Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name
““Â but that’s not what UCLA’s undergraduate
student government is doing tonight with its meeting on the
Hill.
Few students who live in the dorms know what the Undergraduate
Students Association Council is, and even fewer care about what
they do.
Student apathy is what the council is trying to tackle.
Hosted by the On Campus Housing Council, USAC will conduct their
weekly general meeting jointly with the OCHC weekly meeting in the
De Neve Plaza Room tonight.
Departing from its familiar surroundings of a small conference
room in Kerckhoff Hall, USAC will invade the De Neve meeting room
in an attempt to reach out to its constituents on the Hill, said
Adam Harmetz, USAC general representative and former OCHC
chairman.
First- and second-year students constitute a large part of the
campus, Harmetz said, adding that they often question what USAC
does.
“A large part of what we do is the meeting,” Harmetz
said.
Many councilmembers agreed the meeting on the Hill will provide
an opportunity for residents in the dorms to voice their concerns
to council.
“Our objective is to get the student body to get involved
in their government,” said USAC Internal Vice President T.J.
Cordero.
“Hopefully, they will take the time to stop by and ask
questions, and we’ll get to meet students,” Cordero
said.
The meeting will begin with a presentation by the OCHC in which
they will move to approve a resolution against any housing fee
increases, said OCHC Chairwoman Michelle Sivert.
OCHC will then hand the floor over to USAC President David
Dahle, who will conduct the meeting as usual, according to an
e-mail Harmetz sent out to all councilmembers.
Harmetz added that passing a similar resolution against a
housing fee increase tops the USAC agenda.
“There’s more to being a student than just the
tuition,” Harmetz said, referring to the importance of USAC
passing the resolution.
“It’s USAC’s way of supporting OCHC’s
efforts,” Harmetz said.
Following a vote on the resolution, the council will take a
brief recess to talk to students, Cordero said.
A discussion on a new University of California president is
scheduled to occur in closed session at the end of the meeting.
Another objective of the meeting is to better communication
between the the two councils, Sivert said.
“Its a good way to get more of a collaborative effort
between the two groups,” she said.
Harmetz also stressed the importance of USAC’s liaison
with OCHC.
“I am aware of how important (OCHC’s) voice is to
the community … It’s important to have relations with
them,” he said.
The two councils also made a joint effort in advertising the
meeting by posting flyers and posters in the dorms, Harmetz
said.