Author Archives: Jonathan Van Dyke

Advocate of the Year: Vito Costanzo Makes Pitch For Public Funding

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Vito Costanzo will take home the Advocate of the Year Award at UCLA Day in Downtown.

Vito Costanzo ’94 isn’t really into the whole politics thing.

Yet this Thursday, Oct. 8, he will receive the UCLA Advocate of the Year award for his work lobbying local, state and federal officials on behalf of the university that has been intertwined with his family for years.

“You are explaining common sense principles,” he said. “This is not some sort of special interest group taking money away from another special interest group. This is a university working for the common good. Anyone can explain that to a legislator.

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Countdown to Downtown: Visual and Performing Arts Education Program Enriches Through Creativity

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Students create silhouette art during the VAPAE Program’s AcademiCamp summer program.

Through the Visual and Performing Arts Education Program (VAPAE), UCLA is bringing arts education into underserved communities that desperately need it, and in the process, creating a new generation of future K-12 arts education teachers.

Originally called ArtsBridge, UCLA School of Arts and Architecture associate dean Barbara Drucker developed the VAPAE Program in 2010 into a school-wide minor, open to UCLA Arts undergraduates, as well as students across campus.

 

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Countdown to Downtown: Community Partners in Care Strives For Comprehensive Mental Health Care

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Community Partners in Care combines the expertise of UCLA researchers and various community caregivers to help treat mental illness and depression.

Depression is a burden nobody should have to face alone, and through Community Partners in Care, it doesn’t have to be.

The program, established through the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and RAND, links key mental health and depression training through community agencies and outlets — literally from the barbershop to the primary care physician. The program particularly focuses on areas populated with ethnic minorities, a population that is more likely to struggle with the stigmatization of mental health issues and depression.

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New UCLA Students Ready To Make Volunteer Day Memories

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UCLA students volunteering at a veteran’s home and sanding furniture for Volunteer Day 2014. (Christelle Snow/UCLA)

When thousands of incoming freshmen and transfer students blanket Los Angeles County for UCLA’s annual Volunteer Day this Saturday, organizers strive to create a meaningful day everyone will remember.

“We want to leave a lasting impression,” said Walen Ngo, program manager at UCLA Extension’s business, management and legal programs department. Ngo will lead a group of those young volunteers to serve at the Veterans Home of West Los Angeles, an experience he hopes and believes they will cherish well beyond Saturday.

“It’s really worthwhile to open the eyes of the volunteers to this home and these people who have given so much to our country,” Ngo said. “The little we can do on Volunteer Day will hopefully inspire them to continue to give back.”

 

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MYTHBUSTERS: Public Funding

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mythbusters

The state budget continues to be a point of debate among California legislators and the UCLA community at large. Learn the facts about how much money the state contributes to the UCLA budget and which items and services that money specifically pays for.

MYTH: Because the state budget allocation is such a small part of UCLA’s total budget, the university can do without California’s support.

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UCLA Advocate In Action: Howard Welinsky Shows Pride Through Politics

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Howard Welinsky shows off some Bruin hardware with memories of a successful career in the movies adorning the background.

When Howard Welinsky ’72, talks, elected officials listen. And if you aren’t hearing from Welinsky at all, well, chances are you already know why you are in the doghouse.

Welinsky has been directly involved with UCLA advocacy since the 1980s.

“At some point I kind of realized that the two issues I cared about were higher education and Israel,” he said. “Over time I learned how to develop political relationships, take advantage of opportunities that existed. Over time, you kind of develop a reputation.”

A political science major while at UCLA, Welinsky said he has always been politically active — literally walking precincts with his mother when he was seven or eight years old, running city council campaigns in Culver City, and becoming involved with the Democratic party and the Jewish Federation.

 

 

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