Samer Araabi, Joline Price and Carlos Saucedo have very
different platforms. But it is their diverse backgrounds and goals
that give us reason to believe that the office of the general
representative will do exactly what it is supposed to under them
““ represent the needs of the student body.
All three candidates have experience working in USAC offices and
seem eager and able to work with each other, regardless of slate
politics.
Araabi of Students First!, is a breath of fresh air. He is
passionate but level-headed and has the right combination of
goals.
He plans on making more UCLA Live tickets available to students
and has made the right connections and learned the ins and outs of
the system through his work with the organization.
Araabi also plans on starting a non-denominational prayer room
on campus to provide a common place where students of all faiths
can pray. Though this goal might not affect all students, it is
tangible and would make life easier for those who currently
don’t have a place to hold prayers ““ or a place to
quietly reflect, for that matter.
Price, who is running with Bruins United is the current chief of
staff in the general representatives office and has extensive
experience on the Hill. Her ideas for the position are original and
doable.
Price plans on making mental health resources more available and
said she hopes to ultimately get rid of the stigma surrounding
those issues by spreading facts about them.
Price will also bring a good perspective to council. Her
understanding of the funding process comes from her first-hand
experience applying for the funds as a member of student groups,
and she willing to alter the current funding process to accommodate
the needs of all student groups.
Under her plan, funds would be available on a yearly basis for
bigger groups who are ready to apply during the summer, with money
set aside for smaller groups and groups that form mid-year to get
funds on a “pay-as-you-go” basis.
Aside from funding, her vision for a more transparent USAC is
one that the whole council should embrace and live by in order to
better serve the student body.
Saucedo is another qualified candidate with Students First! and
brings his unique experience as a highly- involved member of the
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community to the office.
He has a vested interest in expanding LGBT related programming
on campus and as a part of the president’s office, he has
experience that will help him turn his vision into reality.
As for the other candidates, they just didn’t measure
up.
Christian Bogeberg of Bruins United wants to start a USAC
podcast through MyUCLA, but has not measured either student
interest or the feasibility of such program.
Students First! candidate Lorena Shakira Zavala goes about
campus safety the wrong way by thinking we would be safer if crimes
were broadcast indiscriminately on myUCLA.
And Rajan Trehan running with Slate Refund had little planned
and even less knowledge about how he would execute anything on his
platform.