While an out-of-house candidate often may be elected and succeed
admirably, in the case of this year’s Cultural Affairs
commissioner, Kelly Wynn clearly has the experience and vision
necessary to run the office.
Having served as chief of staff under Robbie Clark, the current
commissioner, Wynn has been better able to evaluate the
commission’s performance.
According to Wynn, for instance, this year’s commission
spent too much time on staffing issues. As such, Wynn has plans to
establish a staff prior to beginning the year. This kind of forward
thinking speaks of her ability to effectively manage the
office.
Wynn would also like to continue the idea developed by Clark
that the commission should provide entertainment programs with an
educational bent ““ an attitude that helps focus the
commission’s mission, particularly when people confuse it
with campus events.
Wynn not only plans to continue current programs, but also has
ideas on how to modify them to better serve campus, especially
on-campus residents. Because of her experience with housing, Wynn
intends to bring programs such as the spoken word series Eclectic
up to the Hill.
Marcello Robinson certainly offers a unique perspective and is
himself a truly strong candidate. As the owner of his own
entertainment company, Robinson wants to use his contacts to bring
big-name programming to UCLA.
Additionally, one of Robinson’s plans is to reach out to
dorm culture floors and to send staff members to attend meetings of
different student groups. But reaching out to students is part of
the job, not a new idea. Aside from a Bob Marley Day festival,
Robinson offered few ideas for actual programs ““ nor did he
have many plans on how to actively engage students with the
commission.
One of Wynn’s projects is a Student Talent Showcase
Series. This idea is both a creative addition to events already put
on by the commission and an effective way of drawing students into
participation. On a campus where most students don’t know or
care about USAC, such a program could be effective in countering
student apathy and creating more USAC visibility.
Wendy Flores, the other candidate for the position, was
disqualified from being considered for an endorsement by the Daily
Bruin.
Whereas Robinson provides a potentially fresh perspective backed
with few substantive ideas, Wynn provides a perspective backed by
both experience and substance.