MOTORISTS, TAKE THIS DETOUR ▶ OPINION, PAGE 4 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO www.ucsdguardian.org Thursday, January 31, 2008 The Student Voice Since 1967 IN FLUX, Students Decry Proposed Structure UC PONDERS WINTERFEST ACTION PLAN FINDS NEW NAME, MARKET FOR RECORD By Charles Nguyen Senior Staff Writer APPLICANT POOL The A.S. Council’s programming By Jesse Alm department is shaking up its winter Associate News Editor itinerary, scrapping the longstand- ing WinterFest in favor of an event The University of California saw smaller in funding, size and name. a record number of applications for Assistant Vice President of Fall Quarter 2008, but in the shadow Programming Kevin Highland said of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s today’s Winter All-Campus Dance is proposed $109-million cut to the not billed as a concert — an attempt university’s budget this year, the by the office to distance itself from the accommodation of all eligible appli- consistently unsuccessful WinterFest. cants remains a pressing challenge. Of the department’s seasonal con- SANH LUONG/GUARDIAN Overall, 121,005 students applied certs, WinterFest, held annually at UCSD Transportation and Parking Services Director Brian d’Autremont (far left) speaks to the crowd at one of three parking forums held last week to address future options. to the 10 UC undergraduate campuses RIMAC Arena, regularly records the this year, signifying a 9-percent increase lowest attendance levels. students voiced concerns about the have to put all the pieces of the over last year’s 110,994 applicants. In Highland added that shrinking Transportation and possible impacts of erecting such a puzzle together to have the kind addition, there was an 8.5-percent the event’s size would free up depart- Parking Services requests structure on parking fees and how of student life that people would increase in transfer student applica- ment funds to accommodate other the increased traffic would affect like to see on campus,” Associate tions, compensating for what Assistant events, including the increasingly campus input to help the environment. However, the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Vice Chancellor of Admissions and popular Bear Gardens. $45-million investment into Price Edward Spriggs said. “And the envi- Registration Mae W. Brown considered “Because of continuously being alleviate future issues of Center’s expansion also entails ronmental impact will be less severe to be a disappointing decline in the unsuccessful, WinterFest was the parking congestion. bringing customers to the project’s in three years because car compa- demographic in 2007. obvious place where we could pull new services, which include restau- nies, like Toyota, are projecting that UCSD’s applicant pool showed money from to fund Bear Gardens,” By Kimberly Cheng rants, a hair salon, a grocery store there will be five times the number 6.1-percent growth overall, with Highland said. “Over half of the Associate News Editor and a nightclub, by offering them of hybrids on the roads than there 57,116 applicants, compared to [WinterFest] budget was cut and ideal parking proximity. are now.” 53,845 last year. This year’s total of transferred to Bear Gardens.” While the possibility of esca- If the proposed parking struc- Although convenient storefronts 47,366 freshman applicants repre- Last year’s WinterFest was the first lating parking fees has prompted ture is approved next month by the could lead the way toward the cre- sents a 5.1-percent increase from the to be hosted in Price Center Ballroom, UCSD’s All-Campus Commuter Transportation Policy Committee, ation of a vibrant downtown atmo- previous year’s 45,054, and transfer a precursor that programming aimed Board to launch a campaign against comprised of students, faculty and sphere for the UCSD community, student applications rose to 9,750 to downsize the event. That con- the construction of another parking staff, plans to build the facility students criticized the unfair impo- this year from 8,791 in 2007, mark- cert attracted 1,200 attendees, down structure, several campus admin- will begin immediately. The new sition of fees on those who may ing a 10.9-percent growth. almost 50 percent from the previous istrators defended the structure’s structure is slated for construction not even use the new Price Center UC Director of Admissions and WinterFest, which was held at RIMAC necessity to attract visitors to the on the northeast corner of Gilman facilities. Ethnic Media Communications Arena. nightlife ambience planned for Drive and Myers Lane and pro- “Convenience comes with a Ricardo Vazquez said that in addi- “We could no longer afford the ongoing Price Center expansion jected for completion during the price and triple chins,” ACCB rep- tion to record-setting totals — which projects. 2012-13 school year. See DANCE, page 3 During a Jan. 28 parking forum, “The stakes are so high that we See STRUCTURE, page 6 See ENROLLMENT, page 12 Admins to Reimburse Food Co-op for Back Rent A.S. COUNCIL’S By Reza Farazmand months, and according to the master space Associate News Editor agreement that we signed a couple years ago with the university, if there’s a utilities shut-off ‘VISIBILITY WEEK’ UCSD has agreed to pay the Food Co-op that lasts for more than four hours in a day, more than $2,500 in rent abatement after a year- we should get full rent abatement for that day,” long debate over financial hardships the group Parent said. “So, four straight months of no SEES BOOST IN incurred when the Student Center construction water should mean four months of rent free.” breached the back half of the store last year. Before the A.S. Council could form a com- From January through April 2007, co-op mittee to address the issue, however, council- members lost access to their sink, restricting members were informed by campus officials that PARTICIPATION food preparation in the store’s kitchen. the university would be compensating the co-op By Michael Bowlus “It feels really good to have finally resolved with full rent abatement for the four-month Senior Staff Writer this,” Food Co-op core member Molly Parent period in question. Parent said the co-op’s move said. “It’s been an ongoing issue for us for a year, to take the issue before the council was likely an A.S. councilmembers greeted students and it was really important to us that we hold the influencing factor in UCSD’s decision to settle on Library Walk last week as part of their university accountable to [our space agreement]. the matter. renewed attempts to expand face time with It feels great for us to have it settled in our favor.” “It definitely showed them that we were their constituents and raise awareness about Co-op core members were informed of willing to pursue it to the full extent that we did, the council’s services, after a Fall Quarter that UCSD’s decision to facilitate full rent abatement and the fact that we were able to demonstrate in some of the council’s own members described on Jan. 29 in an e-mail from University Centers front of A.S. that we knew the MSA well enough as publicly stagnant. Director Paul Terzino. The missive came after to know how to pursue it I think gave us more On Jan. 22, the first day of A.S. Visibility co-op core members spoke before the A.S. credibility and indicated that they should look Week’s three-day program, members made a Council on Jan. 23 to request that the council into it a little more carefully,” Parent said. final push to register students to vote in time mediate the debate. The chief concern of core University Centers Director Paul Terzino for next week’s primary election. The registra- members was UCSD’s apparent refusal to honor said in an e-mail that UCSD’s decison was a tion drive also served as a vehicle to distribute the space agreement contract arranged between result of their unwillingness to let the issue grow WILL PARSON/GUARDIAN nonpartisan voter guides, information about the two parties. Food Co-op core members such as Molly Parent (pictured) advocated “We didn’t have access to water for four See CO-OP, page 7 rent abatement for the four months the store had limited water access. See COUNCIL, page 7 HIATUS SPORTS INSIDE WEATHER Back to Basics New Business .......................3 Happy Feet Letters to the Editor .............5 Jan. 31 Feb. 1 Ska rock bandits and techno rioters descend Spirit Night may have broken attendance records, Druthers ................................9 H 64 L 42 H 61 L 46 on UCSD’s first Winter All-Campus Dance. but the next day brought sad normality. Album Reviews ...................10 page 8 page 16 Classifieds ..........................13 Feb. 2 Feb. 3 Sudoku ...............................13 H 61 L 46 H 59 L 45 2 NEWS THE UCSD GUARDIAN THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2008 POORLY DRAWN LINES BY REZA FARAZMAND Charles Nguyen Editor in Chief Matthew McArdle Managing Editors Hadley Mendoza Serena Renner Nicole Teixeira Copy Editors Teresa Wu Matthew L’Heureux News Editor Jesse Alm Associate News Editors Kimberly Cheng Reza Farazmand Hadley Mendoza Opinion Editor Rael Enteen Sports Editor Danai Leininger Associate Sports Editor Alyssa Bereznak Focus Editor Katie Corotto Associate Focus Editors Serena Renner Chris Kokiousis Associate Hiatus Editors CURRENTS Chris Mertan Sonia Minden Rue’s Office Claims Prize of University of California, in San Will Parson Photo Editor Francisco in July 2003 on allegations Erik Jepsen Associate Photo Editor as Tritons Get Gold that fees had risen more than twice GUARDIAN ONLINE Richard Choi Design Editor the amount the students were prom- Wendy Shieu Associate Design Editor Complete with crown and trident, ised at the time of their acceptance.