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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2012
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
BLOCK PARTY 2012 ON PAGE 12
Highlander University
Established 1954
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C a l i f o r n i a , R ive r s i d e
ASUCR ends operations for the Exchange store S a n dy V a n
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
On Sept. 22, ASUCR voted to close the student-owned Exchange store due to budget concerns, specifically citing its projected overhead cost of nearly $120,000 and a deficit of almost $60,000. The reallocation of funds away from the student store has resulted in the loss of six student employees and furloughed its business manager of 14 years. Known for its postal system, celebratory merchandise and discounted tickets, the Exchange was established as a student service store in 1994. Concerns from UCR faculty members and students have been raised over ASUCR’s ability to make personnel decisions, especially in regards to long-term staff positions. “The decision to close the exchange was based off the financial aspect and an unfortunate consequence of that decision was a loss of jobs,” stated ASUCR Vice President of Internal Affairs Kevin Jo. The release of 2011-2012 annual fiscal report in July revealed that the Exchange continued to suffer from high net losses, especially from costly staff and employee wages. “There were a lot of factors that were very unexpected and out of our control such as the UCOP tax and the fact that tuition is rising for students here on campus,” which made the Exchange less appealing to students, stated Senator Jo.
W e s l e y N g /HIGHLANDER Opened in 1994, the Exchange store once sold greek merchandise and celebratory concessions.
Enacted at the beginning of 20112012, the University of California Office of the President (UCOP) assessment tax enforces a 1.6 percent fee on all campus expenditures throughout the UC system. Under this policy, student-funded programs and services were controversially included as new revenue sources,
but does not apply to referenda-funded programs and organizations. As a result, the Exchange store faced the hardship of paying both sales tax and an additional UCOP tax, especially when purchasing bulk tickets from local movie theaters and amusement parks. At the same time, EXCHANGE CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
C-Center feasibility report details plans for new arena STAFF WRITER
On Sept. 25, a feasibility report was released and determined that the estimated costs of the C-Center fall between $70 and $90 million.The site’s feasibility plan outlined three different ways the CCenter could be built based on how much the university is able to raise. Overall financial support will not come from student or state funding, but rather private sources and cooperative scholarships. UCR athletic director Brian Wickstrom said that the naming rights for the UCR C-Center will be based on the biggest contribution. The C-Center was thusly named for its many potential uses and representations: commencement, concerts, convocations, court sports, conferences, civic engagement and as well as for the “C” on Box Springs Mountains. In order for the C-Center to make financial sense, it must have multi-
UCR to undergo diversity review Colin Markovich
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Cristina Granados
One Free Copy
functional purposes for hosting different events. According to Wickstrom, seasonal games, such as volleyball and basketball games, leave the center empty for most of the year. “The student rec center is more set up for classes than it is for concerts. Hopefully the C-Center becomes a place that attracts top concerts for the students,” said Wickstrom. “I talked to Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), one of the top concert promoters in Southern California and the nation. They said that if we build the C-Center they would love to bring their shows here.” As a venue meant for large crowds, the C-Center would have the high chance of attracting popular artists who needed the space to perform concerts. Possible touring days can be scheduled between other stadiums and these ventures will likely draw more businesses towards the Inland Empire. With an expected class of C- CENTER CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
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A rendering of the proposed C-Center.
The University of California, Riverside has been selected by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) to receive a mandatory diversity compliance review. In an e-mail sent out to campus students, staff and faculty on Sept. 13, UCR Chancellor Timothy White announced that the campus is expected to undergo the review. “As the campus with the most diverse undergraduate student body among UCs and one of the most diverse in the nation, UCR is eager to ensure that a similar trend toward diversity is apparent in faculty and staff outreach, hiring, promotion and separations,” stated Chancellor White. The audit will occur in two parts. First, rep resentatives from the OFCCP will review data that pertains to UCR’s affirmative action efforts. Then they will meet with key members of the UCR administration, staff and faculty to assess individual areas of concern and provide help in meeting any needed requirements. The evaluation will take place over the course of several months. The OFCCP is a divi sion of the United States Department of Labor. According to the department’s website, the purpose of the office “is to enforce, for the benefit of job seekers and wage earners, the contractual promise of affirmative action and equal employment opportunity required of those who do business with the Federal government.” Organizations that receive money from, or are engaged in a contract with, the federal government in an amount REVIEW CONT’D ON PAGE 5
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Volume 61
Issue 02