Bruin Tea: How does CEC put on so many free events?
(Mavis Zeng/Assistant Graphics editor)
By Maddie Ostergaard
April 11, 2019 12:56 a.m.
Quarter system got you down? Have you fallen and can’t get up? Bruin Tea is a series investigating student questions and petty concerns about UCLA.
Question: How does Campus Events Commission put on so many free events?
Alley Madison, USAC’s campus events commissioner, said The Undergraduate Students Association Council CEC office’s ability to put on free events, such as film screenings, comes in part from its established relationships with outside companies, such as HBO. The office also frequently partners with UCLA organizations such as the Graduate Students Association Melnitz Movies.
“Some of our staffers have gotten the connections that they have through a connection that maybe somebody like five years ago has had, and we’ve just maintained it so well that we’ve built up a reputation with certain film distributors that they’re really excited to work with us, and will actually reach out to us with film screenings,” Madison said.
The CEC is hosting three free events this month including a sneak peek of the upcoming film “Little Woods” on April 17, a film screening of “Someone Great” on April 18, and an arts party for college students April 19.
“It really comes through, institutional relationships that have been built and honored and kind of held up through generations of (campus events commissioners),” Madison said.
Madison said she thinks the office will continue working with outside companies and entities to provide free film screenings beyond her tenure as commissioner.
“I definitely think it will continue because at this point the CEC has really come into its own as an entity within just the community here, and in Los Angeles and on our campus that film distributors and production companies really want to work with us,” Madison said.
TL;DR: CEC has good connections.
