S.D. Landmark Under Fire Again Effects of College Loan Crisis
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A VISIT TO THE REGISTRAR SPELLS CHAOS ▶ OPINION, PAGE 4 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO www.ucsdguardian.org Thursday, April 24, 2008 The Student Voice Since 1967 Effects of College Students Protest Education Cuts Loan Crisis Uncertain panies and the U.S. Department of Despite nationwide Education, and those within privately panic over the health of funded programs. The economic crisis is most damaging to the latter of the student loans, university two, according to Executive Director officials say UC students of America’s Student Loan Providers Kevin Bruns. shouldn’t worry. Student loan companies receive By Candice Wu their finances for loans from an invest- Senior Staff Writer ment source and in turn are able to lend out these loans at a higher cost, Sallie Mae, the nation’s largest stu- and the difference between the two is dent loan company, announced last where lenders like Sallie Mae generate week that its government-funded stu- their profit. However, the recent credit dent loan program will soon suffer a crisis that has proliferated through the financial shortage as a consequence of U.S. economy has jeopardized the vari- increased borrowing costs and a new ous funds that lenders need in order to law that reduces the amount of govern- provide student loans. Sallie Mae and ment subsidies for guaranteed student other companies were able to absorb COURTESY OF STEPHANIE CHAN loans. the fees charged by their sources and Over 1,000 California college students marched in Sacramento this week in opposition to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed cuts to higher education. Currently, student loan interest rates issue loans at discount rates, but now are capped at 6.8 percent, creating a loss affordability is in remission and the dif- By Justin Gutierrez march’s primary focus, Los Angeles, Senate for California Community in profit for each federal loan Sallie Mae ference in the loans shows up in tuition Staff Writer San Diego, Riverside and Santa Colleges with the purpose of bring- issues. Formally known as SLM Corp., as a statutory fee. Barbara also saw rumblings of stu- ing a voice to students who are con- Sallie Mae reported a loss of $103.8 “The amount of money it costs to In response to Gov. Arnold dent dissatisfaction, organized by the cerned about how the governor’s million in the first quarter of 2008, in make the loans will be higher because Schwarzenegger’s proposed budget Students for California’s Future, a budget proposal this year could affect comparison with a profit of $116.2 mil- the lenders aren’t making the same cuts to state public education system, three-tier coalition. their futures. lion last year. level of profit [compared to] past years,” thousands of students led marches The coalition was formed by the “The governor has proposed a There are two types of student Coordinator of Student Financial across the state in protest on April University of California Student $1.1-billion cut to higher education,” loans: those secured by the federal 21. Association, the California State government through lending com- See LOANS, page 3 Though Sacramento was the Students Association and the Student See PROTESTS, page 7 S.D. Landmark Under Fire Again Bill Places New Regulations LOCAL NEWS Opponents say the Mount on Future UC Contracts term to make sure that taxpayers and Soledad cross contradicts Legislation would students are getting the best value for separation of church and survey companies before the price, to introduce a questionnaire so that the UC knows the business state, favors Christianity entering contractual histories of the companies with whom over other religions. agreements to increase they contract, and to increase the transparency of the business contracts By Deepak Seeni transparency. into which the university is entering,” Staff Writer By Sarah de Crescenzo Keigwin said. Senior Staff Writer In a statement concerning the leg- Last week marked the beginning islation, Yee referred to a number of of a new legal battle over the Mount The Senate Government examples of contractual discrepancies Soledad Cross, which has once again Organization Committee approved a that spurred him to take action. A fallen under criticism from oppo- bill last week concerning the regulation contract that was awarded to a paint- nents who claim its presence to be and level of public access to University ing company at UCSB, for instance, a gross violation of the principle of of California contracts. ended when the company declared separation of church and state. The ERIK JEPSEN/GUARDIAN The bill, authored by Sen. Leland bankruptcy, leaving employees with The Mount Soledad cross has come under fire several times over the last two decades from opponents cross, which has been the subject who claim that its placement on federal land violates separation of church and state. Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo), rep- no compensation for the work that of numerous legal battles since the resents a reaction to past and present they had already completed for the 1980s, is located on federal govern- and state. maintain that the cross is merely one business issues with companies con- university. ment property. “The ACLU and the Jewish War aspect of a memorial paying honor tracted by UC Santa Barbara and UC Yee also decried a situation at UC The American Civil Liberties Veterans Association both believe to those that died during the Korean Davis, and would require all companies Davis, where the company Sodexho Union of San Diego and the Jewish that the display of religious symbols War. seeking to enter into contracts with has held the contract for food services War Veterans Association have come in the private sphere is an important Controversy over the cross first the UC system to answer a question- for over a decade. With the bill, the together to challenge the presence of the and constitutionally protected right,” arose following a lawsuit filed in 1989 naire designed to identify irresponsible university will be required to open the cross on government land, stating their he said. “However, there is a differ- by Philip Kevin Paulson, a local San firms and to ensure that no business contract to bidding every three years. case in U.S. District Court last week. ence between families and religious Diego resident and Vietnam War vet- relationships are developed with such “Sodexho has given millions to UC Both groups argue that the cross communities expressing what they eran. City officials have made numer- companies. The survey would include Davis, and in return appears to have shows religious favoritism, claiming believe in and the U.S. government, ous attempts to display the cross as a questions about companies’ past busi- been granted a ‘no-bid’ contract, as no that if the government is to maintain who is responsible for equal repre- war memorial with an overall secular ness practices, such as their history of other entity has been allowed to bid for the memorial atop Mount Soledad sentation among all its citizens, pro- purpose. However, following its pres- tax payment as well as their adherence the contract for over a decade,” Keigwin — which commemorates soldiers lost moting the beliefs of one faith over ence being challenged by Paulson in to fair labor practices. said. “While companies with long-term in the Korean War — it must do so in all others.” 1989, the Mount Soledad cross has Adam Keigwin, Yee’s communica- contracts like Sodexho could be possi- a secular, religiously neutral fashion. Cross supporters, in line with U.S. witnessed some significant changes, tions director, said the legislation aims bly providing the best value, we do not David Blair-Loy, legal director for Supreme Court decisions made in including the placement of a plaque to accomplish three objectives related know if this is true since other entities the ACLU of San Diego and Imperial 2005 which allow for the presence at the base of the cross denoting it as a to the contracts the UC system enters. have not been allowed to bid for that Counties, said the cross’ presence vio- of certain religious symbols if they “[The bill] is designed to require lates the separation between church are part of a larger secular purpose, See SOLEDAD, page 7 contracts to be limited to a three-year See CONTRACTS, page 3 HIATUS SPORTS INSIDE WEATHER Five-Year Phenom New Business .......................3 Blues Run the Game Word Up ...............................4 April 24 April 25 Wong Kar-Wai’s foreign lyricism fails to translate into Record-breaking Triton basketballer Clint Allard Letters to the Editor .............6 H 65 L 51 H 77 L 55 American romance with “My Blueberry Nights.” offers an inside look at his college sports career. Druthers ..............................10 page 8 page 16 Classifieds ..........................14 April 26 April 83 Sudoku ...............................14 H 78 L 58 H 83 L 58 2 NEWS THE UCSD GUARDIAN THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 2008 POORLY DRAWN LINES BY REZA FARAZMAND Charles Nguyen Editor in Chief Matthew L’Heureux Managing Editors Matthew McArdle Hadley Mendoza Nicole Teixeira Copy Editors Teresa Wu Jesse Alm Associate News Editors Kimberly Cheng Reza Farazmand Charles Nguyen Opinion Editor Hadley Mendoza Associate Opinion Editor Rael Enteen Sports Editor Jake Blanc Associate Sports Editors Danai Leininger Janani Sridharan Alyssa Bereznak Focus Editor Katie Corotto Associate Focus Editors CURRENTS Serena Renner Chris Kokiousis Associate Hiatus Editors extremely grateful to the Larry Chris Mertan Researchers Receive L. Hillblom Foundation for their Sonia Minden Grant for Human Aging continued generous and compre- GUARDIAN ONLINE Will Parson Photo Editor hensive support of aging research Erik Jepsen Associate Photo Editor at UC San Diego.” Scientists researching the pro- Richard Choi Design Editor cess of human aging at the UCSD Wendy Shieu Associate Design Editor School of Medicine division of www.ucsdguardian.org geriatrics will receive a grant of Nokia to Honor Birch Christina Aushana Art Editor nearly $2 million from the Larry L.