Assistant News Editor JJ Yang sat down with the three general representatives of the Undergraduate Students Association Council to talk about programming and advocacy efforts they’re implementing.
Daily Bruin: What does a general representative do?
Monica Kohles: According to the bylaws, the general representative addresses the general needs of the campus.
Each year the general needs of the campus change. Last year was mental health, but this year it’s sustainability. We tailor the needs every year to meet the campus.
Natalie Gonzalez: The great things about this position are you get the opportunity to assess what the needs are of the students and you find ways how you can represent the needs of the students.
James Birks: Gen. rep. is there for programming, providing outlets for the general campus to get involved in student government. For me, I’m working on health and wellness for the student body, including alternative style of medicine and different things of that sort. We’re also teaming up with the Academic Affairs office and hosting speakers about social justice issues.
DB: So what specific programs are you guys working on?
MK: I’m working on a viewing party for the football game on Saturday at the new Cooperage with the new big screen television. I’m also working to dispel common misconceptions regarding UCLA’s rules and regulations. For example, during my first year I didn’t know you had to be enrolled in discussion section to be enrolled in the class.
NG: The overarching theme is student engagement. The biggest thing right now would be expanding the alternative spring break program, working with on-campus housing to engage more students and create a larger program to work with faculty to establish a Spring Capstone Component. Students would go to a location and engage in a community, then come back in the spring and work with faculty to teach other students about the needs of the community.
JB: I sit on the United States Student Association to bring national campaigns on campus. We’re specifically going to be working on the Equal Opportunity Act in Colorado right now, which is similar to Prop. 209 in California. It eliminated the use of race in the application process. I personally didn’t support Prop 209, it was detrimental to the diversity here on campus.
DB: What motivated you to run for general representative?
NG: The flexibility of the position, really finding ways to bring to light all the strengths that I have and finding ways to be a part of the council and still have the opportunity to set aside my own agendas and projects. I worked in the gen. rep. office last year and it’s a really great way to make a difference on campus. It’s a way to be involved to be a piece of the puzzle that makes changes on campus.
MK: Originally, I ran for general representative for similar reasons as Natalie. I saw the position as being flexible. I ran for student government because I felt I understood student needs and I felt I had the motivation to actively and efficiently address those needs. As an orientation and Peer Line counselor I can gauge what students were going through.
JB: My sophomore year I was in the gen. rep. office as a staff member. Just getting involved with USAC and the process got me initially interested. From there, wanting to continue to be involved within student government and bring forth change. I wasn’t too happy with last year’s council and things that were being done. That’s what pretty much motivated me.
DB: Natalie and Monica, you two are the only two Bruins United slate members in a predominately Students First! slate. Do you encounter opposition to a lot of programs you try to implement?
MK: (I encounter difficulties) in the Appointment Review Committee mostly. Whenever I feel a candidate is unqualified it’s usually just Natalie and myself and a couple of independents that would vote against the candidate. It’s hard to effectively make changes when they have such a strong majority, We’ll continue to voice our concerns and vote in a way to most effectively address student needs.
NG: Last week’s Office Space Allocation Committee Guidelines changes slipped under the table. I disagreed and even though I addressed my concerns, the issue is closed. As far as the voting goes, we can discuss all we want, but there’s a lot of limitations that exist.
DB: Natalie, your campaign platforms included having students more involved with Westwood and beyond through programs like expanding Bruin Perks. What is that and how successful have you been?
NG: It’s all in the idea of engaging students in the local community. If you go to a place like Berkeley you really get a sense that it’s a college town. We have this really great Westwood Village, to have students really expand out. We have our proposal set for Bruin Perks. What we need to do is start setting up a list of all the different businesses we will go to, get people motivated to go out and motivate the businesses.
DB: Monica you wanted a Westwood Apartments Online Review where landlords, facilities and rent would be ranked in an online database. What’s the status of that?
MK: Right now, we’re looking at the legal issues behind it. Our goal is to go through Bruinwalk.com. They have a housing section on Bruinwalk.com but it’s not developed. Our database would have the same kind of format where users can rank apartments and that would be the most cost efficient.
DB: James, USAC is increasingly going online and as part of your platform you suggested a Bruin-Wiki connection. What’s the status of that?
JB: Right now it’s moving forward. It’s not just my staff, but it’s the Internal Vice President’s office and the Bruin Paws office; we have all been working together. Right now we have the layout, the design of the Web site set forth and currently we are databasing information for different student groups. Hopefully it will officially be up next quarter.
DB: You also suggested “Bruins Awake! Solution Series” to educate, reflect and act on “pertinent issues” ““ how’s that going?
JB: Natalie also has a social justice speaker series going on. Right now I’m contemplating whether I want to do my own or collaborate so we don’t have four or five speaker series going on at the same time. There are talks of getting Antwone Fisher.