Both the Democratic Process Party (DP) and Open People’s Party (OPP) — the two dominating political parties in Associated Students elections — have begun their informational sessions regarding the upcoming spring elections.
The informational sessions intend to recruit students interested in getting involved in A.S. as well as educate them on each party’s platform and respective systems of operation. One significant difference between the two parties lies in how each decides on the yearly slate, with DP choosing its slate through an open primary and OPP through an interview process.
As for their mission statements, the parties differ only slightly. DP stated on its Facebook event page for its informational sessions that the party’s primary goal is to “challenge the status quo” of A.S. by demanding that the student government become more “Associated with YOU” as an inclusive group for all students, as opposed to remaining “exclusive to a privileged few.” OPP also professed inclusivity, claiming on their own Facebook event page that they value the “honest and absolute representation of each and every student” at UCSB.
OPP will hold its last informational session tonight from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m at the San Nicolas Classroom. DP will hold two sessions tonight at 8 p.m. in both the Loma Pelona Center and Gibraltar Center in Santa Ynez, with two more sessions to occur Feb. 24 and another two on Feb. 26.
For more information, visit OPP’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ucsbOPP and DP’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ucsbDPparty.
A version of this story appeared on page 6 of Thursday, February 20, 2014’s print edition of the Daily Nexus.