Newly formed ASUCD organization ACT faced controversy last week after it became apparent that members didn’t fully disclose their intentions when interviewing students for a video to be posted online. After it was discovered that more than one interviewee wasn’t aware the video was for an ASUCD group, ACT organizers removed it in order to get permission from everyone it featured.
While it appears the mistake resulted more from carelessness than intentional deceit, it is nonetheless an unfortunate and easily avoidable start to the election season. ACT leaders should have insisted their videographers fully brief everyone they interview to avoid this situation.
In addition to being vague in its video interviews, ACT is decidedly nebulous about its own identity. Organizers say they don’t think of themselves as a slate; yet they talk, act and run senate candidates like a slate.
ACT leaders say they dislike the “slate” title for the partisan politics associated with the term. Organizers claim they want to transcend partisanship and serve the student body as a whole, regardless of slate affiliation.
But ACT is planning to run at least six senate candidates in this quarter’s elections and so far doesn’t look to be behaving much differently than other slates, as evidenced by this video debacle.
It’s best to call a spade a spade, and a slate a slate.
This quibbling over language serves only to confuse. ACT would be better off demonstrating its inclusiveness through actions alone rather than trying to brand itself as something it’s not.
