Christopher Neal
By Christian Mignot
Daily Bruin Contributor
Christopher Neal, current chief of staff for the external vice
president’s office, leads a one-man race for the position of
EVP for the Undergraduate Students Association Council.
Neal, who is part of the Student Empowerment! slate, plans to
lobby for a change in the status of housing costs. He wants to
increase student representation in local community planning and
foresees a continuation of the community outreach efforts engaged
in this year by the EVP office.
The EVP represents the lobbying arm of the student body on a
state and national level.
The elected candidate sits on the executive board of the United
States Students Association and the University of California
Students Association.
Neal already has experience with both associations, having
served the past two years as chair of National Queer Students
Coalition for USSA and acting as the campus organizing director for
UCSA.
He has worked intensively with the Lesbian Gay Bisexual
Transgender Resource
Center, helping to put on programs and organize campus rallies.
He also occupied the position of national affairs director for the
EVP’s office last year.
Neal plans to lobby for a change in the status of on-campus
housing from an auxiliary to a non-auxiliary cost of education by
seeking out government representatives who will sponsor the move.
Currently, housing is considered separate from student costs and
can only be covered with student loans, not grants.
“We have already had victories on the issue of housing
when we were granted $24 million for building and
renovation,” Neal said, referring to Assembly Bill 1611. The
bill, signed by Gov. Gray Davis in September 2001, would create an
Affordable Student Housing Program and provide incentives for
developers to build near UC and CSU campuses.
“The next step is for a change in the cost status of
housing, and that should be achieved within a year or less,”
Neal said.
Working closely with the new internal vice president, he plans
to continue providing outreach to underrepresented students ““
mostly ethnic minorities and “working class”
students.
Neal has already worked on student initiated outreach programs
through the EVP office, providing tutoring, academic counseling and
campus tours for high school students from underrepresented
areas.
At a more local level, Neal said he will encourage greater
dialogue with local government and ensure student presence in
decisions regarding Westwood and surrounding areas by sending
representatives to council meetings.
“Westwood should be more student-oriented,” he said.
“I want to make it more of a college town, because I
don’t think students feel that it is anymore.”
With regards to the issue of a possible tuition fee increase in
the next few years, Neal said he would once again lobby
representatives to ensure fees won’t rise, using student
voting power to help his cause.
Other alternatives to cover costs should be explored, he said,
and UCSA should examine the current UC budget to determine where
cuts could be made to compensate.
Neal wants to develop ties at an international level with
student associations around the world.
Following the Sept. 11 attacks, student movements across the
world have been lobbying together for human rights, but American
student associations have not reached out, he said.
“UCLA should take the lead in these matters, establishing
ties with schools in other countries, even if it’s just basic
dialogue or exchange,” he said.