Dear UCLA | Orientation Issue 2024

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

Dear incoming Bruins,

We are so excited to introduce you to the No. 1 public university in the nation as you embark on this new chapter of your lives!

We know that many of you may be feeling overwhelmed or nervous as you begin your journey in Westwood. However, it is our hope that the Daily Bruin – the student newspaper that represents our campus – can alleviate some of that pressure and serve as a resource during this transition and throughout your time at UCLA. As we present this year’s Orientation Issue, our annual magazine that is mailed out to all incoming first-year and transfer students, we also want to introduce you to the campus, the people and the connections between the two.

2024 will be an opportunity for growth and change, and our stories reflect that. Amid UCLA Athletics’ move to the Big Ten, stories in this issue examine the possible bestand worst-case scenarios for each sports team. Our staff looks into a new California proposition that would raise the minimum wage to $18 for workers in the state. And as you, too, experience change while navigating campus for the first time, we know that you will also embrace everything new that comes your way.

From features on our robust creative scene to personal narratives highlighting the UCLA experience, this magazine provides a wealth of information about our bustling campus to assist you in the transition. You can also follow along through photos or video as our staff takes you through some hidden gems near UCLA or read as we uncover the data on UCLA admissions by high school. Whatever impassions you can be found in this magazine and as a Bruin.

If you’re interested in finding a new adventure, we hope you join us at the Daily Bruin! Our reporters in so many sections – from News or Sports to Design or Photo – work hard day in and day out to tell the stories important to our community. Applications can be submitted at apply. uclastudentmedia.com if you decide to take the leap.

If UCLA wasn’t your dream school already, trust us when we tell you this: The next four years will quickly change your mind.

you soon,

The experiments the dean deemed best

Cover design by Crystal Tompkins

culture at UCLA

Data: Exploring first-year and transfer admission statistics for California counties

The Westwood Enabler satirizes the UCLA experience

MISA introduces students to the elusive music business

Mirrorball Productions spotlights marginalized filmmakers

: Showcasing six locations all within a bus ride or walk from UCLA’s Westwood campus

Previewing UCLA sports for 2024-2025

Debating which UCLA team will thrive or struggle in the new conference

Following parents footsteps, Owen Schwartz embraces UCLA return

Opinion: Editors give their advice for new students

Opinion: Dissecting the new transfer student experience

PRIME: Redefining the student-professor relationship on the Hill

Video: Exploring Fun Destinations Near UCLA with the Bruin U-Pass & Podcasts: Bruin to Bruin: Austin Nasso

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The

UCLA Stroke Team serves as doctors’ “eyes and ears”

BY SHAUN THOMAS

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALLISON PENG & ASHTON PEASLEY

DESIGNED BY

SHREY CHAGANLAL

In the relentless rhythm of the Ronald Reagan Medical Center, Fiona Harley found herself paged four times in a single day to serve as the "eyes and ears" on a stroke case.

The rising fourth-year biology student is one of several members of the Student Stroke Team, an undergraduate organization that helps with early detection and treatment of strokes, according to the UCLA Student Organizations, Leadership and Engagement website. Harley said as part of being a monitor, she witnessed the progression of a stroke patient’s condition in real time, from an initial minor stroke diagnosis to a life-or-death emergency thrombectomy.

Allison Peng, a rising fourth-year neuroscience student and the head coordinator of SST, added that members of the team screen patients to see if any of the stroke patients are eligible for clinical trials they run, in addition to shadowing Stroke Team physicians during their morning rounds.

"When we’re paged to a code stroke, it is really our duty to evaluate patients and really take down all their information in order to see if they can qualify for any of the clinical studies that we’re running," Harley said.

The Stroke Team’s clinical trials include examining patients with hemorrhagic strokes, ischemic strokes and who need a mechanical thrombectomy – a medical procedure that surgically removes blood clots from the brain, said Nickolas Idrogo-Lam, the SST external affairs coordinator.

"We also help with the workflow of the hospital, doing whatever we can to make it a little bit easier," Idrogo-Lam, a rising fourth-year bioengineering student, added. "We prepare stroke kits and TPA boxes, which are just used during a code stroke when they need to quickly administer a clot-busting drug, or having the leads and some of the supplies ready for the neurologist and the emergency team."

Peng said SST tries to make a comfortable environment for

the healthcare professionals to streamline their work to give care to patients as fast as possible.

SST members aspire to help create a collaborative environment that fosters learning, said Michael Blekherman, the SST internal affairs coordinator.

"Since we’re really just undergrads, we’re there to learn from the ED and how the medical professionals work in that environment," Blekherman, a rising fourth-year molecular, cell and developmental biology student, added. "Our goal is to be familiar with the trials and ask them if certain things about the patient would qualify them or disqualify them from the trials."

Blekherman also said the healthcare professionals are very valuable but are not always familiar with the specifics of the trials – so SST familiarize themselves with the clinical trials so they can assist in any way they can.

Peng said she believes that there is a learning curve for new members who have to understand information related to stroke neurology, including mnemonics and neuroanatomy knowledge.

Many of the SST members stay updated and learn about the trials, novel stroke therapies and basic clinical research through their general meetings, said Kenneth Lin, a rising

second-year psychobiology student. He added that members would pair up and create group presentations about those topics to each other to encourage both mentorship and teamwork.

"Getting connected and familiar with all the procedures in Stroke Team but also hosting a lot of events to make us comfortable with other students we would be working within the club," Lin said. "I was paired with somebody who was a junior during that while I was a freshman. That was very helpful in the sense that I got mentorship from them."

Peng said a lot of the learning also comes from being on shift in the emergency room, as students do not have the experience of being comfortable in that environment. Harley said she found becoming acclimated to the hospital environment challenging, especially given how hard family interactions are.

"With the little experience that we have, it’s hard to really kind of bring comfort to a family," Harley said. "You have to be very professional while, at the same time, showing an immense amount of empathy."

Lin said the most challenging part of his role for him is managing the rapidly changing environment of stroke situations, where he must quickly gather and record detailed patient information amid a high-paced setting from the care team.

Idrogo-Lam said he has learned about working procedures and protocols in the hospital for diagnosing patients, in addition to understanding that he must constantly immerse himself within the literature to be a good physician.

Blekherman said his SST experience reaffirmed his desire to

become a medical professional in his future, as he wants to be involved with both the research aspect and the collaborative aspect to create treatment plans for patients.

The students also said they believe it is a misconception to say that only neuroscience students or those studying brainrelated fields can apply and join the club. In fact, Idrogo-Lam said he and Blekherman, two students in the club’s leadership team, are not majoring in brain-related fields.

Peng said Stroke Team has had students from a variety of majors – with some students not even being pre-medical students – and added that some students use their Stroke Team experience to decide whether they want to work in the health care field or not.

Peng said that those applying to SST should reflect on their current experiences and attend an information session to understand why they should join.

Lin said applicants should start on the written application as early as possible so one can showcase their best self. He added that prospective members must also be confident and be very clear in their writing, especially when talking about how they align with the club.

"The symptoms of stroke, they’re very daunting, and they can be very debilitating - for some people, it can be for the rest of their lives," Blekherman said. "It’s very hard seeing patients come in not being able to talk or walk or not understanding what’s going on with them, but it also makes it that much better when they come out. We see them the next week on the grounds or on our next shift in the hospital recovering and doing much better than when they came in."

"A lot of our general members are not neuroscience majors. What we look for is a genuine interest in research," Blekherman said.

The minimum wage increa$e on the ballot $18

BY ALEXANDRA CROSNOE DAILY BRUIN FILE PHOTO DESIGNED BY LINDSEY MURTO

Californians will vote on whether or not to raise the state minimum wage through a 2024 general election initiative.

If passed, Proposition 32 would raise the minimum wage in California from $16 to $18 an hour. This increase would occur gradually and depend on the size of a company – for employers with 26 or more workers, the minimum wage would increase to $18 in 2025, whereas for companies with 25 or fewer workers, the minimum wage would reach $18 in 2026.

The initiative comes after a series of occupational minimum wage increases throughout California. The state raised the minimum wage to $20 an hour for fast food workers in April and approved a gradual pay increase for most health care workers to $25 an hour by 2028.

Enrique Lopezlira, the director of the UC Berkeley Labor Center’s low-wage work program, said Proposition 32 would impact workers who were not subject to recent minimum wage increases. He added that the increase would have affected a greater number of workers in 2022, when activists attempted but did not receive enough signatures to put the initiative on the ballot because the occupational wage increases had not yet been instated.

"It’s going to help people, but it’s not going to have the same impact that it would have had when it was originally proposed," he said. "It’s going to be lower than for many workers whose wage is now much higher."

Chris Tilly, a professor of sociology and public affairs at

UCLA, said $18 an hour is still not a living wage for many coastal areas in California with high housing costs – including Los Angeles, San Diego and the Bay Area.

"Unfortunately, it’s not a living wage in the big coastal cities," he said. "Housing is a big budget buster."

Those who oppose minimum wage hikes – including the California Restaurant Association – have claimed the increase could negatively impact businesses’ abilities to stay afloat.

"Even well-intentioned efforts to raise the minimum wage could wreak havoc on the state’s fragile economic state, and restaurants’ slim profit margin makes them particularly vulnerable," the California Restaurant Association’s website says. "In a time of such economic turmoil, it’s critically important that lawmakers do no harm for the sake of employers and employees alike."

However, Tilly said that since many establishments in California already provide a wage above $18, the increase will likely have a negligible impact on businesses.

"The evidence on the aggregate effects is that, for even larger increases in the minimum wage than this, there’s small to no significant disemployment effects," he said. "People do get a raise – in this case, it’s a relatively small raise for a slice of the workforce."

Critics of Proposition 32 – including the California Chamber of Commerce, California’s largest business advocate to the government, also cited that raising the minimum wage

will increase inflation. If passed, further minimum wage increases would be tied to the U.S. Consumer Price Index starting in 2027, which measures the change in consumer prices over a certain period of time.

Tilly said he believes an increase in minimum wage to $18 is too small to have a significant effect on inflation. He added that the raise would not impact the price of the goods that have potential to cause inflation – including the costs of oil and housing.

Lopezlira added that while some businesses could choose to pass the cost of a higher minimum wage to consumers by raising prices, they do not necessarily have to do so.

"Businesses don’t have to raise prices to cover the minimum wage – that’s a choice that they make," he said.

"They can choose to take less of a profit margin and pay their workers better to allow them to provide for their families."

When voting on the initiative, Californians should keep in mind that most low-wage workers are adults providing for families, Lopezlira said. One in six low-wage California workers have a bachelor’s or advanced degree, and over the last twenty years, the number of low-wage workers over the age of 55 has doubled, he added.

"Even though it’s going to be a modest increase that’s a significant improvement for many workers who are still struggling to make ends meet and it will lift many workers out of poverty," he said.

Contributing reports by Gabrielle Gillette, Metro editor.

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AILLUSTRATED

BY

BY LYAH FITZPATRICK

BY

TYLER CHO

HELEN JUWON PARK DESIGNED

t the 2024 UCLA Undergraduate Research Week, life science students were given the Dean’s Prize for Excellence in Research and Creative Inquiry, an award recognizing students who presented excellent facultymentored research and dedication.

Eliana Bohn, an alumnus who studied molecular, cell and developmental biology, received the Dean’s Prize in late May for her three-year research project on gene expression. Bohn said her project concluded that certain alterations to histones –which are involved in gene expression – influence whether cells stop dividing and are relevant in cancer and fibrosis.

She said her research journey at UCLA began with a string of cold emailing. Although Bohn did not initially feel qualified to join a real lab because her introductory lab course – formerly known as Life Sciences 23L – at UCLA was conducted online, she said she ended up loving her lab environment. Her mentor was very supportive, she added.

"The truth is, you just have to go for it," Bohn said. "I think people respond really well to you being passionate and being excited."

Alumnus Abigail Holder, who studied psychobiology, also received the Dean’s Prize for an independent research project within her lab. She said her research journey was inspired by her parents, who are both involved in computer science research.

Holder, who was previously Video staff for the Daily Bruin, said her project investigated Mowat-Wilson Syndrome, a genetic condition that impairs speech. Using birdsong as an animal model of human speech, she studied the effect of a gene on neural circuits in speech development.

Holder said her project required many measurements of cell activity and a significant time commitment to perfecting effective methodology. Each data point, she added, was produced from her own independent tissue collection and experimentation because her lab only had one PhD student.

THE EXPERIMENTS THE DEAN DEEMED THE BEST

"I guess that’s a little bit unique, especially for the life sciences, and that was something that I really enjoyed," Holder said.

Nicole Huang, an alumnus who studied human biology and society, said she worked on a biomedical research project investigating the damaging autoimmunity that results from a certain type of cancer immunotherapy. The therapy causes the immune system of some patients to overactivate and attack healthy tissue, leading to diabetes, she said.

Huang said she enjoyed sharing her research with the public at the Undergraduate Research Week.

"It was really exciting because I think putting together what you’ve worked on over the last year is a nice way to end things off on a good note," she said.

Huang also said she was honored to receive the Dean’s Prize, especially because there were many competitive applicants.

Bohn added that she had looked up to individuals in her lab who had previously won the prize.

"When I did (get the award), I immediately called my dad,"

Bohn said. "I tell him all about how hard I’ve been working at the lab, and he was really proud."

Bohn – who will be starting a postdoctoral program in biochemistry, structural, cell developmental and molecular biology at Weill Cornell Medicine in the fall – said students looking into research should show up with enthusiasm and enroll in related classes.

Holder said she advises undergraduates to find a great mentor and the right lab environment if they want to pursue research. While she plans to work for the National Institute of Health in the short term, she hopes to eventually pursue a postdoctoral degree in neuroscience and sees research as her broader career goal.

Huang said she is applying to medical school and considering an MD and PhD dual degree.

"There were so many presentations and projects and topics that I’ve never heard of, and I think it’s really impressive how much there is at UCLA," Holder said. "It’s really a Mecca for a lot of research."

BY ELLIN MANOUKIAN PHOTOGRAPHED BY LEYDI CRIS COBO CORDON DESIGNED BY HELEN QUACH

As the new academic year nears, Bruins may be exploring financial independence for the first time, from learning how to manage a budget to building credit.

Those looking to build credit can choose from different credit card types that come with varying benefits, but students who have never owned a credit card before may prefer ones tailored to their age and experience. While student-friendly credit cards come with a number of benefits, students must also be cautious about misusing them.

Flexible approval requirements is one benefit of student credit cards. According to personal finance advisory source Bankrate, some student credit card applications don’t require proof of credit history and have lower income requirements than nonstudent ones. According to Forbes, alternate sources of income work instead, such as grants and scholarships, regular financial help from family members or savings from part-time jobs. These types of income, though not a steady salary, can be legally reported on credit card applications, according to the same source.

Student credit cards can also provide cash back offers, which can sometimes be specific to colleges. Jeff Smrcka, vice president of consumer lending at Wescom Credit Union, said in a written statement that the credit cards offered to UCLA students through Wescom have custom benefits for Bruins.

"For every dollar a Bruin student spends at the bookstore, on coffee, on food on campus, or on tickets to the next UCLA Athletics event, they’ll earn 5% cash back or five points redeemable for gift cards, travel, donations to UCLA non-profit causes, and more," Smrcka said in the statement.

Beyond cash back and rewards points, other benefits can motivate students to get their own credit cards. Most importantly, students can build healthy financial planning habits that can be useful in the future.

Shawn Patt, a lecturer at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, said building credit is the main benefit of using a credit card.

"We live in a world where you need credit," Patt said. "Having good credit makes everything cost less in life."

According to financial education and news site Investopedia, credit is an agreement formed when a lender, often a financial institution such as a credit card company, allows a debtor to borrow money with the promise of repayment in the future. Credit is built over time when a debtor pays back the borrowed money in a timely manner. If the borrowed money is not paid back on time, it will accrue interest, putting the borrower into further debt and benefitting the lender with a greater promised return, according to Bankrate.

Continuing to pay back lenders through timely credit card payments can lead to a higher credit score, which provides evidence of a debtor’s financial health and discipline, according to credit bureau Equifax. Credit scores are three-digit numerical classifications calculated based on repayment history, number and length of credit cards owned and historical debt. Scores range from 300-850, with a score above 740 considered optimal, according to Investopedia.

A high credit score is important for future lenders who make the decision on whether to authorize home and car loans or for insurance companies who determine appropriate rates to

charge. Having a high credit score can also help one qualify for lower-interest credit cards with more rewards, according to Investopedia.

Due to the long-term advantages of having a high credit score, many Bruins may also find their families encouraging them to open their own credit card and utilize it so they can reap its benefits. Mia Geiger, a rising second-year environmental science student, said her parents are proactive in helping her build credit.

"My mom and dad want to establish credit for me, so they’ll ask me to use it (credit card)," Geiger said. "Because I’m not making any huge purchases, they’ll use my debit [card] as a credit [card] to buy certain things and establish credit for me."

With the benefits of credit cards available to college students, many Bruins may consider getting their first card before the beginning of the school year.

One option Bruins have is through Wescom Credit Union, which offers services catered toward UCLA students. The Credit Union offers two main options to students: the Wescom Bruin Choice Visa® Credit Card and the Wescom Share Secured MyRewards Credit Card.

Smrcka said in the written statement that the Wescom credit card application can be accessed online and completed in five minutes. To be eligible for a Wescom credit card, students must be over 18 years old and provide a valid form of identification, their social security number and proof of monthly income.

Outside of options through UCLA, students also have choices through major credit card companies. According to Forbes, Discover offers two options suitable for students: the Discover it® Student Cash Back and the Discover it® Student Chrome cards. Both cards have no annual fees and offer unlimited cash back matching or a refund on a small

percentage of purchases over a certain amount, in the first year of owning the card.

Capital One and Bank of America also offer student credit cards. Capital One’s SavorOne Student Cash Rewards card offers rewards opportunities in spending categories that students are most likely to spend, such as groceries and entertainment. The Bank of America® Travel Rewards card is geared toward students that travel often. The card has no foreign transaction fees and allows students to earn points to redeem for travel purchases, such as flights or hotels.

While using a credit card as a student has benefits, it can have its pitfalls – especially for those who have never been financially independent before. According to CNBC, credit cards can be a way students quickly fall into thousands of dollars of debt. In addition to earning a low credit score which may hurt them in the long run, students may be required to pay late fees or other penalties as debt builds for unpaid credit card expenses, according to the same source.

Patt said students often underestimate how much their credit card debt can grow if left unpaid.

"What happens is students get into this mentality where ‘I’ll pay it off in the future and I’ll be making more money down the road and then I’ll be able to pay it off,’ without really understanding how big your credit card balance is going to grow at a high interest rate when you’re making minimum payments," Patt said.

Patt added that credit cards can be a valuable tool for students, but they should be aware of its potential misuse and resulting issues.

"I look at credit and loans almost like fire, where fire is what powers civilization," Patt said. "Fire will power a city when used correctly, but if you use it incorrectly, it’ll burn the city down."

We Keep UCLA Moving

What is BruinBus?

BruinBus is a year-round campus transit service which also provides access to the Wilshire Center and Westwood Village.

What does it cost to ride BruinBus?

BruinBus is a complimentary service provided by UCLA Transportation.

Who can ride BruinBus?

BruinBus is for everyone – students, staff, faculty, and campus visitors.

What are the hours of operation?

BruinBus operates on campus weekdays from 7am to 10pm during the academic year. For a complete schedule and list of stops, visit the website.

Where can I find real-time tracking for BruinBus?

Route information can be found on the TripShot, UCLA, and major transit apps.

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Telehealth services, local urgent care centers, and other resources are available on our website by clicking AfterHours.

EXPLORING FOOD

U N S

B R I ON CAMPUS AND AT HOME

BY NATALIE BACHMAN

Many Bruins moving to Los Angeles from a different city, state or country may find changes to a vital part of their everyday lives: food.

While food at UCLA is ranked first in the nation, some Bruins can find difficulties adapting to it, given the differences in cultural cuisine. However, students may also discover newfound sociocultural and personal meanings by exploring food in this new environment.

Diane Zhou, a rising third-year communication student, said she was excited to eat on campus after learning about UCLA’s ranking as the top college dining hall in the country. She added that the variety of food options in the dining halls impressed her.

"The amount of dining halls and the fact that every single day and every single meal is different – and it’s not even on a rotating week-to-week basis, it’s just totally different – is actually insane to me," Zhou said.

Zhou also said she appreciates the abundance of international cuisines the dining halls serve, such as Asian food at Feast and South American food at De Neve, as well as the various themed culture nights.

Despite the quantity and diversity of food, food on campus can be a difficult change from home.

Fernanda Aguilar, a rising third-year psychobiology student, said she noticed a significant difference in the flavor profiles and quality of food she consumed when first starting college. She added that the Mexican food on campus tasted different than her family’s traditional Mexican dishes, including tacos and enchiladas.

"I knew it (the food) wasn’t going to be exactly the same (as home) because each region is different, each person cooks differently," Aguilar said. "But I was definitely shocked at the

ILLUSTRATED BY

HELEN JUWON PARK

DESIGNED BY

JULEY ARIAS

fact that it was missing so much flavor."

Changes in everyday food availability as experienced by Aguilar can have adverse effects. In fact, a study conducted on the impacts of cultural food availability found that, for second-generation American college students, limited access to cultural foods made it hard to connect with their heritage. The same study found that a change to food culture correlated with increased rates of anxiety and depression among study participants.

Manav Ganger, a rising fourth-year computer engineering student, said he was surprised by how unhealthy some of the dining options were during the first few times he ate on campus.

"At De Neve, I wasn’t expecting there to be so much, almost like fast food," he said. "I didn’t really eat that too often when I was growing up, and I didn’t expect the university to offer that option."

Moreover, a study published in the American Institute of Mathematical Sciences found that many international students studying at universities in the United States experienced challenges when adjusting to the American food culture. In particular, larger food portions and unhealthy food options easily accessible in college dining halls contributed to weight gain.

Though with varying opinions on UCLA’s dining hall food, many students can also explore food by cooking their own food through shared kitchens on campus or in university or offcampus apartments.

According to a study on the role food plays in Chinese international students’ experiences, cooking has a socialemotional component, allowing international students studying abroad to experience comfort when cooking and

consuming food from their culture and even becoming a coping strategy for homesickness.

Zhou added that one of her favorite college memories has been cooking Chinese food with her friends who share a similar background as her.

"To see dishes that we are familiar with, but obviously have different takes on or maybe different memories associated with, and getting to cook it together is always such a bonding experience," Zhou said. "The fruit of our labor tastes amazing because it tastes better when you make it."

On the other hand, Aguilar said that not only does cooking remind her of quality time spent with her family at home, but it also gives her the freedom to adjust ingredients and flavors to her taste preferences.

"Being able to have the liberty to choose my ingredients and how much of what I’m putting in my food is amazing," she said. "I’m so excited to go to an apartment next year and be able to

cook."

While some may enjoy the social and cultural benefits of cooking in college, food can also be a way to embark on a personal journey of learning and development.

Ganger said making his own food in his apartment has not only made him more appreciative of his Indian heritage and its traditional foods, but also spurred a bigger change in his eating habits. He added that he began to incorporate healthier foods and explore plant-based options, eventually adopting a vegan diet.

While being apart from family and exposed to unfamiliar dining options in college may be jarring for some, food can also be an avenue for sociocultural connection and personal growth.

"When I was younger, I didn’t really care about my culture that much. The food I ate was just food to me." Ganger said. "As I’ve learned to cook these dishes for myself at college, I’ve learned that culture is more important to me."

GRAPHICS

List of tips on how to become a true Bruin

THE WESTWOOD ENABLER SATIRIZES THE UCLA EXPERIENCE

BY ERIC SICAN ILLUSTRATED BY HELEN PARK

DESIGNED BY

TYLER CHO

Beneath the veneer of academia, UCLA harbors a den of satirical wit known as the Westwood Enabler.

Established in 2014, the independently managed and student-led media outlet has specialized in shaping sardonic content. Co-editor in chief and rising fourth-year political science student Milo Ellison said the club crafts sarcastic pieces that dissect student experiences and issues by magnifying the comical undertones of campus politics. Through lampooning the latest campus trends and news, the Westwood Enabler offers a different perspective on the exclusive situations students face, he said.

"At UCLA, especially, what makes satire bite is timeliness and relevance to students in the most universal way possible," Ellison said. "The stuff that does the best and hits the hardest is stuff that every student can relate to or is experiencing."

Ellison said he finds Westwood Enabler’s approach of using satire to highlight underlying power structures and exposing hidden truths as a humorous and thought-provoking way rather than a trivializing one. In addition to bringing clarity of purpose to the satirical pieces published by the paper, Ellison said the publication aims to carefully consider its targets and ensure that its caricaturelike humor accurately reflects the power dynamics without unfairly criticizing anyone. Following the format of the satirical news outlet The Onion, Ellison said the Enabler’s concise format of its articles demands sharp, impactful humor. He said the collaborative editing process ensures each piece is polished and engaging, leaving readers eager for more. Ellison added that the rigorous process involves multiple rounds of revisions, allowing each article to reach its best possible form. This

shared input from different perspectives creates a dynamic piece that showcases the varying staff and audience, making it more impactful and appealing, he said.

"We really have this checks and balances, where every article is the best version of itself coming out, and I think that’s what people respond to when they read it – especially when it’s timely," Ellison said. "Like last quarter, everyone’s inputting and coming from all angles of reaction to an event, and it just makes the article so punchy because so many different people are writing in what they would want to hear as the audience, so we reflect a lot of our demographic just because of our staff room."

,, ‘‘

The stuff that does the best and hits the hardest is stuff that every student can relate to or is experiencing.

Ammi Lane-Volz, co- editor in chief of the Westwood Enabler and rising fourth-year linguistics and anthropology student, said satire can descend into mere mockery when wielded improperly. Often, attempts at satire can devolve into offensive and mean-spirited attacks, lacking the nuance essential to the form, they added. A common principle in comedy is to avoid "punching down," Lane-Volz said, meaning the target of humor should never be a marginalized group. They said inclusive comedy strives to be funny without resorting to harmful stereotypes or hate speech. Moreover, Lane-Volz said they find the commentary of each piece to be what makes the satirical approach fulfilling. While supplementing with the use of strategic literary approaches such as wordplay, the Enabler ultimately finds a home in circling back to its mission of clarifying the purpose of the work, Lane-Volz said. In addition, when focusing on events affecting a large population of students at UCLA, the Westwood Enabler experiences some of its peak interactions with readers, Lane-Volz said.

Editor and rising thirdyear history student Gabe McNeill said when the paper focuses on real-world issues beyond Westwood, they aspire to present them in a straightforward, often humorous manner. Readers seem to enjoy the satirical takes on current events, especially political news, as it provides a comedic relief from the often overwhelming reality, McNeill said. The publication doesn’t shy away from controversial topics, he added, given the staff is directly experiencing the issues they satirize, so they feel confident pushing boundaries without fear of backlash.

Despite finding ease in producing content that resonates with a large audience, McNeill said one of the biggest challenges of writing satirical pieces is warranting that they don’t include too niche of humor. They said being in a closely knit club like the Westwood Enabler tasks the staff with confirming that the jokes and content entered into a story aren’t just things the team finds humorous. Nonetheless, McNeill said there are various ways to go about guaranteeing that a joke or punchline lands with those outside of the writing office, such as having people who are not in the club read the articles and headlines.

"That is one of the biggest difficulties of the whole process," McNeill said. "We’re a very tight club, we all hang out together outside the meetings. So there are inside jokes that develop, and it’s really easy to throw an inside joke into an article that

everyone in the club’s going to laugh at, but you know no one outside is going to get it."

At its core, the Westwood Enabler is a club that values the humor in people, said McNeill. He said in order to stand out in an application for the club, the most important thing is to be funny. The club is full of funny people, McNeill added, and it’s a supportive and fun environment. They said members enjoy each other’s company, creating a positive and friendly atmosphere.

"That’s kind of the beauty of the club – everyone who gets in is funny," McNeill said. "Once you’re in, you’re just hanging out with a bunch of funny people, and everyone likes you because you’re funny. There’s really no cliques or anything, everyone is kind of hanging out because everyone likes hanging out. That’s a good vibe, you know?"

BRUINS

break into the music industry

BY ANA BURQUEZ

UDESIGNED BY ISABELLA APPELL AND LINDSEY MURTO

CLA is becoming the music industry’s new home, thanks to a new student organization.

The Music Industry Students Association is dedicated to helping students navigate the broad scope of the music industry, said lead director Trinity Drummond, a rising fourth-year music history and industry student. With around 150 members, MISA is open to all UCLA undergraduate students, regardless of their area of academic study, Drummond said.

"Our mission is, essentially, to help students get access to the music industry, since this industry is really hard to break into if you don’t know a ton about it," Drummond said. "A lot of the information about it is not as easily accessible, so our goal is to get any UCLA student – not just majors and minors – in the music industry world."

MISA was officially founded last October as a modified continuation of the Music Industry Committee, which

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BRIDGET ROSSI AND SHUAI (MARK) TU

Drummond said had become inactive in her sophomore year. Drummond said she was inspired to transform this resource from its original office hours system into an organization that provided greater education and community building. The club now offers information that appeals to members from varying levels of familiarity with the music industry, she said.

As a way to supply the necessary tools for members to explore the music industry, MISA hosts a range of activities and events throughout the academic year, Drummond said. These activities range from meetings where members discuss specific topics – such as social media – to trips to visit major music companies, such as Warner Music Group, she added.

MISA also organizes a campus event series called Backstage Pass, in which industry professionals such as Willo Perron – the designer of Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime show stage –are invited as panelists to answer questions from attendees, said events director Madison Starr. The rising fourth-year music industry and political science student said these events ensure members can learn more about the business, no matter what their specific interests are, since a variety of topics are discussed.

"It’s definitely more of an exploration kind of thing," Starr said. "You don’t even have to want to pursue a career, necessarily, in the music industry. We try to make it as openended as, ‘If you enjoy some aspect of the music industry, whether that’s the legal side or just the actual music of it, you can come and gain something from the club.’"

When it comes to moving up within the industry, Starr said a significant part of being able to access opportunities comes from word-of-mouth connections. She also said UCLA’s music industry program tries to help students understand the importance of networking, which is why MISA focuses on spreading this information to all students interested in the field – even those outside the academic program – so they can foster these connections early on.

On the same note, Drummond said MISA is its own network,

continued on page 27

continued from page 24

as members are actively in contact with other students who aspire to be part of the industry and will possibly be future colleagues. Similarly, Lilianna Gracia – MISA’s co-lead director and outgoing media production director, as well as a rising third-year music industry student – said making connections in the club can help students understand the value of cultivating friendships among people who share similar interests and goals.

"Fostering connections in the music industry, I’d say, is probably one of the best things for furthering your career and getting to know more people – broadening your horizons in different ways and seeing the way the industry is," Gracia said. "You may meet your best friend in the industry, and so many people get different opportunities and can help you get opportunities just from being friendly."

MISA also collaborates with other on-campus music organizations, such as a production workshop with

Digital Audio Workspace. As part of the campus music community, MISA helps its members connect with other UCLA organizations to ensure that members take advantage of all resources offered by the community, Drummond said.

As MISA goes into its second year, Drummond said the organization will continue with its educational strategy, hoping to offer more activities that will give its members insight into the music business. She said students can expect more Backstage Pass events with professionals such as tour manager Marty Hom – who has worked with artists from Stevie Nicks to Beyoncé – with topics ranging from artist management to music supervision. These events are set to kick off as soon as possible in fall quarter, with the first general meeting scheduled to happen Oct. 3, Drummond added.

"We’re planning on doing some great things in the future –bring more active music industry professionals and get more people knowing about the music industry," Drummond said.

"It’s a pretty elusive industry, but we want to give as much education and networking opportunities to it as humanly possible."

SUPPORTING backgrounds

BY RUWANI JAYASEKARA PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SHIMI GOLDBERGER

Reflecting a kaleidoscope of identities, Mirrorball Productions is shining its light on campus’ underrepresented artists.

Stepping into its first full year as a campus organization, the film production company is embracing inclusivity and exploration, president of Mirrorball Productions Javeon Shannon mission to nurture artists of all backgrounds share their stories.

Established by of theater alumni, student-run organization was inspired by lack of opportunities and resources nonfilm students to delve into filmmaking, Shannon said.

The rising fourth-year theater student said the company’s dedication to uplifting marginalized encourages members their own artistic

"We don’t want to any rules of work," Shannon people who are things, but also

In the company’s first artistic endeavor, a short film titled "Cedar Mountain," the directors demonstrate their commitment to authentic storytelling, spotlighting queer

identities and people of color on screen, Shannon said. The organization’s focus on originality enables members to redefine how their stories are represented in media, elevating voices that are often unheard and misportrayed, he added. Fostering a community built on inclusivity, Mirrorball Productions remains open to all students on Mirrorball’s nontraditional

be your full times you have to change performer, gives a space everybody to just be full selves."

"Ensuring the original stories at the helm of the project remain true focus, company support areas of production, resulting expansive range aspiring Shannon student-led Mirrorball harnesses the strengths of students’ needs both on and off camera, ranging from writers and set crews to graphic designers and fundraising aides, he added. Because the company resembles a melting

DESIGNED BY VIENNA VIPOND

PHOTO BY SCARLET BAILEY

pot of majors and backgrounds, Shannon said the club’s strength lies in its ability to use its diversity to their advantage, such as sourcing its film scores from music students.

As students come with varying levels of experience with film, vice president and treasurer Sylvie Loh said the production company plans to host writer’s rooms and collaborative workshops, ensuring artists feel supported at every step of their filmmaking journey. Despite Mirrorball Productions being her first experience with filmmaking, the rising third-year human biology and society student said she felt supported and encouraged to fully immerse herself on set, ultimately taking on the role of assistant director in "Cedar Mountain."

"Mirrorball is looking to unite all artists from any and all walks of life and allow them an opportunity to be a part of something bigger than themselves," Loh said. "We want to elevate people and elevate creators who maybe haven’t had the opportunity or means to do so in the past and provide a space for them to tell their stories."

Also a newcomer to the film industry, secretary and rising second-year theater student Scarlet Bailey said the organization’s supportive environment inspired her to delve into screenwriting and music composition for film for the first time. Although she has an extensive background

in music, Bailey said writing screenplays presented a more significant challenge for her, exemplifying Mirrorball Productions’ encouragement toward growth and exploration. With her original work set to be featured in the upcoming year, Bailey said Mirrorball is a space for experimentation, emphasizing that a film background is not a prerequisite to membership.

"There’s definitely a learning curve," Bailey said. "I mean, it’s a mirrorball, there’s a curve to it. That’s kind of a bonus of Mirrorball is being able to have a space where you can learn."

In the upcoming school year, the campus newcomers hope to find new avenues of expression through film as they take on two new original projects, Loh said, exploring the possibility of music videos and short films. Loh said community-building events and opportunities for collaboration remain a priority as Mirrorball aims to connect artists on campus, sharing its creative outlet with the greater UCLA community. As Mirrorball Productions continues to push the boundaries of filmmaking, Shannon said the company has become a family connected by their shared love for capturing and creating.

"We just want to be able to put cameras in people’s hands and have them record the world in whatever sense that may be," Shannon said.

gallery: explore the gems within UCLA’s reach for the new school year

Daily Bruin photographers showcase some gems in Westwood and Los Angeles, showing six different locations that are all within a from UCLA’s Westwood

BY AIDAN SUN, ASHLEY RIVERA AND DARLENE SANZON DESIGNED BY MIA TAVARES

6 7

1. People sit at tables in the air conditioning using the computers, workshops and other resources the library provides for community members.

2. Sanford Biggers’ "Oracle," displayed on the corner of Westwood and Wilshire boulevards, is pictured outside the Hammer Museum.

3. Within the museum is the Hammer Store, where visitors can purchase Hammer Museum merchandise, books, pottery, jewelry and other souvenirs.

4. The Nimoy Theater highlights performances by UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance. CAP UCLA’scalendar for 2024-2025 season is available at cap.ucla.edu, as seen on the

4 5 8 9 10 theater’s screen.

5. A banner for the Broad museum is shown in front of its main entrance. The Broad is a free museum located 30 minutes away in downtown Los Angeles displaying a rotating collection of contemporary art. The museum was founded by Eli and Edythe Broad, a philanthropic couple who have made their mark on the LA cultural scene with their names on buildings including the eponymous Broad Art Center at UCLA.

6. Museumgoers sit on a bench in the Broad’s lobby. The Broad’s design, which the museum calls a ‘‘veil-and-vault’ concept," is a work of art itself completed by the Diller Scofidio + Renfro architecture firm in 2015. The museum is shelled in a white, honeycomb-like "veil" surrounding a mass of concrete called "the vault" – the top surface of which serves as the exhibit floor, the interior as the collection’s storage and its carved underside as the lobby’s ceiling.

7. Museumgoers stand looking at Ellen Gallagher’s "eXelento." The piece is one of more than 60 currently on display at the Broad. Gallagher’s piece features a collage of clippings from midcentury Black journals overlaid with plasticine moldings.

8. A neon red and yellow sign for Amoeba Music is shown near the side entrance. Amoeba Music, located on Hollywood Boulevard, is known for hosting musical events along with its large collections of music and merchandise.

9. A portion of the store’s poster collage is displayed above special collector merchandise. A trip from UCLA’s campus to Amoeba Music would be a 36-minute bus ride or a 24-minute car ride, but the times may also change with traffic.

10. A "Deadpool and Wolverine" banner is displayed on the front entrance of the TCL Chinese Theatre. Sid Grauman opened the Chinese Theatre in 1927, and it has been preserved in its original state for 96 years. The Chinese Theatre is not only famous for its age but also for hosting many of Hollywood’s top movie premieres. The theater is approximately seven miles from campus and is accessible through public transportation directly from campus.

FIELD Trips

2024-2025 SEASON PREVIEW

BY SABRINA MESSIHA, IRA GORAWARA, MATTHEW NIIYA AND SAMANTHA GARCIA

ILLUSTRATED BY MATTHEW PARK DESIGNED BY TYLER CHO

A new era for UCLA Athletics is here. After 96 years in the "Conference of Champions," UCLA is now a member of the Big Ten. Before the inaugural year, Daily Bruin Sports staff break down the bestand worst-case scenarios for each team, as well as a key storyline to follow throughout each season.

Women’s basketball

Sabrina Messiha, assistant Sports editor

Best case: Final Four appearance

The Bruins proved their winning mentality and capability last season. Then-sophomore center Lauren Betts was as impactful as the team could have hoped for, averaging 14.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Her presence as a 6-foot-7 center was the factor the Bruins were missing in previous seasons. It seemed that while the foundation for a successful March Madness run was possible, struggles and careless errors led to UCLA’s loss to LSU in the Sweet Sixteen. However, the Bruins will return their starting rising junior trio and welcome key transfers. If UCLA can maintain its momentum, it will have every tool needed to make its first Final Four appearance.

Men’s basketball

Ira Gorawara, Sports editor

Best case: Sweet 16 appearance

Coach Mick Cronin sealed his 2024-2025 roster just 55 days after the final buzzer of last season. In an effort to compensate for a middling season and early transfer portal entrants, Cronin toiled in the portal – and it paid dividends. The nation’s No. 9 transfer class boasts two-time Pac-12 AllDefensive Team member and rising senior guard Kobe Johnson from USC, rising sophomore guard/forward Eric Dailey, rising junior forward Tyler Bilodeau, rising junior forward William Kyle III and rising redshirt senior guard Dominick Harris – all of whom were among the top three leading scorers in their previous schools. With expertise and experience teeming in the returning lineup, Cronin will relish in the return of his leading guard triumvirate – rising junior Dylan Andrews, rising sophomore Sebastian Mack and rising senior Lazar Stefanovic. UCLA is ranked within the top 25 in ESPN’s preseason poll, and that berth could be crystallized come November.

Worst case: Early exit in the NCAA Tournament

In the wake of four NBA draftees after the 2022-2023 season, UCLA was plunged into renovation. Through Cronin’s first sub.500 season, the Bruins’ beacon was Adem Bona. The 6-foot-10

Worst case: Loss in the Sweet 16 Midseason losses, Betts’ four-game absence and a thirdplace finish in the Pac-12 meant instability for the Bruins. After starting the season with a 14-0 run and peaking at No. 2 in the nation, the Bruins fell to the Trojans in the Pac-12 semifinals. Difficulties both on and off the court plagued UCLA’s roster last season. With Emily Bessoir’s ACL injury and Betts’ midseason absence, adjustments were arduous for the team to make. Should those issues remain, the Bruins may find themselves stuck in the same position.

Storyline to watch: Impact of transfers

Last season, Oregon State and Washington State both prevailed over UCLA, despite strong fourth-quarter attempts to bring the win to Westwood. But instead of counting their losses, the Bruins will make Westwood home to former Oregon State forward Timea Gardiner and former Washington State guard Charlisse Leger-Walker. Gardiner averaged a 44.5% field goal percentage last season, while Leger-Walker averaged 13.2 points per game. With the losses of starting guard Charisma Osborne, Bessoir and Lina Sontag, the incoming transfers have the opportunity to fill the shoes of past Bruins.

reigning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year was a nightmare for opponents last season and demonstrated his two-way mettle as an offensive motor. But his departure to the NBA could leave the Bruins in search of a reliable anchor on both ends of the floor. If Cronin’s strategic acquisitions don’t click, his meticulous work in the portal could end up in vain.

Storyline to watch: Stability in a restructured lineup

Although most of the Bruins’ starting lineup will be back next season, the influx of offensive firepower might force Cronin to reconsider his starting lineup. And in its inaugural year in the Big Ten – a conference known for physicality and rugged play – UCLA may have to prioritize defensive consistency. The Bruins’ incoming freshman class – featuring two four-star guards – as well as their incoming transfers and veteran returners each show promise individually, but how Cronin configures his roster could prove the team’s fate.

Football

Matthew Niiya, Daily Bruin contributor

Best case: Bowl game victory

Capping the 2023 season with victory at the Los Angeles Bowl, UCLA will enter its 2024 campaign with a chance to win back-to-back bowl games – a feat it hasn’t accomplished since the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Rising redshirt senior quarterback Ethan Garbers will headline the Bruins’ offense – a unit no longer plagued by inconsistency – next year. Although the Bruins are entering a new conference with unfamiliar foes, their schedule put luck on their side –powerhouses Ohio State and Michigan are not on their slate. While UCLA may not compete for a conference championship in its inaugural season in the Big Ten, an eight-win year and bowl game victory are well within reach for the Big Ten debutant.

Worst case: Three wins

While much of the talent on the offensive side of the ball will return, the same cannot be said for the defense. The Bruins’ leaders in sacks, tackles and interceptions have all departed for the NFL. Compounding the loss, former defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn – who transformed his unit into the 14th-best scoring defense in the FBS last season – defected to crosstown rival USC. With two starting members of the secondary also following Lynn to the Trojans, UCLA is left with many holes to fill. An inability to stop the run and pass could prove fatal in a season with few pushovers and numerous long flights.

Gymnastics

Samantha Garcia, Daily Bruin staff

Best case: NCAA championships appearance

Storyline to watch: DeShaun Foster’s first year as head coach

The first-time head coach has been the opposite of his predecessor in many respects. Former coach Chip Kelly rose to prominence at Oregon as a play-caller, leading the Ducks to the 2011 BCS national championship game. On the other hand, DeShaun Foster has yet to call a play at the collegiate level. A former UCLA running back, Foster has thoroughly embraced name, image and likeness and appealed to the Bruin fanbase – something Kelly was reluctant to do in his time at the helm. How Foster handles recruiting, conference realignment and a new college football will be equally as important as results gridiron.

with the tools that could send them back to the NCAA Championships.

The Bruins are set for a redemption season after being eliminated in the first round of NCAA regionals. In 2025, UCLA will return several key gymnasts who could use their experience to send the Bruins back to nationals. Rising fifthyear senior Chae Campbell – an eight-time All-American – will return alongside a trio of Olympians in rising junior Jordan Chiles and rising seniors Brooklyn Moors and Emma Malabuyo. Additionally, UCLA will welcome six new freshmen, including three-time development program national Belgian Mika WebsterLongin. Despite losing the 2024 Pac-12 Gymnast of the Year, the Bruins’ roster is equipped

Worst case: Mid-to top-tier finish in Big Ten

UCLA struggled with consistency across all events last year. With experienced returners alongside six decorated incoming freshmen, the Bruins need to find a way to be successful on every event even in the presence of pressure. Injuries could also spark trouble for the Bruins. UCLA needs to remain healthy to avoid the impact it felt when key contributors, such as Margzetta Frazier and Chae Campbell, were out with injury last season. The Bruins’ main competition in the Big Ten will be Michigan State – which won the conference title for the first time in program history in 2024. Four Big Ten programs finished the season ranked above UCLA – Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State and Penn State.

Storyline

to watch: A trio of Olympians

UCLA gymnastics will host three Olympians on its roster going into next season. Emma Malabuyo, a 2024 Olympian for the Philippines, and Brooklyn Moors, a 2020 Tokyo Olympian, headline the senior class after consistently appearing in the Bruins’ lineups last season. 2024 Paris Olympic champion Jordan Chiles will return to UCLA after deferring the 2024 season to train for the Olympics. The two-time Olympian’s return to UCLA could be pivotal in its quest to return to the national championships next season.

BATTLE OF THE EDITORS: BIG TEN EDITION

BY IRA GORAWARA, KAI DIZON, AARON DOYLE, CONNOR DULLINGER, UNA O’FARRELL & SABRINA MESSIHA

PHOTOGRAPHED BY LEX WANG, RENEE RUBANOWITZ, SHANE YU & JOSEPH CROSBY DESIGNED BY SHREY CHAGANLAL

UCLA is offcially a member of the Big Ten. With the football season opener drawing near and many fall sports soon to begin, Daily Bruin Sports editors debate which UCLA team will make strides or face setbacks in its inaugural Big Ten season.

Ira Gorawara

Sports editor

Face setbacks: Football

The Pac-12 and the Big Ten have been at the forefront of college football in recent years.

Pac-12 After Dark ushered an extra layer of thrill to a conference that already boasted four teams with serious potential to make the College Football Playoffs.

But no, UCLA was not part of that list.

The Bruins are only entering a pool laden with even more talent, accompanied by three powerhouses from the Pac-12 –each of whom frequently tested the Bruins.

Not only will UCLA vie against Michigan and Ohio State –revered college football titans – they will continue to contend with Oregon, Washington and USC, each poised to finish in the

Kai Dizon

Assistant Sports editor Make strides: Baseball

Coach John Savage said not to take the competition posed by the Big Ten lightly. Ironically, Savage pointed to the former Pac-12 programs as the strongest among the Big Ten teams in the Bruins’ new home.

Since the College World Series’ inception in 1947, Pac-12 teams have made it to Omaha, Nebraska, 105 times – 12 fewer than the SEC’s nation-leading 117 appearances. Big Ten teams, on the other hand, have only made it 29 times, the fewest of any Power Five conference.

Just three Big Ten teams made the NCAA Regionals in 2024 –Illinois, Indiana and Nebraska – none of which made it to Super Regionals. No Big Ten squad has made the College World Series

Aaron Doyle

Assistant Sports editor

Face

setbacks: Swim and dive

Big Ten swim and dive is one of the most competitive fields in all of collegiate sports.

Including the Bruins, six Big Ten teams are nationally ranked. Throughout the 2024 sea-

upper echelons of the Big Ten next season.

Although the Bruins won’t meet the Buckeyes or Wolverines in 2024, they are slated to tackle the third-hardest schedule in college football.

Following a nonconference clash with LSU, newly minted head coach DeShaun Foster’s squad will confront Oregon for its conference opener, then travel to Beaver Stadium to meet Penn State and its renowned student section, before eventually embarking on a gauntlet featuring Iowa, Washington and USC in succession.

Nine of 11 2023 starters joined defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn in departing UCLA’s once-stellar defensive scheme. With a depleted defensive roster – the backbone of the Bruins’ success last year – and a predictably mediocre offense, the Bruins might find difficulty maneuvering against well-constructed Big Ten squads.

Whether UCLA’s conference realignment was a misstep hinges on its year ahead.

since Michigan defeated UCLA in 2019.

While UCLA will continue to compete with USC, Oregon and Washington, former Pac-12 standouts, Oregon State, Stanford and reigning Pac-12 champions Arizona are out of the picture.

If questions are to arise, they won’t be about the field of competition, but about the far-away literal fields instead.

UCLA is exchanging games in Northern California and Arizona for those in the Midwest. While all of UCLA’s programs will undergo increased travel this season, baseball typically plays a three-game weekend series away from Jackie Robinson Stadium every other week.

In February and March – the beginning of the collegiate season – that could mean playing in adverse weather conditions many of the Bruins aren’t accustomed to in Westwood.

But if the Bruins can regain their usual success under Savage and take advantage of a less competitive 2025 schedule – all else being equal – UCLA could return to an NCAA Regional for the first time since 2022.

son, however, UCLA struggled to remain in the top 25.

UCLA took fourth at the Pac-12 championship this year, behind powerhouse programs California, USC and Stanford. The Bruins didn’t underperform – they simply weren’t strong enough to make the podium.

The climb to a conference title in the Big Ten will be steep. UCLA will have to outswim top programs such as Ohio State, Michigan and Wisconsin in order to make its mark in its first year in the conference.

UCLA got a taste of Big Ten competition in 2024, when it fell

to Wisconsin at the UCSD tri-meet in January. The Badgers’ roster features two-time Olympian Phoebe Bacon, 2023 Big Ten Swimmer of the Year.

At the NCAA championships, Wisconsin beat UCLA by 59 points – one of five Big Ten programs that outplaced UCLA at the tournament.

Rising junior Rosie Murphy was one of the top backstrokers in the Pac-12, and Bacon will continue to keep Murphy on her toes. Bacon won the 200-meter backstroke at the 2024 NCAA national championships – the same event that Murphy holds

Connor Dullinger

Assistant Sports editor

Make strides: Softball

The Big Ten is not a softball conference.

It comes nowhere near the SEC, Pac-12 or Big 12 in terms of dominance in the sport.

Prior to the Big Ten’s expansion, Michigan softball led the conference in national championship victories with one title.

But soon that will change.

UCLA will join the Big Ten with unparalleled success – 13 national championships and 20 national championship appearances.

The Bruins enter as the most historic program with little competition surrounding them.

Northwestern and new Big Ten member Washington – neither of which qualified for the 2024 Women’s College World Series –serve as the lone softball powerhouses in the conference.

Una O’Farrell

Assistant Sports editor

Face setbacks: Women’s volleyball

The top four women’s volleyball teams in the Big Ten reached the third round of the 2023 NCAA tournament.

No. 1 seed Wisconsin worked its way to the semifinals, and No. 1 seed Nebraska – which achieved a 33-2 record on the season – made it all the way to a national championship appearance.

Meanwhile, a 10-10 conference record meant UCLA didn’t even qualify for the NCAA tournament – for the second straight year.

The Big Ten and the Pac-12 are arguably the two most competitive conferences for women’s volleyball. In the 12 years since UCLA last claimed the title, the national championship

Sabrina Messiha Assistant Sports editor Make strides: Women’s golf

The Bruins were just a few strokes away from a national championship in 2024.

But it was their advancement to the finale that was a surprise to most.

After placing fourth in both the Pac-12 championships and the NCAA Las Vegas Regional, expectations for a UCLA championship berth were low. However, the familiarity of the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California, located only a 90-minute drive from Westwood, may have assisted the team in navigating the NCAA championships. Weather conditions

the UCLA school record in.

Bacon will also prove to be a barrier to rising senior Paige MacEachern. MacEachern is the former school record holder in the 200-meter individual medley and placed sixth at the Pac-12 championship in the event. Bacon won the event at the Big Ten championships with a 1:54.29 time, over a second faster than MacEachern’s personal best at 1:55:97.

With Wisconsin’s Bacon leading the charge, swimming in the Big Ten will be no easy task for the Bruins.

And without perennial juggernauts Arizona and Stanford in its conference, UCLA will more easily maintain and evolve its winning ways.

A team’s entry into unfamiliar territory is eased with veteran leadership at the helm. Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez – in her 19th year as head coach for UCLA and 32nd with the program – has her fair share of experience.

With eight national championships under her belt – three as a player, three as an assistant coach and two as head honcho –Inouye-Perez will continue to dominate the Big Ten, something she did last year, as UCLA outscored 2024 Big Ten opponents 43-21.

Despite the departure of key players, such as Jadelyn Allchin, Maya Brady and Sharlize Palacios, the Bruins are retaining Pac12 Freshman of the Year infielder Jordan Woolery, All-Pac-12 First Team pitcher Taylor Tinsley and NFCA Second Team All-American utility Megan Grant.

The return of a star-studded lineup coupled with a formidable incoming recruiting class and weaker Big Ten schedule indicates another historical year for the Bruins.

has been won by a member of one of the two conferences eight times.

But in 2023, the Bruins sat square in the middle of rankings in their final season in the Pac-12.

If the team struggled so severely in the Pac-12, it’s hard to envision it pulling off a Cinderella story and establishing itself as a serious force in the Big Ten.

It’s not to say the Bruins’ two-year NCAA tournament drought is incurable. Coach Alfee Reft’s 2024 roster will return linchpin Anna Dodson, the rising graduate student middle blocker who trained under Reft with Team USA in March after leading UCLA with a .364 hitting percentage in 2023.

Nevertheless, the Bruins will enter their new conference as serious underdogs in comparison to Big Ten titans Nebraska and Wisconsin.

And it might require a miracle for UCLA to earn an NCAA tournament appearance in 2024.

were familiar for the Bruins, and the course was considered home to then-junior Meghan Royal.

While the Big Ten women’s golf conference is not necessarily more competitive than the Pac-12 – with five Pac-12 teams ranking within the top 15 last season compared to the Big Ten’s one team – increased travel and unfamiliar greens will present a challenge for the Bruins.

Not only will the Big Ten present unfamiliar courses to UCLA, but it will also come with East Coast weather conditions that are drastically different from what the Bruins are acclimated to on the West Coast.

While the Bruins proved their championship-earning capacity in the Pac-12, they will have to tackle unfamiliar territory and increased travel time as they enter the Big Ten.

Westwood return OWEN SCHWARTZ READIES FOR

BY FELICIA KELLER ILLUSTRATED BY JOY CHEN DESIGNED BY LINDSEY MURTO

When the opportunity arose for Owen Schwartz to join the Bruins as a graduate student, he took the chance to follow in his parents’ footsteps.

"It’s been a dream come true," Schwartz said.

More than 30 years after his parents received their graduate degrees from UCLA – Kathleen Morrison in the public health department and Michael Schwartz in the chemistry department – Owen earned his own master’s degree in education in June and finished his playing career in the 2023 season.

"It was kind of surreal because he is my youngest child. I can’t believe he has a graduate degree," Morrison said.

Owen was an American history and economics student at Brown from 2019 to 2022, where he played in 48 games across three full seasons as a stalwart on the Bears’ defensive line.

Once his time at Brown ended, he entered his name into the transfer portal and received a call from UCLA.

"One of the assistant coaches here reached out to me a few weeks after the season ended," Owen said. "As soon as he reached out, I knew this was the place to be."

Owen’s mom said he was also recruited by Duke, Northwestern and Southern Methodist University for his graduate year, including full-ride MBA scholarship offers from the first two.

But once UCLA called, Owen left all of that behind.

"From the get-go, he met RJ (coach Ryan Jorden) and PK (then-assistant coach Paul Killian) and Andres (assistant coach Andres Ochoa) and was like, ‘I want to be here. I’ve always wanted to play here,’" Morrison said.

Owen said the alumni at UCLA – some of whom he met while participating in his first alumni game in the spring – have shown incredible support toward him. And beyond the alumni’s legacy, Owen said Jorden has had an impact on him.

"His knowledge of the game and understanding of the tactics

“ I think we understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and I think we can play to that.

around the game has been super illuminating for me. He’s a phenomenal coach," Owen said. "I would put him at the top of the ranks of college soccer."

Morrison added that Owen’s transition into the team was seamless.

Owen started in 15 of 18 games last season, providing a steady presence on the back line as the Bruins’ most consistent center back.

During the season, Owen said the defenders worked well together.

"As the year has gone on, we’ve grown chemistry together in the back line," Owen said in October. "I think we understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and I think we can play to that."

The Bruins’ defense maintained a one goal per game stat line and allowed just 10 goals in Pac-12 play, conceding two goals through five games as the team clinched the conference championship.

In the classroom, Owen earned his master’s degree in transformative coaching and leadership – a program focused

on melding teaching and coaching – and relished the opportunity to network with other student-athletes in the program as he pursues a career in sports management.

"Being able to hear athletes’ experiences and desires gives me an understanding of managing a team or organization, thinking about how to put athletes in the best position to succeed," Owen said.

UCLA always had a presence in the lives of Owen and his siblings.

Living in Mill Valley, California, Owen and his family would attend games at California or Stanford when they hosted UCLA.

"When my kids were little, anytime we went to LA we went to UCLA. I took them around campus – they were really familiar," Morrison said. "So I kind of brainwashed them, and they always felt very comfortable there and loved it, and they knew that I had a great experience there too."

Owen said that after four years on the East Coast, a return to California felt like a homecoming.

And following in his parents’ footsteps, his playing career now over, Owen added another graduate degree to his family’s name.

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A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION EDITORS:

What advice would you give your frst-year self?

BY RUSSELL AHMED, SIERRA BENAYON-ABRAHAM, TAVIAN WILLIAMS AND NICOLAS GREAMO

ILLUSTRATED BY HAO TAM TRAN DESIGNED BY TYLER CHO

Orientation is a time of transformation and self-discovery for many new students ahead of the start of their time on campus. As the next generation of Bruins prepares to take the stage, the Opinion editors, looking back on their own first years at UCLA, give their advice in the latest edition of "A Difference of Opinion Editors."

Before You Begin as a Bruin: Find Your De-stressors

Russell Ahmed, assistant Opinion Editor

Life at UCLA, for all of the right reasons, could not be more dissimilar to the reality of my central Ohio roots. College is an experience defined by unpredictability.

Each day is uniquely its own, forcing you to evolve into a version of yourself that you could not have foreseen. This is a fact that is hard to grasp until you start anew in Westwood.

Thus, it is in your best interest – before you get to UCLA – to find and commit to two or three activities, habits or practices that will keep you grounded on a daily basis.

For me, in high school, my activity was golf. However, the college student budget doesn’t typically allow for a 10-minute Uber and a bucket of range balls three times per week. Make sure that your activity is feasible as a college student.

You’ll now likely find me jogging around Westwood at a far from Olympic minute-per-mile pace.

These activities do not just need to involve exercise. Perhaps it is journaling. My roommates and I still play "Fortnite."

Whatever you choose does not need to fill any productive or physiological need. Instead, it just has to relax you and make you smile.

You will fall back on these activities when the going gets tough. Our campus is serene and beautiful, but nothing is as relaxing as doing something you enjoy. These reprieves are necessary, and they will get you through any challenge UCLA has to offer.

Unconditional Love: Found through Roommates and the People at UCLA

Sierra Benayon-Abraham, assistant Opinion Editor

When I met my freshman year roommate, I would have hardly imagined that she would become "my person," or that we would develop a connection so strong that people on our floor would joke about our apparent separation anxiety from one another.

Having roommates can simultaneously be one of the best and most intimidating parts about starting college.

Although I was consumed by most of the common fears regarding roommates leading up to move-in week, there are a few alternative truths that I wish that I had known.

Your roommates can serve as automatic friendships; they can become the people who have your back no matter what.

They may be the people to stay up late quizzing you for a midterm, but they might also be the reason for your procrastination. Perhaps they are your dinner date when you don’t have an invite elsewhere, or they help you pick your firstday-of-class outfit.

They may be all of this and more, or maybe someone else on campus will be. But so long as you keep an open mind and allow yourself to be vulnerable with those you trust, the people at UCLA can become your family.

UCLA is a campus crawling with intellect, but first and foremost, it sprawls with kindness in all corners.

It is a place where you can find the people who you will graduate alongside, challenge you to think differently and maybe even be your maid of honor or best man one day.

So be nervous – that’s a good thing! But also think about all the memories, friendships and stories you will create at UCLA, and hopefully those nerves subside just the tiniest bit.

My roommate was the first person to tell me she would love me unconditionally. Trust me, it is a pretty amazing thing to hear.

There are unparalleled friendships at UCLA waiting to be made, and who knows, those bonds may even be with the very person or people you’re living with.

The Social Side of College: A Missed Opportunity

Tavian Williams, assistant Opinion Editor

My first year of college was the most humbling experience of my life, with the first two days a barrage of unfamiliar faces and social pressure.

Navigating an unfamiliar atmosphere alone is very uncomfortable. But it’s a hurdle that gets easier over time.

After just two days at UCLA, I found myself parading through Westwood with over a dozen strangers, laughing as if we’d known each other for years.

I thought my social woes were over.

So, I stopped nurturing those relationships, expecting the world and people to wait on standby for me. Audaciously, I skipped club rush.

I grew comfortable in solitude, oblivious to the connections severing. When I tried to jump back in, the crowd had broken up and found new friends.

I wandered, searching for belonging. I exacerbated my situation by getting a job I loved – but the commitment took me away from spheres where I could find community. I came home too tired to do homework, let alone be social.

College gets lonely quickly when you don’t find your support system.

I ended my first year unfulfilled. When my second fall rolled around, I dreaded returning but realized I had a chance for a do-over.

I surely didn’t skip club rush again. I worked to cultivate, nurture and maintain new relationships. I am proud of my second year.

In a time when loneliness has become an epidemic, especially among young people, finding kin becomes necessary for sound physical and mental health.

So don’t just study, connect.

Treasure the Moment: From the First Step to the Thousandth Nicolas Greamo, Opinion editor

At this point, the start of my first year at UCLA feels like ancient history.

It’s been over a thousand days since I took my first timid steps on campus. A thousand rotations of the Earth, a thousand visions of campus and a thousand versions of me.

From here, it all seems to blend together, but I can already feel the time slipping through my fingers.

Being a senior has fundamentally changed my perception of the college experience.

While, of course, it may be too early for incoming Bruins to think about reflection, you should nevertheless cherish each moment, the emotions you’ll feel and the memories you’ll make in your time here.

Because college won’t last forever, especially on a campus where the pace of almost everything is ramped up by the quarter system.

I don’t mean to say, though, that you should agonize over every choice to create a perfect university experience.

Instead, you should trust in yourself and take each step without giving in to the urge to walk it back.

Eventually, you’ll get to your thousand days, literally or not: the point when your memories of college life are carved in the part of your brain you leave for the monuments of your past.

A thousand stelae, engraved stone markers standing under a sky of brilliant stars, will mark your future path on this campus. I hope they’ll make you proud.

BY KIRSTEN BREHMER

DESIGNED BY CRYSTAL TOMPKINS

PHOTO COURTESY OF KIRSTEN BREHMER

This fall quarter, I will be a fourth-year. Yet oddly, I would classify this past school year as my freshman experience – an experience unique to transfer students.

I entered UCLA as a third-year transfer student. While it seemed everyone around me was hitting the unpause button on their college experiences that had halted over the summer, I was pressing fast forward to see if I could possibly catch up.

I wanted to immerse myself into the college environment, but as a third-year who felt like a first-year, I felt lost on campus.

Inevitably I experienced the trials and tribulations of finding friends, joining numerous clubs only to find none fit me and questioning whether I was good enough to attend this school.

Let’s just say this was all on top of a lack of sleep and a full course load that at times kicked my butt.

Looking back, I can’t help but cringe at the amount of pessimism I use to describe my transfer experience.

By all means, this year wasn’t easy. It was a steep learning curve – socially, emotionally and academically – but although I may sound like a cynic at times, much of this experience has been wonderful.

I initially planned to reflect on my past year as a transfer student in this article, but I changed my mind.

Whether you’re an incoming first-year or a third-year transfer, you’re going to have your own unique, individual experience.

Maybe you’d relate to some parts of my story, but yours will still likely look different in other ways. Instead, I thought I’d share a few lessons, dare I say wisdom, that I gained from my first year at UCLA.

1) Be prepared to sweat: Even when it’s cold, moving from class to class, dining hall to club meeting, the workout is inevitable. Especially if you’re running late – which I always am.

2) Expect the unexpected: A cockroach infestation revealed itself in my apartment week three of fall quarter. Did the exterminators have to come multiple times? Yes. Were there still signs of cockroaches months later? Yes. Did I survive the debacle to relay this lesson to you? Also, yes. Although situations like this are not ideal, they are funny to look back upon, and in the end, all a part of the "adulting" experience that going to college consists of.

3) Appreciate the beauty of our campus: With only two years to spend here, make the most of it! Even on the busiest days, you can find yourself a peaceful space surrounded by gorgeous trees and brave squirrels.

4) Embrace the Los Angeles noise: The city can be loud during the day and night. If you’re a light sleeper, get some earplugs. And if you ever need an escape from the hustle and bustle of LA, I found that certain areas on campus can even feel like their own sanctuaries. For example, Saturdays at the sculpture garden are magical.

5) Map out your class locations: Do a practice walk before the quarter starts. If you struggle with time management, tend to run late and get lost easily, like I do, this is essential.

6) If you’re from out of state, welcome to sunny LA. However, despite common misconceptions that LA has perfect weather year-round, you can expect some cloudy days on the horizon: What I learned this year during one of LA’s deluges was to always carry an umbrella if rain is in the forecast. When you walk from campus to wherever your housing is on a rainy day, without an umbrella, you’ll look like you voluntarily jumped into a pool with your clothes on. But on the bright side, rain can bring people together. You might even find a friend in someone who forgets their umbrella and needs a little covering.

7) Have faith in the meet cute: I met one of my closest friends this past year at a Hilgard crosswalk after we had both jogged up part of it. From then on, we jogged many more Westwood hills together.

8) Week zero is somehow both an overwhelming and underwhelming start to the school year: Classes have not yet started, but excitement is in the air and everything feels new. I went from being bored because school had yet to commence, to emotionally exhausted. But every week after, you’ll begin to feel more and more comfortable in your new space. Be patient.

9) Homesickness is real: Don’t be surprised if you get homesick. It’s completely normal. Chances are many of those around you are feeling it too.

10) Stay curious: Let these next few years be a time of discovery and exploration. I’m going into my fourth year, and I still haven’t narrowed down what I want to do after graduation. Is that scary? Yes. Is it okay? Yes. If you’re still figuring it out, cheers because I’m right there with you.

And my last piece of advice is to let yourself grow. If you keep an open mind and an open heart, you’ll flourish here. With all that being said, welcome to UCLA!

11) Just kidding, I have one more recommendation: If you’re a coffee addict like me, to save some money, invest in a $27.99 Mr. Coffee 12-Cup Switch Coffee Maker. This kept me from breaking the bank at Starbucks and falling asleep during long lectures.

BY MIU KIKUCHI

ILLUSTRATIONS

BY SID FRANCIS

DESIGNED BY SHREY CHAGANLAL

ON THE HUNT FOR HAPPINESS

Ifinished my freshman year before realizing that my younger brother was my ultimate idol.

My brother is the happiest person I know, and the running joke in our family is that it’s because he succumbs easily to quick dopamine boosts through instant gratification. Although I spent years filled with pride that I was more future-oriented, that soon began to wither away with time. Like him, I have learned the importance of finding satisfaction in the present.

Although I changed my major from philosophy to political science, I like to believe I retained some wisdom. Thus, I want to share a lesson I learned during my first year as a Bruin: Do not delay happiness or associate it with achievement.

Instead, find happiness even when things are missing in your life – a lesson I learned through my friendships at UCLA.

Overwhelmed by nerves, excitement and anticipation at the start of my first quarter of college, my main goal was to acclimate to UCLA’s novelty. I wanted to develop a connection with my roommates and suitemates, find familiarity with the people in my dorm, understand the beliefs and values held by those in my major and determine the types of people I enjoy spending time with.

As time passed, my roommates and suitemates unintentionally learned each other’s showering schedules. I could distinguish between Rieber Vista residents and residents of other dormitories.

I admired not only the intelligence but also the diverse knowledge of my fellow political science students and professors. I enjoyed engaging in meaningful conversations with fellow Bruins.

However, despite a seemingly successful first few weeks, I still was unsatisfied with my relationships and wanted to cultivate closer connections.

I devoted my second quarter to this goal and even achieved it. In particular, one of my roommates and I became inseparable.

We bonded over our brothers having been on the same soccer team without our knowledge and the distressing experiences we had from past sports coaches. We laughed about how we thought similarly but acted differently.

We repeatedly and deliriously stumbled upon the same realization at 3 a.m. that teenage love will forever be a foreign concept to us. We memorized the Bruin Plate protein options

together. One of us watched the other have their first kiss. We complained we didn’t have money while dropping $50 at Target.

Most importantly, she and I thrived in comfortable silence, a sign of true friendship.

However, despite my unfathomable fortune in meeting her and having achieved my self-assigned goal from my first quarter, I still felt discontent.

I felt the need to branch out further.

In my third quarter, after numerous attempts of convincing myself it was somewhat of a necessity for my undergraduate career, I rushed a pre-law fraternity. I integrated myself even more into clubs I was already involved in.

I got dressed up and attended a picnic banquet for Activism Through Policy. Members of the Bruin Political Review transformed from extracurricular peers to college friends whom I hold dear.

I spent more time with friends of friends while connecting those I had become close to in one area of my UCLA life to those in other parts of it.

Compared to the first two quarters, I had undoubtedly widened my social circle by spring.

However, despite this, I was still unhappy. I found myself wanting the intimate connection I had with my smaller group of friends in high school.

I resolved a new issue quarterly only to have another one to tackle the following quarter.

Ultimately, I made the mistake of falsely presuming I would find absolute happiness in constantly changing my approach to friendships, whether it be having closer connections or knowing more people. I tied my happiness to external factors. My contentment was no longer an emotion I had voluntary control over.

Evidently, I had gotten myself into a continuous wild goose chase.

All aspects of life are hardly ever perfectly aligned with one’s ideal. Delaying happiness to meet an arbitrary standard results in sadness and defeat.

I learned that it is a vital, yet difficult, skill to remain optimistic despite the abundance of life’s obstacles – something my brother has effortlessly mastered.

Admittedly, there were times I did have momentary happiness, but because of my self-inflicted toxic mindset that there was always more to be accomplished, I felt undeserving.

If happiness is circumstantial, not only will joy rarely be felt, but a lack of appreciation for the fortunes one does have will fester instead. I have made incredible friendships with people who make me feel special enough to last a lifetime. Yet I fear I did not express enough gratitude.

Therefore, I leave you with a task in the pursuit of happiness. Compare yourself with where you are now and where you were three years ago. Chances are, your past self would give a lot to be where you are now and be filled with so much pride.

After all, you now have relationships, memories, stories and milestones that you didn’t have before, things your past self could most likely hardly have ever imagined.

And that is something to be happy about.

When Professors

Live in Dorms: THE FACULTY-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM

PHOTOGRAPHED

BY DAVIS HOFFMAN

CRIS COBO CORDON DESIGNED BY CRYSTAL TOMPKINS

“The goal of the Faculty-in-Residence program is really to lessen that barrier that a student feels in being able to approach their faculty.”

Bridget Callaghan needed a change of pace.

Just months before the COVID-19 pandemic, the recent Columbia graduate arrived in Los Angeles prepared to begin her teaching and research career at UCLA. She had secured an apartment with her husband, which soon became the home for their baby son, but she knew few people in Southern California. Though eager and prepared for this new chapter, she still felt that something was missing – a sense of community.

As she researched her new workplace, Callaghan stumbled across a peculiar opportunity. A residence program allowed faculty to live alongside UCLA students on the Hill, sharing the same dining halls and amenities. So, during the height of lockdown, Callaghan took a leap of faith and applied to the competitive program – and was ultimately accepted.

"We had no community, and so joining the Faculty-inResidence program when that opportunity came up was very exciting," Callaghan said. "That’s like a built-in community. That would be a really great place to get started."

Four years later, Callaghan happily lives alongside students in De Neve Evergreen Hall. She has found her community.

UCLA’s Faculty-in-Residence program offers far more than housing for professors to live. Yearly traditions and coteaching opportunities have brought students and faculty together, providing unique educational opportunities for both groups. Now, even after the 50 years since its inception, the FIR program continues to fundamentally change Bruins’ residential experiences.

Founded in 1973, the FIR program provides year-round housing and meal plans for 18 faculty members across all residence halls, who each receive a three-year contract and spend a maximum of nine years on the Hill. Assistant Director of Academics and First Year Experience Abigail Johnson said that above all else, the program functions to break down the invisible barriers dividing faculty and students that exist ubiquitously within a university as large as UCLA.

"The goal of the Faculty-in-Residence program is really to lessen that barrier that a student feels in being able to approach their faculty," Johnson said. "If a student is able to – at least in their residential experience –interact with the faculty in a casual setting, then maybe when they’re on campus, it becomes a little bit less

daunting."

Faculty members live in apartments within residence halls, complete with bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms. These apartments are large enough to accommodate their spouses and children, who typically live on the Hill alongside them. Faculty are also equipped with a meal plan, providing them access to dining halls on the Hill.

Coming from an undergraduate university in Australia that lacked on-campus housing, Callaghan was excited to learn more about the undergraduate experience at an American university.

"Other professors understand that (residential experience) if they’ve lived on a campus before, if they’re American," Callaghan said. "I just felt like that was missing. Also, I wanted to educate myself."

Now entering her fourth year in the program, Callaghan has found that the Hill acts as an unexpected environment to watch her research interests play out outside of a lab. As an assistant professor of psychology focused on developmental psychology, she can observe students interact with not only one another but with children as well, including her young son.

"He would walk around campus, and people were just like, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s so amazing,’ in the dining hall," Callaghan said. "All the time we have people coming up to us and saying, ‘Hey, look here my details, I’d be really interested in babysitting your child.’ ... It truly feels like a neighborhood."

Unlike Callaghan, however, many faculty enter the program after teaching at UCLA for many years. Nina Eidsheim, a professor of musicology, landed a spot in the FIR program in 2019 after teaching at UCLA since 2008. Similar to Callaghan, Eidsheim was influenced by her Norwegian university’s absence of dorms in her decision to apply for the program –one that she found equally as rewarding.

Her decision to apply for the program was also influenced by her desire to better connect with students beyond lecture halls, Eidsheim said. She felt that the program would allow her to teach students in a way that eschewed a strict teacherstudent hierarchy, typically upheld by the large lecture halls at UCLA. The program created an environment in which

comfortable around faculty as if they were peers rather than superiors.

"I think I just feel much closer to students," Eidsheim said. "It can be the exact same person, but if I can approach them or be with them as an FIR, I think they just feel very different – that it’s not scary."

This emphasis on student connections is fundamental to the program and its admission process. Unlike most administrative processes within UCLA, the admissions cycle to the FIR program greatly involves students, who not only closely collaborate with administrators but read applications, conduct interviews and even make candidate recommendations. The goal of this student involvement is to take student perspectives and opinions into consideration, Johnson said.

"They look at the whole cohort of faculty residents and try to create a cohort of Faculty-in-Residence who represents the academic majors and minors and such that students have at UCLA," Johnson said.

After submitting their initial application, select faculty applicants must undergo a series of interviews with current FIRs and Residential Life staff. Finalists must attend a student panel interview, during which selected students are able to craft a diverse and supportive cohort for acceptance into the program.

"We ultimately get recommendations from that student panel," Johnson said. "They’ve seen all of the applicants at the end and are able to relate to us student sentiments."

Further enhancing this more personal relationship between staff and students, the program also requires FIRs to teach a Fiat Lux each academic year. These topical, freshman-only seminars allow faculty to share personal and academic interests.

In spring 2024, Eidsheim designed a Fiat Lux class centered around Jenny Odell’s 2019 book "How to do Nothing." Amanda Mrad, a 2024 UCLA graduate in physiological science who co-taught the class with Eidsheim, said the two met at an outing to the Getty during

“It truly feels like a neighborhood.”

.soon thereafter.

"We took public transportation when she was one of our Faculty-in-Residence that joined us. And she was wonderful." Mrad said. "We were chatting, and she talked about this class she wanted to teach and asked if I wanted to help her with it."

For the course, students were instructed to read the book and attend excursions around campus to learn more about social norms, unspoken rules and attention economies –and how to break them. For example, Eidsheim and Mrad instructed students to walk backward in Ackerman Union or sit at a stranger’s table and say hello. Each of these exercises helped first-year students not only engage critically not only with the source text but also with each other.

The presence of faculty in such close, constant proximity helped not only to create newfound connections with students, but to improve accessibility to mentorship figures, Mrad said.

"They’ve shaped the type of events we have, the type of connections we have, the type of experiences and opportunities that are available for students," Mrad said. "They completely shift what type of opportunity is available just by them being a resource for us."

Faculty on the Hill find other creative ways to connect with students. Tara Prescott-Johnson, a continuing lecturer in the UCLA Writing Programs, was playing basketball with a student as an assignment for her class during her interview. Between free throws, she talked about how she hosted eccentric events during her time as an FIR, including a "proper" Irish tea party, a makeshift escape room in her apartment and even a trip to the North Campus Tea Room for a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.

Other FIRs organize equally unconventional events, such as the FIR staple Taco Tuesday. Each Taco Tuesday, after catering is delivered and served, an FIR gives a brief special lecture on a topic pertaining to their interests. For example, Eidsheim played composer John Cage’s experimental track "4’33"" –four minutes and 33 seconds of silence. Eidsheim explored the background and meaning of the track with students, introducing them to a piece of music history and encouraging group discussions.

Though she is no longer living in the residence halls, Prescott-Johnson said her time in the program continues to inform her outlook on teaching.

"You start understanding more about some of the challenges

they face or some of the behaviors they exhibit and where that’s coming from, which can be helpful in terms of how you structure something in class, or how you might respond when one of those things kind of comes up," Prescott-Johnson said.

“There’s just a lot of joy in seeing more of the students as their whole selves, as opposed to more of the academic-only side that you see in the classroom.”

After her departure in 2021, Prescott-Johnson continued to teach seminars that let her interact with small groups of students. In spring 2024, she taught Honors 50: "Creating Your Roadmap," a seminar dedicated to helping students navigate their personal and professional lives throughout the transition to college. Each week, she would meet with a student to do an activity of their choice, participating in activities ranging from basketball and hot yoga to playing golf and heading to Westwood for boba.

"It was being an FIR and having that experience, and missing it is what made me think about creating this assignment in this class," Prescott-Johnson said.

Experiences with the FIR program have long-lasting impacts on students, too. Through living in proximity and interacting with FIRs, Mrad said she was able to better navigate course enrollment, build her resume, ask for study tips, connect with research opportunities and even garner career advice.

"I don’t need to have a life plan or all my things organized in order to come present and talk to faculty. I can just come and say, ‘Hey, this is where I’m at,’" Mrad said. "I know it’s helped me feel more comfortable. And I’ve seen other people have similar interactions in that way."

For current and past FIRs, the program inspired and affirmed them in their professions. Prescott-Johnson said she found that having a new perspective toward interacting with students on an even playing field reminded her of the daily struggles that many students face, despite their high academic performance.

"There’s just a lot of joy in seeing more of the students as their whole selves, as opposed to more of the academic-only side that you see in the classroom," Prescott-Johnson said.

This is a common sentiment among FIRs. Outside of the classroom, Callaghan often finds herself running into students and chatting, even introducing them to her son –who never has a shortage of babysitters, she added. She feels that raising her son in an environment with many other young people is beneficial for both parties, fostering connections between her, her students and her son. In the end, applying to the program has paid off – Callaghan has found her sense of community.

"The small, everyday, spontaneous interactions that you have with people are the things that really build up a community," Callaghan said. "You see someone and smile at them every day, learn their name, get to see them over and over again – it feels nice."

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| Copy chiefs

Rori Anderson, Anna Dai-Liu, Lucine Ekizian, Jeannie Kim, Wendy Mapaye, Aisosa Onaghise, Barnett SalleWidelock, Bettina Wu | Slot editors

Najda Hadi-St. John, Emma Horio, Amelie Ionescu, Madeline Lee, Rachel Lee, Ella Messing, Jessica Nguyen, Maya Parra, Kimmy Rice, Leah Snyderman, Mia Tavares, Vaishnavi Vasishta, Lex Wang, Alyssa Wong, Helen Yuan | Staff

Online

Donny Rimer | Director Ed Nawrocki, Sakshi Thoutireddy, Tyler Tran | Assistant directors

Nicole Ju, Bryson Xiao, Matthew Yu, Tracy Zhao | Staff

Bruinwalk

Emily Sun | Director Stanley Wei | Assistant director

Rachel Chan, Ella Chen, Joyce Chen, Jason Cheng, Jeffrey Cheng, Claire Chien, Krisha Chokshi, Maxwell Gonick, Yash Goyal, Elizabeth Kim, Meryl Mathew, Nicholas Nhien, Abigale Nickels, Sid Panda, David Sai, Yuma Shigyo, Jessica Ti, Jonathan Xu, Gloria Yun, Florence Zhao | Staff

Video

Verna Chen | Producer

Max Davis-Housefeld, Madeline Woo | Assistant producers

Zoë Busenberg, Matthew Beymer | Staff

Podcasts

Olivia Miller | Producer

Jack Garland | Staff

The Quad

Alicia Park | Editor

Katherine Wang | Assistant editor

Emily Samuels, Olivia Simons, Lex Wang, Sonia Wong | Staff Outreach

Danielle Anz | Director

Felicia Keller, Kayla Williams | Assistant directors

Neeti Badve, Kate Green, Amanda Kai, Ella Maulden, Cecilia Schmitz | Staff

Social Media

Mahika Saoji | Director

Ava Johnson, Naomi Orozco | Assistant directors

Corona Smith, Isabela Zavala | Staff

PRIME

Martin Sevcik | Director

Alicia Carhee | Content editor

Isabel Rubin-Saika | Art director

Iman Baber, Matthew Beymer, Mallory Cooper, Kate Green, Layth Handoush, Emily Kim, Katy Nicholas, Rachel Rothschild, Abigail Siatkowski | Staff

Enterprise

Dylan Tzung | Editor

Joan Thyagarajan | Assistant editor

Max Floridia, Lori Garavartanian, Lex Wang | Staff

Advertising

Jeremy Wildman | Business Manager

Izzy Elkus, Lindsey Fitzpatrick, Elise Goldberg, Emerson Howard, Annabelle Karpman, Kalyn Mason, Lindsey Muldoon, Lucia Nunez, Chase Obsitnik | Advertising Account

Executives

Cassidy Nash | Intern Manager

Ryan Frank, Summer Nelson, Reiter Solheim, Ella Teichberg, Ava Santini | Social Media Managers

Amayo Antonio | Ad Creative

Rory McMahon, Morgan Moseley | Classified Account

Executives

Natasha Karnani | Online and Outdoor Traffic Manager

Sofe Hallberg | Collections

Camille Ray | Business Writing

Darren Mallot, JJ Bohlt | Kiosk Techs

MIS

Jose Hernandez | Chief technology officer Cathryn Kuczynski, Emily

VIDEO PODCASTS

Chandler, Marie Goldfarb, Finn Martin, Samantha Nguyen, Dominic Pham, Kate Sanchez, Patrick Shao, Caleb Velasquez, Jasmine Winter | Staff

Advisors

Abigail Goldman | Editorial advisor

Doria Deen | Student media director

Designed by: Isabella Appell, Juley Arias Shrey Chaganlal, Tyler Cho, Lindsey Murto, Mia Tavares, Crystal Tompkins, Helen Quach, Vienna Vipond

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BY ALICE WATERS & DAVID TANIS