Thirteen rose bouquets marked the transition to a new undergraduate student government after the outgoing council’s last meeting, which ended Wednesday after midnight.
But the incoming officers had to wait to be sworn in until outgoing councilmembers finished their last hours in office.
Outgoing USAC President Gabe Rose used his last meeting to put forth a motion to lift an injunction from the Student Judicial Board.
The injunction prevents council from voting on office space allocations due to a pending case against Rose, outgoing Facilities Commissioner Sherlyn Mossahebfar and Office Space Allocation Committee Chairwoman Neilda Pacquing.
The case, put forth by outgoing Cultural Affairs Commissioner Bernice Shaw and former Internal Vice President Gregory Cendana, accuses the defendants of undermining office space allocation procedures by holding meetings with Bruins United councilmembers and leaving out independents and Students First! affiliates on council.
Despite lengthy discussion, however, the council voted against lifting the injunction, 7-4 with one abstention.
Rose said he did not want the injunction to prevent the outgoing council from having a say in office space allocation, and that councilmembers should not ignore the months of work the Office Space Allocation Committee put into resolving the issue.
“Ignoring all their work is foolish and shirks our responsibility as council,” Rose said during the meeting.
Other councilmembers, all of them from Rose’s Bruins United slate, supported overturning the injunction because they said they felt their work on the allocation process should not be handed over to the incoming council.
But others around the council table, made up of independents and Students First! affiliates, maintained that the allocation process had been flawed.
Administrative and alumni representatives also cautioned against a council vote bypassing Judicial Board.
“To allow this legislation to get in front of the judicial process before this case goes to court is questionable and risky,” said administrative alternate Rick Tuttle.
After the politically charged vote on the injunction, USAC voted to reappoint student representative Michael Rafail to the Associated Students UCLA Communications Board.
Rafail had to leave his board position earlier this year because of what he maintained was a clerical error concerning his grades. He was reinstated by a council vote of 10-1 with one abstention.
The outgoing council ended its meeting with several hours of speeches in which they reminisced about the past year and praised others who were on and off the table.
Many officers offered advice for incoming leaders. Some said new officers must pay attention to student issues and ensure fairness and transparency.
Outgoing councilmembers also emphasized that the new officers must not divide themselves along slate lines and should remember their positions as representatives of the entire UCLA student body.
After hours of sharing memories and thanks, the outgoing councilmembers adjourned their meeting, and the incoming council was sworn in amid loud applause.
The new officers took their seats after taking their oath.
Cendana handed roses to each incoming councilmember on behalf of campus slate Students First!
Incoming President Homaira Hosseini called her first meeting to order, during which a number of appointments were made, and the new council discussed plans for their installation ceremony.
Afterward, Hosseini said she plans to follow the advice given by outgoing councilmembers and hopes the new council will rise above slate politics.
“I’m confident that we will focus on the issues,” Hosseini said. “My main goal for council is to accomplish everything we promised.”
As Hosseini carried her roses and the ceremonial presidential gavel out of the council chambers, she said she felt excited after her first meeting.
“I can definitely get used to this,” Hosseini said, laughing.