External Affairs Vice President: Lobbying is Linchpin in Candidates' Arsenals

With rising student fees, troubling housing situations and campus crime reports, the five candidates for the ASUC external affairs vice presidency are promising to quell students' fears with their experience, dedication and possibly some celebrity mojo.

Those qualities will be helpful in a position that bridges the gap between the politics of UC, the city, the state and the nation, and that aims to inspire student advocacy and activism.

Alejandra Cruz

Defend Affirmative Action Party

It is important to think big when it comes to something as significant as the growing civil rights movement on campus, says junior Alejandra "Ali" Cruz, DAAP's candidate for external affairs vice president.

Cruz plans to mobilize a "mass movement, not just a few students lobbying" for issues like immigrant rights, underrepresentation of minorities on campus and fee hikes.

"People are supportive of the basic premises of these issues, it's just the initial fear of putting their necks out there," she said. "But people are starting to recognize that we need to speak out strongly and boldly."

Launching a university-wide campaign to protest the new SAT as an "anti-minority test" is among Cruz's priorities. Her experience organizing rallies as an activist with BAMN, as well as her post as an organizer in the Hispanic Youth Leadership Council, should help her take on the SAT and the drop in minority admissions, she said.

"It's ridiculous to expect us to feel we're getting a quality education in American cultures when not all the American cultures are represented," Cruz said. "The drop is not separate from issues of fee hikes or the SAT, but if we band all these issues together, we can definitely make a fight."

Sharon Han

Student Action

Junior Sharon Han is a new player in the Student Action party, but this candidate says she has experience to spare. Han, executive director of the Korean American Coalition and a volunteer for Presidential candidate John Kerry overseas, said her visibility on campus has prepared her to vocally advocate for students off campus.

"I'm willing to lobby, and I'm ready to go to Sacramento every weekend to do it if I have to," she said.

Lowering student fees tops Han's to-do list.

"Attending Cal used to be free, but it's been increasing every year," she said. "There needs to be a limit."

She is also fighting for "affordable and accountable" living spaces for students so the hunt for housing is no longer a stressful process.

"Not everyone can afford an apartment in the Gaia," she said, referring to an upscale residence in Downtown Berkeley. "Students shouldn't be worrying about where they're going to live, whether it's good quality housing or if it's safe."

Han's concern with safety extends to campus security. She wants to improve safety regulations and put up more light systems around residence halls and student apartments.

Jordan Mikes

Independent

Junior Jordan Mikes has a four-point plan to make students aware of their power to make or break policy, and he says he knows how to use it.

Mikes, who has worked with the Renters Legal Assistance program, plans to compile a directory of all complaints filed against Berkeley landlords so students "have an idea of what they're getting themselves into" while looking for housing.

Mikes will also lobby the city for resources to prevent crimes around campus. He also plans to use professional lobbyists to combat inflation in textbook prices and student fees.

"Students are not being taken seriously in Sacramento due to tactics like students running around the capital building for two weeks," he said. "We need to be more efficient with our resources."

Having never worked with the ASUC, Mikes claims he has a "fresh perspective that hasn't lost touch with the desires of students." However, he is also aiming to convince students of the ASUC's importance, he said.

"Students can make a change and the ASUC can help them," he said.

Linda Salinas

CalSERVE

Affordability is the operative word in junior Linda Salinas' campaign. The CalSERVE candidate wants to ensure housing, parking, financial aid and education that is affordable for students.

"We must be able to empower students, to keep Berkeley high-quality, yet keep it accessible," she said.

The UC Students' Association Organizer of the Year and external affairs senior staffer has extensive lobbying experience from attending UC Board of Regents' meetings, which she said makes her qualified to rally for student interests.

However, Salinas believes her most important function might be to act as a bridge between student leaders and off-campus organizations, partly by offering more conferences and workshops to train student leaders.

"Students don't always know who has the power to give them what they need, or how they can get it themselves," she said. "A lot of times we're put into leadership positions but we're not given the training to make our work as amazing as it can be."

Mark Thomas

SQUELCH!

SQUELCH!'s Mark "90s Teen Pop Idol" Thomas' bid for the external affairs vice presidency is running on a whole lot of star power, he said.

The senior claims his inherent charisma and his work as a movie extra give him a cross-generation appeal that is rare in a student government that is "in severe need of a teen pop idol on the slate."

"I'm going to reach a whole new range of people," he said. "I've got a lot of way with the kids. The youth love me and their parents love me."

Thomas promises to re-open Berkeley's sidewalks to rollerblading, which he said was "outlawed for way too long." He is also considering naming every other Friday as "Flannel Jacket Day."

Thomas is confident he can work with state, city and campus representatives with a little help from a friend.

"I'm sure I can bridge whatever differences I need to," he said. "Arnold and I go way back."

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