Students should elect officials devoted to school, not politics

As an independent and outgoing Undergraduate Students
Association Council member (who is anxiously awaiting graduation),
I have tried to remove myself from the electioneering that’s
been going on these past couple of weeks. As early as my
freshman year, I campaigned hard for the Student Programs and
Activities Referendum and know how draining the experience can
be.

However, Chris Diaz’s May 13 submission (“Sol lacks
experience, dedication for Academic Affairs Commission”)
about S.U.R.E. candidate Christine Sol forced me to break my
silence. Sol has been a dedicated member of my staff since
shortly after I took office. Although I trust her and believe
her side of the story (i.e. that she was not allowed to work in the
Academic Affairs Commission because of political reasons), I
don’t think that’s the issue at hand. While Diaz
tries to paint a rosy picture of his commission, the fact is that
he has been negligent toward the policy his commission is supposed
to handle: academics. 

Diaz focused so much effort on the war in Iraq that he did not
participate in any concrete way during the quarter v. semester
debate. Diaz’s quarter v. semester advisory vote on last
week’s election ballot was engineered to cover up the fact
that he has not done anything on this issue, even though it has the
potential to impact future Bruins for years to come. 

If Sophia Kozak wins, we can only expect more of the same use of
the office as a political platform rather than as a tool for campus
change. On the other hand, Sol has already opened up lines of
communication with several administrators, who have expressed
enthusiasm about working with a leader concerned with campus
issues, rather than lofty political platforms.

But Diaz and Kozak aren’t the only ones focused on
politics. T.J. Cordero, USAC internal vice president, is also to
blame. The Graduate Students Association has noted in a series of
e-mails that USAC is all politics to Cordero. GSA Vice
President Dorothy Kim has mentioned multiple times that Cordero has
not been to any of the GSA/USA meetings on BruinGo!, in spite of
his R.S.V.P.’s.

I find this especially funny since Cordero’s successor,
Allende Palma-Saracho, and Students First! run-off candidate Tutram
Nguyen purport to have some grand plan to save BruinGo!. I’m
just not so sure where they’ve been all this time.

I also strongly support Albert Farias for Facilities
Commissioner. As my chief of staff, Farias has brought a
unique perspective to the office and has an impressive set of
accomplishments to speak of so far.

While the Daily Bruin criticizes him for his health-oriented
approach to campus facilities (claiming instead that the issue
should fall to the Student Welfare Commission), The Bruin fails to
mention that Farias met with Commissioner-elect Janet Chaing before
the elections to discuss innovative joint programming arrangements
in which the purview of the Facilities Commission would be
crucial. 

I find it difficult to believe that The Bruin doesn’t
understand the health issues associated with construction on
campus, nor the value of cooperation between the Facilities and
Welfare Commissions regarding campus safety and security. 

I have said it since my freshman year, I said it when I was
appointed to my current office, and I’ll say it again: There
is no room for petty politics in student government. The norm
of deception and mistrust that certain members propagate and the
maneuvering and spin that Diaz has participated in don’t
belong in Kerckhoff Hall. I view it as going hand-in-hand with
a group of people who believe that political agendas take priority
over focusing on student needs. 

It is not the political views of Students First! that make me
doubt their suitability for this campus. Indeed, it is no
secret that my views differ from theirs. However, it is also
well-known that I hold high-ranking Students First! members, such
as External Vice President Chris Neal and organizer Yousef Thasar,
in the highest esteem and respect their abilities to separate
diabolical politics from their personal lives. What’s more,
S.U.R.E. has fielded several candidates that don’t match my
political tastes. 

It is because of that false sense of entitlement and backward
set of priorities regarding campus issues that I cannot support the
Students First! candidates during this election time. Voters
need to be cognizant of the situation in order to bring balance to
next year’s council. For if they aren’t, political
interests, rather than students’ needs, will remain
USAC’s priority.

Pearlman is the current USAC facilities commissioner.