USAC CANDIDATE ENDORSEMENTS

The General Representative position is the most loosely defined
office in USAC. This gives each of the candidates the freedom to
use the office to advocate for the issues they feel concern
students the most. This year, Theo Apostol, Cindy Mosqueda and
David Dahle are the best candidates for this position.

Apostol, running with Student Empowerment!, has experience
working in the Office of Residential Life and as a counselor in the
Student Retention Center.

He wants to increase student involvement in USAC and create
Focus Forums for students to discuss issues. Apostol supports a
diversity requirement and demonstrates a readiness to address
student concerns. We are concerned, however, about how he plans to
implement his ideas, especially with limited experience in USAC. He
must be careful to avoid the common general representative trap of
settling into inaction.

Mosqueda, the second candidate we endorse, is also running on
the Student Empowerment! slate and has more defined plans for the
office than Apostol. For example, she wants to update the resource
guides on campus to include information on hate crimes and plans to
hold queer sensitivity workshops. We further support her goals to
increase campus safety and awareness and to implement a diversity
requirement.

She has experience working in leadership positions in
organizations like MEChA and the Cesar Chavez Center. She does,
however, lack experience in USAC. She has not worked in any of the
offices and has not regularly attend council meetings to see the
way they work. We are hopeful that she will effectively bring her
ideas to the table and implement progressive plans.

But both Apostle and Mosqueda need to be aware of broader campus
issues, be outspoken members of council, think for themselves and
not just tout the party line.

The third candidate we endorse for this office is Dahle, a
member of the S.U.R.E slate. Dahle has experience working in USAC
for both the Office of the President and the Student Welfare
Commission.

Similar to the other candidates on the S.U.R.E. slate, Dahle is
running to “abolish (his) own position,” dismantle the
current structure of USAC and implement a senate system. With so
many other crucial issues affecting our campus and with a S.U.R.E.
majority unlikely, Dahle’s vision is simply not
practical.

His other ideas, however, are solid. He expressed a concern for
campus safety and the need for more lighting in certain parts of
campus and Westwood, a position supported by both facilities
commission candidates. He also has plans to establish a better
relationship with the On-Campus Housing Council in hopes of working
with them to educate first- and second-year students at the
residence halls about USAC.

We did not interview S.U.R.E. member Breana Teubner for an
endorsement. She currently serves as a USAC-appointed undergraduate
representative on the ASUCLA Communications Board, which publishes
the Daily Bruin. Due to this conflict of interest, we felt it would
be inappropriate for us to evaluate her.

The other S.U.R.E candidate, has few realistic ideas. Chris
Cheng said he wants to provide all student groups with
representation, but offered no specifics. His plan to build a bar
and grill in the Ackerman Student Union would likely encounter too
many barriers to be taken seriously.

More importantly, Cheng expressed distaste toward ““ or
misunderstanding of ““ affirmative action. The Editorial Board
cannot support a General Representative candidate who doesn’t
support the crucial issue of affirmative action.

GENERAL REPRESENTATIVE Theo
Apostal Student Empowerment! Christopher
Cheng S.U.R.E. David Dahle
S.U.R.E. Cindy Mosqueda
Student Empowerment! Breana Teubner S.U.R.E.