a new chapter for ucla

A great thing happened at UCLA today. The same UCLA that has been labeled “liberal” and considered by many to be liberal bastion. Bruin United easily swept into power winning 7 of the 11 voting spots on the student council with 2 more to be determined in runoffs next week (president and external vice president). This victory ended the Student Power/First 11 year’s reign of terror on our student body. With the potential to win 9 out 11 spots and cement an unstoppable voting block, I will be first to say that UCLA has finally shown its true colors.

For years the student council have been controlled by the minority, liberals to push their agendas not only in their platforms but also by the way they delegate money to student groups. Minority groups, especially outreach specific to minorities have been given the lion share (even more then community service) of the funds, with the regular clubs getting close to nothing. As an example, fraternities and sororities will consist of 2000+ strong were deny funding for philanthropy events (parties are always funded by the fraternity itself) and other expenses that minority clubs always qualify for. To make worst, proposals not by minority clubs are discarded, some with no more then a quick glance at the title. Since the time I started school here I had saw that minorities are given all the benefits while the majority have to shoulder the burden. While I acknowledge that they might need help, I also believe that we must work for what we can get. Free handouts only burden society. But, I digress. Bruin United did not run on a conservative platform, they simply ran on a common sense platform: funding needs to be transparent PERIOD. They believe that money needs to be delegated appropriately and no group should be given a preference, if your proposal and ideas are good, you will get funding PERIOD. They also ran on a bring back our beloved Taco Bell stand which the previous administration had ran off campus for violating workers right that had nothing to do with Taco Bell. Bruin United was able to secure the endorsement of the Bruin Republican (the brave souls that dare wear their colors publicly and suffer the insults) and large clubs like the Interfraternity Council and the Jewish Club. However, without or without these endorsements, their victory was assured.

Remember when Bush quietly destroyed Kerry at the polls? Bush let the votes do the talking because he knows his platform is in touch with the people. Likewise, Bruin United had the platform, actually they always had the same platform, the problem was getting out the votes. Unlike liberals, conservative UCLA students don’t trouble ourselves with politics on campus, we study and work to contribute to our society, rather then spend time protesting and complaining. However, Student First have neglected us long enough, they failed math when they thought they could win an election that required a MAJORITY by catering to the MINORITY. When Taco Bell was shut down, it was a rallying cry for those that were upset with Student Power. The seeds were sown. When Bush won in November UCLA anguished, or did we? All we saw were what was printed by the Daily Bruin, our campus paper. Unfortunately they underestimated the conservatives. This victory showed them, and as the radical changes progress it’ll show the rest of the UCs that yes, conservatives are frown upon, but we are not alone. Countless students from the safety of their dorms voted, and they voted against the liberal takeover. They voted for FAIRNESS and nothing else. Student Power is so out of touch (just like Kerry) that they are still pointing fingers and spouting nonsense. Statements like “we own this school” and accusing the minority candidates ( 2/3 of Bruin United candidates were of minority descent) of being traitors to their own kind, only further alienate themselves from the rest of us. They hope to win next week’s runoff, but even if they do their reign is ending, and if they don’t, their reign is over. They neglected the majority of student clubs that got minimal funding, they forgot to reach out to the average student (most just wanted a Taco Bell), the incurred the wrath of the 2000 strong fraternities and sororities, and they forgot that it was them who were in the minority.

In this article http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/articles.asp?id=33210, they clearly acknowledge the corruption within student first, however, they endorsed Student First anyways. They hope that Bruin United will follow the majority what they don’t know is, Bruin United is the majority. As the name implied we are united against unfair practices and the time has finally come that we can restore faith back into an increasingly distant council.

Like last November, liberals thought they were the majority because they protested the most, and talked the loudest. They took for granted that they were right and conservatives were wrong. What they didn’t know is conservatives may not be the loudest of the most active, but we are loudest and the most active in the most important activity, voting. When liberalism push us far enough, we will fight back, and we will win. Scream and shout all you want, even UCLA is showing its true colors, and others will follow. Today liberal’s at UCLA were angrier then in November, because even their bastion is defeated. While, Bruin United is not conservative, they represent what Americans want, fairness and opportunity. That’s all we ask of our council. In anticipation of the next Star Wars, may the force be with us, as we worked towards a stronger school. Peace out.

See also THIS thread:

Staggering turnout: Bruins United wins UCLA council majority [ends decade of liberal domination]
www.dailybruin.ucla.edu ^ | May 6, 2005 | Melinda Dudley, DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR
Posted on 05/06/2005 7:44:22 PM PDT by RonDog
Staggering turnout, turnover
Runoffs to decide top offices; Bruins United wins council majority

MICHAEL SUN/daily bruin staff
Alex Gruenberg (left) and Brian Neesby celebrate the success of the Bruins United slate, which took majority on council. Neesby won a general representative position, and Gruenberg is in a runoff with Jenny Wood of Student Power!, for president.
By Melinda Dudley
DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR
mdudley@media.ucla.edu

Results for the Undergraduate Students Association Council elections were released Thursday night, with the opposition slate Bruins United winning council majority – the first time the Student Power! slate and its predecessors will not control council in over a decade.

Runoffs will be held for the positions of president and external vice president, as no candidate received a majority of votes.

Jenny Wood with Student Power! and Alex Gruenberg with Bruins United will compete for the position of president, and Jesse Melgares with Bruins United and Jeannie Biniek of Student Power! will compete for the position of internal vice president.

Thirty-one percent of undergraduate students voted in the primary elections for a total of 7,241 voters – the largest voter turnout since 1993, when 36.9 percent of undergraduate students participated in an election where free ice cream cones were given to voters.

Seven of the nine candidates from the Bruins United slate were elected in the primaries...
CLICK HERE for the rest of that thread

I must agree, I am delighted with the victory of Bruins United, because they will finally bring issues that are important to the progression of UCLA's interests to the forefront.

But I don't believe you can go so far as to say that UCLA is no longer "liberal", showing it's "true colors". There is a clearcut difference between "liberal" and "extreme left", the latter being a more accurate representation of Student Power! Not every liberal wants to address the issues that Student Power! and previous slates have in the same way, nor do they even see these issues in the same light. The problem for Student Power! is that they were trying to do too much using USAC as a tool that was inappropriate for such endeavours.

An example is the use of USAC to pass a resolution to denounce the war in Iraq. Let's look at this in a depoliticized manner (because, of course, I am against the war in Iraq, and that will change the subject if I go into that). USAC is the student governing body of the undergraduates of UCLA. UCLA has no way of changing the situation in Iraq. When USAC proposes new funding or takes action like this "resolution", President Bush does not get a memo saying that UCLA USAC just came out against the war. So why did they do it?

Well, I can't answer that one, but I do know that it was a waste of time and energy in USAC.

Bruins United won because, I agree, common sense, and they were dedicated to the tangible changes that were possible within USAC, not because UCLA is secretly conservative or even has conservative leanings en masse. They were tired of the "extreme left" that thought they were representing everyone. Student Power! wanted to help represent those who traditionally were underrepresented. The problem is they decided this policy went hand-in-hand with marginalizing many other groups, which is just conservativism redux.

you are correct, i mightve gone a bit overboard in claiming that the "true colors were shown" in retrospect (after the emotions have toned down) i shouldve meant that ucla wasnt as liberal as one may think. bruin united is in no way conservative, thier vp is head of the bruin democrats! however, progress was made, no matter how small, its finally a fresh start after years of enduring student first! pompous acts.

i would like to say that bruin united gave many conservatives on campus a slate to vote on, this differ from before as the choices were liberal and more liberals. it gave us who previously just didnt vote, a chance to express ourselves (indirectly leading to a higher turnouot)

my assertion that a revolution was on hand in the student government is also premature, though as i personally know some of the candidates, they do realize the untap non voting block of the conservatives and seeked to exploit it in this election and the results speak for themselves.

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Staggering turnout: Bruins United wins UCLA council majority [ends decade of liberal domination]
	Posted by RonDog On News/Activism 05/06/2005 7:44:22 PM PDT · 23 replies · 833+ views www.dailybruin.ucla.edu ^ \| May 6, 2005 \| Melinda Dudley, DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR

a new chapter for ucla
	Posted by PowerBruin On Bloggers & Personal 05/06/2005 4:31:24 PM PDT · 5 replies · 109+ views