Friday marked the beginning of a new year, and, as always, countless New Year’s resolutions.
A quick stroll inside the jam-packed Wooden Center suggests that many UCLA students made at least one resolution of their own.
This editorial board hopes that every Bruin makes strides toward his or her goals this year.
But honestly ““ no one makes it past March.
That’s why we have chosen to focus only on what we hope will be accomplished at UCLA during the next 10 weeks of winter quarter.
Make progress on budget solutions
The black cloud that loomed over all of our heads in 2009 isn’t going anywhere in 2010. The state budget crisis remains and will continue to shape policy and affect our education into the foreseeable future. There are certainly no silver-bullet solutions we can develop over the next three months that will fix the entire University of California system, but there remain unresolved problems at UCLA that this board feels administration must address immediately.
Sizable donations that have allowed UCLA to keep Night Powell intact have been invaluable and a sign that we can weather parts of this storm.
But these are temporary fixes.
It would be naive for members of the UCLA community to become complacent until funds run dry again. Now is the time to find long-term solutions to problems that will rear their ugly heads again before we know it.
Come to a resolution regarding Undie Run
As we discussed at length Tuesday, this campus tradition cannot continue to exist in its current half-baked state. Undergraduate Students Association Council representatives have pitched ideas for substitute events but need to finalize their plans. If students refuse to give up the run, negotiations with administration must occur before finals week to settle the issue.
No one wants to get a ticket for jaywalking after midnight in their underwear.
Make substantial progress on campus construction
Walking to class from the dorms is a dusty, daunting experience.
The Hill is a disaster. One must tread carefully through sand on Bruin Walk, and Pauley Pavilion without the accompanying trees make the center of campus look like a wasteland.
This is not how to attract the nation’s top students, nor is it how to make current students happy to be here. The very least housing and administration could do is make sure the process moves quickly and efficiently.
Don’t overenroll the class of 2014
Sure, there are many qualified students. Yes, we understand that UCLA is popular among applicants. But with the current budget, come May, UCLA cannot afford to face the terror of overenrollment again. Therefore, we implore admissions counselors to exercise judicious restraint.
Be a part of March Madness
After three trips to the Final Four in four years, it seems inconceivable that our men’s basketball team could miss the Big Dance in 2010.
Yet that seems to be exactly what is bound to happen.
This board begs Ben Howland to get his lackluster team playing up to the standard of the UCLA basketball tradition. March and April will be a lot more fun if our Bruins are in the mix.
Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the editorial board.