Prop- New ERC dorms: The new site of Eleanor Roosevelt College opened its doors in September 2003. The $106 million project took five years to build and is the largest and most costly building project in university history.
Flop- Textbook prices: Textbook publishers drew criticism after CalPIRG released a study showing that the average UC student spends $898 a year on textbooks. Textbook costs have increased by 24 percent since 1997.
Prop- Stop the cuts: The Stop the Cuts coalition has rallied against the fee increases, cuts to financial aid and cuts to outreach since Feb. 17, staging several rallies, including one on May 18 that led to five arrests.
Flop- Grocery strikes: Workers and management of Southern California grocery stores took five months to reach an agreement on workers’ health care co-pay obligations, inconveniencing and hurting both parties.
Prop- Visiting dignitaries: Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry and Chilean President Ricardo Lagos were among the speakers to visit UCSD this year.
Flop- Under the table: UC President Robert C. Dynes, CSU President Charles B. Reed and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger agreed on an exclusive compact to increase fees an average of 10 percent over the next three years. No student representative was present.
Prop- Fire reaction: In the wake of the devastating San Diego fires, groups of students from all over UCSD collected over $3,000 and various food, toys and clothing items to aid local fire victims.
Flop- Big Brother?: This year has been bad for student rights, as UCSD administration shut down UCSDuncensored.com and Student Run Television for copyright infringement and disagreeable content, respectively.
Prop- Hail to the chief: Former UCSD Chancellor Robert C. Dynes took the office of UC President on Oct. 1, 2003. Dynes succeeded Richard C. Atkinson, who served as UCSD chancellor from 1980 to 1995.
Flop- Triton Taxi: Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Joseph W. Watson’s decision to oppose placing the waiver for Triton Taxi online only reduces the number of safe transportation options available to students.
Prop- No dangling chads: A.S. elections for the 2004-05 school year ran smoothly, with only three grievance hearings and no disqualifications. Independent candidate Jenn Pae won the presidency.
Flop- System failure: The A.S. Council’s plans to implement instant runoff voting for this year’s A.S. elections were scrapped two months before elections when programmers failed to complete the system on time.
Prop- Breath of fresh air: Former Gov. Gray Davis appointed farmworker activist and former schoolteacher Dolores Huerta to the UC Board of Regents for a six month term on Sept. 17, 2003. Huerta lobbied on students’ behalf during her tenure.
Flop- Homeless: Technical glitches in the new online system used to assign housing to sophomores caused some John Muir College students to unfairly lose their housing priority on May 18.
