Recap of Summer’s Events

June June 30 Gov. Gray Davis signs next year’s
$99.4 billion budget, increasing the UC’s budget by 17.9 percent.
July July The English department changes many of
its four-unit classes to five units, citing higher workload.
July 17 The L.A. County Sheriff’s department
releases a sketch of a man they want to talk to regarding the
disappearance of then first-year student Michael Negrete, who has
been missing since Dec. 10. July 19 U.S. District
Court Judge Gary A. Fees rules that the LAPD planned security
perimeter around Staples Center during the Democratic National
Convention is unconstitutional. The UC Board of Regents meet in San
Francisco, discussing, among other things, security lapses that
have brought the university’s management of the lab under scrutiny.
July 25 Concorde flight crashes minutes after
takeoff from the de Gaulle airport in Paris, killing all 114 people
abroad. July 28 Two federal judges allow Napster
to remain online, two days after another judge grants an injunction
that would have effectively shut down the site. Napster was sued
for copyright infringement by the Recording Industry Association of
America. August August Wildfires continue to rage
in the Western United States. Davis requests an enrollment,
financial aid and other deadlines for student firefighters.
Russia’s Kursk nuclear submarine sinks in the Barents sea. Despite
rescue efforts by British and Norwegian teams, all abroad die.
August 14-17 With protests throughout the week,
the DNC is held in Los Angeles. Al Gore and Joe Lieberman are
nominated for president and vice presidential candidates. Among
other preparations, 800 California Highway Patrol Officers stay in
the residence halls, drawing complaints from some students.
Aug. 15 The Undergraduate Students Association
Council votes to freeze all accounts for student advocacy groups.
September September 1 The federal government warns
consumers that 1.4 million Firestone tires the manufacturer refused
to recall could pose a safety risk and should be replaced.