The Undergraduate Students Association Council allocated more than $120,000 to student groups and appointed students to the USA Elections Board at its Jan. 20 meeting.

USAC is the official student government representing the undergraduate student body at UCLA. Council meetings are open to all students and usually 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:

• Leila Salam, a representative for the UCLA chapter of the California Public Interest Research Group – which advocates for the environment – said the group has 400 new potential members this quarter and hosted its quarterly kickoff meeting Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Dodd Hall 146. CALPIRG will also create signs and other activism-related artwork Thursday and Friday to support its advocacy work, Salam added. Salam said she encourages students interested in collaborating on campaigns to reach out.

• Marcus Gabby, a staffer in Internal Vice President Tommy Contreras’s office and Student Government Services said he wanted to introduce himself to increase SGS’s visibility within USAC.

Funding:

• The council allocated $54,687.29 from the USA/Board of Directors ASUCLA Programming Fund to three USAC entities and 47 non-USAC entities.

• The council allocated $16,446 from the Contingency Programming Fund to one USAC entity and 48 non-USAC entities.

• The council allocated $1,903.23 from the Student Wellness Commission Programming Fund to three non-USAC entities.

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

• The council allocated $2,856.57 from the Travel Grant Mini Fund to six non-USAC entities.

• The council allocated $46,094.63 from the Community Service Transportation Fund to six USAC entities and 32 non-USAC entities.

Special presentations

• Sofia Gevorgian, the USAC commuter liaison, shared updates on her ongoing work with the Financial Supports Commission. Gevorgian, a fourth-year Middle Eastern studies and political science student, said she is currently in communication with the Commuter Support Center to streamline the application and review process for commuter parking grants, which are set to be released later this quarter. She added that she is involved in discussions with UCLA Transportation regarding possible changes to discounted daily parking permits, which would involve prioritizing commuter students. Gevorgian also said she is working on a commuter buddy program and a “survival guide” for commuter students. UCLA needs more hybrid and virtual class options to better support students with long commutes or caretaking responsibilities, she added.

Appointments:

• The council appointed Sofia Gevorgian, the USAC commuter liaison, as the USA Elections Board’s director of investigations.

• The council appointed Kelly Truong, a fourth-year sociology student, as the USA Elections Board’s external relations director.

• The council appointed Carl Maier, a fourth-year political science student, as the USA Elections Board’s vice chair.

• The council appointed Joseph Serafino, a fourth-year environmental science student, to the Committee on LGBTQ Affairs.

Officer reports:

• President Diego Bollo said he encourages students to advocate for the Sepulveda Transit Corridor Alternative 5, which would create a heavy rail station at UCLA Gateway Plaza, at two upcoming events – a city hall meeting Wednesday and a Metro Board meeting Thursday. He added that students who wanted to attend the events could reach out to USAC for transportation information, as UCLA plans to provide a free bus to the Thursday event.

• Internal Vice President Tommy Contreras said his office is hosting a housing resource fair featuring student organizations and local landlords, with a date to be announced in the near future. He added that his office co-hosted a Latinx pre-law panel with Bollo, Academic Affairs Commissioner Cristopher Espino and the Latinx Pre-Law Association on Wednesday evening.

• External Vice President Sherry Zhou said in her written report that her office hosted a workshop for Senate Bill 79 – a bill approved in October, which legalized high-density, multi-family housing near transit stops. She added that her office is hosting a town hall and is preparing for seven upcoming state lobby days – including a Student Lobby Conference – and said applications to join any of the lobbying events are outlined in her report and due Jan. 30. She added that her office’s federal team is planning Hill Day in Washington, D.C. – an annual event in which UCLA student organizations bring members to Capitol Hill to lobby lawmakers for specific causes. Zhou added that the UC Board of Regents meeting will take place this week and promoted the Basic Needs Farmers Market on Feb. 12. She also said her office is finalizing logistics for the Students of Color Conference at UC Santa Barbara.

• General Representative Talia Davood said her office’s Apple AirPods and gift card raffle was a success, with winners announced on Instagram. Davood also said her office released a public transportation safety guide on Instagram, which highlights popular routes and safe onboarding locations throughout Los Angeles. She added that she is cohosting a self-defense class with UCLA’s chapter of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority Feb. 1 at 1 p.m.

• General Representative Jayha Buhs Jackson said her office is planning several events, including a student worker event and a financial literacy night. She also said she appointed a chair to the Southwest Asian and North African Health Alliance Lobby Day Committee. She added that her office is collaborating with the Cultural Affairs Commission and the Afrikan Student Union for a Black History Month kickoff event Feb. 11 at 6:30 p.m. in Bruin Plaza, featuring jazz music, food and drinks.

• General Representative Brett Berndt said in his written report that applications for the Student Homes Coalition interest form are open. He also said his office hosted a Senate Bill 79 panel earlier that day, adding that his office is working on several initiatives, including a distribution of tests that check for illicit substances in alcoholic drinks. He said his office will advocate at the UC Board of Regents January meeting for UC systemwide Campus Assault Resources and Education funding. He said in his report that his office is also collaborating with the Student Homes Coalition on housing survey efforts.

• Academic Affairs Commissioner Cristopher Espino said in his written report that his office finalized the model for a new ambassadorship pilot program in partnership with UCLA Housing and drafted a bylaw amendment proposal to formalize the program within the Registrar’s Office.

• Campus Events Commissioner Daniel Leal said his office recently held a successful indie rock concert and is hosting multiple events this week, including a movie screening and session in which students could interact with goats and sheep for stress relief in collaboration with Espino’s office. He also announced a screening of Sirāt – a film about a father and son’s journey into the Moroccan desert to search for their lost relative – which will air Monday at 6:30 p.m. at The Landmark Westwood in partnership with independent film distributor NEON. He added that this office will host a speaker event Feb. 3, weekly movie screenings throughout February and AfroFest – in collaboration with the Nigerian Student Association – March 1 from 2 to 6 p.m. in Wilson Plaza.

• Community Service Commissioner Edison Chua said his office is hosting a two-day event focused on houselessness advocacy Wednesday and Sunday. The first day, he said, will include a tabling event in Bruin Plaza from 2 to 5 p.m., featuring activities and a raffle. The second day, will include student volunteering opportunities across LA.

• Cultural Affairs Commissioner Divine Trewick said her office recently held a successful event featuring comedy performances and plans to host more comedy events in the future. She added that her office also launched its winter film festival and will host its first Teeny Desk concert Thursday at 7 p.m. in the CAC office. Trewick said upcoming programming includes an art and resistance gallery for next week’s Word on Wednesday and a Black Wednesday special with the Afrikan Student Union on Feb. 11 from 6 to 8:30 p.m., featuring open mic performances and live music. She said in her written report that the office is currently hiring new directors for Worldfest, Word on Wednesday and the social media team, with applications due Jan. 26 at 11:59 p.m. Applications for the Arts Restoring Community Fund are due Jan. 30, she added.

• Facilities Commissioner Joy Huang asked students to submit public comments via email in support of STC Modified Alternative 5 by Wednesday at 5 p.m. and before the Metro Board of Directors’ meeting Thursday. Huang added that students should attend the meeting in person and noted that USAC and Bruins for Better Transit members plan to speak during the 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. public comment period. She also said in her written report that her office is also gathering feedback on UCLA’s emergency communication through a student survey, with participants entered into a raffle for a free Owala water bottle.

• Financial Supports Commissioner Nico Morrone said his office is currently working on securing commuter parking permits for the upcoming spring quarter and invited other USAC offices to collaborate on commuter parking scholarships. He also said in his written report that the USA/BOD ASUCLA Programming Fund allocations have been finalized, adding that he emailed all USAC offices to initiate discussions on financial transparency.

• Student Wellness Commissioner Hannah Yip said Campus Assault Resources & Education will host sexual violence prevention certificate trainings Feb. 4, 11 and 18. She added that her office is planning a wellness and identity event for Week 7 and that she is seeking collaborators, especially from cultural and identity-based organizations, to co-host the event. Narcan break boxes – which are publicly accessible, wall-mounted storage for access to Narcan – have been installed in all residential buildings courtesy of the UCLA Arthur Ashe Student Health & Wellness Center, Yip said.

• Transfer Student Representative Hyerim Yoon said her office is hosting a transfer trivia night in collaboration with the Transfer Student Center on Thursday from 5 to 6 p.m. at Kerckhoff patio. She encouraged transfer students to apply for the Transfer Student Advocacy Day Steering Committee by Friday. Yoon also highlighted Transfer Bruin Week, which she said includes career workshops, a mentorship movie night, paint night and two major end-of-week celebrations: the Great Gatsby Transfer Formal at 7 p.m. and the Snowflakes and Sneakers Transfer Ball from 4 to 7 p.m.

• International Student Representative Keya Tanna said her office met with leadership from the UCLA Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars and members of the Graduate Students Association to discuss international student representation and explore GSA’s involvement in upcoming programming. She announced the Student Leadership Series will begin Feb. 13 and that her office is launching a monthly international student advocacy series in February. Tanna also encouraged people to submit their work to Echoes, the office’s international student writing initiative. Tanna said in her written report that she attended the Office Space Allocation Committee and Students of Color Conference orientations to prepare for upcoming student engagement and advocacy efforts.

Agenda items:

• There were no agenda items during the meeting.