You’re never too old forHERSHEY
UCLA’s graduate dormitory, Hershey Hall, serves as home for more
than 300 students from California and around the world
By Karen Duryea
Daily Bruin Contributor
Mira Hershey had one wish for the UCLA campus before her death
in 1930 – to fund the campus’ first dorm and establish a student
fund.
Located on Hilgard Avenue, Mira Hershey Hall is the on-campus
option for full-time, single graduate students – and the
fulfillment of Hershey’s wishes.
Hershey was born in Lancaster, Penn. in 1860. She moved to Los
Angeles and became an active philanthropist in the community. In
her will, Hershey bequeathed $400,000 to the university, of which
$300,000 would be used for the campus’ first dormitory.
The hall, constructed in 1931, was originally intended to house
131 undergraduate women. At that time, women were not allowed to
live in an off-campus apartment without the approval of the Dean of
Women.
Currently, Hershey Hall houses more than 300 coed UCLA students
from California and around the world.
Hershey Hall is smaller than the other on-campus dorms and its
architecture was inspired by Italian Renaissance villas. In the
lobby, black and white pictures dating back to the 1950s line the
walls, portraying students in social activities such as designing
homecoming floats and costume parties.
The dim halls have a slight musty smell. Rows of doors are
decorated with students’ names and areas of study, along with white
boards for notes. Cartoons such as "Calvin and Hobbes" and "For
Better or Worse" are often posted, giving Hershey the same feeling
of friendliness as undergraduate dorms.
Although quiet, the hallways are evidence that a diverse group
of students calls Hershey home.
Approximately 200 of the 350 Hershey Hall residents are from
other countries, said Michael Henderson, a film and
television/animation graduate student and a graduate assistant at
Hershey. Students come from as far as Turkey, Korea, Japan, Ireland
and Germany, Henderson said.
"I’m dating someone from another country and I met her here at
Hershey," said Mario Ruiz, a graduate film student. Ruiz explained
that had it not been for Hershey’s diversity, he may not have had
the opportunity to meet his girlfriend, Yuko Nagura, a graduate
student from Japan.
Many Hershey residents said they chose the on-campus dorm to
meet new people.
"I didn’t really know anyone in Southern California," said
Richard Atencio, an undergraduate transfer student. Atencio was
placed in Hershey because he is over 21. "I thought the dorm would
be a good way to meet fellow students," Atencio said.
Ruiz also said he chose to live in Hershey to meet new people
"basically because I’m from out of state," said Ruiz, a former
resident of New Mexico.
Jai Natarajan, a computer science graduate student from India,
chose Hershey over an apartment because he found it difficult to
find a place that met his needs.
"It was too painful to go searching for an apartment. I searched
for two days and they were either too expensive or just not right,"
Natarajan said. "I thought I would get to meet more people."
Henderson said that in addition to Hershey’s accessibility to
campus, graduate students choose the dorm because of its convenient
food service.
"A lot of male students – and also female students – don’t
cook," Henderson said.
Atencio confirmed this belief, commenting, "I don’t cook; I live
off of cup-o-noodles."
Hershey also boasts a small kitchen, so residents may cook on
their own if they become members of the "kitchen club," which
entails signing a form and agreeing to certain rules.
Some residents said they were grateful to have the option of
cooking their own food, indicating that the food provided in
Hershey’s dining hall is less than stellar.
"We don’t really have very much selection," said Atencio,
admitting that he ate at Hershey only twice during the past two
weeks.
"Except for the pasta, it’s really good fun," Natarajan
joked.
Graduate assistants’ responsibilities include setting up
programming for the residents.
Henderson explained that he organizes everything from trips to
The Museum of Tolerance to entertainment excursions, such as a
visit to "The Tonight show with Jay Leno." He also acts as a
mediator and counselor for the residents, much like the job of a
resident assistant in the undergraduate dorms.
"The good thing about programming at Hershey is that the
students are older. Mediation and counseling is not as stressful,"
Henderson said.
Henderson is also responsible for safety and security in the
building, in addition to taking care of the hall’s disciplinary
problems.
"It’s like a common courtesy system. There are set rules like no
smoking or marijuana in the rooms," he said.
Some of the only disputes he has been faced with are roommates
with schedule conflicts, he said, because most students can work
out their differences on their own.
One large difference between Hershey and the undergraduate halls
is that all residents in the hall are of legal drinking age, so the
residents are permitted to drink alcohol in their rooms.
"We do have parties – it’s not like we’re all fuddyduds,"
Henderson said.
However, during the day, Hershey seems quite empty and inactive,
with only a few students roaming its halls.
"It’s really quiet; it isn’t at all what I expected," Atencio
said. After spending a day in Sproul Hall for orientation, Atencio
said he was surprised at the difference in noise level. "It looks a
lot more busy," Atencio said of the undergraduate dorm.
"(Hershey) is a bit isolated, but you tend to appreciate the
quiet during exam time," Atencio said.
Ruiz saw the dorm in an entirely different light – as a place
where students can socialize. "You never get lonely, you always
have friends," he said. "The major advantage is having people
around all the time. People pick up your spirits; it’s hard to get
depressed."
But rumors apparently run as rampant in graduate dorms as
students have said they do in undergraduate dorms. "The other thing
with living with other people is that you are kind of careful with
what you say and do and make things uncomfortable for people," Ruiz
said.
Atencio cited the piano lounge, Hershey’s close proximity to the
campus and the 24-hour computer lab as some of the things he
appreciated most at Hershey. He also mentioned that as an
undergraduate, he often receives advice and help from his graduate
housemates.
"In essence, I think undergraduates get free tutoring from
graduates," Atencio said.
Natarajan admitted that Hershey needs better computers in its
computer lab/library, but he enjoys the old books that line the
shelves in the library.
"I get all these old-time novels from the 1930s and 1940s,"
Natarajan said.KRIS FALLON
Hershey residents, such as theater arts graduate student Yuko
Tateshi, utilize the piano lounge.
KRIS FALLON
Steven Wong and Alison Wong relax in one of Hershey’s common
areas.
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