Week nine: Election chair ousted, presidential candidate speaks, Michelle Obama to visit

This Week in the News serves as The Quad’s space for reflection on current events at and around UCLA. Every week, Daily Bruin staffers will analyze some of the most significant stories to keep readers up to speed.

Week nine was replete with newsworthy events – Michelle Obama’s upcoming visit was announced, a women’s basketball tournament commenced, UCLA was visited by a presidential candidate and the election board chair was removed.

And, I repeat, Michelle Obama is coming.

USAC election board chair ousted from position in unanimous vote

The election board chair of the Undergraduate Students Association Council was removed from his position via unanimous council vote Tuesday.

Richard White held the position of election board chair for four months. His removal marks the first time in recent years that the council has removed an election board chair.

Prior to his removal, nearly all of the appointment recommendations made by White for the election board had been associated with the Community Programs Office at some point and in some form. White is a member of the CPO, resulting in reservations from council members regarding his recommendations.

Additionally, White prematurely leaked the identities of prospective candidates for the upcoming USAC election before they were officially released. While he held his position, White called several council members racist.

To instate a new election board chair, USAC code requires that the president appoint a new chair that must be subsequently approved by the council.

Julián Castro visits UCLA to speak with students about his 2020 presidential run

Julián Castro, one of the candidates for the 2020 presidential election, spoke to a Chicana and Chicano studies class at UCLA on Monday about his policies, background and qualifications. Professor Matt Barreto said he invited Castro to speak in his class in hopes that students would hear the candidate’s positions and everyone would become a more informed voter.

Candidate Julián Castro is the former mayor of San Antonio and served as the United States secretary of housing and urban development under former President Barack Obama. Castro launched his campaign for the 2020 election on Jan. 12 in San Antonio.

While at UCLA, Castro addressed subjects including education, the minimum wage and immigration reform.

Specifically, Castro wants to increase teacher wages, decrease class size and make pre-K and higher education universal. He intends to raise the minimum wage to $15 to allow people to sustain basic needs such as paying rent or purchasing food. Castro also seeks to pass comprehensive immigration reform – making enforcement practices more humane while protecting those people who have been in the United States for tens of years or who have fled natural disasters.

The students who attended the talk were able to hear first-hand some of the candidate’s positions in key subject areas. Barreto hopes that the students will vote for the candidate they think is best when the time comes.

Women’s basketball smokes out Sun Devils in Pac-12 quarterfinal victory

No. 4 seed UCLA women’s basketball earned a quarterfinals victory with their defeat of No. 5 seed Arizona State in the Pac-12 tournament Friday afternoon. The Bruins were able to emerge victorious despite a mere one-point lead with one minute left in the fourth quarter.

UCLA will advance to Saturday’s semifinals game where they will play the winner of the game between No. 1 seed Oregon and No. 8 seed Arizona.

Michelle Obama to speak at UCLA in celebration of college-bound students

Former first lady Michelle Obama is scheduled to speak at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion on May 1 at the fifth annual College Signing Day event. This is the first year that Obama will attend this event at UCLA.

College Signing Day is a product of Obama’s Reach Higher Initiative to promote the pursuit of higher education to high school and transfer students. The day aims to celebrate students who are taking steps to achieve this end.

The event is open to invited high school and community college students in California, but those not in attendance can watch through the livestream.