Officials push UC Brite with 'March Blitz'

Officials appealed to local landlords to help in the program to improve lighting in the area's 63 blocks. University officials recently offered local landlords a special "March Blitz" deal as an incentive to cooperate with the UC Brite initiative to improve lighting throughout University City. University officials and student leaders met with major local landlords last Friday to extend the UC Brite program -- which is designed to improve lighting in the area's 63 blocks -- to the landlords. As part of the program, residents are responsible for electing a captain to work with UC Brite officials in assessing each block's lighting needs. The residents then have to pay for improving the lighting, but are reimbursed for half of the costs through a fund established by the University and several area landlords. But complaints about the program's slow pace prompted the University to offer to split the expenses of installing new lighting fixtures with any landlords who make such improvements during the month of March. While approximately 20 blocks have already undergone lighting improvements as a result of the initiative, UC Brite Manager Esaul Sanchez said he hopes to see more progress during the March Blitz period and intends for 30 more blocks to complete lighting improvements by the end of the month. "The March Blitz will accomplish whatever is humanely possible," Sanchez said. He added that the University officials and student leaders who met with the landlords expressed a sense of urgency in getting a large portion of the lighting done in March. Sanchez noted that the Undergraduate Assembly proposal to help landlords pay for the lighting improvements with UA funds contributed to the University's decision to offer the incentive. And UA Treasurer and College junior Steve Schorr said he "spoke to two people in the UC Brite program about the possibility of having student government fund a portion of the lights." Schorr explained that the UC Brite officials were pleased with the UA's offer, but then announced their own plan to encourage landlords to participate in the lighting initiative. Sanchez praised the UA members for their involvement and dedication to getting the project finished. "The UA did help everyone in coming to the final solution," he said. And Vice President for Government, Community and Public Affairs Carol Scheman said she encourages student involvement with the lighting initiative. Scheman -- who raised the University's funds for the March Blitz offer -- said it is the students' responsibility to encourage their landlords to participate in the program. She said "the March Blitz is a challenge to every landlord to get involved and a challenge to all students and faculty living in rental units" to assess the lighting of their residences and pressure landlords to contact the UC Brite program if the lighting is inadequate. Scheman explained that the University initially made the offer because not enough landlords were making lighting changes, but said she was "very gratified" by the enthusiastic response of landlords to the March Blitz idea. She added that several area landlords were eager to participate in the program and refused the University's offer to split the costs of improving the lighting. Daily Pennsylvanian reporter Ian Rosenblum contributed to this article.