Engineering News, October 17, 2005

October 17, 2005 Vol. 77, no. 8F

Returning ASUC senators outline their plans and goals for this year

Chris Abad
ME senior

Chris Abad wants engineers to have their due, and to make it happen, he’s taking on both large and small projects. On the larger side, he helped create the ASUC Resource Guide for Engineers and recently held the first of several workshops to go over the guide with engineering student society officers.

“It covers how to get ASUC funding, how to get space, like if Tau Beta Pi wanted to host a career fair, how to get the MLK Ballroom, and how to publicize your activities,” he explains. “I’m also trying to connect northside students to campus more. One of the things I’m working on is getting more distribution boxes for The Daily Californian around northside, particularly between Soda Hall and Etcheverry.”

He’s also working on projects that will benefit the whole student body. Abad says he’s amping up “From All Perspectives,” the large diversity event he has been working on since last year. It’s a showcase of different cultural groups and this year Abad says he hopes to snag Zellerbach Hall as a venue and the chancellor as a speaker. Also, he wants the ASUC to reach out to UC fall extension students in everything from hosting an orientation to facilitating social events. “I was a fall extension student and I wish I had something like that,” he says.

Contact Abad at ChrisAbad@asuc.org.

Igor Tregub
ME/political science junior

After a close friend of his, an EECS student, narrowly escaped an assault around northside two years ago, Igor Tregub has been on a mission. “Northside is not very safe,” he says. “I am working with the City of Berkeley and the ASUC External Affairs Vice President to improve lighting and mark problem areas around Hearst and Piedmont.

“In addition, if you’re walking alone at night and do feel threatened, there is nowhere to duck into. Most northside businesses close by 10. So the expansion of northside business hours is a matter of safety as much as one of convenience for engineering students,” he says.

Earlier this year, the ASUC released a report to 22 northside businesses that argued for the economic benefits of longer business hours. It included a student survey that indicated students would take advantage of those longer hours.

“As expected, some business owners have concerns that must be addressed,” Tregub says. “Our next step is to have one-on-one meetings with those owners to make the case.”

If businesses do agree, they will still need to lobby the city to receive special permission to stay open later. That seems like a hard push, but Tregub isn’t backing down.

“I was entrusted to do a job. It will get done,” he says firmly.

Contact Tregub at itregub@asuc.org.

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