Students First! slate faces challenge

It has almost become a tradition. Year after year, as the
elections for the undergraduate student government near, a new
group of students surfaces with plans to take control of the
council away from the Students First! slate who has had a firm grip
on it for over 10 years.

Spring quarter at UCLA is marked by student politics and slates
competing for power, and it will become more visible as the general
elections, scheduled to take place during fifth week,
approaches.

Slates are groups of candidates running together in the
elections in order to increase their chances of a victory. The
slate often has a number of shared platforms and a group of
supporters who help them in their campaign efforts.

Bruins United is the newest of these slates. Formed to run
candidates in this year’s elections, its leaders say that
they are more than a group of candidates and that they resemble a
political party more than a slate.

Alex Gruenberg, Undergraduate Students Association
Council’s current Financial Supports commissioner and one of
the leaders of Bruins United, foresees the slate to be one that
students can identify with for a long time.

Gruenberg said it became clear through speaking to leaders on
campus that the vision of what USAC could do for students needed to
be broadened. He added that student government is currently very
divided, and if approached the right way and with the issues that
concern students, more people can get involved.

“The bigger issue facing students right now is that there
is no united front,” Gruenberg said. “We need people
that can bring everyone together.”

USAC President Allende Palma/Saracho, who ran with the Students
First! slate last year and the previous year as the internal vice
president, said he was not surprised by the formation of a new
slate with the promise of uniting the campus.

“It sounds like the same thing they do every year,”
he said. “I guess we’ll just have to see how much more
their platform has to offer.”

Bruins United leaders say their slate is running on issues they
believe are important to the majority of students.

Elizabeth Vega, a resident assistant who has also been involved
with the On Campus Housing Council, said she decided to be a part
of Bruins United after her experience with USAC and OCHC led her to
believe that there is not an adequate relationship between the two
bodies.

She also said student government was falling short in
emphasizing campus spirit.

Gruenberg said among Bruins United’s platforms is
institutional change, including the possibility of a senate system
to replace the current council.

He added that the group is also advocating issues ranging from
school spirit, to Westwood life, to bringing a pub to campus.

As a councilmember, Gruenberg said the council currently does
not work with all the entities that it could, such as the Athletic
Department.

But Palma/Saracho said the council shouldn’t be caught up
with “small stuff,” and issues like quality of
education or rising fees are more important.

“The students can decide for themselves if Students First!
is meeting their needs,” he said.

Students First!, who has had control over the council in recent
history, has had to face numerous slates who are often running
solely to oppose them.

Last year it was the Equal Access Coalition, formed with the
stated hope of bringing reform to student government.

Gruenberg, who ran with the slate, said EAC has not been
abandoned, and its aspects are being integrated with Bruins
United.

Though he did not release a list, Gruenberg said supporters are
not limited to groups that supported EAC in the past.

Doug Ludlow, who ran for USAC president as an independent during
last year’s elections, said though he is graduating this
spring, he got involved with Bruins United because he wanted to
make a mark at UCLA.

Ludlow said what can set this group apart from previous slates
is that Bruins United’s core principles are not in response
to Students First! tactics.

“This is not a reactionary slate,” he said.

Ludlow added that one of the main problems with the current
student government is that there is a disconnect between the campus
and the government.

“While Bruins United can’t solve this entirely, they
can bring new perspective to student government,” Ludlow
said.

With reports from Melinda Dudley, Bruin
contributor.