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For 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, they patrol the UCSD campus to keep students safe. They are the UCSD police officers. In their navy blue uniforms, metal badges and patches that read “”University of California Police Department,”” these officers can be seen all over campus. Eddie Tsang/ Guardian One of them is Jeff Cox, who has worked at the UCSD campus for 11 years. He is also a UCSD Revelle College alumnus who graduated with a political science degree. UCSD has one police department office, located behind the Price Center near the cluster of ATMs. This police department takes care of all crime on campus and within a one-mile radius around the campus. Despite any misconceptions, the police officers in this office are not just hired employees of UCSD. “”This is an actual police station,”” Cox said. “”We have all the same authority as the city police have. All the police officers here have been through the training at the police academy and are fully sworn police officers. Anything you can think of that a city police officer would do is what we would do. With any problems or domestic violence problems that occur on campus, we would be the ones they would come to, and we deal with it from there.”” The UCSD police office is a typical one with the difference being that it provides service mainly for UCSD students. “”There are 28 sworn officers, including patrol sergeant, detective sergeants, training officer, motorcycle officer, chief and assistant chief,”” Cox said. “”There are also RSOs, part-time dispatchers, full-time dispatchers, and some student clerical staff working there.”” Dispatchers are the people who answer the phone calls, either when students call 911 or (858) 534-HELP. They are always in radio contact with the police officers around the campus so that in the event of an emergency, police officers can get to the crime scene quickly. The UCSD police department also offers other services. “”We provide a full range of police services, from investigating traffic collisions, writing traffic tickets, writing traffic citations all the way on to crime against people and crimes against property,”” Cox said. When a student calls 911 on campus, the call immediately connects to the dispatchers inside this police office. Computer screens display the exact location from which the phone call is made, and the police officers are dispatched to respond to these phone calls. The dispatchers also reply to the phone calls from the yellow call boxes that are all over campus. These yellow boxes are intended for use when there is an emergency, a crime in progress, or if a student needs to call for an escort home. The Campus Security Officer escort program is also affiliated with the police department. This program is designed so that students will not have to risk walking home alone at night. Students can just call (858) 534-WALK or approach a CSO who is not with another student in order to get a CSO escort. They are usually in uniforms that distinguish them. This service is available during night hours. Cox strongly advised against females walking alone at night. “”Walk in groups, walk in well-lit areas, and use the escort service because that is what it’s there for,”” Cox said. “”Don’t walk alone at night. It is not a good thing.”” The UCSD police officers also patrol around the campus, both on foot and in cars. “”We do routine patrols through the buildings and vehicle patrols through the roadways,”” Cox said. “”There are also Residential Security Officers, which are not sworn in as policemen, who patrol the dormitories during nighttime hours only. One can distinguish these officers because they wear a patch that says RSO. They also do not have the guns and batons that other officers will have.”” The most common reason students go into the police office is to report crimes. According to Cox, the police station typically receives up to 70 -100 calls per day, and an additional 70-100 students go in the office. Most students report missing backpacks, keys or other valuables. The more extreme cases are when vehicles are stolen. In addition, students also return lost items to this office. Fingerprinting service are also offered. “”This is a safe campus, but crime does happen,”” Cox said. “”We get a lot of crime against property. A lot of times people leave their backpack unattended for a few minutes, but that is all it takes for it to be stolen. We get one or two rapes reported in a year, but obviously more go unreported. If a suspect is known, it would be just like if it happened in the city. Arrests will be, and have been made. The victim will be taken down to the hospital.”” Cox also recommended some safety precautions. “”Don’t walk alone at night,”” he said. “”If you see something suspicious, don’t hesitate to call us. Even if it turns out to be nothing, we would rather go out there and have it to be nothing. Any suspicious people you see on campus, give us a call. Make sure you always lock your doors at night, on or off campus. That’s a big thing where people go into dorms and steal things. It is a safe environment, but crime does happen. Everyone should take precautions.”” In addition, Cox said there is always a chance that many criminals see the campus as a good opportunity to commit a crime because there are a lot of cars concentrated in small areas. Students should always lock their cars, and if possible, use devices such as the Club and an alarm system in their cars and never leave valuables in the car. The police station is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to ensure student safety. In the event of an emergency, students can use the yellow call boxes to ask the dispatchers for help, or call 911. For issues that are not emergencies, call (858) 534-HELP. ...

Interviews by Malavika Gangolly & Photography by Lyon Liew ...

OK, so I didn’t get an apartment like I wanted to last year. That’s no big surprise. Despite this minor disappointment, I’ve grown quite fond of my living situation. After all, being surrounded by first-year UCSD students isn’t exactly a bad thing. Where else can you find in one place so many people who haven’t yet experienced all our school has (and doesn’t have) to offer? Even after half of a quarter, it’s still nice to see that they are relatively content with their brand-new lives. Living with freshmen as a sophomore has taught me a lot. I’ve noticed that, for many, the transition from home to dorm has been a smooth one. Unfortunately for others, the shock of living in a completely different environment with strangers, all the while managing a heavy class load, has been a lot more dramatic. It’s precisely this drama that I feel compelled to elaborate on during my rant. Perhaps in the process, a few readers may even find my suggestions on leading a life less turbulent a little helpful. Now, I acknowledge that we all have problems, no matter how old we are. How we deal with our problems, however, makes all the difference. It would be nice to think that as we climb the ladder from freshmen to seniors, our problems would lessen. Alas, this isn’t the case. Should I be optimistic and say that problems are not bad, and that they make life interesting; in other words, that it’s all about having perspective in a bad situation? Of course it is. Maybe it’s also just a matter of being mature. Let’s not forget that maturity is a relative thing, independent of factors such as age or sex. My point is that how we deal with our problems has a lot to do with who we are. On one hand, if you’re more level-headed and arguably more mature, you’ll probably deal with emotional problems much better. On the other hand, if you’re really losing your mind, I suggest a more proactive approach in alleviating your madness. It’s true that some deal with their issues productively, whether by means of work, music, art or simply through the most direct approach, which is talking to a person, like a trusted friend, counselor or even a psychologist. The truth is that too many students cope by avoiding their problems or simply acting out their impulses. Whether it is by experimenting with the latest available drug on campus, having promiscuous sex with various partners, or just being over-the-top with their personalities, students often resort to making drastic changes to divert their anxiety. While I’m all for college being a time of challenging one’s beliefs, trying new things and having a great time, I’m still an advocate of most things in moderation. It’s one thing for college students to occasionally act like idiots, get drunk or smoke a little weed if they have a grip on their lives and don’t have any serious issues. What’s entirely different is when a person who does those same activities as a means of coping, or perhaps more accurately, fleeing from problems, most of which can be rather severe and repressed. It’s very impressive to see how bright and ambitious the incoming class of 2004 is. Many have already become good friends of mine. Sadly though, this year’s same pool of bright freshmen are no different than many of the classes that preceded them, at least emotionally speaking. At the risk of sounding overly cynical, they may even be worse off. With each passing year, competition into higher education is more and more cut-throat. No doubt, the stress levels of this year’s incoming class is at a record high. Many of them already seem burned out, both mentally and physically. College offers them a refreshing change of pace, but by the time fifth week rolls by, all the stresses they thought were gone pay them a familiar visit. It’s important not to forget that school isn’t the only cause of stress in students’ lives, however. There are innumerable other factors. For the majority, growing up is still a pain and remains at the root of emotional problems. Already, I’ve been fortunate enough to have a few students open up to me in deep ways, exposing a side of themselves that they would normally hide from others. Their problems include everything from family abuse to high school alienation. What fascinates me is how so many of these same people with deep-seeded issues are the ones we usually envy. They are the ones who always seem to get the highest grade on an impossible test or appear to be having the most fun at a party. They are the valedictorians speaking at graduation or the select few who made up the “”in-crowd”” in high school. In short, we never would expect these sort of people to have problems, but they do. As trite as it sounds, people who are “”successful”” are no more resistant to emotional suffering than the rest of us who aren’t successful. In one respect, we probably have it easier, for at least we have no qualms about admitting our frailties. The “”successful”” ones, on the other hand, run a much higher risk of damaging their reputations as perfect people. For them, admitting that they have serious problems is almost unthinkable. So what’s the solution? There are many options, but the common denominator is always common sense. It’s something we all learn about (one would hope) from when we’re little: If you have a problem, talk to someone about it. Bottling it up and pushing it back further and further only perpetuates the problem. Take it from someone who has experienced his share of bad moments, both firsthand and from those closest around him. Dealing with any emotional problem head-on feels so much better in the long-term than avoiding it for the short-term. In addition, acting out only seems to mask the problem, albeit in a sometimes pleasurable way. The bottom line is being honest with oneself and seeking help to deal with it, if necessary. For everyone out there who is happy, healthy and content, more power to you. As for everyone else, keep fighting and always remember that you are not alone. I am reminded of what a dear friend once told me. It is something I won’t soon forget. She said, “”We’re all in the same boat, so let’s paddle together.”” Those were wise words, indeed. ...

Think back to Welcome Week of your freshman year. What was the one thing you were most excited about? Was it the new environment, lack of parental authority or the proximity to Tijuana? If you were like most freshmen, it was probably none of the above. The most exciting thing about college life for many students is the incredibly fast T1 Internet connection to which each student in the dormitories and apartments has access. However, many students soon become disappointed at the severe limitations that are thrown at them from their e-mail servers and digital music lockers. There are problems ranging from a lack of file sharing between Yahoo! Mail and Myplay to there being only six megabytes of storage capacity on Yahoo! Mail. Students need not worry about these problems any longer, as a new Internet-based company is revolutionizing the electronic industry. In 1999, Edward C. Yu, along with his brother, Irving Yu, created e24/7 Inc., operating out of their Santa Monica home. The Internet company, which can be found on the Internet at http://www.e247.com, provides all-in-one e-mail, audio/video streaming and storage, free of charge. This is welcome news to poor college students looking for a quality e-mail provider and storage system for their precious digital music. HISTORY Edward, who is the chief executive officer of e24/7 Inc., previously worked as an international financier and ventures investment fund professional, a job that required him to travel frequently. In order to lighten his load on cross-country trips from New York to Los Angeles, as well as trips throughout Asia, Edward was inspired to find a way to stay connected to his office without having to carry his laptop and suitcases full of office files, presentations and CDs. After searching for a centralized service that would allow him access to his communications, data and entertainment, Edward was prompted to create one of his own. The result was the genesis of e24/7 Inc. Edward became the CEO of the company, while his brother, Irving, became the company’s chief strategy officer. TARGET AUDIENCE The primary target audience for e24/7 is college students and online entertainment enthusiasts. Its secondary market is small businesses and home offices. Online companies are getting an increasingly larger audience. Recent estimates from the eStats Report of Oct. 1999 state that more than 92 million people use e-mail. The report speculates that the number of people using e-mail will grow to 135 million people by 2002. The company is targeting this audience because, according to a Greenfield Online survey from this year, 15 million college students are e-mail enthusiasts. Of those 15 million, the survey reports that 27 percent of them cannot send or receive large files because it exceeds their online mailbox limits. Of those who were able to receive the files, over 25 percent reported not having enough virtual storage space with which to save the files. In the same survey, 75 percent of college students reported that a service similar to e24/7 would be extremely valuable. SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEMS The technology used by e24/7 is an open-source platform that was developed using the Java language. It utilizes Java servlets on the backend and Java server pages on the front. The site architecture is powered by LinuxOS on a server farm. The site also uses foundry gigabit switches, routers and multiple Network Appliance F760 Filers on the site, all maximizing the storage and speed it offers. SERVICES One of the main features on the e24/7 Web site is its e-mail service. The e-mail centric service allows users to access the system from any Internet-capable PC or Mac, ideal for working from home or on a business trip. The service allows users to transfer files of up to 25 megabytes and also offers features such as consolidation of up to 10 different accounts, advanced bulk filtering and an e-mail attachment manager that saves and organizes incoming files automatically to the user’s audio, video or document storage folders. The e-mail centric service attachment manager is a patent-pending application available only through e24/7. Another service offered by e24/7 is its virtual storage, which can be fused with other applications such as e-mail or content streaming. The company also offers up to 100 megabytes of free storage, which allows for fast files transfers via the e-mail centric service. Unlike other online companies offering virtual storage, e24/7 does not require the download of any special software or the need to accept any Java applets. The services provided by e24/7 also includes streaming capabilities. The company has optimized its infrastructure so that it will not be a limiting factor at any connection speed. The content can be easily retrieved and stored with the e24/7 service. With this service, users can send and receive high-bandwidth files such as MP3s and digital video without having to download the file to their computers. The transfer will also not degrade the user’s connection speed, regardless of his connection method (broadband or dial-up). The video and music manager is another service offered by the company. It allows users to store music and video files, create personalized audio playlists and stream audio and video files directly from their e24/7 accounts. COMPARISON When compared, e24/7 holds several advantages over some of its major online competitors, including Yahoo! Mail, Myplay and X-drive. While e24/7 and Yahoo! Mail both offer Web-based e-mail, neither Myplay nor X-drive do so. The maximum e-mail attachment for e24/7 is 25 megabytes, while Yahoo! Mail only offers two megabytes. X-drive is the only other company that offers file sharing to its users and virtual storage for all content. Out of the four companies, e24/7 is the only one that offers streaming video and an e-mail attachment manager. While X-drive offers 50 megabytes of storage capacity, compared to six megabytes on Yahoo! Mail and none on Myplay, e24/7 offers 100 megabytes of storage. Finally, e24/7 offers 100 megabytes of music file storage, compared to 50 megabytes on X-drive, three megabytes on Myplay and none on Yahoo! Mail. ...