GSA forum approves over $10,000 for resource center

The Graduate Student Association discussed ways to improve
graduate student life by advocating for a more social environment
and a more affordable education, at their monthly forum Wednesday
in the Kerckhoff Grand Salon.

Resource Center Without opposition or
abstention, a motion was passed to allocate over a $10,000 budget
to create the future Graduate Student Resource Center. The center
would serve as a lounge for all graduate students to interact and
socialize as well as a venue for resources students may not
otherwise have. The budget for the center was proposed by Alma
Martinez, the director of the Graduate Student Resource Center.
Many graduate students are responding positively to the concept of
the creation of a social center. “There’s no mode of
interaction now,” said Jeff Jeneczko, a graduate student from
the UCLA School of Arts and Architecture. He added that the center
would be positive in promoting social interaction. As a first-year
law student, Iryll Yumel said she currently has a busy schedule,
but the social center poses as a great idea for future quarters.
First-year economics graduate student Michael Nowothy also sees the
creation of the center as a place where a variety of students can
share ideas. “In graduate school you want to do research.
It’s interesting to see how other subjects influence each
other. New ideas come from other subjects,” Nowothy said.

GradBars GradBars are monthly social events for
graduate students with food, music, dancing and drinks. Another
motion passed to promote socialization was the allocation of
$11,000 for the 2003-2004 Graduate Student Interaction Budget. The
budget includes $8,000 for seven GradBars to be held throughout the
course of the year, and $2,100 for the UCLA/USC GradBar to be held
in December. The last $900 is to be allocated to cultural and
recreational programming, which includes various events such as
museum receptions and hikes. Many graduate students find GradBars
to be good social opportunities. “Forming a community with
other graduate students, and hanging out, and having fun in a
non-academic setting would be a good option,” Yumel said.

Higher Education Act GSA has recently been
driven to lobby for education rights for graduate students in
Washington, D.C. President Hanish Rathod and Vice President of
External Affairs Laura Sanchez went to Washington, D.C., last week
to lobby for the Higher Education Affordability and Equity Act. The
purpose of the act is to implement ways to make graduate education
more affordable for students. Rathod said he hoped to create an
impact by dispelling two myths about graduate students: that they
are rich and do not need assistance; and that since graduate
education is a luxury, it does not deserve as much funding as
undergraduate education.