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  Robbie Clark

Though it’s not common for an out-of-house candidate to challenge an in-house candidate for a commission, cultural affairs candidate, Robbie Clark has both the programming experience and vision for the office essential to warrant a vote for herself over current CAC chief of staff Luke Patterson.

Clark, who is running on the Student Empowerment! slate and is currently the chief of staff for internal vice president Kennisha Austin, served as the program coordinator of the African Student Union and has helped put on large-scale events like the Hip-Hop Xplosion. As CAC, she’d like to focus her efforts on education as well as entertainment. She cites her efforts in educating students about Proposition 21 – which in 2000 aimed to get more juveniles tried as adults – at that year’s Hip-Hop Xplosion as an example of programs that can be both educational and entertaining.

Patterson is essentially asking voters to opt for him because he worked for the cultural affairs commissioner this year, and said he will efficiently carry out programs already in place. But this efficiency is highly doubtful, given that Patterson acknowledged as of late last week that he “doesn’t have anything planned yet.”

One concern of both candidates is their shared idea to politicize the cultural affairs office. Though USAC officers can and should take political stances on issues important to UCLA students, these two candidates might not be able to do that without discouraging some groups on campus from pursuing the services of an office that should be open to all. It is scary that both candidates say they would let students hang a giant “End the Occupation Banner” outside their office window (Patterson actually did allow this earlier this quarter) while saying they would have to think twice before approving an “End Suicide Bombing” banner. Making such biased decisions, when both candidates claim to want to serve all UCLA undergraduates, does not make any sense at all.

A candidate who would not perpetuate this kind of contradiction is optimal, but does not exist. So, go for the candidate who has actually planned something and vote for Clark.

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