USAC recap – Oct. 28

The Undergraduate Students Association Council added an organization helping students from the Central Valley access higher education to the Community Service Commission at its Oct. 28 meeting.

USAC is the official student government representing the undergraduate student body at UCLA. Meetings take place every Tuesday at 7 p.m. and are open to all students. The meetings are held in person at the Bruin Viewpoint Room and are livestreamed and published online. Students can access links for the meetings and agenda posted on the USAC website under the Documents tab or watch a livestream on the USAC Live! channel on YouTube.

Public comment:

• Evelyn Baran, who is a Daily Bruin contributor, a fourth-year English student and campaign coordinator for UCLA’s chapter of the California Public Interest Research Group, said the organization signed up 416 new members in the first two days of its annual fall pledge drive.

• Nicolas Laganis, a member of the office of the internal vice president’s transparency and accountability committee, requested USAC’s cooperation for two upcoming projects: a “What is USAC” Instagram post and a councilmember meet-and-greet. The second-year public affairs and sociology student said councilmembers should respond to emails about coordinating the projects and noted that the meet-and-greet is tentatively scheduled for Nov. 12 at 6 p.m.

Funding:

• The council allocated $16,254.67 from the Contingency Programming Fund to 15 non-USAC entities.

• The council allocated $45,994.92 from the Undergraduate Students Association/Board of Directors Programming Fund to 33 non-USAC entities.

• The council allocated $1,397.13 from the Student Wellness Programming Fund to three non-USAC entities.

• The council allocated $960 from the Academic Success Referendum Fund to three non-USAC entities.

• The council allocated $2,578.21 from the Travel Grant Mini Fund to six non-USAC entities.

• The council allocated $4,250 from the Community Service Transportation Fund to one non-USAC entity.

• The council allocated $3,342.47 from the Bruin Advocacy Grant to three non-USAC entities.

Officer reports:

• President Diego Bollo said his updates would be written but did not update his written report for the week.

• Internal Vice President Tommy Contreras said his updates would be written but did not update his written report for the week.

• External Vice President Sherry Zhou said her updates would be written but did not update her written report for the week.

• General Representative Talia Davood said in her written report that she collaborated with Legal Underground, a pre-law club on campus, to host an LSAT preparatory workshop. She added that she met with the president of the UCLA Panhellenic Association about hosting a self-defense workshop that will be held later in the quarter.

• General Representative Jayha Buhs Jackson said in her written report that the Basic Needs Fest was held Oct. 29 in Bruin Plaza and that she is currently working on a student workers’ rights workshop series.

• General Representative Brett Berndt did not update his written report for the week.

• Academic Affairs Commissioner Cristopher Espino said in his written report that he met with Kara Brown, the curricular coordinator for the College Honors Programs, to discuss revitalizing the Undergraduate Student Initiated Education program – which allows juniors and seniors to design their own lower-division seminars.

• Campus Events Commissioner Daniel Leal said in his written report that his office is collaborating with nectar, a dating app, to host a live dating show on-campus Nov. 4. He added in his written report that his office held a preview screening of Sentimental Value, a Norwegian drama film, Oct. 27 and that it had a “great turnout.”

• Community Service Commissioner Edison Chua said in his written report that he is currently conducting Community Service Mini Fund hearings over the next week to decide who receives the grant allocation. He added in his written report that the CSC office is hosting the SustainaBruin Event, an environmental sustainability fair happening from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 12.

• Cultural Affairs Commissioner Divine Trewick said her updates would be written but did not update her written report for the week.

• Facilities Commissioner Joy Huang said in her written report that she is meeting with Suzanne Seplow, the associate vice chancellor of student development and health, and student leaders in the disabled community to discuss the implementation of the Lily Shaw Disability Cultural Center, which would celebrate disabled culture and history.

• Financial Supports Commissioner Nico Morrone said in his written report that he is working with the USAC Commuter Liaison on reduced-cost parking permits for commuters. He also said he is working with the Center for Scholarships & Scholar Enrichment to hang a banner over Bruin Walk.

• Student Wellness Commissioner Hannah Yip said in her written report that she held a town hall with International Student Representative Keya Tanna at Perloff Hall on Oct. 29 to discuss student wellness and basic needs.

• Transfer Student Representative Hyerim Yoon said she partnered with Buhs Jackson, Bruin Dine and Swipe Out Hunger for a tabling event on the Hill on Thursday. She added that she co-hosted an event bringing USAC officers to the Los Angeles Rams game Sunday.

• Tanna said collaborated with Yip to host the town hall Oct. 29 where they also discussed international student experiences. Tanna added that there will be a “Meet Your Reps” event Nov. 5 at the UCLA Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars, where students can meet their USAC representatives.

Agenda items:

• The council unanimously approved a constitutional bylaw change which added another community service organization, the Central Valley Project, as a membership project of the CSC. The Central Valley Project, a student-run organization that assists high school students from the Central Valley in pursuing higher education, will now receive access to CSC vans and storage space in Kerckhoff Hall.