Houston’s speech ruffles feathers

  KEITH ENRIQUEZ/Daily Bruin Senior Staff USAC President
Elizabeth Houston‘s speech at Monday’s convocation
drew ire from some council members.

By Timothy Kudo
Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Undergraduate Students Association Council President Elizabeth
Houston made it a point to discuss race relations in her speech at
Monday’s Convocation.

“We need to focus on our similarities rather than our
differences,” Houston said in her speech.
“Unfortunately, not everyone on this campus holds a healthy
view of our diversity.”

Though incoming students may have thought she gave just a
welcoming address, for many student government members the speech
addressed some of the tensions between Houston and other USAC
members ““ specifically members of the Praxis slate.

“I actually was hoping that some students would ask me
about what I said, because I think a lot of students are not really
aware of what goes on in USAC and that a lot of people are really
intolerant in USAC,” Houston said Wednesday night.

While council members have worked together on many issues, and
hope to do so in the future, the politics that embroil many USAC
meetings continue to be a sore point for Houston and other council
members.

Some members of USAC have criticized Houston, claiming she is
insensitive to issues of race and sexual preference. But Houston
also said some council members treated her with intolerance.

At several meetings this summer, both Houston and others on the
council have leveled accusations of racism against each other, and
at one meeting tensions flared to the point where one council
member walked out of the meeting.

Houston said some students asked her about her speech, allowing
her to elaborate on what’s happening in USAC.

“I told them that there was a group in student government,
they are composed of a slate, they run every year, and they tend to
act this way and exclude students,” Houston said.

“It’s wrong, and we’ve had a lot of conflict
at council meetings … and I’m trying to bring some more
representation in,” she continued. “The people need to
know this because they are voting these people in.”

Praxis members denied her allegations.

“She wants to address the general campus,” said
Elisa Sequeira, one of three general representatives who sit on
USAC and a member of Praxis. “We address communities that
don’t usually tend to get addressed as well as the general
campus.”

Praxis is a slate similar to a political party, composed
primarily of minority students belonging to the student groups
African Student Union, Samahang Pilipino, Raza Women and La
Familia.

Though those groups made up Praxis in the last undergraduate
election, the Asian Pacific Coalition and MEChA have also lent
their unofficial support since that time, according to External
Vice President Portia Pedro, a Praxis member.

Though many council members did not attend convocation, they
expressed concern over the content of Houston’s speech, and
her accusations.

“I think that’s ridiculous, that in such a minimal
amount of time we’ve been working together that she’s
made such a strong accusation,” said Campus Events
Commissioner Jared Seltzer, one of the independent members of
USAC.

Additionally, others chided Houston for different reasons.
Throughout much of the conflict, Houston has stressed the need to
move beyond racial politics.

“Basically at the council table, she has told me and other
council members not to pull the race card, so for her to pull the
race card is hypocritical,” Pedro said.

Since being elected president, Houston and Praxis members have
butted heads. On the night of her victory, former USAC President
Mike de la Rocha said, “Her victory is the epitome of white
privilege.”

Praxis members have criticized Houston in the past as not being
sensitive to issues important to ethnic minorities and the lesbian,
gay and bisexual community. Some council members also criticized
her by saying Houston ““ who is a member of a campus Christian
group ““ has allowed her religious beliefs to influence her
decisions on these issues.

At last Tuesday’s meeting, for example, Internal Vice
President Elias Enciso called Houston’s criticism of a
“Queer life on campus” program in the upcoming USAC
Welcome Week homophobic.

Houston denied the allegations, noting that minorities work in
her staff.

“I can’t let my religious beliefs get in the way of
what’s in the best interests of students,” Houston
said.

She went on to say that she doesn’t feel homophobic
attitudes are a problem at UCLA. “I don’t think anyone
on this campus is (homophobic); maybe those people who are from
wacko backgrounds or something are.”

In the middle of a summer USAC meeting Enciso called Houston a
racist after she opposed an appointment to the Associated Students
of UCLA Board of Directors. Houston said she feared the
candidate’s decisions would be influenced by his affiliation
with the student group Samahang Pilipino.

Houston’s conflict with USAC members has risen to such a
level that after one meeting, she said the events that transpired
were equivalent to a hate crime.

“I don’t see the racism on campus that I see in
Kerckhoff,” Houston said.

But most USAC members cited the need to move beyond each
other’s differences and accusations, and to work
together.

“I think we need to learn from each other and work
together and not instantly dismiss our colleagues because of
“˜racism,'” Seltzer said. “I think
that’s incredibly premature.”

In some respects council members were also sympathetic to
Houston’s position.

“You’re the head of USAC so that leads to a lot of
criticism,” Pedro said. “The president has to be very
willing to hear criticisms and take them with some meaning. I know
in talking to her that I have tried to help her understand how
things she says will be viewed by the campus community.”

The council has been working together since just before summer
and though many members are hopeful things will get resolved, it
will be difficult, they say.

“I realize you can’t turn a ship around really,
really quickly,” Houston said.