Presidential hopefuls try to reach students

  NICOLE MILLER/Daily Bruin USAC presidential candidate
David Ehrenberg speaks to students in front of
Kerckhoff Hall Monday while two other candidates, Karren
Lane (left) and Dusan Miletich, look
on.

By Robert Salonga
Daily Bruin Reporter

Presidential candidates squared off in Meyerhoff Park Monday to
debate issues ranging from increasing diversity to involvement in
student government.

David Ehrenberg, Karren Lane and Dusan Miletich are vying for
the top seat on the Undergraduate Students Association Council.
While they agreed on some points, they varied on their approaches
to addressing campus issues.

During the debate, which was moderated by Berky Nelson, director
of the Center for Student Programming, candidates addressed the
need for a diversity requirement in undergraduate curriculum.

Ehrenberg, an independent candidate, cited his Jewish and
Chilean heritage as reason for his concern over student
diversity.

“My own personal background is diverse, and that’s
the kind of diversity I’d like to see spread to the whole
campus,” Ehrenberg said. “I think that’s a
realistic vision.”

Lane, who is running on the Student Empowerment! slate, cited
the success of the Center for African American Studies and said she
would promote similar efforts.

“I will actively work toward expanding these
programs,” Lane said.

Miletich stressed that such a requirement would help promote
off-campus relations with the university.

“We get half of our education outside of the
classroom,” he said. “It’s extremely important to
have this requirement.”

The fourth candidate, John Haerptyan, did not appear at the
presidential debate nor did he turn in a candidate statement to the
Daily Bruin. He could not be reached for comment.

But the candidates’ approaches to campus issues varied,
ranging from reform to the introduction of an entirely new branch
of government.

The most revolutionary plan was that of Miletich’s, who is
running on the S.U.R.E. slate. The name stands for Students United
for Reform and Equality.

Miletich’s campaign includes the creation of a student
senate system, which is in place at schools such as UC Berkeley,
Stanford and the University of Southern California.

“There’s no room for political oligarchy,”
said Miletich, a fourth-year English student. “There should
be some legislative system with representatives from all corners of
the campus.”

But Ehrenberg and Lane said a senate system would be too costly
and time-consuming.

“A senate system is too complicated,” Ehrenberg, a
third-year political science student, said Friday.

“It’s not worth it to turn everything upside down to
ruin a system that does work,” he said. “What we have
set up right now with (student advocacy groups) being an entity of
USAC is essentially a senate system in itself.”

Lane said a senate system is not the best way to address student
involvement in USAC.

“I don’t think that the student senate system is a
means of doing that. I think it will have negative effects,”
Lane, a fourth-year sociology student, said Friday.

Lane’s platform revolves around improving the educational
experience of students.

“Real education occurs when students are engaged in every
part of the educational experience,” she said.
“Students should be empowered by the education they receive
here because they have to go out and impact the
community.”

In addition, Lane hopes to hold USAC general body meetings.

“It will be an informal place where students can come and
hold council members accountable as well as bring about student
issues that are important to them,” she said.

Lane plans to implement a student task force to address issues
brought up at those meetings. She also plans to implement
faculty-student “brown bags,” to take the classroom
into an informal setting for students to engage in academic
discussion.

Lane wants to continue working on student-initiated outreach
programs to increase the number of minorities and women on campus.
She also hopes to create a student service fair to make students
aware of retention resources their registration fees fund.

Ehrenberg’s platform consists of three basic themes:
unity, progress and accountability. He addressed the need for
coalitions within USAC and said he understood the limitations of
his role as president.

“The president of this council doesn’t have a large
functional capacity,” Ehrenberg said. “The president is
a mediator, an organizer and a facilitator.”

According to USAC bylaws, the president is responsible for
carrying out all orders, sanctions and resolutions made by council.
They must also immediately notify all council members of any veto
made by their office.

Ehrenberg said he will work extensively to unite council and
promote their agendas.

“I’m willing to work with any council member for the
sake of cohesiveness, for the sake of having a coherent government.
This is my solemn pledge to the campus and to the people on
council,” he said.

Ehrenberg plans to establish a press secretary in the
president’s office to update student media on the
council’s activity. He also wants to establish regularly
scheduled town hall meetings, visiting different groups on
campus.

“You have to listen to what your constituency is concerned
with because you can’t represent students unless you actually
hear them,” he said.

Along with the proposed senate system,the other two cornerstones
of Miletich’s platform are reform and accountability. He said
he wants to rebuild the council’s credibility with the
administration first, then with the community at large.

In conjunction with the S.U.R.E. slate, Miletich hopes to push
for university-subsidized off-campus housing to provide affordable
living options for students, while decreasing demand for on-campus
parking.

He is currently lobbying for a tax-free textbook bill in the
state assembly. Also, he wants to push for higher meal coupon rates
and the elimination of final exams on weekends in observance of
religious services.

“If I want to go to church on Sunday, and have a final, I
should at least be able to reschedule it,” he said.

After the debate, all the candidates had different offers for
student voters.

Lane emphasized her experience dealing with campus issues,
citing her position as current chair of the African Student Union
and a member of the Student Fee Advisory Committee.

“I have a better understanding of what USAC is and how it
should function because of my experience on campus,” she
said.

Miletich said he, along with his slate, is a better option for
students.

“I’m open to all ideas. We need to have a system
where everybody’s welcome,” he said.

Ehrenberg said he thought he came off as being the most fair and
equitable candidate.

“I tried to represent myself as a real student and
I’m not going to make any false promises,” he said.
“Anything I do promise I’ll carry out.”