what
USAC is, and in general, only the ones who do go out and vote. And
most of these students support Praxis.

Praxis has created a campus of 20,000 “proles,” a
term used by Orwell to describe the disenfranchised and uneducated
peasant class.

By keeping voter turnout low, Praxis has an automatic advantage.
It is my opinion that if the Praxis cycle is to end, then general
student awareness and interest in USAC must rise. As Orwell wrote,
“If there is hope, it lies in the proles.”

Only when general student interest rises can Praxis be defeated.
The fact that Praxis has been in power for five years shows that if
a strong opposing coalition party could have toppled the slate, it
would have happened by now. The only way for students to receive
fair representation is for them to go the polls on May 10 and
11.

Students of UCLA: If you feel that you have a grievance against
your student government (remember your convocation speech?) and if
you feel that you have been cheated out of your right to
representation, then go to the polls and vote! Only with your help
can “1984” finally come to an end. And only with your
help can the waves of change stream through our fair campus and
restore justice among all Bruins.