Q&A: Waves of Change managers discuss slate’s upcoming election
Organizers of Waves of Change, a new slate, said they will be advocating for similar political platforms as LET’S ACT!, a slate created in 2013 that aimed to support underserved student groups.(Daily Bruin file photo)
By Ashraf Sabbah
March 31, 2016 12:26 a.m.
This post was updated on April 3.
Correction: The original version of this article misattributed some of the quotes to Jeremy Peschard. Those quotes should be attributed to Rachel Kuria, who is also a Waves of Change manager and who also spoke in the interview.
Waves of Change is one of two new student-run political groups, or slates, that registered to run candidates in the spring undergraduate student government election.
Jeremy Peschard, manager of Waves of Change and third-year history and geography/environmental studies student, said Waves of Change aims to be an independent progressive campus movement. Some of its platforms are similar to those of LET’S ACT!, a slate created in 2013 that aimed to support historically underserved student groups and a successor to the Students First slate. LET’S ACT! will not run candidates in this spring’s election.
Waves of Change managers Peschard and Rachel Kuria, a third-year political science student, spoke with the Daily Bruin’s Ashraf Sabbah to discuss Waves of Change’s political agenda and the changes slate members would make if their candidates were elected.
Daily Bruin: What does Waves of Change represent?
Jeremy Peschard: We’re committed to addressing campus issues and bringing changes that directly affect students, such as tuition increases, poor campus climate and lack of diversity. We are targeting three council positions, but we cannot yet disclose which.
DB: Is Waves of Change associated with LET’S ACT!?
JP: LET’S ACT! can be better described as a tradition, while Waves of Change is a movement. We’re trying to establish independent voices and motives in addressing student issues rather than associating with an established ideology. However, we are both progressive and feel similarly toward political issues.
Rachel Kuria: Waves of Change aims to address issues in similar way as LET’S ACT!, such as emulating how LET’S ACT! successfully lobbied against the tuition hikes last year.
DB: What issues do you see with the current state of the Undergraduate Students Association Council?
JP: Council members of one slate (are focused on) going up against members of another, and they often forget to address the issues that students are facing – which is what they were elected to do. Council members need to increase their interactions with the student body to understand what problems they should be solving.
DB: How would Waves of Change change USAC?
JP: Change comes slow within USAC. Waves of Change would challenge the entire bureaucracy and systemically work through extensive interaction and collaboration with students of all races, ethnicities and affiliations.
