USAC Endorsement: Taylor Mason for Cultural Affairs Commissioner
Endorsed
Taylor Mason
Cultural Affairs Commissioner Candidate
Independent
Between two and four board members met with each candidate to discuss his or her platform, goals and evaluation of the current council and knowledge of USAC.
We also considered how the candidates would interact with the rest of the council and represent a diversity of student needs.
The board then selected endorsements for each office by a majority vote.
We reserved the right to not endorse a candidate for certain uncontested positions.
Voting begins today on MyUCLA at 10 a.m. and runs through Thursday at 6 p.m.
See who the board endorsed:
By Editorial Board
May 7, 2012 8:02 a.m.
For her experience in the commission and her tangible, relevant platforms, we endorse Taylor Mason.
Mason has worked for two years in the Cultural Affairs Commission and currently serves as the office’s co-chief of staff. Her platforms include a wide breadth of feasible goals that are creative, timely and useful.
We support her original programming ideas such as Welcome Back Pauley Party, which would celebrate the end of Pauley Pavilion renovations, and Anti-Label Week, a series of arts and entertainment events intended to confront stereotypes.
Her intentions for the Pauley party and the “Rock the Vote” concert for the 2012 presidential elections would capitalize on specific needs next year, while her proposed Book My Band database is a project whose benefits would outlast her term. Mason is familiar with funding mechanisms in USAC and intends to secure corporate sponsorships with major companies including Toyota. She also intends to create a sponsorship packet for future council members.
Mason’s opponent, Allyson Taylor, was not specific about how she would achieve her proposals for an art minor, dance series and better marketing, which the board does not believe address the most pressing needs of students. An art minor would use too many resources to benefit few students and does not seem feasible considering that multiple minors have been cut recently because of financial reasons.
Taylor seemed underresearched and unclear when discussing how she would finance her projects.
Mason showed a clear understanding of the Cultural Affairs Commission’s current mission of “edutainment,” and is best equipped to achieve her goals.
