Student activities and traditions at UC Irvine

The University of California, Irvine has a number of student activities and traditions.

Shared governance

UCI has separate student governments representing undergraduate and graduate students. The Associated Students of the University of California, Irvine (ASUCI) is the undergraduate student government. ASUCI has executive, legislative, and judicial branches, and is also a member of the United States Student Association. In 2014, ASUCI withdrew from the University of California Student Association.^[1]

Many student organizations are funded by ASUCI's Student Programming Funding Board. ASUCI also sponsors annual concerts and festivals, including "Shocktoberfest",^[2] "Wayzgoose",^[3] and "Reggaefest".^[4]

The Associated Graduate Students (AGS) represents graduate students.

Other committees, such as the Student Fee Advisory Committee, provide for shared governance in certain areas of university administration, Many of these, such as the Student Center Board of Advisors, the Bren Events Center Advisory Board, and the Anteater Recreation Center Advisory Board were created to oversee campus entities funded by student-initiated referenda fees.

Flag controversy

In March 2015, the legislative branch of ASUCI voted in favor of a resolution that would have banned all flags from a shared inner workroom in the undergraduate student government's offices, the text of which partially stating that "The American flag has been flown in instances of colonialism and imperialism" and "freedom of speech, in a space that aims to be as inclusive as possible, can be interpreted as hate speech".^[5][6] After the student government's president expressed his opposition to the resolution in a public social media post, the resolution became controversial, with criticism and support from students and non-students. The student representatives who voted in favor of the ban experienced intense harassment and received numerous death threats. The university administration called the ban "misguided", stating “The views of a handful of students passing a resolution do not represent the opinions of the nearly 30,000 students on this campus, and have no influence on the policies and practices of the university”, and the executive branch of the student council vetoed the ban.^[7] During the controversy, California State Senator Janet Nguyen said that the state constitution could be amended to prohibit the banning of the American flag at taxpayer-funded campuses.^[8]

Numerous professors and students from universities across the state have signed a letter of support for the students who passed the resolution, written in response to increasing hostility, death threats, and racial slurs.^[9][10]

UC Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman initially called the vote "outrageous and indefensible",^[11] and stated that the campus would install additional flagpoles. After criticism from students, faculty and others, however, Gillman published a conciliatory op-ed in the Los Angeles Times, urging a stop to the harassment of students and stating that criticism of the United States flag "is a feature of university life and a measure of a free society."^[12]

Student media

New University

The New University

University of California, Irvine
Type	Weekly student newspaper
Format	Tabloid
Managing editors	Juan Gonzalez[13]
News editor	Roy Lyle[13]
Opinion editor	Caitlin Antonios[13]
Sports editor	Marvin Luu[13]
Photo editor	Yini Chen[13]
Founded	September 23, 1968 (1968-09-23)
Headquarters	University of California, Irvine, C114 Student Center, Irvine, California, United States 92697[13]
Circulation	8,000
Website	www.newuniversity.org

The New University (New U) is the official^[14] student newspaper at UC Irvine. Originally named the Spectrum, later Spectre, The Tongue, and The Anthill, it is published once a week during the regular academic year. The New University's editorial staff consists of UCI undergraduates. The next year's editor in chief is elected late in the winter quarter by a vote of the current year's staff; the editor in chief-elect then select new senior and associate editors.

The newspaper is an official department of the university, housed under the university's Student Government & Student Media department,^[15] but receives funding through advertising and student fees. As an official university department, the paper receives many benefits not generally available to other student media, such as rent-free office space, free advertising space, and exclusive distribution boxes on the UCI campus. However, the newspaper's freedom of the press is legally guaranteed by California's Leonard Law, which was amended in 2006 to include public higher education institutions.^[16][17] Unlike many college newspapers, the New University has no faculty advisor and is not formally tied to any academic program. In practice, the newspaper operates with relative independence and autonomy from the university.

The Irvine Progressive

The Irvine Progressive is a left-leaning student newspaper at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). It was launched in April 2003 by a group of undergraduate activists at UCI.^[18] Today it is run by a dedicated staff of student volunteers wishing to promote progressive values and interest in political discourse at the University of California, Irvine campus.

The paper is a Campus Progress publication, receiving funding from the group Campus Progress. Campus Progress is a project of the Center for American Progress.^[19]

The paper covers subjects as varied as foreign policy, national security, economics, and campus issues.

Published monthly, it has a circulation of about 3,000. The Progressive is distributed throughout the campus of the University of California, Irvine at various media kiosks.^[20]

On-campus activities

The Anteater Recreation Center (ARC) is a gym on campus established by a student fee initiative. Members may opt to participate in fee-based courses in martial arts, team sports, SCUBA diving, sailing, and more. Additionally, club sports are open for all ARC members to join, such as badminton, ice hockey, lacrosse, roller hockey, rugby, sailing, volleyball, etc. .^[21]

The Student Center and Cross-Cultural Center are central locations for many student activities and resource centers. A recent student center expansion project will expand the existing facility to 300,000 square feet (28,000 m²). Two new food courts, a large ballroom, a clock tower, and several conference centers and stores are among the additions.^[22] The UCI Student Center has undergone four phases over the past 30 years. Phase I was when the student center was first established in 1981. This included a bookstore, restaurant, music room, small game room, a few study areas, and two conference rooms. Phase II occurred when another study lounge, food unit and 300-seat multipurpose room was built a year later. In 1990, Phase III led to the student center being expanded with a larger bookstore, more study and lounge space, a new game room, an expanded food area, Crystal Cove Auditorium, and more meeting rooms. The Cross-Cultural Center was also opened during this time with meeting rooms, Student Umbrella Organization offices, and study and lounge space. From 2007-2009, the Student Center underwent Phase IV of its latest reconstruction developments with now triple the amount of space for conference and meeting areas along with a multipurpose room and large ballroom. Study space areas have also increased making it available for both individuals and small study groups. There are also two new dining areas with seating areas indoors and outdoors along with a permanent performance area in the student center terrace. The Cross Cultural Center also had new developments as it is now double in size providing a large multipurpose room and additional conference and office space.^[23]

Traditions

Annual traditions include "SPOP", an orientation program for new students and their parents; Welcome Week; an ostensibly medieval-themed festival titled "Wayzgoose"; and "Care-a-Thon", a charity dance marathon.

Student activism

Events featuring controversial guest speakers (such as John Yoo and Viet Dinh, co-authors of the USA Patriot Act who appeared for separate lecture events) have been known to attract large crowds of demonstrators.

Some major recent and ongoing activism efforts include support for demands to increase wages and benefits for campus labor unions, support for Tagalog and Filipino Studies (TAPS), awareness for the situation in Israel-Palestine by Students for Justice in Palestine and Anteaters for Israel, awareness for the crisis in Darfur, protests against the conflict in Iraq, ASUCI-sponsored political debates, and lectures sponsored by the Muslim Student Union.

See also

• KUCI
• Irvine Review
• Orange County Great Park

External links

• Associated Students UC Irvine
• Campus Recreation at UCI
• Office of the Dean of Students
• The Irvine Progressive website
• 2003 interview with former editor-in-chief
• A history of alternative media at UC Irvine

References