1

ISSUE 1 YEAR 2010 VOLUME 1 PAST EVENTS ………………4

LEARNING FROM SERVICE…5

RECOGNITIONS .......... …6-9

ServiceSpeaks

A PU BLI C AT IO N O F T HE U SAC CO M MU N IT Y SER V IC E C OM M I S ION • 4 05 KER C KH OFF H ALL

CO MM U NIT YSER VIC ECO MM I SS ION @ GM AIL .C O M • CO M MU NI T YSER VI C ECO MM I SS ION .O RG

Message from CSC Hello Bruins!

Welcome to the USAC Community Service Commission’s

very first Service Speaks e-newsletter issue! We are excited for

you to read about some of issues that exist in the greater LA com-

munity and the types of things that students at UCLA are doing

with regards to these issues.

Service Speaks is created for, by, and to the UCLA campus

community. The purpose of Service Speaks is tripartite:

1) Educating and creating awareness on issues present in the

greater LA community.

UCLA can be a bubble, but the communities around us in the

greater LA area face problems of hunger and homelessness, edu-

cational disparities, environmental issues, lack of financial litera-

cy, and more. If we are unaware of the issues, we are powerless to

do anything.

2) Providing information on ways to get engaged in service!

UCLA is #1 in community service participation according to

Washington Monthly, so we have a proven commitment to ser-

vice! Yet I talk to students all the time who ask me what ways

they can get involved and what is out there at UCLA for them. No

matter what your interests, from music to art to tutoring to financ-

es, there is a type of community service corresponding to your

passion, and you can find out more about them here!

3) Creating a forum for collaboration among service organi-

zations

Collaboration can make our service that much more impactful

for our service recipients and isn’t just limited to programming.

Collaborations that are happening now within CSC include AIDS

Ambassadors teaching about safe sex to incarcerated youth of

Project Bruins Reforming Incarceration Through Education

(B.R.I.T.E.) and Bruin Initiative holding SAT preparation work-

shops to high school student participants in Pilipino Recruitment

and Enrichment Program (P.R.E.P). By recognizing what other

groups can bring to the table, we can do that much more for the

individuals with whom we work with!

We hope you enjoy this e-newsletter! We are just starting out

and welcome any feedback or questions you have at cscsubmis-

sions@gmail.com! Also, if you are interested in submitting your

own pieces, feel free to send them in- we are excited to find out

more about the service you are doing, regardless of if it’s with a

project at UCLA or a nonprofit off campus. We also welcome non

-CSC projects and other service-oriented initiatives or programs

to share with us!

Serve on!

Jamie Yao

Community Service Commissioner

2

The Power of Service

Want to live longer? Be happier? Keep reading.

If you have ever volun-

teered, then you have probably

experienced the heartwarming

feeling that comes with making

someone else’s day better.

You’ve probably experienced

the contagious effects of the

smiles on a

child, an el-

derly person,

a sick person,

etc. If this

sounds like

you, prepare

to have anoth-

er reason to smile.

Volunteering will not only

benefit the community, it will

also benefit the volunteer! In

2009, the Los Angeles Times

reported that “behaving altruis-tically not only feels good, a growing body of research sug-

gests, it actually improves a person's physical and psy-chological health.” For example, a study pub-lished by the Corporation for

National and Community

Service found that

volunteering leads

to “greater longevi-

ty, higher function-

al ability, lower

rates of depression

and less incidence

of heart disease.”

The full report can

be read here. The report fur-

ther states that these health

benefits are even greater in

people who do more than 100

hours of service a year and

those that are over 65, even

when variables such as socio-

economic status, education,

marital status, age, gender,

and ethnicity are accounted

for. Other research suggests

that couples and families who

volunteer together form a

stronger bond because the

experience allows them to

learn to adapt to different

situations and problems.

So, as you go out and

tutor your mentee, serve food

at a homeless shelter, or go

wherever your passion for

service may take you, re-

member that research shows

that you’re more likely to live

longer, be happier, and have

a better bond with family

because of those hours of

dedicated service.

“BEHAVING ALTRUISTICALLY NOT

ONLY FEELS GOOD...IT IM-

PROVES A PERSON'S PHYSICAL

AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH”

VALERIE ULENE, L.A. TIMES

The 1960s were the height of the Civil Rights Move-

ment. It was in this setting that UCLA undergraduates Ste-

ve Nichols and Robert and Hel-

en Singleton participated in the

Freedom Rides and were beaten

and incarcerated because of

their participation. As a result,

controversy struck the campus

as UCLA students rallied for

the usage of ASUCLA money

to bail out the student freedom

riders.

The three students were

ultimately bailed out from an-

other source, but their release

from incarceration was not the

end of their social action ef-

forts. Nichols and the Single-

tons, along with Bill Loiterman

and graduate student Tom Hoeber had the insight that

while there were national problems, there were also issues

in local communities.

The five individuals began a tutorial project in Venice,

for which they wanted the university’s support, including

transportation. The concept of going out into the communi-

ty was new and considered risky. There were safety and

liability issues, coupled with fear that students could politi-

cize the community. However, the Center for Student Pro-

gramming decided to take a chance on the stu-

dents by providing vehicles for transportation.

The students realized that funding and represen-

tation were important for service projects to

thrive. Getting a community service-based com-

mission on the undergraduate student govern-

ment, however, was not going to be easy to pass

on referendum.

The students outreached to a variety of student

groups to garner support for a new focus-based

government. The students went to the Greek

system to propose the idea of a Campus Events

Commission, cultural groups for the Cultural

Affairs Commission, and academic groups for an

Academic Affairs Commission. Their proposal

also included general representatives for stu-

dents. With this campus-wide coalition, they

revolutionized the student government from the previous

class-based structure to the unique USAC structure that ex-

ists to this day.

Now, CSC is one of the largest completely student-

organized organizations in the nation, working in communi-

ties from Watts to Glendale to Tijuana. Though the 1960s

are long past, we still consider our volunteers to be freedom

riders. - As told to Jamie Yao from previous CSC Commis-

sioner Farhan Banani

History of the USAC Community Service Commission

By Maria Murillo

3

To register or get more

info. about Community

Service Day, please visit

our website at

www.communityservicec

ommission.org.

If you have specific

questions, email Hannah

Wu at

cscipdirector@gmail.com.

Think about a time when

someone’s small act of kindness

brightened your day. In even a

five-second span, your mood

starts to change because it is

nice to know that in your time

of need, someone cares enough

to help. Now imagine the effect

one person could make in three

hours. Now, imagine the effect

four hundred people can make

in three hours. That is the kind

of impact Community Service

Day hopes to achieve each year.

On Saturday, November 20,

over 400 UCLA students will be

going out to different parts of

Los Angeles to help others in

need. Volunteers will be

working with organizations such

as The Giving Spirit, Salvation

Army, and TreePeople to tackle

issues of hunger, homelessness,

animal care, and the

environment. Whether it is

planting trees, making care

packages for homeless

individuals, or playing with cats

in shelters, these students will

be brightening the days of many

people in Los Angeles.

Volunteers will work closely

with leaders of the non-profit

organizations to learn more

about and take part in their

service missions.

Community Service Day

to register and be a part of

this incredible day. Groups

can register together to be

placed at the same site,

simultaneously making this

event a bonding activity as

well.

There are many things

UCLA is known for: the

number of NCAA

championships and

outstanding research. Hosting

programs such as Community

Service Day pushes the

movement to add service to

the list. The capabilities that

students on this campus have

are boundless, and it is our

goal to gear some of that

talent toward helping others.

By dedicating just a few

hours to service, Bruins will

be able to gain exposure to

the surrounding communities

and the issues that exist in

them. Students will represent

UCLA’s commitment to

service in LA.

Check out how much fun we’ve

had in past CS Days

This 8th annual Community

Service Day is hosted by the

USAC Community Service

Commission (CSC), which is the

service branch of the student

government body at UCLA. In

addition to being one of the

largest student-led service

organization in the nation, and

the umbrella organization for

over 23 service groups on

campus, CSC works to provide

students with accessible means

to perform community service.

Community Service Day is one

of the larger events on campus

and caters to all Bruins by

providing free breakfast, lunch,

entertainment, a T-shirt, and

transportation to those who

volunteer. By doing so, CSC

aims to encourage UCLA

students to remember the

importance of giving back to the

community and hopes to inspire

them to make a long-term

commitment to service.

Because an understanding of the

community and the issues being

addressed through service is

important, site leaders provide

information on the existing issue

and the nonprofit organization

partner. Site leaders also

facilitate discussions with their

groups on these topics and about

community service in general.

We encourage student

groups, residential floors,

individuals, or groups of friends

With the support of USAC, ORL, and community vendors, the

Community Service Commission proudly presents our 8th

annual Community Service Day on November 20, 2010. Let’s

make our mark on our community!

3

By Hannah Wu, Internal Programs

4

Hey, fellow Bruins! If you happened to go down Bruin Walk on

Tuesday, November 9, 2010, hopefully you saw lots of green CSC

balloons and a bunch of people gathered around tables. What you

saw in Bruin Plaza was the 1st annual Service Jamboree, one of two

programming events CSC is holding during Fall quarter. The Service

Jamboree was a service activities fair consisting of six tables each

with individual five-ten minute service activities. Two of the most

popular tables at the fair were Hunger Project at UCLA and Teach

for America. At the Hunger Project table, students came by and

made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, which would be later

dispersed to people who are homeless by Hunger Project volunteers.

At one point, there was even a line to make the sandwiches. At the

Teach for America table, students recorded two-minute messages

discussing why they decided to go to college or why they like to

volunteer to young students at a local high school. If students were

camera –shy, they were given the option to write a letter instead.

Other activities included potting your own plant from recycled

bottles, making stress balls, writing cards for children at hospitals,

and writing letters to U.S. soldiers currently deployed abroad. The

music was pumping in the afternoon and everyone seemed to enjoy

each activity. At the end of the event, a total of twenty-five cards had

been written for children, fifty sandwiches had been made, and

fifteen pots had been planted. The outcome felt like a real celebration

of community service. Most of the booths were hosted by community

service projects or nonprofit organizations, and students were able to

get connected to these entities for future service opportunities.

If you happened to be anywhere on campus the Wednesday

evening before Halloween, I'm sure you heard our lovely kids from

the Watts Tutorial Program! They always manage to make their

presence known! This past Wednesday, the WattsTutorial Program

took a break from homework

and celebrated our annual

Halloween festival. Kids (and

tutors!) came in full Halloween

spirit, proudly donning their

costumes and ready to start

their Halloween candy

collection! This year our

stations consisted of a mummy

wrap, bean bag toss, cookie

decorating station, photo-op

stop, coin toss, and face

painting! It's an event that the

kids look forward to every year

--what kid wouldn't love the

opportunity to paint all over

their tutor's face and win some

candy? With the help of CSC, the Watts Tutorial Program is proud

to be able to have programs like these that let our kids play in a

safe, fun environment. For many of our tutees, this was their only

opportunity to dress up and receive some Halloween candy. Unsafe

neighborhoods, the inability of their neighbors to even buy

Halloween candy to pass out for trick-or-treating and insufficient

funding at schools made this

festival the only Halloween

celebration some would have.

The Watts Tutorial Program is

an on campus, one-on-one

tutoring and mentoring program

that strives to positively influence

at-risk youth who reside in

the Watts and William Mead areas

of Los Angeles. We aim to

improve our youth's performance

in their academics, serve as good

role models, and provide life-

changing experiences that will

encourage the inner-city youth to

make positive choices in their

lives. We meet every Wednesday

from 5:00 to 8:00pm ON CAMPUS. If you are interested in joining

WTP, please email us at wattstutorialprogram@gmail.com .

Trick-or-Treat UCLA! by Niki Marek, WATTS Internal Director

Serving the Community In Between Classes by Amy Chen, CSC External Programs

Past Events

5

The term “school-to-prison pipeline” is so oft brought up in

contemporary conversations about public education that it has

almost been rendered meaningless. Originally a term used to

describe the disturbing numbers of minority or underprivileged

public school students who end up incarcerated in the juvenile and

adult prison systems, the concept has recently been co-opted by

anyone (especially our dear friends in Washington and Sacramento)

who wants to make grandiose statements about our crumbling

education system and the inequities that underserved students face.

It goes without saying that students from low socioeconomic

statutes, minority backgrounds, or with learning disabilities are

unduly discriminated against in the public school system. My

concern, however, is that very few policymakers, administrators or

government officials are taking the time to dismantle the school-to-

prison pipeline and determine what specific features of the public

education system send our students on a one-way trip to a jumpsuit

and a jail cell.

An effective and thorough investigation into the driving factors

behind the pipeline would be far beyond the scope of this essay, but

I would like to highlight one major issue that is finally starting to

be get attention. Rigid, ineffective, and destructive discipline

policies in public schools, all the way from kindergarten through

12th grade, have consistently been a major stumbling block to

students’ success and have played a key role in fueling the school-

to-prison pipeline. The worst culprit in contemporary discipline

policy is the “zero-tolerance” policy. Zero tolerance policies often

strike a one-two punch against underserved students.

Firstly, numerous studies have shown that “students of color are

more likely to be suspended than white students” even though “few

racial or ethnic differences exist” in the perpetrators of disciplinary

infractions in public schools, according to David L. Stader’s article

in The Clearing House “Zero Tolerance as Public Policy: The

Good, the Bad, and the Ugly”. By singling out racial minorities,

especially blacks and Hispanics, for discipline, zero tolerance

policies perpetuate a punitive culture of maltreatment, negativity,

and injustice in our public schools.

These disciplinary policies render an even more fatal blow to

students of color when the students are actually punished. All too

often, students face suspension or expulsion as a consequence of

their actions. Removing the misbehaving student from the school

environment only serves to exclude him from academic

participation and hinder his educational growth. Thus, minors who

may have already been struggling academically are forced even

further behind when they are denied equal access to education.

Suspended students miss valuable hours of instruction and often

find it difficult to reintegrate and make up work once they return to

class. Students who are expelled from schools are in an even more

dismal situation. Once expelled, students are often forced into

alternative schools or, in some states, are denied an education all

together. It is these students who are most at-risk; it is these

students who are most vulnerable to truancy, juvenile crime, and

gang activity. Discipline policies that remove children from

academic settings instead of redirecting their behavior through

educational and counseling services are integral to sending students

on the path to incarceration.

There is a great deal more to say about zero tolerance policies

and the role they play in perpetuating the school-to-prison pipeline.

Unfortunately, not enough people are talking about this issue, and

others like it, which are at the heart of this nation’s juvenile justice

crisis. It is time that we, as a nation, stop jailing our students and

instead allow them ample and equal opportunity to learn, grow and

thrive. It is time that we stop the pipeline.

Learning from Service School Today, Jail Tomorrow? by Nisha Kashyap, mentor of incarcerated youth with Project BRITE

The most common cause of death in the United States is heart disease. Underlying heart disease, there exists a “silent killer” that is

affecting an increasingly large percentage of Americans. Also known as high blood pressure, hypertension is a condition in which

pressure in the arteries is elevated to unsafe levels, forcing the heart to work harder to supply blood to the body. It increases the chances

of fatal health incidences such as stroke and heart attack. Since hypertension is asymptomatic in nature and can develop at any age, it is

difficult to determine whether one has the disease by simply feeling for symptoms. Nearly one-third of people who have hypertension are

not aware of it. However, there is a quick and effective way to monitor one’s risk for developing hypertension: blood pressure screenings.

Blood pressure is determined using two numbers. Read in a “systolic-over-diastolic” fashion, healthy blood pressure is considered to

be slightly below 120/80. The range of 120-139/80-89 is considered “prehypertensive” and 140/90 or above is considered “hypertensive.”

The systolic value indicates how much blood is being pumped from the heart, while the diastolic value measures the resistance to blood

flow when the heart is refilling. Since a single reading is not enough to determine whether one has high blood pressure, it is important to

receive regular checkups and seek medical assistance if one receives high readings from multiple sources.

A common myth that is associated with high blood pressure is the notion that it is strictly associated with high-stress behavior.

Though hypertension can be caused by stress, the condition is greatly linked to diet, exercise, genetics and a number of health issues that

need to be considered by patients.

A USAC Community Service Commission (CSC) project, Pilipinos for Community Health (PCH) strives to fight high blood pressure

by educating its volunteers on the science of hypertension and providing free screenings to the community at weekly “Health Sites.” PCH

serves at Carson and Panorama City, areas with high percentages of Filpino-Americans, an increasingly at-risk population that claims the

highest rates of hypertension among all Asian-American groups. This statistic is most likely due to the high sodium content of the

culture’s cuisine as well as the hereditary component of the condition.

Reflective of hypertension’s asymptomatic nature, volunteers indeed encounter service recipients that show signs of hypertension

who are not aware of it. For many Health Site volunteers, providing screenings is not simply a medical procedure. It is a way to raise

awareness about this “silent killer” and, in a simple but effective way, change people’s lives.

Hypertension, a “silent killer” by Maxine Ziprin and Gabriel Gomez of PCH

6

Pilipinos for Community Health (PCH) was founded in 1989 to respond to

Pilipino-related health issues, explains Gabe Gomez, the group’s External

Director. These health issues include hypertension (high blood pressure) and obesity,

which are prevalent in the Filipino community from factors ranging from a

high-fat diet to genetics. Six times a quarter, PCH heads out to

supermarkets in Carson City and Panorama City to give free blood pressure

screenings to any person regardless of race or ethnicity. After each

screening, they give the participant a survey to anticipate their risk of

hypertension, looking at factors like family history of high blood pressure.

Afterwards, the group gives the participant advice on how to avoid getting

hypertension as well as recommending them to free clinics. Many of the participants

are grateful for being reminded of this health concern, Gomez said, while others have never even

heard of hypertension.

Ryan Andre Magsino, the Preventive Health Director, recalls one man last

Spring who would get a health screening each time he volunteered. The first

time they screened him, his hypertension level was so high they rechecked

it. Soon, the man buckled down on his diet and met with a physician that was

listed on PCH’s consultation sheets. Now the man “looks way happier,”

Magasino said, and when PCH last rechecked his hypertension levels, they

were lower. Currently, Magasino is working on expanding the tests to measure

body mass index as well as providing nutritional information.

In addition to blood pressure screenings, PCH members also visit elderly

care communities in Westwood and Sepulveda to provide companionship to the

residents, which promotes mental and emotional health. Currently, PCH has

increased its membership substantially, from 25-30 last year to 40-45

members this year, Gomez said.

Gomez said one of the most rewarding parts of PCH is changing people’s views

on health in a good way. “One screening can save a life,” he said.

PCH Upcoming Event:

The Annual Health Fair at Lady of Peace parish at North Hills is a partnering with the OLP

parish. PCH works with Asian Pacific Health Corps (APHC) and Latino Student Health Project

(LSHP) to organize a health fair in February that serves over 400 people in need of health

services. 22.2% of the North Hills population is under the poverty level, which is 8% higher than

the California statistic. Screenings will be provided to test for diseases such as hypertension,

diabetes, and cancer.

Opportunities for service recipients include the following: blood pressure

readings, body mass index measurements, dental check ups, mammograms, Pap

smears, glucose/cholesterol tests. Other features include informational opportunities such as the

chance to speak to a physician.

For more information contact PCH at: pch@ucla.edu

Amazing Job PCH! Congratulations!

Project Spotlight Pilipinos for Community Health

6

By Cristina Chang

7

Volunteer Spotlight: Jean Thomas

Of Amigos de UCLA

Jean Thomas, a third-year psychology and comparative

literature double major, was selected for this quarter’s

volunteer spotlight because of her dedication to the elementary

school amigos and amigas she serves with Amigos de UCLA, a

tutoring/mentoring program for 2-4th grade East L.A. students

that enables kids to explore their creativity and imagination by

integrating arts and crafts with homework.

While working with her amiga, Dana, Jean explains that she

was struck by Dana’s lack of resources at school and at home.

Dana had told her that she was glad she could do her homework

with Amigos because she didn’t have pencils to write with at

home. Furthermore, Jean notices that the only reading material

that Dana had was a collection of loose leaf short stories bound

together by a cheap metal ring.

“It was at this point that I decided to do something more for

Dana and for all the other kids struggling in the same way.”

Jean explains.

Once she realized her mission, Jean started formulating a

plan. She applied for a $1200 grant from The Lords of Light

Foundation, whose mission is to spread hope in the community

through tangible grass-roots projects. She was able to guarantee

the grant with an impressive eight-page funding proposal that

outlined the needs of Dana and her classmates.

With the $1200 that Amigos was granted they bought two

individualized books for each child based on the child’s

interests and reading levels.

Jean says that her work with Amigos has “fortified [her]

love for Psychology, as a constructive discipline that helps to

provide real, tangible solutions for every-day problems. [Her]

project, and its desire to get kids interested in reading for the

right reasons, draws a lot of its inspiration from psychological

principles.”

It is because of Jean’s passion for service and the

“tremendous warmth and energy [Jean has] during weekly site

visits” that she was nominated by Amigos de UCLA’s External

Director Keighty Lautz for this spotlight.

Congratulations Jean Thomas

and thank you for all your hard work!

Interested in Amigos de UCLA?

Email them at:

amigosdeucla@gmail.com

7

By Maria Murillo

8

The USAC Community Service Commission would like to recognize the following outstanding volunteers. The-

se volunteers were nominated by their project for their dedication, willingness to always help, and commit-

ment to bettering the community. We congratulate the following Volunteers of the Quarter:

VOLUNTEERS OF THE QUARTER

Carly Loddengaard, a fourth year English major, has been a volunteer with Amigos de UCLA since last Spring. At site, Carly

brings an incredible, infectious energy to site that spreads to kids and tutors alike. She has established a strong relationship with her

rambunctious tutee, a third grader named Bryan, and makes an effort to get to know the other kids at site as well. She also goes

above and beyond to help her fellow volunteers by explaining procedure, collecting papers, and passing out supplies. We want to

recognize Carly for being an outstanding volunteer!

Jackie Avila volunteers with Amigos de UCLA, a tutoring/mentoring group that works with underprivileged youth in mid-city Los

Angeles. She is a fourth year Classics major, who is also studying Pre-Dentistry. Currently, Jackie is going above and beyond the call

working with her tutee, Jonathan. She keeps weekly contact with Jonathan's mother and Jonathan loves seeing her at site each

week. Beyond being a great influence on her tutee, Jackie helps the new volunteers navigate the sometimes hectic parts of running an

afterschool program. Jackie's presence is calm and nurturing and she is always there to lend a helping hand. Amigos is so grateful to

have Jackie continually volunteering with us.

Michael Sugarman, a third year history and economics double major, has been a wonderful volunteer with Amigos de UCLA for four

quarters. In addition to being an enthusiastic and loyal tutor, Michael eagerly attended a Drivers' Safety Training session when we

needed an extra driver. The Amigos de UCLA directors would like to thank Michael for his dedication, his patience, and his initiative.

Corrine Garcia is a veteran CHAMPs mentor. She is always ready with a helping hand and puts in great effort with the youth.

CHAMPs is fortunate to have Corrine as a dedicated member and appreciates her commitment to being a positive role model to the

youth in the program.

Tyler Mar is a new mentor with the Casa Heiwa and Angelina Mentorship Program (CHAMPs) this quarter. CHAMPs works

with kids and teens in Echo Park and aims to provide academic and social support. Tyler always comes to site with a smile on his

face and is very engaged with the youth and does a great job making connections. CHAMPs would like to thank Tyler for his

enthusiasm and commitment to the program.

Christopher Nguyen is currently the director of Hunger Project's Health Clinic site. Hunger Project operates with the goals of

relieving hunger, reintegrating the homeless back into society, and increasing compassion towards the homeless. Christopher has

been with Hunger Project for almost two years, and in that time he has become an asset to our club. He is dedicated and responsible

and often volunteers to take on extra tasks. He makes a difference in the lives of the service recipient though his dedication and

passion. Hunger Project loves Topher Nguyen!

Gregory Chu is currently the director of Hunger Project's Food Salvage site. He started off as an enthusiastic volunteer and now

is an integral part of the club. Greg goes above and beyond to make sure site runs smoothly. He is also great at supervising

volunteers and helping them feel at ease. Hunger Project loves Greg Chu!

Eliot Gomez is a first year student and member of the Glendale Learning Program, a tutoring/mentoring organization for

struggling middle school students. Elliot attends every site with a positive attitude and enthusiasm for helping his tutee. He takes

time to make sure that his student understands the material and is always friendly and willing to help in whatever way he can. GLP

is lucky to have Eliot as a member of the organization and thanks him for being an awesome volunteer!

CONGRATULATIONS

Compiled By Seema Ullal, Assistant Commissioner

9

Stacy Fishman is a third year student and volunteer with the Glendale Learning Program. She is a committed to helping her

student grasp the material and brings a great energy to site. Stacy attends every site she can and her commitment to helping her tutee

is apparent. She always has a smile on her face and does whatever she can to help the program succeed. GLP is grateful that Stacy is

part of the organization and thanks her for her dedication!

Lawrence Dimacali and Nathaniel Gruspe are part of Pilipinos for Community Health, an organization that focuses its efforts on

educating and providing health services to the socio-economically disadvantaged community of the Greater Los Angeles area. Both

have demonstrated strong commitment to both PCH initiatives and to providing community service. They attended the most weekly

general meetings out of the members, only missing up to two out of the seven. More importantly, they gave several Saturday

mornings to volunteer with PCH on the weekly Health Sites to provide free blood pressure screenings in Carson and Panorama city.

These sites last the entire Saturday morning, happening from 9 to 12 a.m. plus transportation hours. They have proven themselves to

be both valuable members as well as prime examples of the dedication to community service and preventive health that PCH stands

for and encourages.

Minnie Esquivel is a volunteer with Project Literacy, an organization dedicated to improving literacy rates in the Los Angeles

region through one-on-one tutoring. Minnie willingly works with the youngest learners who do not even have a grasp of basic

reading and writing skills. She goes above and beyond expectations at site and creates engaging discussions with both tutors and

learners. Project Literacy would like to thank Minnie Esquivel for her commitment to the serving the community.

Coki Ta is a fourth year student and member of Project Literacy. In addition to being an enthusiastic tutor, he also drives the van

every week, helps run activities, and comes to site dinner every time. Coki knows the kids better than anyone, and constantly offers

to help in any other ways he can. Pro Lit thanks Coki Ta for his dedication and passion.

Clare Bajamundi is a Project Literacy tutor that goes far beyond what is asked of her. She works with an adult learner unable to

make the usual adult tutoring site and has purchased adult learning materials in order to effectively help her. She is generous, kind,

and dedicated and makes an exceptional tutor. Project Literacy thanks Clare Bajamundi for her genuine enthusiasm for helping

others.

Shian Hong and Teresa Huynh are volunteers with the Rendering Encouragement in Academic Commitment for Higher

Education (R.E.A.C.H.E.) project of Vietnamese Language and Culture (VNLC). R.E.A.C.H.E. was founded to motivate the

students of Canoga Park High School to attend college by establishing a mentor-mentee relationship with them. Both Shian and

Teresa are dedicated members of VNLC and excellent mentors for the students in R.E.A.C.H.E.

John Pham is a member of VNLC and a volunteer with the Saturday Vietnamese Tutorial program. Saturday Vietnamese

Tutorial encourages the young students at the Hung Vuong Vietnamese Center to develop a passion for their cultural heritage and

language through stories and lessons. John is an excellent teacher and is very dedicated to passing on the cultural and language

traditions. VNLC is happy to have John Pham as a member of the Saturday Vietnamese Tutorial program and thanks him for his

commitment to the organization.

VOLUNTEERS

Priscilla Vu, John Nguyen, An Nguyen, and Allison Truong are all outstanding volunteers with Vietnamese Community Health.

VCH works to aid the Vietnamese community in LA and Orange County by informing the public about health issues, diseases, and

nutrition. All four are instrumental in both running and volunteering at sites. Without their dedication and leadership, VCH would be

unable to continue its efforts to improve and address the health needs of the Vietnamese/Vietnamese American community.

VCH thanks Priscilla, John, An, and Allison for their commitment to service.

10

China Care Bruins at UCLA is dedicated to enriching the lives of Chinese adoptees in the U.S. and orphans in China. Our

mission is threefold: mentorship, outreach, and fundraising. Our mentorship program fosters close relationships between our members

and Chinese adoptees in Southern California while providing a chance for the children to interact with others in the adoptive community.

Through fundraising, we help support special needs orphans in China in need of surgeries, and through outreach events and collaborations

with other student organizations, we aim to spread awareness about adoption issues in China as well as in the Los Angeles area.

Recently, our mentorship buddy event had exciting agendas for both the little buddies (elementary) and youth buddies (junior

high and older). The little buddies, along with their big buddy UCLA student mentor were teamed up in buddy groups and embarked on

their very own scavenger hunt modeled after the Amazing Race. The youth buddies were visited by LA Street Dance Collective, learning

various dance styles through their interactive workshop. Both little and

youth buddies were able to have fun and learn invaluable skills with their

mentors.

In addition to mentoring adoptees, members of China Care Bruins

fundraise for life- saving surgeries for orphans in China through various

events. Fundraising recently collaborated with mentorship to produce a

desktop calendar, showcasing the little buddies’ artwork and will be selling

them ($5 each) for the holidays. Order yours today! http://

www.surveymonkey.com/s/8CNT8SH) On Thursday, November 18th, there

will also be a California Pizza Kitchen fundraiser. With a flyer, 20% of all

purchases will go towards surgeries. Find our event on Facebook or email

us for the flyer!

Finally, the Outreach committee of China Care is excited to present the 3rd Annual Awareness Night. It is scheduled for

Thursday February 10, 2011, at Kerckhoff Grand Salon, from 6 to 8:30 PM. We

will be facilitating a panel with a diverse array of speakers involved in

academia, adoption issues, and the entertainment industry, who will be

discussing about the cultural and social experiences faced by Asian Americans

as they struggle to determine their bicultural identity. There will also be

performances by accomplished artists, such as Jane Lui, who has worked with

Jason Mraz, Vienna Teng, to name a few. (http://janelui.com/). There will be

free food, and you can also enter to win prizes in our raffle. We cordially invite

you to attend this event, and hope to see you there!

Expectant smiles as we trickle in the creaky front gate. Sounds of feet running on the floor above our heads to wake sleeping children on

a Saturday morning. Knocks on doors, “Are you going to CHAMPs?” Smell of bagel and cream cheese and plastic cups hitting the table

after a satisfying gulp of apple juice. Sounds of “Ooo! Pick me!” and the squeak of the dry erase marker. The scritch-scratch of the

pencil on the paper and whispers of how to spell the word “cranium”. The smack of the jump rope on the smooth pavement and the

swish of the net as basketballs go in. Last minute hugs and waving goodbye until the next week. This is CHAMPs.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “mentor” as “a trusted counselor or guide”. At CHAMPs, which stands for Casa

Heiwa and Angelina Mentorship Program, we desire to be positive influences to the children we work with at the Angelina Apartment

Complex in Echo Park near Downtown LA. We go on a weekly basis to spend time with the kids to help them grow academically,

socially, and recreationally. Instead of reiterating school, our program’s hope is to expand on the knowledge the kids gain during the

week, presenting topics such as health and fitness, music, culture and the earth in greater depth and creativity.

When I first began volunteering with CHAMPs, I didn’t really grasp the concept of what a mentor was. I was recommended by

a friend at the Little Tokyo Service Center (LTSC) to check out their partner program with UCLA called, “CHAMPs”. I tried it out, went

a couple times during the end of last year, but always felt I was missing something important to my experience with CHAMPs. During

the summer, I interned at the Little Tokyo Service Center. While observing a program at Casa Heiwa (LTSC’s other low income

apartment complex in Downtown LA), I realized the importance of consistency and commitment to a program in order to see growth.

After the summer, I came back with a renewed energy to commit to CHAMPs. Last year, I had appreciated the flexibility of CHAMPs,

but the more consistently I went to site this year; the more I received as a mentor. The kids began to teach me about their lives, not just

me coming in to be a positive impact once in awhile. It was then that I finally realized why so many directors have been in the program

for the last four years, why alumni come back to spend time with the teens and why the kids come back week after week. Mentorship

isn’t just about the counselor or guide leading the way, it’s a relationship in which lives are changed for both the child and the collegiate.

The power of CHAMPs doesn’t lie in the community assessment facts or the academic worksheets we do; it lies in the beautiful

intersection of many lives in different places that we get to experience in one room for three hours every week.

What it Means to be a CHAMP by Jenni Nakamura of CHAMPS, casah@ucla.edu

China Care Bruins– The Care of a Bruin

Feel free to contact us for more information!

chinacarebruins@gmail.com

Check out our website:

http://www.chinacarebruins.org/

11

Community Service Commission

Executive Board

Commissioner Jamie Yao Assistant Commissioner Seema Ullal Chief of Staff Clare Bajamundi

Directors

External Programs Director Amy Chen Finance Director Michelle Hong Internal Programs Director Hannah Wu Operations Manager Jenny Huang Publicity Director Catherine Le Publicity Director Fiona Poon Project Liaison Director Daniel Feeney Project Liaison Director Jeremy Flores Project Liaison Director Jesse Chang Transportation Director Nauman Charania Webmaster Annie Wong

Committee Members Cristina Chang

Halleh Hashtpari Maria Murillo Matthew So

Melinda Speckmann Poorva Vaidya Ronald Arruejo Tyler Overvold

William Mendanha

Editor of Service Speaks Maria Murillo

Submit a piece about your community service experience or about the issues that you’ve seen first-hand in the community! Articles, opinion pieces, poems, pictures, and more are welcome! Send submissions of up to 450 words to cscsubmissions@gmail.com. We would love to share our stories with more people! If you think any of your friends might enjoy it, please refer them to www.communityservicecommission.org, where they can easily sign up to be on the e-newsletter mailing list! If you would like to opt out of the e-mailing list, please email cscsubmissions@gmail.com with Subject line: Opt out.

CSC would like to give a special THANK YOU to its advisors, supporters, and partners. We have much appreciation for: Center for Student Programming Community Programs Office Student Association Student Government Support Services Student Government Accounting Undergraduate Students Association Council (USAC) Volunteer Center Most of all, we would like to thank our projects for doing the amazing work that they do in the community. They do not ask for recognition, their motivations are rooted in uplifting their respective communities. But CSC can’t help but want to share their stories and experiences.

The opinions expressed in Service Speaks are those of the author and

do not necessarily reflect those of the USAC Community Service

Commission and its affiliates.

Since 1965, the Community Service Commission (CSC) have

focused its efforts towards creating social change,

understanding the greater Los Angeles community, and

promoting campus-wide service programming. Its two-part

mission is to uplift local communities through direct, continual

interaction and to engage UCLA into community service.

Currently, CSC represents over twenty student-run

community service projects and over 1,500 students each

year, making CSC the largest completely student-run,

student-initiated community service organization in the

nation. Students work together to tutor youths and adults,

address the health needs of ethnic communities, combat

poverty and homelessness, and reach out to incarcerated

youth and neglected children. CSC projects strive to provide

communities with the tools to empower themselves and

challenge the structures and barriers that keep them from

achieving their goals.

The commission also aims to centralize the service efforts of the UCLA campus community through issues awareness, collaboration, the Community Service Record, the Alternative Spring Break program, and large-scale service programming.