Editor:

The anticipation is over. Sun God 2003 has finally arrived and will be on RIMAC field May 16. The event has continued to increase in size, attendance and festivities with more food, games and entertainment than ever before. This is a day to spend with friends as the school year comes to an end. We hope that all of our efforts up to and on the day of Sun God will make everything as fun and safe for all of UCSD.

Everyone is encouraged to enjoy the festival, but please keep a few things in mind:

UCSD is encouraged to have a great time, but never at the expense of anyone’s safety.

Any visibly intoxicated person will be denied entrance to the event and may be detained by the police.

A zero tolerance policy will be in effect and all campus police, RAs, RSOs and resident deans are strictly enforcing all policies and laws.

Your cooperation in following all UCSD policies and remaining in control of your use of alcohol will minimize many potential problems during the event. We want everyone to have fun, but please watch over your friends as well as yourself.

Sun God 2003 is here — have a great time UCSD!

— Daiana Kim

Alex Kushner

A.S. Festivals Co-Coordinators

Don’t vote ‘no’ on fee based on misinformation

Editor:

It has been disgusting to watch radicals manipulate the voice of the students against the expansion referendum. How can one, under the guise of representing student interest, oppose a referendum endorsed by institutions of student life, including the Cross Cultural Center, the Office of Religious Affairs, the Associated Students, College Councils and UCSD Athletics? As a student who has seen the evolution of this referendum, my points of contention with the rhetoric of the “”no”” campaign are these:

1. The “”no”” campaign, co-run by ex-A.S. President Jenn Brown, claims that the referendum “”isn’t student-initiated.”” Apparently Ms. Brown forgot that she was one of the two students who wrote the charter to initiate the task force that proposed the referendum.

2. The “”no”” campaign asserts that we are “”paying for mostly Greek org office space.”” Shame on the “”no”” campaign for these outright lies. The referendum will create 84 new student organization offices; the number of Greek orgs on this campus is nowhere near even half of 84.

3. The malcontents want us to believe that University Center Advisory Board’s space allocation decisions, particularly with regard to UCSD Catering, are wasting student-funded space. They fail to mention that if this referendum passes, students would only pay for 48 percent of the expansion. The other 52 percent would be coming from the rents exacted by the University Centers upon its tenants. The “”no”” campaign conveniently omits that if we were to remove sources of revenue, students would be left having to pay more than double the student fees proposed.

4. The most grievous of the “”no”” campaign’s actions has been preying upon student insecurities regarding financial aid. The campaign cites an unidentified letter from 1990 claiming that promised increases in financial aid to cover mandatory fees are “”patently false.”” They justify their statement by claiming that two years ago, an unidentified student contacted the State Legislature Committee on Higher Education and spoke with Paul Mitchell. I don’t know who Paul Mitchell is, but I know this: he is definitely not a member of the committee. Contrast this nebulous information with the comments of UCSD’s Director of Financial Aid Vince De Anda who said, “”Financial aid has always funded any mandatory and universal fees for students demonstrating financial need.”” Unlike the esoteric information that the “”no”” campaign has, his letter may be viewed in its entirety at http://expansion.ucsd.edu.

Politics has brought out the worst on this campus over the past year. I have tried to present facts on which students may base their decisions. For further information regarding the spurious claims of the “”no”” campaign, please visit http://66.75.241.169/response.

I would like to be aboveboard in stating that I am a voting member of the Expansion Task Force, a contributor to the “”Vote Yes”” campaign and just like Jenn Brown, a proud member of the Greek system. My views are my own, and I do not speak on behalf of any of these organizations.

— Anupam Shome

UCSD student