USAC recap – May 9

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

Special presentations

• General Representative 2 Ruchit Majmudar and his office gave updates on the office’s projects, including the Collaboration Station, SpaceX and meetings with administrators to discuss expanding the entrepreneurship minor. The presenters said they hope to expand the minor from 250 to 500 people. The office added its newly purchased 3-D printer was stolen.

Agenda

• The council allocated $450 to the internal vice president’s office to help with transitioning and the educational retreat.
• The council allocated $11,247 to campus groups from the Contingency Programming Fund.
• The council approved by consent an allocation of $1,000 to the Academic Affairs commission success referendum fund for the 40th annual Samahang Pilipino Cultural Night.
• The council allocated by consent $108.60 to the Student Wellness Commission Programming Fund, which will go to the General Representative 3’s office for its Bruin Games event.
• This was the last meeting with the 2016-2017 council. Judicial Board Chief Justice Rachel Beyda conducted the oath of office for the new council, who will attend a formal installation May 21.
• The new council members held their first official meeting immediately after the old council left. They had no funding allocations and some discussed applications to their offices.

Officer reports

• USAC President Danny Siegel said he and the other University of California student presidents spoke with UC President Janet Napolitano about topics such as incorporating student input in future Title IX policy revisions, the recent state audit and potentially creating a systemwide advisory committee to address international student issues.
• Internal Vice President Sabrina Zeigler said there will be a USAC alumni gala on Jun. 4 that will raise money for student groups.
• Academic Affairs Commissioner Ashly Mohankumar said AAC will hold its spring academic appointments town hall on May 18.
• Student Wellness Commissioner Christina Lee said SWC has given out 7,000 menstrual products since November.
• Financial Supports Commissioner Ariel Rafalian said 50 new iPhone chargers, which do not need to be plugged into outlets, will be available to rent for free at Powell and Young Research Libraries starting next week.
• Campus Events Commissioner Jordan Dang said CEC will host a one-hour speaker event with Katya Zamolodchikova from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” on Wednesday, a “A Dog’s Purpose” screening on Thursday and a fitness concert featuring EDM duo Krewella on May 17 with SWC.
• General Representative 1 Zoe Borden gave a comprehensive list of updates from her office throughout the year, including implementing a new scholarship portal that will go up on the Finances tab on MyUCLA next week, and creating a lawn blanket and hammock rental program.
• General Representative 2 Ruchit Majmudar said his office will be funding transportation for 20 students to attend a SpaceX conference.
• General Representative 3 Inan Chowdhury said his office will hold Bruin Games on May 24 from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Sunset Recreation Center.
• Transfer student representative Divya Sharma said the Transfer Bruin Day will take place on May 12 and mentorship applications from his office will go out next week.
• Community Service Commissioner Zack Dameron said applications for the $1,000 Robert S. Michaels Leadership in Service Award scholarships are due May 21. He added he hopes to address the protest at the last council meeting by providing a space for his office’s staff to process the events and educate others.

New business

• Sharma said he will try to work with the new council members to create a new campaign on USAC reform, because a town hall for USAC reform originally planned for week 7 was not possible.
• Election board chair Danielle Fitzgerald read aloud the results of last week’s USAC election, and the council unanimously approved the election results.

Announcements

• Shao said tickets for the 31st Jazz Reggae Festival will be sold until Wednesday. She added CAC Tank, an event where students pitched ideas to investors, allocated a total of $5,000 for student groups.