Okamura best choice for vacant position
Knowledge earned as chief of staff would ensure a smooth office transition
USAC EVP CANDIDATE Daily Bruin File Photo Evan Okamura
The Undergraduate Student Council Association is fraught with
internal conflict and now faces a mid-year vacancy in the position
of external vice president.
But there is a candidate who offers to act as a mediator and has the experience and knowledge necessary to assume the position.
Evan Okamura is the ideal person to be elected for this position. Having worked in the EVP office for two years, and as the current chief of staff, not only does he have an in-depth understanding of the office for which he is running, but he has already developed working relationships with members of council and the EVP staff.
There will be no time to learn the ropes for the person elected to council so far into the year. Unlike his opponent, Susan M. Sheybani, who has no experience on either the council or in the EVP office, Okamura will be able to take over the position, leading to a smooth transition.
Okamura is a strong individual who, although asked to run on Praxis’ slate, does not want to tow a particular party line. Realistic in his goals and level-headed in his outlook on the council’s politics, he also favors diversity and believes that SP-1 and SP-2, which banned affirmative action at the university, should be repealed. We only encourage him to prioritize this issue, especially with the possibility that these measures may reemerge at the UC Regents meeting in March.
In addition to Okamura’s experience within the office, he also works with the University of California Student Association and serves on the United States Student Association. Serving on the two organizations are an integral part of the EVP’s job. The EVP will be asked to represent the students when serving on these state and national organizations, and fortunately he already has working relationships and a thorough knowledge of their dynamics.
While Okamura has worked with UCSA, Sheybani isn’t even sure what the organization does. Though she hopes to get elected onto council this late in the term, Sheybani barely knows what the EVP position entails.
Sheybani cites her experience on her community college student government and as an intern in Washington, D.C., but she lacks the requisite knowledge of UCLA’s student government and the University of California.
Though well-intentioned, Sheybani should not be jumping into a position about which she knows so little. At this point in the year, a basic understanding of the job and the people with whom she would be working is imperative – and this she lacks.
All USAC positions have staffs working to make the office function. Involvement in a USAC office is essential for anyone considering running for a council position. Sheybani said she tried to get involved in USAC earlier but the offices were unresponsive. Though she should not give up on getting involved, it doesn’t mean that she should then run for office. While Sheybani admits she only knows one person on the divided board – President Elizabeth Houston – Okamura is familiar with the council and wants to mediate among members to bridge the gaps.
Moreover, though Sheybani supports diversity, her opposition to SP-1 and 2 is shaky at best. Instead of taking a definite stance, she simply states she would support “student views.”
Sheybani and candidates considering running in the spring can only be taken seriously if they have actual experience and practice in the council and the office staffs. When asking the student body for votes and trust, nothing is more important than experience and a representative ideology. Evan Okamura offers both.
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