Bradley International Center now underway
Multimillion-dollar Bradley complex to house international
students’ services
By Julie Ann Silva
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
In keeping with its theme of campus diversity, UCLA broke ground
last month, commencing the construction of Tom Bradley
International Student Center  the product of over 12 years of
planning and effort.
The 42,000 square foot facility will stand at the corner of
Gayley Avenue and Strathmore Drive next to Dykstra Hall. Planners
expect the $10.5 million building, which will house a variety of
support services for international members of the UCLA community,
to be completed in May of 1996.
Bradley, a former Los Angeles mayor and UCLA alumnus, became the
Center’s namesake in recognition of his success in transforming
L.A. into a city of international importance, said Janet Gong,
special assistant for development to Winston Doby, the vice
chancellor of student affairs .
"I feel honored to be a part of this center, because UCLA has
been a major influence in my life," Bradley said at last month’s
dedication. "I have always viewed the university as a special place
of opportunity for students to develop their full potential,
regardless of their background."
The primary organization to be run out of the new facility is
the Rita and Stanley Dashew International Student Center  a
volunteer-based organization, which sponsors social and cultural
events for both American and international students. The
administrative offices were formally housed on Hilgard Avenue, and
were sold to help fund Bradley Center construction.
"The overall goal (of the Center) is to get American students
and foreign students to meet each other and discuss issues with
each other and learn about each others countries," said Stanley
Dashew, chairman of the International Student Center Board of
Directors.
Over 7,000 international students, scholars and faculty members
hailing from 110 nations study and teach at UCLA.
"Students that are graduating from UCLA have as much need to
know about the other 110 countries as they need to know about us,"
Dashew said. "Rita and I felt that it was an important way of
fostering world peace. If people get to know one another they don’t
fight one another," he added.
Planners said locating the Bradley Center near the residence
halls will increase interaction between American and international
students.
"The whole purpose of having it there is so students can come in
and meet other students," Dashew said. The meeting rooms,
conference rooms and coffeehouse will be accessible to all
students.
"The location and space will be heaven sent," said Larry Gower,
executive director of the International Student Center and director
of the Office for International Students and Scholars.
For the past 33 years, UCLA has contracted the student’s
center’s staff to provide services such as orientation programs for
new students, social groups for the spouses of international
students and English language and conversation classes. This
partnership saves the university at least $200,000 a year, Gower
said.
"The university would be spending this money anyway but the
money is better used because of the (Center’s) many volunteers,"
Dashew said.
UCLA’s office for International Students and Scholars will also
operate in the new facility. The office functions to aid foreign
students with visas, work permits and other academic matters.
Other components of the Bradley Center include a conference
center, UCLA catering operations and an international cafe. Also
planned for the facility is a display area featuring memorabilia
collected during Bradley’s two decades as mayor and 52 years of
public service.
"There will also be studio space for ethnic dances and
exhibitions of international art," Gong said.
Private donations and fundraising by the student center form the
project’s primary funding source totalling more than $6 million,
Gower said.
About $4.3 million for the project will be funded by the
university in the form of housing bonds, he added, stressing that
no part of students’ fees will go towards the project.
While their money may not be at stake, some students oppose
beginning another construction project on campus.
"Why don’t they concentrate all of their workers on one building
at a time instead of 50? When they’re finished with one building,
they can move onto the next and so on," said first-year art student
Ann Sniffin.
Students also questioned whether the construction site will add
noise distractions.
Other ranking concerns among the UCLA community included the
removal of the trees which once covered the area and the potential
noise from the construction site adjacent to the residence
halls.
But planners assured that those considerations had been taken
into account.
"We recognize the value of these trees and we’re doing as much
to save them as possible," said Dean Perton, lead project manager
with Capital Programs for the Bradley Center.
During the initial stages of construction, 25 trees have been
uprooted and relocated to make way for the facility.
Six trees were moved to the south side of Dykstra, Perton
explained. The remaining 19 have been relocated to the project
perimeter along Gayley. The trees range from 60 to 80 feet in
height.
"A new tree will be planted for every one which must be
destroyed," he added.
Noise problems, however, are not as easily solved.
"Construction is unfortunately a noise producing activity,"
Perton said. But precautions such as noise level restrictions and
location of equipment are being taken to minimize noise, he
added.
From now through spring, construction hours will be 7 a.m. to 6
p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.