GSA packs Brew Co. for karaoke night

As graduate students mingled with one another, candidates for the upcoming Graduate Students Association elections were able to interact with them in a relaxed setting Thursday night at Westwood Brewing Company.

Free drinks for the first 100 attendees and a karaoke machine helped soften the atmosphere, allowing students from various fields of study to meet others outside their departments.

More than 200 students, whose fields of study ranged from computer science to law, attended GSA’s “Rock the Vote” event.

“It’s great to see this many graduate students out,” said Ryan Roberts, candidate for internal vice president.

The event also allowed students to wind down from their studies and upcoming exams.

Medical student Jessica Enman found the event a way to break free of her “bubble.”

“We don’t have time to worry about much else,” Enman said, citing her heavy workload. “The hospital is like an island.”

Others also said the opportunity to socialize trumped the political aspect of the event.

“For me, it’s a social event. I’m a first-year, and I don’t know what works and what needs to be changed,” said Olivera Grujic, a computer science graduate student.

But GSA candidates were still able to spread the word about their campaigns.

Monica Sanchez, currently running for external vice president, passed out fliers campaigning on behalf of presidential candidate Jamal Madni’s slate, or campus political party.

Sanchez said “Rock the Vote” was an opportunity to inform the students about the candidates and their platforms.

As students took turns singing on the karaoke machine over the booming bass of the music, candidates still found time to speak to the students.

Neda Jahanshad, a candidate for vice president of Academic Affairs, said the night was just as much for the students as it was for her.

“I’m here to see what they want,” Jahanshad said.

Despite the casual setting, some brought up issues facing graduate students. Among the primary concerns was housing, which for many is difficult and expensive to obtain.

Smitha Prabhuswamy, a UCLA law student, said she feels the current housing policy, under which students in certain departments receive priority, makes living in university housing almost impossible.

Prabhuswamy currently rents an apartment but says it’s expensive, especially with the cost of law school tuition.

Students hoped the graduate student candidates would be able to address the situation.

Among other concerns was the lack of communication between graduate departments.

John Choi, a law student who did not attend the event, said GSA should provide more opportunities for graduate students to interact.

Choi said his undergraduate experience at UCLA felt more unified compared to his graduate years in law. He said communication among departments seemed more difficult in graduate school.

“People don’t complain about it much,” he said. “It’d be nice to get to know other folks. It’d be a nice benefit.”

While the division between departments was not as evident during “Rock the Vote,” it was still an issue for some students.

Leslie Mahley, a law student who did not attend, said GSA should make an effort to rally students around political and UC-oriented issues. She said such a move would help to bring graduate students together.

Such issues would have to be addressed in the upcoming week before voting takes place April 15-22 via MyUCLA.

In the meantime, informal events such as “Rock the Vote” allow candidates to meet and greet students and encourage them to vote.

Overall, the opportunity to socialize was appreciated by students and candidates and alike.

“I’m in a small lab. … I’ve never seen so many grad students together. It’s nice to see other grad students having a good time,” Jahanshad said.