5. UCLA athletic department From athletes
receiving extra benefits and getting in trouble with the law, to
coaches underachieving or not achieving the proper credentials to
coach, the athletic department has definitely had its fair share of
controversies this year. It’s no help that the names Steve
Lavin and Bob Toledo make most UCLA sports fans cringe. Not only
have these two coaches led their respective basketball and football
teams to disappointing seasons, but their underachieving
performances has led to a degradation in school spirit. All of this
reflects poorly as the last year for outgoing Athletic Director
Peter Dalis, who has had success with UCLA athletics for many years
prior. Incoming AD Dan Guerrero is ready to take over next year and
should be less inclined to accept UCLA athletics’
underachieving performances, particularly in football and
men’s basketball. Winning sports teams translate into happy
fans and a boost in school spirit and a sense of community ““
something this school badly needs.
4. The Associated Students of UCLA The
Associated Students of UCLA exists for students ““ or at least
it should. ASUCLA has experienced financial instability for much of
the last ten years, and as a result of the tough economic times,
students may now pay the price. ASUCLA has cut funding to
undergraduate student government by about $30,000, which means
students will have to find ways to cut programming costs and other
activities to make up the difference. ASUCLA attributed this to the
increased cost of paying the unionized workers, but ASUCLA has made
several questionable business decisions in the past which have
forced them into their current financial situation. Students now
have to bail out ASUCLA of their financial hardships instead of the
other way around. It’s time for students to be responsible
and ask whether ASUCLA exists for the students or if the students
exist for ASUCLA.
3. On-Campus Housing Housing director Michael
Foraker managed to pull a fast one on students this year ““
twice. First with consolidation of their rooms, and second with the
7 percent housing fee increase for next year. Right now, students
have no real control over any major housing decisions. OCHC is
supposed to represent student concerns and bring them to the Office
of Residential Life, but the council has proven time and again that
they are ineffective in accomplishing anything but getting students
a new ATM machine. Until Housing gives students the voice they
deserve on the hill, on-campus housing will never live up to its
true potential as a focal point for UCLA.
2. Minimum progress requirements Minimum
progress requirements spell doom for UCLA. It represents all that
is wrong with a university education these days. Minimum progress
asks students to complete 13 units a quarter, which typically means
four courses per quarter. For some students, four classes a quarter
is normal, but students who work to pay off their college expenses
or participate in demanding extracurricular activities often
can’t handle the additional workload. Minimum progress would
shuffle students through the university like a herd of cattle. The
quality of education would suffer. This university is not a
conveyor belt for degrees. The university will undoubtedly face
issues of overcrowding and budget constraints, but if students are
expected to develop here, they should be able to do so on their own
schedules.
1. Student apathy Students who do nothing but
go to class and go home often complain about what’s wrong
with UCLA. But it’s time for these same students to take a
look in the mirror ““ they are what’s wrong with this
school. If students were to actually do something about the
problems they see at UCLA, we wouldn’t be publishing this
list.