It is humorous to observe that A.S. Council feels it is necessary to give away school-related items designed to get students to come out and meet their elected officers. Only at UCSD would it take free blue books and schedules of classes to get people to care — which they still really don’t.

Though we understand the A.S. Council’s motives, the Guardian feels there are better uses for the money spent on these programs.

Blue books cost about a quarter apiece, which is not a lot of money out of one’s wallet. When that number is multiplied by a few thousand, the figures begin to add up. In aggregate, the giveaways cost UCSD students $5,000 each year.

Receiving anything for free is nice, but it is not worth wasting A.S. money.

This giveaway is also a waste of money because the A.S. Council should be trying to wean people away from the schedules of classes, not encouraging their sales. The schedule of classes is available online so that students will not have to spend money or waste paper by buying a book.

This promotion only encourages the use of printed matter and demonstrates to the student body that the use of this item is encouraged. The Guardian feels there are better things to give away that would promote more unity among students and the school’s elected leaders.

Barbecues like the ones that currently exist are a great expenditure of this allocated money. They promote a way to foster better communication between the students and the school’s leaders. The A.S. Council should focus more on events such as these.

Unlike mindlessly passing out papers, barbecues are a lot of fun for all parties involved. Students getting handed little books in passing on Library Walk does not tell them anything about their A.S. representation. Students eating free food given to them by members of the A.S. Council are about as open as possible to socialize with their representatives.

There are other beneficial ways to spend this money. For example, even an additional $3,000 could increase what is offered at festivals like Sun God and Fallfest. More specifically, more daytime activities could be planned for these events as they give each student equal opportunity to have fun. With the current giveaways, only a select few actually benefit.

In addition, this money could also fund more “”Nooners”” and “”TGIFs”” during the week. The attendance at this year’s events shows that students like attending the shows. By increasing the number of these events on campus, more students would be able to see free entertainment.

This would also be the best way to get many students to see and meet the A.S. Council. By having councilmembers say a few words before each show, students would be given the chance to actually see who they are and what they do in office. Once again, everyone benefits.