USAC recap – April 21

The Undergraduate Students Association Council allocated more than $150,000 in excess funding to student organizations at its April 21 meeting.

USAC is the official student government representing the undergraduate student body at UCLA. Council meetings are open to all students and usually take place in person at the Bruin Viewpoint Room and on Zoom every Tuesday at 7 p.m. Students can find the links for the meetings on the agenda posted on the USAC website or watch a livestream on the USAC Live! channel on YouTube.

Public comment:

• Konani Chinn, a third-year world arts and cultures student who sold art and shirts at last year’s JazzReggae Festival, a Cultural Affairs Commission concert, said the event helped her make more sales and she donated her profits to a local organization.
• Jonah Lachs, a second-year music student, said the JazzReggae Festival, first held in 1986, has a long history at UCLA. He added that USAC should provide financial support for the event to ensure UCLA students can participate in it.
• Savannah Chow, a second-year physiological science student, said the JazzReggae Festival fosters an inclusive environment for students.
• Chelsey Williams, a fourth-year economics student, said the JazzReggae Festival felt like home and allowed her to learn more about music, meet new people and connect with her culture.
• Ariana Muniz-Austin, a third-year physiological science student, said the JazzReggae Festival fosters community outside UCLA and allows people from all walks of life to connect through music. She added that the festival allows students to engage in the True Bruin Value of service.
• Bridget Lang, a third-year psychobiology student, said the festival promotes peace and social justice. She added that the JazzReggae Festival allowed her to take a break from her academics and created a safe space to celebrate culture and diversity.
• Wyatt Lewis, a third-year psychobiology student and the outreach director for the JazzReggae Festival, said the event offers students a unique opportunity to experience a multicultural music festival. He alleged that budget cuts and funding difficulties have made it difficult for organizers to hold the music festival. Lewis said surplus funding would support the longevity of the event.
• Khala Miller, a third-year psychology student and member of the outreach team for the JazzReggae Festival, said the event allowed her to create meaningful connections and memories.
• Roan Maguire-Shashoua, a second-year mechanical engineering student, said he enjoyed the JazzReggae Festival and believes USAC should allocate more funding toward the event.
• Max Hernandez, a third-year public affairs student and a staff member for the Student Housing Committee in the Transfer Student Representative’s office, said he supports the Bruin Parenting Scholars’ Bruin Family & Friends Day event. He added that the event aims to make higher education accessible for people from underrepresented backgrounds.
• Neha Suri, a third-year economics and political science student and the director of the Student Housing Committee for the Transfer Student Representative’s Office, said she also supports the Bruin Family & Friends Day event. She added that the event creates community for students with dependents and provides information on housing for transfer students.
• Cameron Turner, a fourth-year international development studies and political science student, said the JazzReggae Festival promotes community on campus and has positively impacted many students.
• Chizi Oranu, a fourth-year psychology student, said the JazzReggae Festival is a community-centered music festival that inspired her to join the event committee. She added that securing surplus funding is important to ensure the development of the festival.
• Patience Akok, a fourth-year human biology and society student, said the JazzReggae Festival gave her a tight-knit community as an out-of-state student and served as her creative outlet.
• Ryan Buchanan, a fourth-year materials science and engineering student who has volunteered for the JazzReggae Festival for three years, said the festival brings diverse student organizations together, including fashion and environmental justice groups. He added that the JazzReggae Festival allows students to experience different cultures, art mediums and professional pathways.
• Yosan Aloula, a fourth-year student, said the JazzReggae Festival cultivated community and sets UCLA apart from other universities.
• Amerie Samuels, a third-year neuroscience student, said the JazzReggae Festival has positively influenced UCLA students and alumni. She added that the event brings students and local businesses together and fosters collaboration and connection.
• Mitch de Guzman, the internal vice president of Samahang Pilipino, said more than 300 members produced the Samahang Pilipino culture night, an annual student-run Filipino cultural performance. De Guzman said the event has become increasingly inaccessible for the organization’s members because of rising venue costs.
• Lindsey Sambilay, the Samahang Pilipino administrative coordinator, said members will use Samahang Pilipino’s surplus funding to directly support programming that helps Filipino students feel seen at UCLA.
• Ava Beall, a Samahang Pilipino intern, said that a lack of funding impacted the organization’s ability to execute events. She added that members often work for long hours and use their personal funds to support club programming.
• Aidan Nangpi, a member of the Pilipino Transfer Student partnership, which supports Filipino transfer students, said a lack of direct funding for the organization has placed strain on the planning and execution of annual events, including the Student Empowerment Networking Day. He added that he hopes USAC provides more funding to PTSP and other transfer student organizations.
• Jericho Tran-Faypon, a fourth-year student and member of Anakbayan UCLA, said USAC should meet with Samahang Pilipino to discuss back pay for the organization’s student outreach, access and retention programs.
• Leily Eghbali, a second-year English and psychology student, said the JazzReggae Festival celebrated diverse music genres and underrepresented communities. She added that continual investment in the music festival directly supports UCLA students.
• Graciela Pandy, a third-year cognitive science and labor studies student and the co-chief of staff of the Cultural Affairs Commission, said the JazzReggae Festival represents diverse cultures and fosters community.
• Savannah Hunt, a third-year human biology and society student and a member of the JazzReggae Festival organization, said the festival helped her engage with her culture and explore others through food, art, music and dance.
• Mika Webster-Longin, a second-year history and sociology student and member of the Cultural Affairs Commission, said she hopes the JazzReggae Festival continues to create community for students after her time at UCLA.
• Lindsay Land, a fourth-year computational and systems biology student and the co-director of JazzReggae Festival, said the festival makes her feel at home on campus as an international student.
• A student criticized USAC’s letter in response to the April 14 event hosting Omer Shem Tov, a former Israeli hostage captured by Palestinian political party and militant group Hamas. He added that he believes uplifting Shem Tov’s story did not invalidate other people’s perspectives and experiences.
• A student condemned USAC’s response to the event hosting Shem Tov. He added that he hopes USAC supports both Palestinian and Jewish students.
• Jolene Buenaventura, a Samahang Pilipino Education and Retention peer counselor, said the organization needs additional funding to expand its counseling services for Filipino students. She added that the organization aims to achieve a 100% retention rate for Filipino students.
• Reuben Broudy, a third-year political science student, said he believes USAC’s letter condemning Shem Tov’s campus visit creates a polarizing environment on campus.
• Maayan Goldman, an organizer of the Shem Tov event, said the event was student-led and unaffiliated with UCLA. She added that she believes USAC’s response to the event was inappropriate and dismissive.
• Sofia Bronshteyn, who organized the Shem Tov event, said she believes USAC failed to properly represent the student body by condemning the event. She added that USAC should be open to all perspectives and promote dialogue.
• Amit Cohen, a student, said he felt ashamed of USAC after seeing USAC officers vote to publish a letter condemning the event featuring Shem Tov.
• Daniella Abbott, a third-year sociology student, alleged that USAC violated UCLA’s non-discrimination policy by condemning the event hosting Shem Tov.
• Javier Nuñez-Verdugo, who was USAC’s external vice president during the 2024-25 academic year, alleged that the event featuring Shem Tov created a harmful environment. They also alleged that UCLA routinely silenced pro-Palestinian speech and disregarded the experiences of Palestinian students.
• Noam Lazarov, a first-year cognitive student, said he believes USAC’s letter criticizing the event featuring Shem Tov promoted a one-sided narrative.
• Arya Naeim, a fourth-year political science student, alleged that UCLA allowed antisemitism on campus and expressed disapproval of the Cultural Affairs Commission’s October 2023 Instagram post in support of Palestinian liberation.
• Shira Berukhim, a second-year psychobiology student, said she was disappointed in USAC’s response to the Shem Tov event. She added that the event was not meant to be political.
• Jeanneth Chavez, a third-year transfer student parent and member of Bruin Parenting Scholars, said she wants USAC to allocate more funding toward the Bruin Family & Friends Field Day. She added that the event is a critical resource for parenting students.
• Savana Styles, a fourth-year economics student, said the JazzReggae Festival has allowed her to make an impact on students through music genres with cultural, historical and social significance.
• Tariq Ali, a third-year art student, said attending JazzReggae Festival was an annual tradition for him while growing up and as a student at UCLA. He added that the event provided him community as a Caribbean-American student.
• Abby Hamid, a fourth-year history student who helped organize the event featuring Shem Tov, said the event allowed students to engage in respectful dialogue with Jewish community members. She added that students should be able to talk about social issues without fear of censorship.

Funding:

• The council allocated $8,907.63 from the Contingency Programming Fund to two USAC entities and 48 non-USAC entities.
• The council allocated $7,065.49 from the Supplemental Fund for Service to three USAC entities and 12 non-USAC entities.
• The council allocated $227.90 from the Student Wellness Commission Programming Fund to two non-USAC entities.
• The council allocated $2,000 from the Academic Success Referendum Fund to four non-USAC entities.
• The council allocated $2,282 from the Academic Affairs Commission Travel Mini-Grant to five non-USAC entities.
• The council allocated $1,681.74 from the Arts Restoring Community Fund to one non-USAC entity.
• The council allocated $38,455.84 from The Green Initiative Fund to four USAC entities and five non-USAC entities.

Officer reports:

• President Diego Bollo did not update his written report.
• Internal Vice President Tommy Contreras said his office is planning the Festival of Unity and the USAC Gala. He added that USAC will provide further announcements about the events. Contreras said the Instagram post for the office’s upcoming bracelet-making event is available on his office’s account.
• External Vice President Sherry Zhou said her office successfully hosted Bruin Lobby Day and held additional identity-based lobby days throughout mid-April. She added that Assembly Constitutional Amendment 18, which would increase the number of voting students on the UC Board of Regents from one to two, is passing through the Assembly Committee on Higher Education, and the hearing would take place April 28.
• General Representative Talia Davood said in her written report that her office is collaborating with UCLA Catalyst, a UCLA student-led STEM publication, to promote the group’s professional development case competition. Davood added that she is collaborating with a housing company to create a more streamlined off-campus housing support initiative. She also said her office is working with WAZO, a student-run peer mentorship program, to bring back a mental health event.
• General Representative Jayha Buhs Jackson said in her written report that the April 17 In-District Lobby Day was a success. She added that her office is working on a newsletter and transparency report for winter quarter, which will be released soon.
• General Representative Brett Berndt said in his written report that his office attended Disability Student Union and USAC’s joint-weekly meetings, volunteered at the Lily Shaw Disability Cultural Center and tabled at the Academic Affairs Commission Spring Resource Fair. Berndt added that his office attended an Antisemitism Taskforce Report Update meeting April 20 and planned to table with Campus Assault Resources and Education and the UCLA Rape Treatment Center April 21 to distribute pamphlets and connect students with representatives.
• Academic Affairs Commissioner Cristopher Espino said in his written report that his office submitted USAC surplus proposals and has been preparing for the upcoming transition period by developing a transition document and organizing information for the 2026-27 officers.
• Campus Events Commissioner Daniel Leal said in his written report that an outdoor screening of “The Sound of Music” was held April 22 at 7 p.m. at the Wallis Annenberg Stadium. He added that the Hammer Arts Party was scheduled for April 24 at the Hammer Museum and that the Shorttakes annual short film festival accepted film submissions until May 15.
• Community Service Commissioner Edison Chua said in his written report that his office began reviewing applications for the Robert S. Michaels Award. He added that his office is using carryover funds to reopen the Community Service Mini Fund and is planning Volunteer Appreciation Week, Project Bruin and the Service Impact Summit.
• Cultural Affairs Commissioner Divine Trewick said in her written report that Worldfest and her office’s clay workshop were both successes. She added that Word on Wednesday and ARC Community Programs are collaborating with Westwood Mutual Aid for the Neighbors Talk event.
• Facilities Commissioner Joy Huang said in her written report that the commission hosted an Earth Day Extravaganza event on April 22 in Wilson Plaza from 12 to 5 p.m. She added that CicLAvia was held in Westwood on April 26, and streets were closed to car traffic. Huang also said in her report that the Lily Shaw Disability Cultural Center is now open from 5 to 10 p.m. every day this quarter for students to relax, eat snacks and craft.
• Financial Supports Commissioner Nico Morrone said in his written report that he is working on USAC carryover allocations.
• Student Wellness Commissioner Hannah Yip said in her written report that the SWC programming fund application is now open. She added that Bruin Health Week was successful, with over 350 people attending her Spring into Wellness event and 700 runners participating in the annual Bruin Run/Walk 5K.
• Transfer Student Representative Hyerim Yoon said in her written report that Transfer Student Advocacy Day was successful and the Transfer Town Hall with the North Westwood Neighborhood Council meeting took place April 21. She added that her office is writing a script and filming an informative video titled “Who Are the UC Regents?”
• International Student Representative Keya Tanna said in her written report that her office planned the International Student Prom event by coordinating food, decorations, vendors, a DJ and a photo booth. She added that her office coordinated with Henna with a Heart and promoted the event on the ISR’s social media platforms.

Special presentations:

• Schinal Harrington and Trina Rodriguez, who are both parenting UCLA students, called on USAC to fund Bruin Parenting Scholars’ end-of-year celebration. They said BPS supports parenting and caregiving students who are often overlooked in higher education, and they hope to achieve equity, visibility and institutional change. They added that the end-of-year celebration creates an inclusive space for parenting students and their children. BPS requested a total of $7,600 to fund their event.
• Sarah Molitoris and Mauricio Gutierrez, who are both representatives of the Transfer Student Mingle program, called on USAC to increase funding for the annual event. They added that the Transfer Student Mingle allows students to network and jumpstart their academic journeys. The program requested a total of $4,245 in additional funding to purchase fruit cups and stickers, as well as to rent a photo booth.
• Tara Moore and Lindsay Land, the co-directors of JazzReggae Festival, presented a surplus funding proposal on behalf of the Cultural Affairs Commission, requesting $110,000 to support their event.
• Jack Donaldson, the elections board finance chair, asked USAC to provide surplus funding for candidate reimbursements and student engagement initiatives to promote voter turnout.
• Willa Cutolo, a photographer specializing in graduation photography inclusive of LGBTQ+ and disabled communities, said she is working with the UCLA Transfer Student Center to host free graduation photoshoots for students. The Transfer Student Center requested a minimum of $12,000 and a maximum of $21,000 of surplus funding to cover photography costs.
• Neha Suri requested $10,057.32 in surplus funding to support the Bruin Family & Friends Day event.
• Cody Tabamo, a fourth-year economics student and the executive coordinator and producer for Samahang Pilipino, said the club serves more than 300 students and is an integral community for Filipino students at UCLA.
• Mia Burzminski, the internal chief of staff for General Representative 3 and director of civic engagement for IGNITE at UCLA, requested surplus funds for the General Representative 3 office and the expansion of IGNITE at UCLA’s reproductive health fair. Burzminski added that the fair aims to connect students with organizations that provide reproductive health resources and destigmatize reproductive health on campus.

Agenda items:

• The council approved new 2025-26 initiative fund guidelines.
• The council approved the carryover restricted funds, excluding the additional restricted funds category.
• The council approved a USA/BOD fund allocation, with $406,518.55 requested and $155,368.63 recommended for 92 non-USAC entities and one USAC entity.
• The council approved the CS Mini Fund application.
• Davood alleged that USAC officers intentionally voted on a letter condemning the event hosting Shem Tov at a meeting where she was absent. Davood added that she believes her fellow council members demonstrated a double standard by advocating for free speech while condemning speech they disagree with. Davood said she believes USAC’s letter dismissed Shem Tov’s experiences and disregarded Jewish perspectives on campus.