LASA’s leadership includes a committee of various positions which serve to diversify the activities and projects that LASA has created or adopted. The committee is the brains and brawn of LASA, and is the base for involving all general members in sub-committees, projects, troupes, and services. From our projects like Festival Latino and Projecting Minds, to our Dance Troupes in Merengue, Salsa, and Hip-Hop, to our Gender & Sexuality events… LASA committee is dedicated to serving Laser@s, all students, and the community at large. And the best thing is that anyone can form their own committee in LASA so long as it fits well with the Four Pillars.
Here are our current committees and their leaders:
Academic Affairs
Gabriella Rosca & Ivan Pinto
This committee responsible for maintaining the academic endeavors of each and every one of the Latin American Student Association members. We dedicate our time to easing the burden of stress associated with college life, whether it be financially and/or academically. This committee has created a scholarship to accommodate for the economic hardships faced by the many Latino students. (More info…)
Cultural Affairs
Adela Rangel
Cultural Affairs works to uphold the Cultural Identity and Awareness Pillar of LASA. It is our goal to educate members and the UCLA community of the Latin American culture. We do this through several cultural presentations and cultural outings held throughout the year. The committee is also responsible for hosting ExpresARTE during Semana de la Raza in the Spring. (More info…)
Community Learning
Bianca Carvajal
This committee aims to empower the Latino/a community by building ties and establishing relationships with surrounding communities. This component works toward educating and advancing the greater community through hands-on opportunities in volunteering and site visits. Ultimately, we strive to make changes based upon the needs that we see; and in working towards these tasks, members gain a better understanding of not only our Latino/a community but the greater one that encompasses it.
(More info…)
Political Affairs
Dalma Diaz
Political Affairs is composed of External and Internal components. The external representative serves as a liaison to the Undergraduate Students Association Council and the internal representative serves as a liaison to the Raza Coalition and other groups on campus. Our goal is to introduce contemporary issues affecting the Latino/a communities and other communities we stand in solidarity with and who might share the same struggles. We present feasible solutions to help alleviate these situations, in hopes of motivating general members to act on these injustices and go back to their own communities and create change.(More info…)
Gender and Sexuality
Carlos Juarez
Gender and Sexuality aims are to break down common stereotypes and create an open forum for discussion. We explore queer and gender issues within the Latino community. Our purpose is to educate people and combat prejudice, homophobia, and machismo. Our main event for the academic year is Gender Nights, but the committee has held other events like the Unity Circle where members come together to have an open discussion about issues related to gender norms. (More info…)
Festival Latino
Elba Solis
Festival Latino is a free, all-day event held annually at the UCLA Wilson Plaza and hosted by LASA’s Festival Latino Committee. Festival Latino consists of the Stage, the Village, and the Arena of Consciousness, all of which celebrate the rich and diverse cultures of Latin America with the community. The Festival Latino committee spends the entire year organizing and preparing for this event which showcases the rich culture of Latin America and its people.
General Representatives
Dahiana Jacobo, Luis Mendoza, Kathy Lopez
As general representatives it is our job to represent LASA as a whole identity; we are the liaisons between general members, committee and board. Our main priority is Bruin Buddies which is meant to build ties within our community by forming mentor-mentee relationships with members. Families were created as well to broaden our networking and support. Our two main events of the year are the Bond Fire and Spring Retreat.(More info…)
Dance Troupes
Salsa, Merengue, and Hip-Hop
From left to right:
Christina Hernandez, Alex Franceschi, Brenda Gonzalez, Adan Pulido, Olga Corona, Daniela Sanchez, Magali Ramirez
LASA dance troupes include Ladies (Hip Hop), Merengue, and Salsa. Every year, the LASA dance troupes debut their routines at tU Carnaval. In the past, LASA dance troupes have performed such notable events as UCLA’s Spring Sing, West Coast Salsa Congress, UCLA’s “Beat ‘SC” Bonfire, and the UCLA Dance Marathon. Their biggest performance of the year is at LASA’s Festival Latino. To audition and to remain on the troupes, it is required to be MIGS. Auditions to be on dance troupes are typically held towards the end of Fall quarter every year, after audition pieces are learned and rehearsed during weekly practices throughout the beginning of Fall quarter. Any member in good standing in LASA, no matter what skill level in dancing, is invited to audition.
Fundraising
Victor Salazar
Fundraising Committee is in charge of working hand on hand with Festival Latino to develop and organize fundraising events that will go towards putting on this huge event. Some fundraising events that LASA has hosted include: Tamal Sales (and other food sales), Car Washes, and Club Parties.
Projecting Minds
From left to right:
Christina Hernandez, Elizabeth Lopez, Karen beckers, Muniza Siddiqui, Byanca Castillo
Projecting Minds is a mentoring and tutoring program for Nora Sterry Elementary students. We have site visits on Mondays and Wednesdays. Students who wish to volunteer can get to the site through vanpools while leave at 2:30pm and at 3pm by the Ackerman Turnaround (near Lot 6). Vans return to campus at approximately 5pm.
Alumni Advisors
Daysi Bautista & Gilberto Chacon
LASA works to keep a strong relationship to its alumni and their networks. The responsibilities of the Alumni Advisors are two-fold. First our job is to advise the LASA leadership. Alumni Advisers assist Laser@s through their transition into their roles in the organization and continue to advise them as the year progresses. The Alumni Advisers serve as sources of knowledge and experience, providing a sense of history for the organization, details on what tools did or did not work in the past, and ideas for the future. (More info…)
Historian and Herstorian
Saul Angel & Jessica Ruiz
As his/erstorian, our job is to document the LASA events by taking pictures and perhaps video footage of the events, collecting and gathering pictures from other members, creating a scrapbook at the end of the year, announcing the Lasera/o of the month, birthday announcements, and organizing the End of the Year Banquet in the Spring. (More info…)
Public Relations / Publicity
Joanna Mora
Publicity chair helps to publicize LASA events and other LASA-related things via flyering, tabling on Bruin Walk, and other forms of outreach together with the Publicity Director. The Publicity chair is also in charge of helping create, maintain, and develop a full functional, up-to-date website.
Aesthetic Visionaries
Arno Argueta
This committee was created with the hopes of creating a better future through the magic of film. We will change the world one film at a time. The AV committee promotes education enhancement through bold, progressive projects that showcase the everyday struggle unique to the Latinos at UCLA, and in American society in general. The first project involves the creation of a documentary about the Dream Act, the people involved with pushing for its acceptance into law, and the students who reside in the shadows until it comes to fruition. Like-minded film making would thoroughly increase student’s knowledge of current social and political events while openly engaging them in the actual events themselves.“A picture is worth a thousand words. Moving pictures are worth a thousand times that.”
Contact Your Board & Committee Members…
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