Recent football victories inspire the rest of
UCLA Reading sports commentary on the Viewpoint page, by
the former Undergraduate Student Association Council president no
less, probably seems downright strange. However, I wanted to
congratulate this year’s football team. What I’ve seen
this season is truly inspiring. Watching UCLA come back yet again
from a tough situation and fight for every inch of Saturday’s
victory was a thrilling example of the politics of hope. I thank
this team and our leader coach Karl Dorrell for proving that they
belong to the long legacy of UCLA Bruins who have fought for the
impossible, even when the world didn’t believe they had a
shot. The pride of being a Bruin does not stem from all the things
we are great at, but from the efforts of those who seek to rock the
establishment and fight their way toward greatness from the label
of underdog. Just midway through the season no one can deny the
heart of our players ““ they, and UCLA’s own coach
Dorrell, deserve everyone’s respect. Living in a house full
of Trojans, I can’t tell you how gratifying it was to see our
team last year give them the fight of their lives. And this year
it’s only getting better. So thank you UCLA football for
inspiring the rest of us with your courage to achieve the
impossible. Allende Palma/Saracho 2004-2005 USAC
president
Student government should not be political
government The Undergraduate Student Association Council
is supposed to represent the undergraduate student body in matters
concerning the university and not politics, or at least that was
the impression I was under. The university bylaws are in fact quite
clear about this: “The University may not sponsor or fund
partisan political activities.” So why is it that several
members of USAC are trying to spend the money that we paid to be
represented on the campus for Californian political affairs that
fall outside of USAC’s purview? As a political science
student and active citizen, I am disgusted with the apathy that I
see in the world around me. So many people already take the easy
way out and vote whatever their party, group or close associates
dictate. However, as a UCLA student, I feel privileged to be
surrounded by people who have the will to reason out political
matters on their own. Yet if USAC throws its weight for or against
political affairs outside of the university, these councilmembers
who are now attempting to represent our views to the outside world
would also dictate which way they feel we should vote. USAC
represents our views as students; the councilmembers were not
elected to represent our political views to the outside community.
I feel that their place is to work on making the university better,
not forwarding their own political biases. At the end of the day, I
may actually agree with these three student body officials, but
that is not what matters. What is important is that they focus on
the job that they were elected to do. Leave the outside politics to
us. I think we can handle it. Adri Ahumada Third-year,
political science