Administration, police remind students of
“˜right’ to remain silent
Thumbs down to the University of California Police Department
and the UCLA administration for inappropriately dealing with
UCLA’s traditional Midnight Yell last quarter. Not only did
the administration implement extremely harsh rules on student
involvement in Midnight Yell, but the excessive police presence
requested by the UCPD and the university was unnecessary. It looked
like a scene out of George Orwell’s “1984.”
Hoping to avoid a repetition of past events and perhaps to
appease the privileged homeowners of Westwood, the UCPD called in
police officers from other UC campuses. While a few police officers
can make residents feel safe, too many officers made Westwood look
like a police state. Multiple officers stood at each corner as
early as 8 p.m. Money should not have been spent on so many
additional and unneeded officers.
But the administration was just as fanatical in its approach to
Midnight Yell. A student, for example, could face suspension for
throwing a water balloon out of a window. The university’s
time and intervention would be better used when more important
matters arise, such as dealing with the soaring rent prices in
Westwood.
Rather than keeping Midnight Yell under control and within
reasonable boundaries, the university’s approach last quarter
in effect killed a UCLA tradition. Big Brother needs to back
off.
BruinGo! program provides much-needed
service
Thumbs up to extending the BruinGo! program, which gives
students free access to the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus. Though the
program hit some road blocks early on, the university decided that
continuing the program for another academic year will help
determine whether it should be made permanent.
In light of the continually decreasing availability of parking,
the BruinGo! program is an excellent student service. Since the
parking problem at UCLA will never be solved, this program offers
students more transportation options that not only help ease the
parking crunch, but allows students to live farther away from
campus. This is important considering the ever-increasing rent in
Westwood. Along with these services the program provides to
students, it reduces the number of vehicles at UCLA and has
positive implications for the environment.
The program, however, needs greater publicity. According to the
Transportation Services office, the number of students using this
service did not increase noticeably over the year. The
responsibility lies with the university to make students aware of
the program.
The value BruinGo! has for students and the environment
justifies establishing it permanently as a student service,
regardless of efforts being made to expand UCLA’s parking
facilities. This program represents the epitome of the types of
services we as students deserve.
ASUCLA library mug another unnecessary
expense
Thumbs down to ASUCLA for marketing the UCLA Library Mug.
Currently, the university’s libraries do not allow students
to bring beverages in with them unless they they are in the
specially designed ASUCLA mug.
Though it’s reasonable to expect that measures be taken to
ensure library materials are kept safe, students shouldn’t be
restricted to products made by the university itself. Students
shouldn’t have to pay more money to ASUCLA if they have mugs,
bottles, or containers that already protect against spilling
liquids. The library mug is a totally frivolous and unnecessary
expenditure placed on students by an association that is supposed
to belong to them. And all for the sake of profits.
Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down represents the majority opinion of the
Daily Bruin Editorial Board. Send feedback to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.