<p>Can someone please explain to me the ideological differences between the slates? What I've gathered is the Bruins United tends to be more concerned with creating campus unity/spirit and focuses on programs while Students First tends to be more focused on diversity etc. Is that more or less accurate?</p>
<p>I don’t think there’s any real ideological difference. They do have different histories though, which partly shapes who gets nominated for each slate. There was an article in the Daily Bruin last year about it.</p>
<p>[The</a> Daily Bruin :: Slates have same goals, but different agendas](<a href=“http://www.dailybruin.com/index.php/article/2010/04/slates-have-same-goals-different-agendas]The”>http://www.dailybruin.com/index.php/article/2010/04/slates-have-same-goals-different-agendas)</p>
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<p>I would suggest looking at the individual candidates’ platforms and experience and seeing what you think is most important. USAC usually does accomplish some of the specific programs they promise, so that’s something to keep in mind. The stuff about unity and diversity seems more like political BS though, to me at least.</p>
<p>IMO, you’re going to get the same results whether you vote one or the other.</p>
<p>That being said, BU did claim to be the ones responsible for sponsoring the charter bus earlier this year to the Cal game. I was one of the students that paid for that $60 or so round trip fare and it was one of the best trips of my life. I was so thankful they did that because none of my UCLA friends wanted to drive up to Nor Cal with me. I was able to meet up with my friends at Cal of course, but I had a great, amazing time. So, I shall vote for BU.</p>
<p>BU seems to claim to give the most **** about athletics, so that pretty much wins my vote lol</p>
<p>Yeah, I’ve really liked a lot of the programs BU has been responsible for. I know they did the Farmers Market too and the Pauley lock-in. I’ll probably end up voting mostly for them, I like their platforms/focus. I actually read a different article saying they changed some rule that would only give USAC money to underrepresented minority student groups. I guess as a straight white male that appeals to me haha.</p>
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<p>Yes, that’s completely accurate. To break it down into the crudest, simplest, most stereotypical way, BU is supported by Greek Life and white people, Students First is supported by everyone else.</p>
<p>I personally vote split ticket because I don’t really think that either side knows what they’re talking about. Lots of empty promises, just like real politics.</p>
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<p>Except that the bickering in real politics is over **** that matters. This stuff is tends to be just politics for the sake of politics.</p>
<p>Though this year’s election seems to be less idiotically contentious than last year’s, so the candidates deserve some credit.</p>
<p>Just vote BU, diversity meh…</p>
<p>I agree with many of the sentiments…USAC has yet to deliver something meaningful.</p>
<p>@ThisCouldBeHeavn: I remember last year when people were ripping campaign posters…crazy stuff.</p>
<p>will definitely vote split ticket</p>
<p>Some of these pests really **** me off. I’m walking, and a guy with a yellow shirt (forgot which group he represented) literally cuts me off and gets in front of my face…
“Hey! did you vote?”
-Out of impulse, I said, “yes”
[continues to start walking with me]
-“On MyUCLA?”
-“yes”
-“I know you’re lying to me!”
I described what the interface looked like, and he finally left me alone.</p>
<p>Man, these guys are worse than CalPirg. I guess it’s my fault for going on Bruinwalk.</p>
<p>Yellow shirt => Students First</p>
<p>And it’s always your fault for going on Bruinwalk, lol.</p>
<p>Bruins United seems way less political. Which can only be good.</p>
<p>[Plot</a> to fix Student elections?](<a href=“#SFatPauley – Concerns about UCLA’s Efforts to "Fix" The Student Seating Vote - Bruins Nation”>#SFatPauley – Concerns about UCLA’s Efforts to "Fix" The Student Seating Vote - Bruins Nation)</p>
<p>^^I agree about Bruins United seeming less political. It amazed me that when Adam Swart, one of the independent candidates who is the Policy Director of Bruin Democrats, dropped out and endorsed Bruins United, the president of Bruin Democrats bashed him as abandoning his principles. Then I found out that Bruin Democrats had endorsed Students First. So basically, Bruin Dems threw one of their own executive members under the bus as a totally political move.
Perhaps my bias is just taking over, I find the Bruin Dems (and especially my roommate, who has some kind of leadership position) amazingly hypocritical. I’m a conservative Democrat and some of the things I’ve heard my roommate say make me sick (i.e. we should disenfranchise anyone who doesn’t vote Democrat because they are obviously too stupid to understand economics).</p>
<p>^ You may see it a political move by the Bruin Democrats (besides the fact that they ARE a political group), I do feel a slight betrayal on Adam Swart’s part to support Bruins United. Rather than sticking in unity with a group he’s supposed to lead (to an extent), he pursues his own ambition. Not that I’m saying he shouldn’t have done what he did. I’m just adding some perspective here.</p>
<p>Your roommate is not representative Bruin Democrats as a whole. (Sure, he may be staff, but the more extreme ones tend to actually want do that kinda stuff.) I would say the Bruin Democrats are definitely rather progressive, especially more so because they’re on a college campus that tends to be a liberal breeding ground. I consider myself a rather “hardcore” liberal, but I would say some of the members there are even extreme for my tastes. Even so, I would not take this minority to represent the entire Bruin Democrats. Furthermore, I think your position as a conservative Democrat also colors how you interpret your roommate. (Of course, the reverse could be said that I’m biased, which is true.) I will recognize that there are some people who are just completely obstinate and occasionally illogical, but that can be found in every group.</p>
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<p>Anyways, I’ll be the one to say that I support Students First. As I increasingly become involved in more cultural affairs and events on campus, I feel that Students First is more in my interests as they support (and fund) a lot of the different cultural nights on campus. Though supposedly they’re focusing trying to make tuition more affordable, I can’t see any direct effect, so I can’t really say if they’re effective there… but I really do believe that they focus on diversity, not necessarily in terms of ethnic relations, but exposing students to new experiences. </p>
<p>I know freshmen this year haven’t really seen much from them other than the Sustainability Fair and, I guess, the grocery shuttle, when I was a freshmen, they had DiverseCity Tours, where they would actually take students to various places and events in LA that I don’t think I would have thought to go or do. For instance, they went to the LA Art Walk in the Old Bank District, LA Food Fest, Olvera St etc. </p>
<p>On the other hand, I think Bruins United focuses more on school spirit (and Greek life, but that has no large impact on my life…) and athletics. Which are great, but I am here because I want to be exposed to different things beyond the “typical” college experience. </p>
<p>Long story short, vote for whoever you like, platform wise.
(Most USAC promises do go unfulfilled, so you have to figure out the ultimate focus of the candidate to guess what they actually get done.)</p>
<p>I am heavily supporting Students First! because their candidates are the most qualified. The state wants to cut 1 billion dollars from the University of California alone. We need our student government to advocate for an affordable, quality education for all. I personally believe that USAC made strides this year compared to last year. </p>
<p>I had someone from Bruins United knock on my door and tell me that Students First! hates the Jewish and Greek students. I just don’t understand how that makes sense. </p>
<p>It took Bruins United’s Presidential Candidate 7 months to put on a Farmer’s Market for one day after she promised for it to happen weekly. I voted for her last year, and there’s no way she will get my vote this year.</p>
<p>^ uhhh Jasmine Hill is part of Student’s First, not United.</p>
<p>lets be honest though, no USAC candidate can stop budget cuts or make UCLA more affordable for any of us.</p>
<p>^ He’s referring to Emily Resnick. Besides, Jasmine is not running this year.</p>
<p>^^ I agree, I don’t think USAC has even the slightest control over affordability. Obviously Students First was unsuccessful in any attempts to keep tuition down so that point is moot. </p>
<p>I agree that it’s ridiculous to say that Students First hates Greeks and Jews. However, I do think that their interests aren’t addressed by the Students First platform. From what I’ve read in The Daily Bruin, Students First limited USAC funding to diversity and underrepresented minority groups, which I totally disagree with and which I’m sure many Greeks disagree with too. Also, looking at their list of accomplishments I can’t see much that appeals to that demographic. They had a bunch of fee increase protests and events (which didn’t work and undoubtedly used USAC money at some of them), a bunch of DREAM Act rallies (which obviously were also a failure and even if they were successful would only impact a small number of UCLA students), and things like Bruin Bash which would have happened either way. They also had a bunch of cultural/social justice/diversity programs which appeal mostly to minorities. Overall the interests of those demographics aren’t being served.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Bruins United focuses on things like spirit rallies, social programs, etc. When they took the majority from Students First, they opened up funding to all student groups. Obviously this approach/philosophy is much more appealing to them.</p>
<p>the bruins united people seemed a lot friendlier, so im voting for them. there was a students first kid who harassed me all the way to class, def not voting for themm.</p>
<p>The Students First! USAC President before Cinthia Flores in 2009 implemented (against the administrations interests) the BRUIN PAY PLAN, which allows students to pay for tuition in installments if they cannot afford to cover tuition in one payment. As someone who benefits from that plan, I am grateful for Students First! work. </p>
<p>If I wanted my student government to be working on spirit, I would have stayed in high school.</p>