And while I am not arguing that an election should have taken place, USAC should be held accountable to the student body. When USAC failed to release basic information, like who applied for the EVP position, the council kept the student body ignorant and thereby remained unaccountable to the student body. I encourage President Mike de la Rocha and the rest of USAC to rectify this mistake immediately. Release the names and justify Geyer's appointment with more than just a quick nod to her experience. It is not only the right thing to do, but it will build trust among the electorate.
Accountability is vitally important.
After months of procrastinating, USAC finally appointed two members to the Student Judicial Board, the equivalent of student government's Supreme Court. And though a functioning J-Board is definitely a step in the right direction, the Daily Bruin is still the only truly independent institution on campus capable of holding USAC accountable. The Bruin, however, while much more widely recognized and powerful than USAC, has not adequately covered or questioned student government. The Bruin has failed to highlight USAC's victories, while simultaneously failing to push USAC on important issues - like who Geyer's fellow EVP candidates were. This is an important point, and it hasn't helped the relationship between student government and The Bruin.