GSA cabinet works to address graduate student concerns

By Marjorie Hernandez
Daily Bruin Reporter The Graduate Students Association is headed by
a three-person cabinet consisting of the president, vice president
internal and vice president external. Together they lead the GSA
Forum, the governing assembly comprised of representatives from 11
councils and six student interest groups.

Charles Harless

President Charles Harless President Charles
Harless is a self-confessed “theme park junkie” who
likes to take advantage of his Disneyland passes as much as he can.
As president, Harless oversees the cabinet and appointees, and
meets with various administrators as GSA’s representative.
“If it’s an issue that concerns grad students here,
then it is an issue that concerns me,” he said. At the
forefront of Harless’ agenda are issues pertaining to health,
funding, student rights, expanding the BruinGo! program and the
availability of graduate student housing. Construction for a new
graduate student housing was set to break ground this fall, but has
been postponed due to further negotiations between the construction
companies and the university, Harless said. The new Southwest
Campus Housing will be located near Veteran and Weyburn Avenues and
is targeted to open in 2003 or 2004. Since attending UCLA, Harless
has had to move to a different apartment each year. “Finding
housing as an out-of-state student proved to be a problem,”
Harless said. “You don’t know anything about the area,
and some students are on a six-month to a year waiting list.”
Harless is finishing his master’s degree in biomedical
engineering and pursuing a doctorate in computer science while
working as a research assistant for the UCLA School of Medicine.
Harless, who served as GSA’s director of information last
year, plans to forge relationships among different academic
departments and provide a central place for graduate and
professional students to voice concerns. He also hopes to publicize
its activities on the association’s Web site, such as
GradBar, a monthly social for graduate and professional students
featuring a catered bar and live music. GSA will look at overall
trends and academic complaints from graduate students. According to
Harless, these concerns range from having an adviser publish a
student’s research without the student receiving proper
credit, to students seeking information about graduation
requirements. In these cases, GSA can provide graduate students
with contact information or place them in touch with the OMBUDS
office, which handles conflict mediation for the campus.
“We’re almost a watchdog,” Harless said.
“That’s the reactive nature of GSA.” “But I
am also hoping to bring a more proactive nature and look at the
potential issues on campus.”

Dorothy Kim

Vice president internal Dorothy Kim A native
Angeleno raised in the mid-Wilshire district, Vice president of
internal affairs Dorothy Kim has an affinity for gourmet and
international food and literature written in dead languages, such
as Old Norse, Old Irish and Latin. Perhaps her love for all things
foreign began during her studies abroad, first at the University of
Leeds in England and then a year at the University of Iceland after
graduating from UC Berkeley in 1995. Or maybe it has something to
do with her Swedish husband Gunnar Danell, to whom Kim has been
married for more than a year. The English graduate student who
specializes in medieval literature brings her foreign experiences
to the table when focusing on graduate student issues. Kim said
that one of her priorities is ensuring that international students
feel comfortable approaching GSA with any concerns that may have
developed as a result of the Sept. 11 attacks. According to Kim,
about 20 percent of the 10,000 graduate students at UCLA are
international students. “As a graduate student who had spent
two years studying abroad, I know how odd it can be at times if you
are a foreign citizen,” Kim said. GSA has planned a series of
seminars where international and domestic students can learn about
their rights if approached by law enforcement. The first workshop
is tentatively scheduled for mid-November. As vice president
internal, Kim chairs the Forum, or legislative body of GSA. Her
other duties include running the central office and promoting
internal issues on campus from academics to student welfare. This
year, Kim hopes to address issues of student funding, housing,
transportation, student health and social events. “(Graduate
students) hardly get a chance to interact,” said Kim.
“We are so engrossed in our own departments that it is very
rare for us to mingle at all.” Kim hopes the success of
GradBar and other social events will continue to foster
relationships among students across all departments.

Alain Dang

Vice president external Alain Dang Born and
raised in the Bay Area, vice president of external affairs Alain
Dang sometimes finds Southern California “high
maintenance” compared to its more “chill”
northern counterpart. “Sometimes when you’re going down
Bruin Walk, people are checking out what (others are)
sporting,” said Dang, who is pursuing a master’s in
urban planning. “It’s tiring ““ you always have to
worry about what you look like.” Designer labels and fashion
consciousness aside, Dang finds the student advocacy culture of
UCLA a promising forum to address graduate student issues.
“I’m definitely impressed with the culture of
UCLA,” Dang said. “A lot of the students here are
proactive and don’t just settle with what they are given
(but) often question authority and the system.” As vice
president of external affairs, Dang serves as the representative to
the University of California Student Association and UCLA Alumni
Association. Dang, who received his bachelor’s degree in
environmental analysis and design with a minor in Asian American
studies from UC Irvine in 2000, is not a stranger to student
advocacy. He served for two years on the Legislative Council at UC
Irvine and was named Student Advocate of the Year in 1996. Dang has
also co-chaired the Golden Pacific Region and National Asian
Pacific American Student Coalition. Dang is currently conducting
research on the formation of communities through online dating,
particularly among gay Asian Pacific Islander men. As a
representative of UCSA, Dang participates in addressing action
agenda issues that include divestment in prison spending,
investment on education and student housing. Admissions reform is
also at the forefront of UCSA’s agenda, which includes
increasing outreach efforts to underrepresented communities and
discussing the possibility of ending GRE and SAT requirements. Dang
said he also hopes to address hate crimes issues and the
possibility of racial profiling on campus. He believes UCLA and the
general public should become more inclusive, particularly of the
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. “Our
greatest strength is the diversity of our students here and that
everyone’s voice is welcomed and not silenced,” he
said. Dang is working with the School of Public Policy and Social
Research and the Asian Pacific Islander caucus to spearhead the
move to revive the Asian Pacific Islander Grad Student
Association.

CORRECTION: In “GSA cabinet works to
address graduate student concerns” (News, Oct. 18), it was
incorrectly stated that the Graduate Students Association is a
three-person cabinet, with the officers heading the GSA Forum. The
cabinet is comprised of 11 members ““ three officers and eight
appointees ““ and the officers report to the Forum but are not
voting members. Correction posted 10/22/01