Local Affairs Head Takes a Stand Against Transfer Housing Specs

    Last night’s A.S. Council meeting was dominated by a
    presentation about USA Today’s Collegiate Readership Program and a passionate
    plea in favor of reconsidering the construction of transfer housing.

    Vice President of External Affairs Dorothy Young, still
    glowing from the success of the D.R.E.A.M. Act rally in front of Geisel Library
    earlier in the day, provided an update about the council’s upcoming voter
    registration efforts to “help register UCSD students as they stand in line”
    during FallFest. Unregistered students in line at RIMAC Arena next Friday
    should be prepared to make their first foray into representative democracy.

    Thai Trieu of USA Today then took the floor to present a
    slideshow about the Collegiate Readership Program, which delivers newspapers to
    schools at discounted rates.

    “Our job is to encourage students to read, to get in the
    habit of reading the news,” Trieu said. “It’s not only educational but it’s
    also fun.”

    He said the program only charges schools for newspapers that
    are picked up from displays by students. Any unused newspapers recovered during
    the next day’s delivery are recycled and not charged to the school.

    Trieu said that the A.S. Council could foot the estimated
    yearly cost of $124,775 itself, or it could split the cost with the separate
    colleges if they chose to forgo their individual readership programs in favor
    of a campuswide one.

    Associate Vice President of Local Affairs Aida Kuzucan spoke
    during open forum about her experience with the La Jolla Shores Town Council.

    “They hate us, not that we didn’t know that,” Kuzucan said.
    “They don’t even consider us a part of the La Jolla community.”

    The town council’s district line along North Torrey Pines
    means that UCSD is considered a “border community.”

    She cited the dispute over the proposed new transfer housing
    and the existing gliderport as the cause of current tensions between the city
    council and UCSD.

    In seeking to mend fences with the town council, Kuzucan
    said, “Do not let the transfer housing be built as it is. There’s a lot of
    shady stuff going on … we should not, not, not, not, not let this happen.”

    Also, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs Long Pham
    updated the council on the activities of the Academic Senate, to which he is
    the only undergraduate representative.

    According to Pham, the Academic Senate is currently
    reconsidering the class withdrawal policy, in an attempt to reduce the number
    of students who receive “W”s in classes. Currently, students who log on to
    TritonLink during weeks five through nine of the quarter can drop classes but
    get a “W” for withdrawal on their transcripts, but the senate is mulling a
    policy to make this process more restrictive.

    “Last year [the Academic Senate] researched policies at
    other UC schools,” Pham said.

    A subcommittee this year of undergraduate students, faculty
    members, and “other relevant parties is going to see if there’s a problem and,
    if there is a problem, find alternative ways to find a solution,” he said.

    Pham said recommendations are expected by the end of this
    year.

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