NEWS
ARTS & CULTURE
IN THIS ISSUE
Multicultural Resource A World Class Deal for Events » PAGE 2 Center Opens Culture Lovers News Briefs » PAGE 3 & 5 A grand opening for the new Culture Card sales dates are Puzzles » PAGE 9 space is scheduled for October Sept. 26 (Parnassus) and Oct. Arts & Culture » PAGE 10 24. » PAGE 4 2 (Mission Bay) » PAGE 10
Synapse The UCSF Student Newspaper
Thursday, September 6, 2012
synapse.ucsf.edu
ORIENTATION ISSUE
Volume 57, Number 1
New Graduate Division Dean Seeks A United Graduate Community By Kate Lovero and Linet Mera Gradute Students’ Association
A Photo courtesy of ASUC
The ASUC-GSA Formal is one of the more popular events of the school year.
ASUC: From Shaping Policy to Hosting the Formal By Jay Rajan
N
eed cash to start your own campus organization? Interested in sponsoring an event, or in trying to make changes on campus? Maybe you have an issue with the University or UC system. ASUC may be the place to turn to for assistance.
The Associated Students of the University of California at San Francisco (ASUC) represents about 1,500 dental, medical and pharmacy students. The student government serves as the bridge between the university and professional students working to improve the quality of student life on campus and in the communities where they live and serve.
lthough she is new to the position of Dean of the Graduate Division, Dr. Elizabeth Watkins has been making substantial contributions to UCSF for nearly a decade. In 2004, as a professor in the department of Anthropology, History, and Social Medicine, she helped to reopen the MA and PhD in History of Health Sciences programs, and has since chaired that program, in addition to serving on a number of other academic committees. Her tenure as dean, which began this spring, is sure to bring many positive transformations to the UCSF Graduate Division. Dr. Watkins’ goals as dean are “to promote access to graduate study for all qualified students, increase support for that education, and improve the educational experience and career
opportunities for graduate students at UCSF.” One major focus in achieving these goals is to create a united graduate community. “I would like graduate students to get a sense that they are part of something larger, a graduate division,” said Dr. Watkins. “ I would like us to craft that identity…. and part of crafting this identity is making sure it comes from the people that are part of it.” Dr. Watkins has already begun meeting with faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and students to identify ways in which the Graduate Division can enhance the student experience. As part of this effort, Dr. Watkins attended a recent Graduate Students’ Association meeting to learn about student issues and to share her ideas for the Graduate Division. Among
ASUC » PAGE 4
NEW DEAN » PAGE 4
NEWS
Synapse Newspaper and Website Undergo Makeover New website set to launch September 12 Synapse Staff Report
W
ith the return of tanned and
rested students to campus, Synapse also comes back looking better than ever.
We’ve been very busy over the summer, redesigning the newspaper and website. We’ve got lots of new features and surprises for our readers.
Some of the exciting things to come: • New editorial features • Greater collaboration with other university groups and schools • More interaction through social media channels • Contests and giveaways • A weekly e-newsletter
The new website is scheduled to launch on Sept. 12, 2012. The next issue of Synapse will be on the newsstands on Sept. 20. While the newspaper will continue to be published every Thursday after that during the school year, the website will be updated on a more frequent basis. Steven Chin has been appointed managing editor of Synapse, succeeding Tim Neagle, who retired after nearly 12 years at the paper.
“My goal is to make Synapse reflect the voice of the UCSF community by providing broader coverage of all the schools and all campuses,” said Chin. “Look for Synapse to engage our readers through social media, a mobileready website and lots of entertaining promotions.” “We have a great group of student editors who bring a lot of enthusiasm
SYNAPSE MAKEOVER » PAGE 8