:: Kerckhoff Journal ::

:: 1.29.2002 ::

It has been mighty quiet around these parts once again. Tomorrow, of course, that fire-brand Andy Jones assaults the USAC in the pages of the Daily Bruin here. Let us just say that he does a marvellous job of characterizing the politicians that UCLA considers its masters. This reminds me of my stint on the On-Campus Housing Council. One of our two advisors had problems with publicity containing the image of a man and woman dancing together. Her belief was that students of homosexual orientations would be offended. As a result, the Council during my time never used "graven images". Of course, if we had only included a homosexual couple, most of the heterosexual couples would be repulsed. Include three sets of couples, and it seems redundant. In this case of course, Jones is getting down and dirty and putting names in the paper.

On another note, the editorial staff just utterly ripped into USAC's acquiesence about the parking chances. Theo Apostol was torn a new asshole. I doubt I will attend the meeting on Tuesday, but since I went last week, I nearly fell alseep with boredom.


:: Thomas 00:55 [+] ::
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USAC Bitched by Transportation Services

Parking prices are going up at UCLA, and nothing is really new about this. What is funny, however, is that the Undergraduate Student Association Cuoncil surrendered when Transportation Services marched in declared their proposal. General Representative Theo Apostol, who is usually more worried about watching the Laker game than having a productive meeting, supposedly wants to counteract this proposal. But, as they Daily Bruin tells us, he has no idea just how USAC will toe the line. Parking is an issue, but it's only an issue because UCLA has its head in its ass about student housing. If there was even a reasonable ability to manage housing needs, both undergraduate and graduate, students would not be up in arms about this. But it really does not matter. I am aware that our infrastructure is crap, and that students are expendable.
:: Thomas 16:07 [+] ::
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UCLA Daily Bruin Fears Competition

Apparently, Timothy Kudo, the Editor in Chief of UCLA's student paper is worried sick about a pilot program by Gannett to distribute free papers in the on-campus residences. It is pretty funny to hear him moan about the decline in circulation, since the ASUCLA company rep, Arvili Ward ( who actually runs the show) is not worried at all. Personally, Kudo is a retard and deserves the utter attrition the newspaper has seen. My friend Doug Lief, who is the longest-running columnist in the paper hates Kudo's guts as well. But even so, I would not take Tim's job to make the paper better. Truth is it is Ward that deserves to get screwed.

Ward was infamous when I was there, four years ago about not raising salaries and fiscally being irresponsible. The Bruin has been horrible for three years running, and now we are getting to see the payback. At the same time, I have know a lot of the people on the paper and recognize they work hard. But it's all about the leadership I am sorry to say. Even so the ridiculous editorial positions the Bruin has taken this year has also turned off people I am sure.
:: Thomas 23:03 [+] ::
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If there is one thing that my university really lacks, it is a place where people can receive information about the nature of politics. You see, UCLA is a public place, an instrument of the state, and so it really is just a reflection of the greater body politic. What I find so humorous though, is political discourse really does not happen. In effect, UCLA in student government is shall I describe it for you? If you need an analogy, think of the People's Republic of China. Though it has a near monopoly on power in the mainland, the previous government, the ROC, still resists in geographic isolation. If you have ever been to UCLA, you know that the campus groups are centralized in Kerckhoff Hall, which might as well be Beijing. Between the middle of the 1980s, and 1996 the Greek system lost all representation and the housing government (Taiwan for the analogy) basically ignored the rule of Kerckhoff. Of course, in the midst of the junta of sorts, since the elections were always questionable in practice, a young carpetbagger of a lass named Elizabeth Houston managed to unify the Greek community and narrowly defeat Katanja McCory (junta heir-designate). Liz was completely surrounded however, and her adminstration was marked by bloody infighting that nearly rent the whole place apart. Problem was you see, Liz had a charisma that her successor could not duplicate and the next leader of Praxis/Student Empowerment! went off and faced much weaker candidates. So the the Interregnum was a curious time, and unfortunately it is now passed. Karren Lane now leadeth the Party, for this is a one-party system you see, so whatever name they have chosen (many as it has been), it shall be considered here as just the Party. Of course, toward the end of the Houston era, Lane rose to prominence by organizing a protest during the Regents' visit to repeal SP-1 and SP-2. Of course, they managed to scare the shit out of the Regents and then for good measure stopped a Los Angeles mayoral debate by taking over a building on campus. Not all of these people were UCLA students however, but Lane had shown her genius as an organizer and became sort of the ingenue, shall we say. Once SP-1 and SP-2 were repealed, that sort of ending things. Sure, the Party wants to bring back affirmative action, but something called Proposition 209 stands in their way.

But I mean, come on, the Party are not the smartest tools in the shed. And then added to this, you have the media which is own and operated by the government...welcome to the PRC, like I said. But if you still aren't sure you want to trust me, understand that I worked for the big bad monster, The Daily Bruin, and I also worked for the Housing Council, so understand that I hope you like the information I spew forth.

:: Thomas 01:01 [+] ::
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