By Michaele Turnage
Daily Bruin Reporter
Members of the 2001-02 Undergraduate Students Association
Council took their seats for the first time Tuesday night during
the official installation ceremony.
Though the council was officially installed Tuesday, a ceremony
for family members will take place June 3 in the Kerckhoff Grand
Salon. Council was installed as soon as possible after the delayed
elections so that they could make council appointments.
“I’m excited because people are eager to work
together,” said newly- elected USAC President Karren Lane
after she called the meeting to order just before 11 p.m. “I
think we have an excellent council and I’m really excited to
do the work.”
After Gabriel Garcia, acting chief justice of the USA Judicial
Board, swore the council members into office, the council
immediately got down to business, going over staff reports and
planning for its summer retreat with the advice of older staff
members.
Outgoing members expressed nostalgia at seeing new members
conducting their first meeting.
Outgoing USAC President Elizabeth Houston, who is planning to go
on to law school and politics after finishing one or two more
quarters at UCLA, said she thinks the new council will do a good
job.
Houston, like other outgoing council members, has given the new
council advice on how to conduct work.
“I hope all the voices on council are respected and that
no opinion is stifled,” Houston said.
Outgoing External Vice President Elias Enciso, who said he will
be working with USAC through the EVP office next year, said he was
ecstatic about the new council.
“I am extremely proud and confident in my
successors’ abilities,” he said. “It’s so
good to know that we are being replaced by talented
people.”
A three-hour debate over a resolution for USAC to take a stance
on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict preceded the installation.
Members said it reinforced to the new council the urgency to unite
the campus.
“It really brought home to me that our responsibility is
uniting this campus,” said incoming Internal Vice President
Kennisha Austin.