ASUC Executive Endrosements

From the April 2008 Print Edition

President: Curtis Lee

Party: Student Action

Curtis Lee is currently the academic affairs vice president, and is a former ASUC senator. His three primary goals are to enhance student services such as the Tang Center and RSF, to increase donor support of need-based financial aid and initiatives for research and student-led programs, and to lead campus development in a direction that addresses the needs of all students. While a senator, he successfully negotiated a reduction in the Class Pass fee since one of the programs the proceeds were supposed to fund was never implemented.

Lee's opponent, CalSERVE Senator Roxanne Winston, supports increasing student involvement in state and local elections through get-out-the-vote efforts, which the Patriot believes is beyond the scope of student government. Winston also supports freezing student fees, except when they are enacted through student referendums and fund initiatives completely unrelated to our education, such as the Green Initiative Fund and SUPERB.

The Patriot believes that Lee is the best choice for president because his goals are more focused on the everyday issues students face on campus, whereas Winston, while not as openly leftist as some of her predecessors, seems a little too willing to use her office to promote left-leaning causes.

Executive Vice President: Grace Shen

Party: Student Action

One of the primary duties of the executive vice president is to preside over the ASUC Senate. Given the tendency of our senators to endlessly bicker about everyone and everything, it is absolutely essential to have an EVP who can ensure that the senate carries out its duties in an orderly fashion. Of all the candidates, ASUC senator Grace Shen is best equipped to fulfill this responsibility. Shen currently chairs the Finance Committee, which gives her experience running meetings according to Roberts Rules of Order. Shen also demonstrates a greater capacity to remain impartial in internal senate disputes than her opponent, BRIDGES director Crystal Pasco.

Pasco has no experience whatsoever in the senate, which casts doubt on her ability to lead a deliberative body in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order, especially a body mired in as much dissension as the senate. Equally disturbingly, Pasco believes the proper role of a senator is to act as a voice for different communities which is code for our role is to pander to the various race, class, gender, and sexual orientationbased interests that form the backbone of our party.

The Patriot supports Shen for EVP because she is more likely than her opponent to keep the ASUC Senate focused on serving all students, not just those of particular races, ethnicities, genders, and gender identities.

Academic Affairs VP: Christian Osmena

Party: Student Action

Current ASUC Senator Christian Osmena would bring a wealth of relevant experience to his office if elected academic affairs vice president. Osmea is currently the undergraduate representative on the Academic Senate Committee on Educational Policy, director of Cal in the Capital, and is former ASUC Academic Affairs deputy chief. His goals for the office, which include making technological improvements to classrooms, creating a more merit-based process for Academic Senate committee applications, and bringing more money to Cal for research grants, are tangible, relevant, and realistic. His previous accomplishments, such as bringing two former congressmen to campus to speak about their experience in public service, show that he is capable of realizing these goals.

Osmena's opponent, Carlo De La Cruz, centers his goals almost entirely on 'diversity' issues. De La Cruz hopes to 'diversify' the student voice in the Academic Senate and make sure 'minority' voices are respected, and make sure that academic services are available to all students regardless of ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation, as if they arent already. He highlights founding the Queer Culture Show as one of his primary accomplishments.

Finally, Osmena is a moderate, rather than a liberal. His candidacy represents a rare opportunity to bring diversity of thought-the only kind that really matters-to the ASUC executive offices and university administration. It is for this reason, along with his accomplishments and well-articulated goals, that the Patriot proudly endorses Osmena for AAVP.

External Affairs Vice President: Lina Ochman

Party: Student Action

If there's one office that by its very nature exceeds the scope of what the Patriot believes defines responsible student government, it is that of the external affairs vice president. The two candidates for this office are ASUC Academic Affairs Director Lina Ochman and ASUC EAVP Office Chief of Staff Dionne Jirachaikitti.

Although both candidates emphasized working with Berkeley city councilmen as among their key responsibilities, neither knew the names of such city councilmen representing districts located near the university. Both Ochman and Jirachaikitti also discussed lobbying lawmakers at the state and national level to freeze student fees and keep textbook prices down.

Neither candidate for this office impressed us with her qualifications or goals, and both clearly aim to advocate for left-leaning causes if elected. However, Ochman mostly limited her planned lobbying to reducing student fees and textbook prices. While the Patriot may not agree with the specific legislation, these issues at least directly affect Cal students as a group. Jirachaikitti, on the other hand, stated her intention to create a voter coalition inclusive of several different 'voices' on campus, which likely means pushing for the repeal of Proposition 209 under the guise of promoting diversity.

As the Patriot has never been supportive of the lobbying activity carried out by the EAVP's office, we recommend Ochman for this position because we believe she will do less damage than her opponent.

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