USG changes trial period for assemblies, committees


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The Middle Eastern and North African Student Association was officially incorporated as an assembly by USG during Tuesday’s meeting. (Milind Raj | Daily Trojan)

The Undergraduate Student Government incorporated the Middle Eastern and North African Student Association as an assembly, allowing them to serve as an umbrella organization and providing them access to USG funding to distribute among its member organizations, at Tuesday night’s Senate meeting. 

MENASA is a cultural assembly that recognizes MENA students on campus and advocates for MENA accommodations. MENASA has been trying to attain establishment as an assembly since 2019.

Chief programming officer Jillian Fallon and president Hannah Woodworth announced amendments to the incorporation process of assemblies and committees. Assemblies and committees were previously given a trial period of eight weeks, but with the new amendment, their trial period will last until the end of the semester. The Senate unanimously voted to approve the extension. 

The Military Associated Student Assembly will have its trial period retroactively extended to Dec. 2. Once the trial period ends, the assembly or committee will be incorporated with a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate. 

The Senate also unanimously voted to designate the Transfer Student Assembly as a cultural assembly. The assembly works to create a platform to advocate for and raise awareness of transfer student issues on campus, allowing students to have a smooth integration into the USC community.

“Transfer students experience quite a bit of culture shock,” said chief diversity officer Zaid Diaz-Arias. “They’re entering this institution and must acclimate to the differences in classes, campus size and academic rigor. So, given the wide array of challenges facing transfer students … it is absolutely vital for students to have an advocate space and be represented within the advocacy department.”

Senator Sam Habibi updated the Senate on his projects, including his work with MENASA to meet with the United States Office of Management and Budget to try to create a coalition across the University, in addition to establishing a separate category for those who identify as Middle Eastern or North African. 

Another project Habibi has worked on is RestSC, which will provide nap pods on campus for students. Habibi said that the project will help with something he’s personally struggling with amid midterm season: a lack of sleep.

“Yesterday, I was at the library until 3 a.m. and I didn’t get enough sleep,” Habibi said. “There was no place to sleep and no place to rest, so I wished that we had this.” 

Habibi will visit UCLA, which already established nap pods, to gain a better understanding of the costs and placement of the pods.

Woodworth discussed the launch of SCÜP, a shuttle service taking students from USC to the Los Angeles International Airport, which will be running Wednesday and Thursday. SCÜP will be running ahead of every academic break, beginning with this week’s Fall Recess, and will be available before Thanksgiving Holiday and Winter Recess.

“SCÜP is an initiative funded by USG to help alleviate the stress of what should be a stress-free journey back home,” Director of public relations Mustafa Ali Khan said.