Zai’s got her eye on Westwood

This week, two extremely qualified candidates are running for
Facilities commissioner. Both candidates have extensive experience
with administrators, something that, sadly, is not so common in the
Undergraduate Students Association Council. However, the candidates
differ in their ideas of what they would accomplish in the office
next year: P.C. Zai has a focus on Westwood improvement and campus
safety, while Dorothy Le wants to increase sustainability on
campus.

I have worked with both candidates and respect each immensely,
but this is largely a contest of ideas. Should the focus of the
Facilities Commission be on Westwood or on making UCLA more green?
Both issues will be worked on, but the issue that has the
Facilities commissioner’s support will get more
attention.

As someone who has worked on Westwood improvement for years, I
can safely say that it needs council-level support and guidance to
push it through. The connections and access of the Facilities
commissioner would be best used to further the North Village Civic
Group (a body of students, administrators and local long-time
residents), which was founded this year to advocate for better
services, community and recycling in Westwood. This group chose Zai
as its chair because of her experience working with administrators
and her drive to make Westwood a better place.

Sustainability is an important issue ““ one that has made
leaps and bounds this year. Associated Students UCLA has set a
course to improve its operations. The UC system has developed a new
transportation plan and a committee with high-level access already
includes two student representatives. I don’t know that the
best focus of the Facilities commissioner’s time would be to
work on something that numerous other organizations are already
working on.

Without the Facilities Commission, all efforts to improve
Westwood would stop. It is for this reason that I support P.C. Zai
in her effort to become the next Facilities commissioner.

Vardner is the 2005-2006 Facilities commissioner.