USAC open house draws few students
By Hilaire Fong
Oct. 8, 2002 9:00 p.m.
Correction appended
Though some students attended the undergraduate student
government’s open house on Tuesday, others decided not to
come or were not even aware of the event.
“It certainly wasn’t overwhelming,” said
General Representative Adam Harmetz, referring to the student
turnout.
The Undergraduate Students Association Council opened up the
doors to its offices on the third and fourth floors of Kerckhoff
Hall, offering students free food and an opportunity to ask
questions about the council.
“The purpose of open house was to introduce students to
the structure of student government,” said USAC President
David Dahle.
To publicize the event, all USAC members took turns on Monday
passing out flyers on Bruin Walk, said Community Service
Commissioner Suzanne Yu.
But first-year Spanish and psychology student Ryan McDonnell did
not get the flyer, though he is interested in USAC.
“If I got a flyer I probably would have gone,” he
said.
Last year USAC advertised more, said Melvin Santiago, assistant
commissioner for the community service commission.
Councilmembers said they could have done a better job recruiting
new USAC staffers.
“Our efforts can be definitely better,” said
External Vice President Chris Neal. “We didn’t give 100
percent at all in recruiting.”
If USAC planned the open house earlier, it could have gotten
more people there, Neal said.
Other officers recognized the lack of notice to students but
said they are working to better the situation.
“Up to this point, publicity hasn’t been that great,
but it can always improve,” said Robbie Clark, cultural
affairs commissioner.
The cultural affairs commission is going to have an event third
or fourth week to hand out applications, likely in the residence
halls, Clark said.
The community service commission will continue to use flyers,
banners, sandwich boards, and word of mouth to let students know
about the organization, Yu said. She added that her office will
collaborate with other organizations to create bigger and better
programs to get students involved in the organization.
Fifth-year linguistics and computer science student Michael
Biener said he did not know about the open house and does not know
what USAC is.
He might have gone if he knew what it stood for, he said.
Other students found out about the open house on their own,
without the help of advertisements about the event.
“I knew about the open house today, only because my office
is on the same floor,” said Amy Blackwood, a fourth-year
history student and director of the Best Buddies program.
However, much of the student body just isn’t interested in
its student government.
Fourth-year psychology student Pouya Bozorgchami said he did not
know about the open house, but probably would not have gone
anyway.
Current staffers for USAC who responded to the open house in
past years want to counter the apathetic attitude many
undergraduates have toward their student government, saying their
involvement can make a difference on campus.
“USAC wants (students’) help,” said
fourth-year psychology student Vanessa Fontaine, a staffer in the
student welfare commission. “Students do not realize what
impact they could make.”
With reports from Shane Nelson, Daily Bruin Contributor, and
Robert Salonga, Daily Bruin Senior Staff.
