USAC kicks off three-day Welcome Week bash
Tuesday, September 30, 1997
USAC kicks off three-day Welcome Week bash
STUDENTS: Booths, food, music in plaza, commons meant to boost community comfort level
By Stefanie Wong
Daily Bruin Staff
The party begins today as USAC hosts its first Welcome Week.
Music, free food and information booths will fill Westwood Plaza today and tomorrow. The final event, a block party for an estimated 1,000 people, will be held Thursday night in front of Sunset Commons.
Student government members have been working for the past month on activities, booths, music acts and give-aways.
"This year, student government wanted to create a welcoming environment for students to become acclimated to the UCLA environment," said USAC President Kandea Mosley.
Planned along the underlying theme "praxis," which means reflection and action, according to Paulo Friere's book "Pedagogy of the Oppressed," the three days of activities are meant to both educate and entertain the students of UCLA.
"Student government is about working with students to address the gamut of issues and concerns that affect student life," Mosley said. "This includes providing a fun and socially interacting atmosphere on campus."
Events today run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They include a student organization fair where students can learn more about the clubs and groups on campus.
UCLA restaurants will also be offering a 25 percent discount on all food items. Free give-aways donated by Westwood businesses will also be distributed.
Tomorrow features a community organization fair in which groups ranging from the American Red Cross to the Free Burma Coalition will be in Westwood Plaza to recruit and inform students.
Issue tents will be set up where students can learn about and discuss such topics as political prisoners and corporate accountability.
Wednesday entertainment includes live performances from rap groups Tha Dogg Pound and 'Da 5 Footers.
Wednesday night also features tango lessons in Westwood Plaza and an open mike night in the Viewpoint Lounge.
To top off Welcome Week, USAC and the On-Campus Housing Council (OCHC) will be co-sponsoring a block party held in front of Sunset Commons Thursday, starting at 7 p.m.
By bringing this program closer to the residence halls and co-sponsoring it with OCHC, the student council hopes to reach out to a greater number of students and set an example for other campus organizations.
"This is one of our ways to effectively co-program with two major governing bodies and to hopefully set a precedent in joint programming," said USAC Internal Vice President Carol Lee.
"When there are more groups involved in a cooperative effort, we've found the programs are more successful, the outreach is enhanced and there is more diversity in the students," she added.
Daughters Eve, Delinquent Habits, Exhibit and K-Born are the featured bands of Thursday's festivities.
Student council members hope that the activities of Welcome Week will bring students together and encourage them to become involved in campus life.
"We planned a wide range of student activities in order to reach out to as many students as possible," Mosley said.
"Welcome Week is a small step towards reaching the goal (of unity among the students)," she added.
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