The Undergraduate Students Association Council held its first meeting of December on Tuesday.

USAC is the official student government representing the undergraduate student body at UCLA. Council meetings are open to all students and take place in person at the Bruin Viewpoint room and on Zoom every Tuesday at 7 p.m. Students can find the links for the meetings on the agenda posted on the USAC website or watch a livestream on the USAC Live! channel on YouTube.

Public comment:

• No public comments were made.

Funding:

• The council allocated $4,129.33 from the Contingency Programming Fund to one USAC entity and 14 non-USAC entities.

• The council allocated $3,477 from the Bruin Advocacy Grant to three non-USAC entities.

• The council allocated $500 from the Academic Success Referendum Fund to one non-USAC entity.

• The council allocated $2,550 from Arts Restoring Community Referendum Fund to two non-USAC entities.

Special Presentations:

• The chair of the Associated Students UCLA Board of Directors and the chair of the board’s services committee discussed the expansion of ASUCLA’s CalFresh initiatives, student programming at Ackerman Union – including ASUCLA’s $5 Fridays –, collaboration with USAC to meet student needs, and collaboration with UCLA Housing and Dining to increase the value of meal swipes at ASUCLA-operated restaurants. The chair of the ASUCLA board of directors briefly mentioned a pilot program in progress to provide a meal plan to students living off-campus.

• Clara Castronovo, the statewide board chair for the California Public Interest Research Group, and other members of CALPIRG provided a “Year In Review” presentation. A CALPIRG member said the organization had provided class presentations to 8,700 students this year and added 1,300 new members who have paid their dues. Castronovo and other members also discussed CALPIRG’s 100% Clean Energy, New Voters Project, Save Our Seas, Hunger and Homelessness, Fast Fashion and Palos Verdes Blue Butterfly Initiative campaigns.

Appointment:

• The council appointed Iris Shi, a third-year economics student, as its budget review director.

Officer Reports:

• President Naomi Hammonds said she conducted interviews for a new UCPD chief, started interviews for the Dean of Students Search Committee, attended a meeting for the Chancellor Search Advisory Committee, attended a meeting with the Association of Big Ten Students and met with several student groups to discuss various concerns. She added that she is preparing for financial aid advocacy through the UCLA Chancellor’s Leadership, Innovation, Networking and Knowledge Program. She also said she would meet with other UC student presidents and UC President Michael Drake on Friday.

• Internal Vice President Megan Law said her office is planning logistics for the True Bruin Raise Awards Ceremony, and encouraged students to nominate an individual for the award who has helped another Bruin in crisis by Jan. 25. She added that she attended a meeting with the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and the UCLA chapter of End Overdose to discuss accessibility and training for overdose medications, and she is still working on action items related to the Sikh Heritage Month resolution passed by the council last month.

• External Vice President Eva Jussim said her office attended several local- and state-level lobby meetings and discussions about the Collegiate Recovery Program, which assists students in recovery from substance abuse. She added that her office is still searching for students to attend the UC Students of Color Conference in January.

• General Representative Katie Pool said her office will soon undertake initiatives to promote less well-known college sports, adding that members from her office attended last weekend’s NCAA men’s water polo Championship between UCLA and UC Berkeley.

• General Representative Gabrielle Lasry said she is in the process of creating a mental health resource fair to be launched during winter quarter.

• General Representative Jonathan Valenzuela Mejia said he will be meeting with administrators to discuss future steps for the Latinx Support Center and encouraged people to fill out the campuswide BruinCard survey. He added that he was told by an anonymous journalist at the Daily Bruin that they implore the Daily Bruin Editorial Board and the ASUCLA Communications Board to enforce their conflict of interest policy in a way that does not stifle journalistic voices or conflate ideology with identity.

• Campus Events Commissioner Mason Miller said he talked with Transfer Student Representative Thyra Cobbs about potential collaborations between his office and the Afrikan Student Union, which Cobbs chairs.

• Community Service Commissioner Chia Ying Wong said her office is collaborating with UNICEF and the UCLA Recreation Leadership Council for a donation drive in support of an upcoming holiday bazaar hosted by the International Rescue Committee.

• Cultural Affairs Commissioner Alicia Verdugo said her office is currently working with the Graduate Student Association to support the Palestinian and Muslim student bodies. She also condemned the firing of Daily Bruin journalist Sarah “Eli” Nachimson and called for an investigation into the Daily Bruin.

• Student Wellness Commissioner Jennis Kang said she discussed student wellness amid the Israel-Hamas conflict at the Student Wellness Commission Fall Town Hall.

• Cobbs said her office will be hosting multiple events and giveaways at the Transfer Student Center during finals week. She added that her office will be collaborating with International Student Representative Adam Tfayli’s office to host an event for international students.

• Tfayli said he met with Castronovo to discuss collaboration between his office and CALPIRG. He added that his office is still seeking interns and is continuing its work with the UC Student Association International Student Coalition.

Agenda discussion:

• The council voted unanimously, with one abstention, to endorse a UCLA commitment to 100% clean energy by 2035. Castronovo discussed the UC Office of the President’s current goal of 90% clean energy by 2045 and UCLA’s ongoing decarbonization study. She said the resolution uses the year 2035 as its goal because of student advocacy and feedback, adding that the resolution also encourages outreach via social media and town halls next quarter.