Meet The Candidates

Our UASRA officers are the heart of our community. Unit Representatives, Event and Community Center coordinators, are the ones to provide common activities and spaces that build connections between our neighbors. 
During these years at UASRA, I have learned that teamwork, respect, and gratitude for our officers are essential to achieving our community goals. As a former unit rep and event coordinator for 2 terms, I know the work and effort required to achieve successful activities and events. Working together we can make great things. 
As vice president, my commitment is to help our officers achieve their goals and create more spaces for community participation. I am convinced that each officer has something special to offer our community, and I want to work closely with them to make this happen.

I got involved with community work from very early on stay at UV. I was and am a member of the free food distribution program at Sepulveda. Later, I joined the UASRA team as Sepulveda Unit A representative. I did and still generate work orders for our unit building-related issues to serve my neighbors. I have been discussing our unit as well as complex related issues in our General assembly meeting with authorities. I collaborated with other unit rep. to bring vibrant events to the neighbors. I support other UASRA events on various occasions as a volunteer. I am thankful to our residents and my colleague in UASRA for their support in my community activities.
This year I want to apply for the role of treasurer. Being from computations and mathematics has nothing to do with it. I want to pass on my current role and learn a new one. My vision for this role would be to keep the financial stability afloat as it was maintained by the previous treasurer. Continue its transparency, timely transactions, and support for community programs. My inclination toward fair decisions, and teamwork will be also part of my presence on the board.  

My name is Andrew Liu and I am a 3rd year PhD student in the Electrical & Computer Engineering departmemt, and I am very excited to be running for UASRA's next secretary. I hope to expand on my experience with UASRA as the Mentone/Clarigton Rep this past year and continue to support UASRA's community building efforts. I am looking forward to expanding the free food program at KMC, contributing more ideas to support community building and safety, and volunteering for future events. The secretary position would also fit very well, as I am an extremely organized and detail-oriented person and have served as the secretary for the Engineering Graduate Student Association (eGSA) and treasurer for the Electrical Engineering Graduate Student Association (ECEGAPS).

I am a people person and love meeting people with diverse backgrounds. The event coordinator's core role should be building a bridge between different UAS communities through organizing various fun events. I believe my past experience of organizing joint events as a unit representative and the food distribution program will make me well suited for this position.
If I can be successfully elected, I will try my best to help connect the whole UAS together through assisting unit representatives from different communities to come up with event ideas and ensuring all events can be held smoothly. For UAS general events, besides the welcome event and garage sales, I also plan to hold events with various topics, such as gardening and cooking workshops, exotic food share, outdoor game play for kids, etc. I believe my future event plan will fit the interest of different residents and help create an interactive and harmonious community.

Dear residents of the UAS community,

I am interested in continuing to be an active member of University Apartment South (UAS) community serving as UASRA Community Center Coordinator. I have been living with my family in the University Village for the last 5 years. I have been actively involved with the community through all these years. I served as Sepulveda Room Maintenance from 2019 to 2020, as a Unit Representative for Sepulveda D in 2020-2021 and as Community Center Coordinator and member of the UASRA board for the academic year 2021-2022. Additionally, I have participated in all the activities organized by the previous representatives and UASRA as well as volunteering in different ways. All these different experiences have helped me to understand how UASRA is organized and works to achieve its goals to benefit the community. As an experienced member of UASRA I will best contribute to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of the Community Center Coordinator position that includes providing programs, classes and different activities for UAS residents or scheduling events and supervising the Maintenance Coordinators of the Community Center and Sepulveda Resource Room. 

Sincerely,
Evris Bacu

Hi neighbours, 

I’m grateful to be part of the UASRA and Venice/Barry communities. 

Having been a unit rep previously at Keystone/Mentone before moving to V/B, I’m familiar with what’s entailed and hope to use the position to help develop and promote more opportunities for people to get to know one another, represent the needs of people living in the building, and support UASRA wide programs and concerns, including working to cooperate with the tenants union and foodcycle distributions. I’d also like to support better communication between housing and residents and find ways for residents to benefit from programs that are centred at the university village. 

Dear residents of the University Apartments South,

I am interested in continuing to serve the UASRA Sepulveda D Unit Representative position for the academic year 2022-2023. Living the last 5 years in this community, I have been actively involved by serving as Sepulveda D Unit Representative for 2021-2022, participating in various activities organized by the UASRA, and volunteering in different ways. I am a very responsible, committed, and positive person. In addition, participating in UASRA meetings as last year, I had the opportunity to understand the nature of the Unit Representative position and the challenges to better serve the community. My long experience living in the University Village has taught me that besides keeping the residents informed about the main issues of the community and advocating their interests, which are of great interest, the daily life concerns about for example maintenance, sharing the common space, creating a positive environment for families and children, connecting people from different cultural, ethnic, and gender backgrounds are also very important for the quality of life of the UAS residents

Sincerely,
Gazmend Elezi

I'm actually the Sepulveda C Rep and I usually help the community as a volunteer during food distribution. I think I can help more with events to bring our neighbors closer together so that we can get to know and share even more of the different cultures present in our community.

I like to connect with other people and bring them together. Therefore I am also leading the ‚Parents Group‘ of UASRA where we share experiences of parenting and support each other. As Representative of Playground B I‘ll always have an open ear for my fellow neighbors and will be happy to plan some fun events.

For 2021-2022 I served as unit rep for Sawtelle C and D. I put on group hikes, a swap event that has become a regular occurrence, and an exotic animal show. I have been involved as a volunteer behind the scenes in most UASRA events. Next year, if public health policies permit, I'd like to put on a chili cookoff, a pie contest, and multiple music and dancing events for the community. My wife Merry is a resourceful and dedicated community member as well, so you get two for the price of one!

Happy to be of service in any way possible

I am interested in becoming unit representative for Sawtelle A because I want to advocate for the needs of my community.
In my current position, as Equity, Health, and Safety officer I directly spoke to residents on what events they would like to see within the community. By directly engaging with residents I learned of the needs residents had. I was also able to build meaningful connections where they entrusted me with revealing their concerns. I also extended the opportunity for those who could not make it to in person events to share their voice by creating an online survey. I want residents to always feel included and heard within this space. So, that it not makes me a better representative for them, but in turn makes the community a better place.

I have been a part many organisations as a masters and a graduate student where I have undertaken various roles from president to team leader to volunteer, and each of these roles helped me understand the nuances of being involved in a community. I feel that those experiences will help me with this position of the unit representative for Sawtelle B. Apart from this, currently I am also a volunteer for the free food programme at UAS. This, by the way, I joined within a month after moving here. And it definitely helped me to interact with people here which has been a very good experience. I am sure, if selected, I will do justice to this position.

Hi, I’m Lavanya, and I’m a PhD student in Geography. I’ve lived in the Rose Avenue apartments for almost a year, and I love the neighborly energy here. As a unit rep, I will continue the tradition of hosting regular communal events where residents can hang out and chat over food, music, or a movie. I feel this is particularly important given the stress and loneliness of life as a graduate student! I'm also excited to think about fun and creative ways to use our backyard collectively--maybe cookouts at the grill and game nights. I grew up in India, and appreciate that we all come from different cultures and backgrounds; I look forward to seeing the Rose community sustain its welcoming and friendly spirit. I have many years of experience in various kinds of communal and collective living arrangements, and am deeply committed to creating living spaces that are friendly and accommodating to all. As a unit rep, I will prioritize resources and opportunities for the community that lessen our financial burden while also building community in fun and restorative ways.

Hi! My name is Alex, and I’m an illustrator, animator, and dog parent. As a non-student resident, I particularly appreciate the sense of community at the Rose Avenue apartments, and hope to cultivate this further. At the same time, as the partner of a graduate student, I understand the stress and precarity of graduate life, and it will be my priority to organize events that lessen this financial and emotional burden. 
For several years I was a resident and board member at the Philadelphia Life Center Association, a cooperatively owned housing trust meant to provide long-term affordable housing. Through this experience I have held leadership positions where I have facilitated conversations with diverse community members, participated in discussions about collectively imagined living conditions, and managed group finances. I also used to be an art teacher, and hope to bring that experience into designing fun, creative ways to bring the community together here at Rose Avenue!

Greetings Residents,
My name is Deepak Singla and I am excited to announce my candidacy for the Unit Representative position at Keystone Apartments. For those of you who don't know me, I have lived in Keystone since 2021 and thoroughly enjoyed my time amongst other students here. I have also served as the Unit Rep since January '22 and built amazing connections with people around UAS. While living here, I have felt the residents like to connect with each other on a deeper level and I believe the best way to do it is to have consistent engagement through productive and fun activities. At the same time, do a constant effort to care for each other. To serve better, here are some of my important goals:
1. Have monthly walks with coffee/tea/boba to connect and learn something new together. 
2. Remembering we are from different cultures, celebrate us together through cultural events so that none of us feels left out. 
3. Be reachable promptly for support and lessen the maintenance issues around the buildings. 
Let's improve our community. Also, to the international students, my heart goes to all of you, let's make it feel more like home.

I have served as the Rose Unit Representative for the 2020-1 and the 2021-2 school year already, so I already have a lot of experience managing the budget and working within the community and with maintenance to improve your housing experience! I look forward to (hopefully!) serving a third year, throwing another Annual Rose Free Market event and to promoting recreational opportunities within the community. :)