The personality of Sun God — the day’s very core — is intangibly charming.
God willing, the event’s haloed buzz will be as vibrant, buoyant and alive in
five years as it is today. The hope is to see tradition relived: We were all
fountain frolickers, astrojumpers or tailgaters at one point in our Triton
lives. Sun God breeds campus kinship.A gushy sentiment? Sure. A crucial part of collegiate life? Hell yes.
A phalanx of administrative departments were tasked with the
“re-evaluation” of Sun God, the most specific — and least-alarming — term that
the authors of Sun God 2008 Planning Report are using to define their work.
Only a tweaking, they say, is needed to make Sun God a safer, smoother and
more efficient undertaking. Students rarely realize the colossal size of the
day-long event, which draws more than just big-name musicians to campus; Sun
God brings with it a whole lot of non-UCSD students, event sponsors and dollar
power. From that standpoint, it is logical to assess the event’s largest faults
before they reach their tipping point. Chancellor Marye Anne Fox’s comments on
Sun God earlier this year were also cautious; she said she hoped to boost
“safety” while preserving the event’s spirit. There isn’t a sea change in the
works here, administrators say, only fine-tuned adjustments for security’s
sake.
But the report’s gaping breadth suggests otherwise. The 22-page study
delves into Sun God’s innards,
recommending a flurry of “improvements”: Tighter controls over the
Junkyard Derby, heightened security at student-heavy locations, a keener eye on
all things alcohol-related and heavier oversight of Round Table Pizza are just
a few of the report’s suggestions. The execution is reminiscent of the
Undergraduate Student Experience Report, which tackled another heavily
multi-faceted issue: student life. But nebulous questions like “what’s wrong
with student life?” produce a need for exhaustive reassessment; events like Sun
God should have specific problems to solve.
A Triton’s degree of alarm should be based on this report’s status: How
many of these “suggestions” will actually be implemented? The study will birth
a number of offshoot committees made of relevant “campus partners,” ranging
from the UCSD Police Department to Student Health Services. If those committees
hold fast to A.S. Programming-endorsed proposals, Sun God is in for a sweeping
makeover. (Editor’s note: In the report, any noncontested recommendation is
deemed as supported by programming officials.)
That’s not to say the programming department isn’t aligned with students’
mindsets. The office rightfully fights the report’s most absurd proposals,
which include terminating nonaffiliate ticket sales and moving the concert to a
Saturday. They smartly support the commonsense advisements, including prior
testing of ticket-related equipment and increasing the number of radios for
event staff.
But there are still many parts of the report that will undoubtedly cramp a
student’s Sun God experience. For example, the report’s authors recommend a
shorter transition between daytime and nighttime activities (A.S. Programming abstained
from commenting on that advice). The authors cited safety concerns as their
motivation, saying that students occupy themselves during that time with such
unsavory activities as “partying” and “playing in the fountain.” God forbid.
If protecting students were the initial goal, wouldn’t security
alterations — and that alone — be enough to appease worried administrators? Why
the wide, scattershot approach to Sun God assessment?
As they address these recommendations, the steering committees should first
draw the line between safety and boredom. Maintaining the event’s all-campus,
free-spirited ambiance should be quintessential when considering any change to
Sun God.
This progress of this issue will prove divisive: Administrators will push
every safety concern and Sun God devotees will push back. Middle ground will be
hard to find. Students should watch closely: This is your event, so treat it as
such. Administrators will undoubtedly cut up, divide and transform the event if
there is no push for student input.
In many ways, Sun God is UCSD. That single day embodies this university’s
most colorful parts — all-out hijinks, fun and, most importantly, camaraderie.
As such, the committees should handle the report with kid gloves when
considering potential changes. Hopefully, the report’s net effect yields
modifications that establish a safer environment for a better-run concert, but
only minimally impact the event’s longstanding trademark of being the ultimate
experience for the student community .
