Westwood Neighborhood Council seeks bigger voter turnout in second-ever election

The Westwood Neighborhood Council, which is responsible for providing events and services for the local community, is gearing up for elections in October.

The council is comprised of 19 board members who represent various communities in the Westwood area, from Santa Monica Boulevard to Sunset Boulevard and from Beverly Glen Boulevard to Sepulveda Boulevard, said Roxane Stern, a member of the council’s formation committee. The board works with community outreach and beautification projects and functions as a platform for local communities to voice their concerns about what is happening in their neighborhood.

The upcoming elections, on Oct. 28, are the first since the board was inaugurated two years ago. Unlike the previous elections, which were held in the summer, the most recent round will be held while UCLA is in session. Members of the council hope the change in date will increase student involvement, Stern said. All UCLA students, staff and faculty can vote in the election.

Within the board, there are four seats designated for people who rent a house or apartment, as well as four seats for homeowners and four seats for business owners.

Any UCLA student, staff or faculty can run for a seat on the council. The council also has one seat designated for an undergraduate or graduate UCLA student and one designated faculty seat.

Currently, three UCLA students, all of whom are planning to run for re-election, sit on the council, Stern said.

Michael Stajura, a doctoral student in the UCLA School of Public Health, holds a seat that represents renters in Westwood. He said his involvement on the council has allowed him to put what he learns in the classroom into practice.

Stajura studies how communities react to disasters. Because of his position on the Westwood Neighborhood Council, he has worked with local fire departments in the council to promote Westwood’s resilience to disaster like earthquakes.

Although the vote will take place during the school year, Stajura said there is still a possibility that the elections will not garner maximum participation from students.

The vote is taking place on the weekend before Halloween and many students might not prioritize local elections during a holiday, Stajura said.

The walk out to the Westwood Recreation Center at 1350 South Sepulveda Blvd. is too far to entice fourth-year sociology student Jarrad Lee to go out to vote. Lee doesn’t have a car to get to the polling station, he said.

“If the vote was in the Village or if (the council) was more well known, I think more students would go,” he said.

Regardless of how many Bruins cast a vote, the council will continue its work with the local community.

Stajura hopes more advertisements of the council and the new voting date will bring more students to the polls.

“UCLA students are affected by the election because it determines what is happening in their community,” Stern said. “People at UCLA are the kinds of people we want to be involved in the process.”

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