a man, a harp and beyonce. page 6.
THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2012
VOLUME 45, ISSUE 46
WWW.UCSDGUARDIAN.ORG
STUDENT LIFE
CAMPUS CLIMATE
Dept. of Justice Investigation Into UCSD Concludes Due to new agreement, UCSD to mandate antidiscrimination training for all staff and students. By Daniel Song Staff Writer The Department of Justice ended its two-year federal investigation into racial tensions at UCSD last Friday, April 13. University administrators entered into a voluntary settlement with the Justice and Education Departments that establishes an Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination to resolve allegations of race-based discrimination. The agreement also requires mandatory anti-discrimination training for staff and students. “Students have a right to seek and obtain an education without facing racial harassment,” Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division for the Department of Justice Thomas E. Perez said in an April 13 press release. The Department of Justice launched the investigation into UCSD after the racially charged incidents of 2010. “UCSD, like all colleges and universities, has an obligation to make clear that racial discrimination and harassment on campus will not be tolerated, and this agreement is a significant step in the right direction,” Perez said. The OPHD declined to comment further regarding the provisions of the agreement due to the confidential nature of the settlement. Although the office declined to comment, the university released a statement about the agreement. “At UC San Diego, we are pleased that our discussions with the U.S. Department of Justice have resulted in a collaborative agreement that recognizes our extensive efforts to address harassment and discrimination, and reinforces a plan for continued improvements in campus climate,” the university wrote in an April 13 press release. The racially charged incidents in question began in February 2010, when UCSD fraternity members held an off-campus party known as the “Compton Cookout.” Outrage over the racial climate and the discovery of a noose inside Geisel Library culminated in marches and protests See DISCRIMINATION, page 3
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A ndrew O h /G uardian
DALAI LAMA COMES to ucsd By hayley bisceglia-martin • Senior Staff Writer
H
is Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama began his panel before a sold-out RIMAC Arena crowd with a joke. “Usually, when I give a talk, no notes,” he said. “No preparation. Main reason: I’m lazy.” See DALAI, page 3
CAMPUS LIFE
University Purchases Solar-Powered Trash Cans By Javier Armstrong Staff Writer UCSD introduced a new type of trash can, called BigBelly Solar, on campus this week. The Massachusetts-based company claims the solar panel-powered trash and recycling bins reduce the collection frequency by up to 80 percent. UCSD Facilities Management purchased a total of 25 stations. The units consist of one trash compactor and one recycling compactor and can be found around Library Walk and Town Square.
FORECAST
SPOKEN
This blue, small planet is our only home. We have to make the best of it.
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Assistant Superintendent of Facilities Management Alonso Noble said this is just the first step and that UCSD will purchase more solar-powered trash cans. According to the BigBelly Solar website, the trash cans can hold about 180 gallons of trash, five times the capacity of a traditional 35 gallon trash can. The units also house a built-in sensor that alerts maintenance workers when it is time to empty them. The people responsible for pick-up will be notified via a website. BigBelly personnel are training the UCSD Solid Waste Management
NIGHT WATCH
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DALAI LAMA
Spiritual Leader of Tibetan Buddhism
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Department staff how to manage the units. With the new trash cans, UCSD is following the lead of cities like Chicago, Philadelphia and Boston that have already bought into the initiative. Harvard and MIT have also implemented the trash cans onto their campuses. “We are looking at how it will benefit staff, how it will benefit the university and how it can attribute to the sustainability of the university,” Noble said. “With the old system, a landscape staff would be assigned to drive out to the trash cans to see if they needed to be emptied or not.”
Noble said that, with the new system, the last shift of the cleaning crew can just check the website and take care of the units that need to be serviced. The saved trips allow those on staff to spend their time doing other tasks. The CEO of BigBelly Solar said in a Fox Business Network interview on Nov. 18 that the cost of each unit depends on the system. If a park system needs 10 of the trash cans in, the cost might be about $1,000 a month over a five-year period. Readers can contact Javier Armstrong at jarmstr@ucsd.edu.
GAS PER GALLON
SURF REPORT thursday Height: 2-2.5 ft. Wind: 1-11 mph Water Temp: 59 F
friday Height: 1.5-2 ft. Wind: 1-14 mph Water Temp: 59 F
saturday Height: 1.5 ft. Wind: 2-12 mph Water Temp: 59 F
sunday Height: 1-1.5 ft. Wind: 2-11 mph Water Temp: 59 F
LOw
$3.99
Valero, South San Diego 2029 La Media Rd & Airway Rd HIGH
$4.77
Pine Valley Store, Pine Valley 28820 Old Hwy 80 & Pine Valley Rd
INSIDE Pun Time................................2 Lights and Sirens....................3 Field Notes.............................4 Letters to the Editor................5 Dodging the Horizon..............6 Sudoku...................................9 Sports...................................12