Editor, Daily Nexus:

UCSB is currently home to some of the most substandard athletic facilities for the athletic teams and the general student population in the UC system. But this election, by passing the Student Athletic Fee Initiative, will turn these facilities into world-class venues. Two important campus improvements that can result from this initiative are new tennis and aquatic complexes.

The new tennis complex will provide a home for the tennis team. Currently, the tennis courts are antiquated and do not allow spectators to view tennis matches. The tennis team’s matches on the courts must also be scheduled around class times and other users of the courts. This leads to extremely limited court time for anyone who wants to use the courts. The new complex will increase the number of courts available to play on. In addition, no maintenance is done on the existing courts, which results in substandard playing conditions for anyone who uses them. This complex, which will be open for all students to use, will allow for better tennis courts and more available court time for all UCSB students.

Campus Pool, which is currently used by the water polo and swim teams, was built in 1941 and originally used as a practice crash tank for pilots. These 1941 standards are no longer legal today, but are only used because the pool falls under a grandfather clause. The pool is not a legal depth for water polo games and does not have proper water filtration and feed for swimming competitions. It is also in a constant state of repair because the system and equipment are so outdated. The proposed pool complex would solve the problem of a worn and outdated system, as well as increase the pool space for recreation, intramural, club and intercollegiate athletes. In addition, this complex will make it possible to host local, regional, national and international aquatic events.

Both these complexes will allow UCSB tennis and aquatics teams to move to the highest level of collegiate competition within their sports. With the highest level of athletic excellence, UCSB athletics will be able to create more positive community support for the entire university. But the bottom line is that the Student Athletic Fee Initiative will allow all students at UCSB to use world-class facilities by constructing a new tennis complex and aquatic center and by making improvements to Rob and Storke fields, Pauley track, and the baseball and softball fields. With the current condition of these facilities, students train and compete in facilities designed in the mid-20th century while all other universities have shifted into the standards of today. In the upcoming election, it is important to vote yes on the Student Athletic Fee Initiative and move UCSB into the 21st century by developing modern facilities for all students.

MAUREEN RABE