Thursday, April 3, 1997
EDUCATION:
Washington D.C. program has
outreached its capacityBy Gil Hopenstand
Daily Bruin Staff
The University of California is looking for a new home away from
home.
Its "campus" for students spending a quarter in Washington D.C.
 really the fifth floor of an office building near the White
House  has outgrown its capacity.
Space for the program, known as UCDC, is currently allocated for
classes, offices and a student center.
But officials have visions of incorporating the center with
student housing, which is now arranged at The Virginian, a
residential hotel across the Potomac River in Arlington, Va.
Residents commute to their internships and to the UCDC Center.
"The Virginian is livable, but the convenience of being in the
city would have enhanced my D.C. experience," said Andrea Martinez,
a fourth-year history student who spent the fall interning at the
National Organization for Women.
Each fall and spring, 25 UCLA students are sent to the Capitol
through the Center for American Politics and Public Policy (CAPPP).
They earn 12 units while studying in Washington and interning in
organizations ranging from the Woodrow Wilson Institute to the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
University officials said the improved UCDC plan has wide
support among the various chancellors and regents, and has the
blessing of Regent Velma Montoya, who lives in Washington. Montoya
said regents were briefed on the project at their last monthly
meeting, but the details are far from certain and no dates have
been set.
Remaining at the current site "is probably not a viable option"
university officials admitted, so they are looking elsewhere to
meet criteria such as safety and accessibility to the Metro.
"We are in the process of examining possible locations, but it
would be premature to discuss the process in any more detail at
this time," said Michael Hansen of UCLA Business Enterprises.
Hansen is leading the center development even though UCLA shares
the UCDC facilities with UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara
and UC Santa Cruz.
"The Office of the President does not have the kind of in-house
staff resources and experience that the campuses Â
particularly UCLA Â have in developing this type of facility,"
Hansen said.
"So Chancellor (Charles) Young offered to take responsibility
for moving the process forward, and President (Richard) Atkinson
accepted his offer. We’re working with a system-wide planning
committee with representatives from other campuses."
Student units would be modeled after the current apartments in
Arlington, Va. Two people now share a furnished one-bedroom
apartment complete with a kitchen, cable television and weekly maid
service.
In fact, the center would be remarkably similar to what Stanford
University operates in the north end of the city near the National
Zoo. There, 30 students each quarter live and study under a single
roof.
"All the students live here and bond," said Marsha Shinkman,
Stanford’s program administrator in Washington, D.C. "Its safer
than having the students all over town and its convenient to have
one place to come home to."
Stanford students eat in a community dining room, unlike the UC
students’ individual kitchens.
"Our students come home pretty tired and if they had to start
preparing meals on their own, they wouldn’t eat very well,"
Shinkman said. "Food may be cheaper in apartments, but no one ever
complains."
But cost is a major factor for UC planners, and that may
determine where the new campus finally establishes its roots. Prime
downtown real estate is more expensive that suburban sites.
And some students already questioned whether the higher costs
associated with living in Washington, D.C. exclude some potential
participants.
"People of less financial means are less likely to do an
activity like this," Martinez said, though she acknowledged that
financial aid automatically adjusts to reflect the higher living
expenses.
Still, the job experience and exposure to Washington, D.C. leave
positive experiences on most participants.
"I had a great time," said Romben Aquino, who spent last fall
interning at the Department of Justice. "After living in a city
where you’re confined to an automobile, it’s good to get out and
experience public transportation."
Marissa Prayongratana, who interned at the White House last
fall, said that even though she wasn’t 21, she still had fun.
"It was a great combination of classes and work," she said.