USAC recap – Dec. 9

The Undergraduate Students Association Council is the official student government representing the undergraduate student body at UCLA. Council meetings take place every week on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in Kerckhoff 417 and are open to all students. Watch a live stream of the meeting on the USAC Live! YouTube channel.

Agenda

• USAC approved contingency programming fund allocations with a 12-0-1 vote.
• USAC approved Associated Students UCLA Board of Directors or USA programming fund allocations with a 10-0-3 vote.
• USAC voted to not have a council meeting during finals week with a 13-0-0 vote.
• Several members of the Turkish Students Association spoke at the meeting during public, saying they do not support the proposed Armenian Students’ Association resolution. Some said they think the resolution’s push for a boycott marginalizes Turkish students.

Special presentations

• Bruins for Israel members presented to USAC about some of the events following council’s vote to pass a resolution calling for the University of California to divest from several American companies that some say are involved in human rights violation in the West Bank and Gaza. The group members said they think USAC’s vote appears to be a victory for the boycotts, divestment and sanctions movement.
• Members of the Armenian Students’ Association presented to USAC about a resolution they plan to bring to council in winter quarter calling for the University of California Board of Regents to divest from the Republic of Turkey. The resolution also calls for the enforcement of a boycott of Turkish products in the ASUCLA store, based off a 2005 USAC resolution.
• Student representatives on the ASUCLA Board of Directors presented to USAC about their work throughout fall quarter, including hosting a T-shirt contest. They said ASUCLA may install a gender inclusive restroom on Ackerman A-Level.

Officer reports

• Most councilmembers chose to email their officer reports after the meeting.
• USAC Internal Vice President Heather Hourdequin said her office is hosting a Food Trucks for Finals event Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights from 10:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. The food trucks will be located at the “sunken gardens” near Schoenberg and Murphy halls.

Compiled by Amanda Schallert, Bruin senior staff.