Bruins United holds first open applications process for spring election

The Bruins United slate is holding an open applications process for the first time ever to find candidates to run in the spring student government election.

This is the first time in the slate’s 11-year history that spots for four candidates will be open to any student on campus, said Heena Doshi, party chair and a fourth-year international development studies student. Candidates in past elections were typically students already associated with Bruins United or had previous experience with the Undergraduate Students Association Council.

“Our mission has always been to remain accessible, and opening up slating is a continuation of that philosophy,” Doshi said. “We wanted to reach out to people who have never been involved in USAC and give them the opportunity to make a change.”

Slates are groups of students who pool their resources together and run candidates on similar platforms.

Bruins United is accepting applications for three general representative positions and one transfer representative position, according to the Bruins United Facebook event for the recruitment application.

USAC President Avinoam Baral, who ran with Bruins United, said he hopes the open slating process will help recruit students with many different opinions on campus issues.

“We’re trying to fill some positions that don’t necessarily require USAC experience to succeed in,” Baral said. “We’re looking for people who are organized, talented, passionate about student issues and want to make an impact on campus.”

Any student who submits an online application will be considered for the general representative or transfer student representative candidate positions.

After submitting online applications, potential candidates will be interviewed by the two slate chairs and several other slate members before the final candidates are selected, Doshi said. The slate hasn’t made a decision yet on whether all four positions will be reserved for non-USAC members, she added.

Conrad Contreras, USAC external vice president and a member of the LET’S ACT! slate, said he thinks Bruins United is taking a positive step by opening their slating process.

“Any student who wants to join the slates should have an opportunity to join,” Contreras said. “I personally want LET’S ACT! to do the same thing, but the decision isn’t entirely up to me.”

Contreras said LET’S ACT! has not yet discussed changing its slating process but will be addressing the question in the next two weeks.

“Every year the process changes, and every year it’s very different,” Contreras said. “This year, we want to change things up a bit.”

Candidates who are selected through the open recruitment process will run for positions in the spring election, giving them one quarter to prepare for the campaign.

“The slate and the candidates end up spending so much time together,” Doshi said. “It seems like a short amount of time, but in those weeks they do get to know each other really well.”

Applications for the candidate positions can be submitted online until Jan. 26.