Letters

Monday, May 20, 1996

Had it up to here

Editor:

Nearly every day there is a letter in the Viewpoint section
pointing out the irresponsible journalism of the Daily Bruin. You
would think by now the staff would have gotten the idea that they
need to get into shape, but perhaps they’re too busy having an
affirmative action love-in.

To the long litany of complaints please add mine. Friday
morning, the L.A. Times prominently announced on the front page
that a donor had given $45 million to build a new molecular
neurobiology and human genetics center on campus. This is the
largest gift in the history of the University of California. Not
only was this gift mentioned in the L.A. Times, but on radio and TV
as well. It has yet to be mentioned in the pages of our so-called
campus newspaper.

Enough is enough! Roxane Márquez and Gil Hopenstand(the
editor in chief and news editor, respectively) need to resign.
They’ve destroyed what was once a great college newspaper and
turned it into a rag.

Sami Kohan

Third-year

Cell and molecular biology

Commencement ticket woes

Editor:

At this time of the year, the Arts & Entertainment section
of the Daily Bruin works hard putting out the Bruin Choice Awards.
One category for the the 1996 awards is "Most Ill-Conceived Idea."
Well, forget about Madonna’s kid, OJ’s video and "Cutthroat
Island." The ballots need to be recounted because the choice most
deserving is a write-in and the winner should be "Method of
Distribution of Commencement Tickets."

The current procedure for obtaining guest tickets is as
unaccommodating as it is ill-conceived. Granted, the distribution
is fine for those students who are currently enrolled ­ they
have relatively easy access to the Central Ticket Office. Grads can
take their ticket request letter to the Central Ticket Office (CTO)
and sign up for the number of tickets he or she would like (a
maximum of four).

However, not all those graduates participating in the June
ceremonies are still on campus. Some have finished their
requirements and have been out of school as early as December. Many
of these early grads are either not in the area or must work
full-time. Yes, it is possible to obtain tickets through the postal
service, but with a disclaimer that the university is not
responsible for tickets mailed, this poses a dilemma.

The bottom line is that commencement tickets are valuable and
much sought after. The only legitimate way of getting more than
four tickets is through a lottery system for a maximum of two extra
tickets (runner-up for "Most Ill-Conceived Idea").

Sad as it is to say, it would not be surprising if tickets
somehow "disappeared" from mailboxes. (And sometimes it doesn’t
take rain, sleet or snow for the mail to get lost.) Full-time
employed grads should not have to take time off from work to to
pick up tickets to which they are entitled.

There needs to be some kind of alternative way for students who
aren’t on campus to get their tickets. As things stand, a friend is
not allowed to pick them up. In fact, CTO will not even look at
material confirming that the friend has permission to pick up the
tickets. I know this from personal experience: I sent my roommate,
who had a letter from myself on my personal letterhead, my UCLA
student ID card, my original letter (signed by me) and a bill with
his name and address proving that he was my roommate. He even had
my URSA pin number. I was under the impression that pin numbers
were for identification purposes, but I guess not. Why is it that a
messenger can pick up a diploma with just a release letter, but
absent grads must rely on the mail?

For spirited Bruins proud to be graduates of a university like
UCLA, it is just too bad that things have to be so tough to get
tickets to such an important occasion.

Regina Su

UCLA Graduate, Fall 1995

Class of 1996