As I am sure you are aware – or at least I hope you are aware – election time in Associated Students is approaching. We are Open People’s Party, and if you have a desire to get involved in your student government, now is the time. There are representative spots on Legislative Council available for next year and we, Open People’s Party, want everyone to have an opportunity to run. If you are dedicated, interested in your university and meet the standard requirements of the school, please come and just check us out. Declaration of Candidacy is this Thursday and we don’t want anyone to be left out that may want to get involved.

Open People’s Party (OPP) was created last spring to give more students an opportunity to run and to make sure that the UCSB community and campus gets the programming and attention they want and deserve. In just our first year of existence, OPP won a third of the legislative positions and half of the executive slate. As members of Legislative Council, we have passed bills and resolutions supporting groups on campus, updating the A.S. Legal Code and creating more visibility of Legislative Council members to the university community. The A.S. President, Jared Goldschen – a member of OPP – vetoed the legislation to revoke the Daily Nexus’ funds. In addition to this veto, all the members of OPP present at that meeting had voted down the resolution before this veto was even necessary.

Associated Students is the place on campus where the students’ needs are identified and met. It is the hub for activism on campus, community service, environmental awareness and all other activities that you, the student, find necessary. Being part of Legislative Council is not only being a part of a single council, but of a diverse community with people of all interests and all backgrounds. You will certainly find your niche here in Associated Students, but to find this niche, you must take the first step and become part of your student government. Of course, it does take dedication and time, but you should not see it as a job, but as an opportunity to make an impact on your community. For many of you, you see yourself as swiftly moving through UCSB and on to the rest of your life, but here you have a chance to leave a mark on UCSB. You have the opportunity to leave UCSB better than you found it, and Open People’s Party wants to give you this chance.

After our first year in office, we, Open People’s Party, are creating a new legacy here in Associated Students to make changes that you, the student, want accomplished, but this cannot be achieved without your involvement. We will be holding a meeting tomorrow night, Wednesday, March 7, at 10 p.m. If you are interested in becoming a part of this important organization on campus, please come, speak with us, and get involved. Our door is always open!

If you have any more questions or would like the location of the meeting tomorrow, please contact us at OpenPeoplesParty2007@gmail.com