USAC winds up year with mixed feelings

USAC winds up year with mixed feelings

By Rashmi Nijagal

Daily Bruin Staff

As election season for student government is about to kick into
full swing, some undergraduate student government leaders in the
present administration look back on their work this year with
ambivalence.

While generally satisfied, many said they would have liked more
time to implement certain projects that they had intended to
do.

Undergraduate President Rob Greenhalgh said he had specific
goals in mind as to how he wanted to improve the role of student
government on campus.

"The theme of my campaign last year was that I felt student
government needed to be more tangible and that students should
visibly see the work that the undergraduate student government
does," Greenhalgh said.

Among the measures Greenhalgh took to meet his goals was to
increase the study times and spaces during 10th week and finals
week last quarter and to sponsor various forums, such as the UCLA
leadership summit which allowed students, student government
leaders and administrators to discuss issues of concern to the
campus community.

Greenhalgh, however, is especially proud of the efforts he said
his office has made to increase student participation in the
university’s decision-making process.

"One of the fundamental goals of student government is that
students are represented in the decision-making process," he said.
"The Central Committee Information Center will be set up by the end
of this year to inform students about different committees which
exist on campus where they can take an active role in participating
in the university’s decisions."

While Greenhalgh feels that he has accomplished much of what he
set out to do this year, he also wishes there was more time for him
to fulfill some of his other goals.

"I really want to develop a better relationship between students
and the Westwood community," Greenhalgh said.

As external vice president, York Chang notes that the office’s
goal this year was to advocate and communicate for students in
various issues that affect not only UCLA students, but students
throughout the state as well. With such issues as Proposition 187,
affirmative action and increasing registration fees, Chang worked
with students on campus and with organizations throughout the state
in order to represent the concerns of students.

"This office is not about one person making things happen,"
Chang said. "This office is a collective effort of dedicated
students who are determined to effect change."

Though the office has accomplished many of its goals, Chang
concedes that there are a few things that could have been done
better.

"We spent an incredible amount of energy trying to get a peer
counseling program, Fostering Communication and Support (FoCoS),
off the ground and keep this campaign promise, but we just didn’t
have the financial or institutional support to do it alone," he
said. "Currently, we are evaluating the program and looking at
better and different ways to implement it."

Internal Vice President Amy Goodman said her goals involved
establishing a student government intern placement program and
organizing campus forums on various issues such as sexual
harassment and parking. She sought to open communication between
student groups and student government through an outreach program
called Contact.

"By far, this year has been a complete learning experience,"
Goodman said. "There are a lot of things that you can’t expect and
with that you learn a lot."

Seeking to address the major financial issues such as
employment, Financial Supports Commissioner Todd Sargent said he
has accomplished much of what he sought out to do last year.

"As far as employment goes, one of the things that we tried to
do was to compile a list of all the different places on campus that
were hiring students," Sargent said. "It was pretty frustrating but
we went back to the drawing board and pending upon approval, these
lists will be passed out on Bruin Walk."

Along with Greenhalgh, Sargent asked students standing in line
at the financial aid office what was wrong with the system. The
complaints were passed on to the financial aid office, which is now
seeking to implement many changes, such as providing an information
center where students can go in for counseling on financial aid
matters.

The overall theme running through many of the offices this year
was the need to increase communication between student advocacy
groups and student government. While some members of student groups
feel that such an effort was made by certain offices, others said
the student government in general did not fulfill this goal.

"Within the external vice president’s office, we had a much
better communication base," said Joey Gil, a second-year
microbiology major and member of Samahang Pilipino. "However, I
feel like there were unfulfilled promises (from certain offices). I
didn’t see them at SAG (Student Advocacy Group) meetings. I was
really disappointed."

Some student government members, however, disagree.

"We hear so often from SAGs that student government is not
accessible, yet time and time again, some have not been responsive
when we make these efforts to reach out to students," Greenhalgh
said. "It is unfair."

Despite the criticism of their accomplishments, many student
government members said they are proud of their achievements this
past year.

"The year has passed quickly and it is hard to believe that it
is election time again," Goodman said. "I am confident, as is my
staff, that we have worked hard to complete the goals we set out to
achieve at the beginning of the year."