With another year at an end, many are looking to the mistakes
and problems of 2006 and setting resolutions for a more successful
2007. In the spirit of progress, this editorial board wanted to lay
out what we think members of the UCLA community should work on in
the coming year.
Chancellor-elect Gene Block: I resolve to become the most
influential chancellor to date for UCLA. I will be more responsive
to faculty and attentive to student needs. This means that my
communication with the student body will not cut off at one office
hour per quarter ““ having only 10 minutes each with six
random students just won’t cut it.
UCPD: We resolve not to use excessive force when removing people
from campus locations, hoping the Taser incident at Powell Library
will be the last of its kind. We have come to this conclusion after
realizing that whenever we screw up it will probably show up on
YouTube, putting us in an embarrassing spiral of bad PR and
students questioning our authority. We will also review our
policies on Taser usage and really look deep into our souls to see
whether we have a better way to defuse tense situations.
UC Board of Regents: We resolve to stop sleeping at our meetings
and actually pay attention to what people are saying during public
comment. We also resolve to not increase student fees.
Pauley Pavilion: I resolve to be renovated without losing my
historic name. Once I’m state-of-the-art, I will no longer
look with jealousy across town to the sparkling Galen Center. I
will continue to play host to sold-out sporting events and will
house the best college basketball team in history. Soon entire
recruiting classes will stand within my walls and marvel at my
glory.
Undergraduate Students Association Council: We resolve to work
more collaboratively with one another, setting aside slate politics
for the good of the student body. We also resolve not to pass
resolutions about events taking place thousands of miles away that
we actually have no political control over, such as conflict in the
Middle East.
Campus Events Commission: We resolve to consistently put on far
more interesting concerts. We’re off to a good start this
quarter with emo group Cursive, but we hope to put on more concerts
by cool bands than we did last quarter. After all, it can’t
be that hard to book some eclectic, up-and-coming indie bands.
We’ve only being doing it for, oh, the last decade.
University databases: OMG, we resolve not to get pwned again by
uber-lame hax0rz lol! Seriously, though, something’s gotta
change if a hacker can access the “restricted”
information ““ including Social Security numbers, addresses
and contact information ““ of 800,000 students, alumni, staff
and faculty.
Cars of Westwood residents: Now that apron parking is going to
be enforced this quarter, we resolve to find somewhere to park our
big steely selves without getting ticketed. Maybe someone can find
a workable solution to the parking woes of Westwood and save
hundreds of students thousands of dollars while keeping our streets
safe and repaired.