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

[RonDog]

.

Staggering turnout, turnover
Runoffs to decide top offices; Bruins United wins council majority

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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.

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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.

"We just did something that has not been done in a long, long time," said an ecstatic Gruenberg, the current Financial Supports commissioner.

Gruenberg said Bruins United winning council majority is the completion of the vision the slate has had since its inception, when it was created to challenge the reign of Student Power!

MIKE WINTERS/daily bruin senior staff
Presidential candidate Jenny Wood (center) rallies Student Power! supporters. Student Power! and its predecessors lost majority on council for the first time in the slate’s 11-year existence.

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Rallying their supporters in Meyerhoff Park with the help of the 8-clap and a bagpiper, Gruenberg promised his slate would make a full sweep in next week's runoff elections.

With the most influential position on council, the presidency, still undetermined, the race isn't over yet, said Joe Vardner, the newly elected Facilities commissioner.

Wood said if elected, she is confident she can overcome the barriers of her slate's minority on council.

No candidates were elected from the Future Front or the Bruin Liberation Movement slates, and none of their candidates will advance to the runoffs.

All unopposed candidates were elected, including the three independent candidates. Jason Kaminsky, the newly elected Campus Events commissioner, watched the proceedings alone from the roof of Kerckhoff and bowed to the crowds when his victory was announced.

Todd Hawkins, the unopposed candidate for Cultural Affairs commissioner, was the only candidate elected from the Student Power! slate.

Despite having two of their candidates defeated in the primaries, Student Power! candidates say they are ready to fight even harder during runoffs.

MIKE WINTERS/daily bruin senior staff
Jeannie Biniek (center) of Student Power! yells her support for her slate during a post-election results rally near Kerckhoff Hall. Binek is in a run-off with Jesse Melgares from Bruins United for the position of external vice president.

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"This is our university! We own it!" Wood said while rallying Student Power! supporters as they gathered on Bruin Walk after hearing the election results.

Student Power! candidates remain optimistic about their prospects for the future, both individually and for action on council.

Pointing to the large number of Student Power! supporters still gathered at 10:45 p.m., Biniek said her slate had the ability to get work done, with or without positions in USAC.

Wood said Student Power! candidates and supporters will continue to work toward social justice and issues on their platform, despite minority standing on council.

Wood said she will remain active on campus if not elected, but not necessarily on USAC.

Bruins United leaders said they will take the overwhelming student support they have received in elections and try to turn it into substantive change on council.

"Some changes are going to be happening to student government," said Vardner. "USAC will once again be opened up to all students."

MICHAEL SUN/daily bruin staff
PC. Zai sits on the shoulders of Bruins United supporters after winning a general representative spot.

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With reports from Lee Bialik, Bruin reporter.

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[Texas_Jarhead]

""This is our university! We own it!" Wood said while rallying Student Power! supporters..."

What does that mean?

[Diago]

yes!!!

[bannie]

Where's angeladavis?

:p

[RonDog]

See also THIS thread:

a new chapter for ucla
Posted on 05/06/2005 4:31:24 PM PDT by PowerBruin

Hi all this is my first and hopefully longest post

http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/articles.asp?id=33203

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...

CLICK HERE for the rest of that thread

[RonDog]

""This is our university! We own it!" Wood said while rallying Student Power! supporters..."

What does that mean?

LOL!

I am still trying to understand the FIRST thread about this. :o)

[decal]

"Rallying their supporters in Meyerhoff Park with the help of the 8-clap and a bagpiper..."

Well, I know what a bagpiper is (I'm one, after all) but what's this 8-clap stuff?

[RonDog]

See also, from www.dailybruin.com:

Editorial: Slate should use gained USAC power cautiously

The Undergraduate Students Association Council will be a very different beast next year.

The pendulum of power has swung, but this campus will only suffer if Bruins United blindly follows its momentum.

For this group of students who have been reacting for years against a political majority they view as malicious and corrupt, Thursday's victory was undoubtedly sweet.

But they will fail all students if they are unable to act in the diplomatic spirit they so often expound.

Seven out of 12 voting offices are now in the hands of Bruins United members.

The young slate is one seat away from a two-thirds majority and could potentially gain an unstoppable three-fourths majority if both external vice presidential candidate Jesse Melgares and presidential candidate Alex Gruenberg are elected in next week's runoff election.

The shift in power is the most dramatic in the 11 years Students Power! or one of its progenitors has held a majority on council.

If Bruins United members hold nine of the 13 seats at the council table next year, they must not become drunk with power and ignore constructive criticism: two of the slate's biggest complaints against the Students First!/Students Power! tradition...

[July 4th]

It means exactly what you think it does. The liberals think they own the place - the quote could have been taken verbatim from some of my old student government meetings at Wisconsin.

[JesseJane]

>>what's this 8-clap stuff<<

I wanted to know that too :) Can't resist

clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap ?????????? Oh yeah! clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap I've almost got the beat.. :)

[RonDog]

See also from thehutcho.blogspot.com

Sunday, September 19, 2004

8 Clap, 8 Clap

A bunch of Henry's friends flew up from LA for the UW Huskies UCLA Bruins game. We started the afternoon at our place in Belltown with brunch and bloody marys.

To avoid traffic we caught a ferry from Ballard across lake union to the stadium. The ferry dropped us off amongst these huge yaughts and cruisers moored infront of the stadium. This party on the stern of the huge boat were offering vodka shots to passers by.

Our seats were in the visitors stands. With this comes sitting amongst the enemy and listening to them cheering. One very popular cheer with the Bruin fans is the 8 clap.

Its just that: 8 claps followed by spelling out U-C-L-A with more clapping...

[RonDog]

a new chapter for ucla
Posted on 05/06/2005 4:31:24 PM PDT by PowerBruin

Hi all this is my first and hopefully longest post

WELCOME to Free Republic, PowerBruin!!!

PowerBruin
Since May 6, 2005

[JesseJane]

DOH! I should've known!!

Thanks RonDog!! :)

[CyberAnt]

It means the same thing as when the democrats DEMAND power; and claim the people's money belongs to them.

And .. IT'S NOT THEIR UNIVERSITY - it's paid for by the taxpayers of the State of California.

SO IT'S MY UNIVERSITY - SINCE I'M A TAXPAYER IN CALIFORNIA.

[staytrue]

this campus will only suffer if Bruins United blindly follows its momentum.

The writer of this is looking for a job at the NYT. "this country will only suffer if Republicans blindly follows its momentum."

[Simmy2.5]

You might be intersted in this!

[Roots]

FreepMail me or reply if you'd like on/off this ping.


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Awesome going UCLA

[PowerBruin]

add me!

[PowerBruin]

thanks for the warm welcome

just really stoked, been waiting for this day for a long time, didnt think it would happen before i graduate

[RonDog]

thanks for the warm welcome...

De nada. :o)

YOU could now do me a HUGE favor, though.

I need some California College Republican (or YR, or YAF, or "Bruins United" - etc.) MANPOWER (a.s.a.p.) to help us welcome Ann Coulter to Los Angeles this TUESDAY (5/10.)

Please FReep-mail me with the contact information of ANYONE who would like to help.

(Or CALL ME at 310-463-5548.)

From:

Attention Fellow Southern Cal. Freepers:
Ann Coulter on Tonight Show Next Tuesday!
Al Rantel Show | May 5, 2005
Posted on 05/04/2005 7:23:34 PM PDT by Cinnamon Girl

Hey RonDog, rantblogger, and the whole LA and around LA gang, Ann Coulter just said on Al Rantel that she hopes the Al Rantel listeners will be in the Jay Leno audience for her next week...

-- snip --

To: Cinnamon Girl; AnnaZ; feinswinesuksass; DoughtyOne; Tony in Hawaii; Bob J; diotima; gc4nra; ...

WHATEVER day it is, here's the drill, from www.nbc.com/nbc/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno/tickets.shtml:

First - Thanks for wanting to come and see the show in person. Second - Get over the fact that you have to request tickets via mail. Remember mail? Actual stamps? C'mon, it'll be fun!

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno/Tickets
3000 W. Alameda Ave.
Burbank, CA 91523

Tickets to The Tonight Show with Jay Leno are available by U.S. mail.

To order, send a self-addressed stamped envelope with a brief letter listing the desired date of taping and three alternate dates. You can request up to four tickets, but seating is limited. Audience members must be at least 16 years old. If tickets are available for the date you request, they will be sent to you by return mail approximately 2-3 weeks prior to the show date. All mail requests are processed on a first come, first-served basis and should be submitted at least 6 weeks in advance.

Tickets for a specific show are available the day of the show only at the NBC Ticket Box, located at NBC in Burbank, CA. The NBC Ticket Box opens at 8:00 a.m.

All available tickets are distributed to the public on a first come, first-served two (2) tickets per person basis.

We need a few hardcore FReepers (like me) to meet at the back door at "oh-dark-thirty" and wait in line.

I have done this before, and we "ticket gatherers" need to be in place by 6 am.

There will probably be a large crowd there (to get tickets) by 7 am, so that if you arrive after 7:30 am (or so) you probably will NOT get any tickets.

The LAST TIME that we did this, I was the only FReeper in line that early, and I got six or seven tickets.

I am a friendly guy, and when sufficiently motivated, should be able to charm the extra tickets out of MANY of my fellow "line waiters" -- who might only be needing ONE of the two tickets per person that they are allowed.

After I (and my helpers?) secure as many tickets as possible, we will then be herded to a DIFFERENT door to wait to get in.

One or two of us can save a FEW places there for a few hours, but we will need as many FReepers as possible to start arriving at that location by NOON -- to hold places in line for the REST of us, who need to be in place by 1pm (to 2pm at the LATEST.)

They let ticket holders in on a "first come, first serve" basis -- starting around 3 pm, I think.

CLICK HERE for the rest of that thread

WHATEVER day it is, here's the drill, from www.nbc.com/nbc/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno/tickets.shtml: