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USAC recap – Nov. 5

By Marilyn Chavez-Martinez

Nov. 10, 2019 3:21 p.m.

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 the Bruin Viewpoint Room and are open to all students. Watch a livestream of the meetings on the USAC Live! channel on YouTube.

Special Presentations:

  • University of California Police Department Lt. Officer Kevin Kilgore said the Roebling block party, which took place in early October, is a concern for residents, due to the destruction of property and people setting fires. He asked council to spread the word that this behavior is not acceptable.

  • He also noted that on Nov. 10, Donald Trump Jr. will visit campus, which will likely result in demonstrations and counterdemonstrations. He added there will be a significant police presence on campus for both Trump’s visit and the planned strike on Nov. 13 by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299.

  • Several council members said they think UCPD should notify students when there are plans to have a significant police presence on campus. Kilgore said as an official, he has to wait for information to be completely confirmed so as not to circulate misinformation.

Agenda:

  • The council did not immediately swear in the newly elected Financial Supports Commissioner or either of the general representatives.

  • The council amended an election code bylaw that allows newly election candidates to be selectively sworn in, as opposed to all of the candidates from the election being sworn in as a block. This bylaw was proposed after some council members were made aware of allegations that newly elected general representative Orion Smedley improperly campaigned on the Hill.

  • The fall special election results were partially certified. The USA Judicial Board Chair Jamail Gibbs swore in Financial Supports Commissioner Millen Srivastava but not General Representative 3 Brandon Broukhim nor Smedley.

  • The council criticized the election board’s management of the fall special election and discussed the possibility of finding a replacement election chair. Former election board chair Kyana Shajari said that none of the election board had received their designated stipend. She also added she found it concerning that members of the council were not promoting the election themselves. Shajari resigned, and left the meeting with two of her staff members.

  • The council approved the recommended amount of Contingency Programming funds to USAC and non-USAC groups.

  • The council allocated a total of $4,935.80 from Supplemental Fund for Service to Community Service Commission groups and non-CSC groups.

  • The council allocated a total of $330 from the Academic Affairs Commission Travel Mini-Grant Allocations to a student.

  • The council approved the recommended amount of Student Wellness Programming Fund to non-USAC groups.

  • The council appointed Karen Patron, a fourth-year history student for the Student Fees Advisory Committee.

Public Comment:

  • Smedley cited on-campus campaigning regulations and said he does not think he violated any rules. He added he thinks it’s unfair that council passed a bylaw which affected his swearing-in process retroactively.

  • Shajari, speaking as a fourth-year psychology student, said she thinks what the council did, regarding the passage of the bylaw which allowed the selective swearing in of certain candidates, was disheartening.

Reports:

  • Academic Affairs Commissioner Naomi Riley said her office found an advisor for her office’s initiative to remove standardized testing from UCLA’s admissions process.
  • Campus Events Commissioner Tara Steinmetz said her office will be hosting a Q&A with the director of Burning Cane on Sunday at 7 p.m.
  • Community Service Commissioner Jonathan Wisner said his office successfully hosted a day of service Saturday.
  • Facilities Commissioner Lily Shaw said her office would be hosting its second Bruin Bazaar on Wednesday of week 6.
  • Financial Supports Commissioner Millen Srivastava said her office plans to focus on creating rental programs for iClickers and making birth control accessible on campus.
  • Student Wellness Commissioner Mihika Sridhar said her office had a general commission meeting Tuesday with over 100 attendees.
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Marilyn Chavez-Martinez | News and outreach senior staff
Chavez-Martinez was the 2020-2021 Outreach Director. She was previously an assistant news editor managing the campus politics beat and still writes for the Daily Bruin news section occasionally. She is also a fourth-year English and Economics student at UCLA.
Chavez-Martinez was the 2020-2021 Outreach Director. She was previously an assistant news editor managing the campus politics beat and still writes for the Daily Bruin news section occasionally. She is also a fourth-year English and Economics student at UCLA.
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