USAC Officer Evaluation: Orion Smedley, General Representative 2

When Orion Smedley was first campaigning for general representative in October, he didn’t have the most complicated platform.

The quality of dining hall ingredients, elevator speeds and lightly used shuttle buses weren’t at the front of students’ minds, but he connected with his base enough to win the special election – albeit after a considerable campaign violation.

Smedley made a valiant effort in pursuing his campaign promises in his six months in office, and he gained considerable experience working with administration he lacked going into the job. But while he devoted extensive research to bus routes and transportation price points, the relatively small-scale goals he had coming into office weren’t wrapped up completely by year’s end.

Yearlong movements cut short are hardly a rare occurrence in government – especially with COVID-19 shutting down campus – but research and background information can only be given so much credit.

Smedley showed from the start of his campaign in the fall that he had the ability to engage with the student body, and he has continued to push for USAC to expand its image on bigger stages this year. He said some members of the board have been too humble in the past, and that USAC must slap its name on its bigger projects so the student body is more aware of how important it is to campus life.

It is admirable to see Smedley championing student government and advocating for its role at UCLA, but that doesn’t mean he’s always been on the side of the people he represents.

Funding for USAC and where that money is eventually allocated is a concern of many students who pay hundreds of dollars in fees every year, and Smedley blames most of the misunderstanding on students. Instead of hearing their complaints, Smedley said he wants students to gain a better understanding of the budget before they complain – an issue he said he hopes to remedy should he become president next year.

Budgetary debates aside, Smedley has come a long way since he first appeared on the campaign trail in 2019.

But that doesn’t mean he made the most of his position.