Earthquake Danger at UCLA

In the aftermath of Mexico’s earthquake, it is crucial to focus attention on the unsafe buildings in our own city. I refer to The Times article (Oct. 19), “2,000 at UCLA Could Perish in Quake, Study Shows.”

As the article stated, the fact that most of UCLA’s buildings would be deathtraps in a major earthquake is not news to UCLA’s top officials. While Chancellor Charles Young utters his familiar excuse for lack of funds to upgrade the unsafe structures, a casual observance of the campus over the past few years provides clear evidence that this crucial task is at the bottom of UCLA’s capital expense priorities.

In the last three years UCLA has found the funds to erect a second tennis stadium, a fourth gymnasium, new athletic department offices, an athletic hall of fame building, a cultural history museum and a multi-room guest house.

Instead of upgrading the safety of the four main dormitories that house more than 3,000 students, UCLA merely refurbished the dormitory dining rooms to provide a more pleasant setting for the athletes at the 1984 Olympics.

Finally, $13 million was spent on a cosmetic refurbishment of Royce Hall with no regard to making the building any safer.

Chancellor Young would accurately point out that much of the funding for these new structures came from private donations directed specifically for those uses. I am afraid that if this justification is accepted, the dangers at UCLA will persist indefinitely. While fund-raising for gleaming new buildings is easier and more glamorous an endeavor than upgrading an existing building, the administration as well as donors to UCLA must begin to take responsibility for averting the potential tragedy.

Should UCLA continue to construct new buildings at the expense of those who occupy the unsafe structures, the UCLA administration will be both morally and legally responsible for any tragic results.

MARK TROY

Encino