Monday, 6/9/97 The graduating game CELEBRATIONS: Students meet
end of an era with parties, trips … and fear
By Michelle Navarro Daily Bruin Contributor Ladies and
gentlemen, I present to you the graduating class of 1997. In less
than a week, the triumphant notes of "Pomp and Circumstance" will
echo throughout the campus. Hats will be tossed aimlessly into the
air. Friends and family will tote cameras, balloons and stuffed,
grinning bears in search of that familiar face among the sea of
graduating seniors. It is time to say farewell to all those
fourth-, fifth-, sixth- (and so on) year seniors who will soon
receive their diplomas and be stamped with the honorable label
"UCLA Alumnus." No more trudging up the legendary Bruin Walk,
overdosing on caffeine the night before finals, receiving $30
parking tickets, or suffering deadly attacks from the ravenous
squirrels lurking behind garbage cans. It is time for graduates to
trade in their 50-pound stocks of books and notes for the coveted
2-ounce certificates. But what comes next? How will the seasoned
Bruins be celebrating their graduation? Sitting in endless
nostalgia? Shedding tears for their long-lost years at UCLA? The
answer: None of the above. "I have heard and seen many of the
graduates going to the inverted fountain, celebrating with
champagne and dancing around," said Shivaji Deshmukh, a civil and
environmental engineering graduate. "Some friends and I are
interested in being a part of it – maybe not the dancing, but at
least a toast." Making a trip to the inverted fountain has become
an unofficial tradition here. Incoming students learn about it
during their first tour of the campus. "It’s part of the folklore
of UCLA. At the very least, this is the third year that it’s been
going on. But I know it’s been going on for much longer," said
Melissa Sutkus, a history graduate and campus tour guide. The
fountain, also known as the "toilet bowl," has been the site of
many parties and has even served as a swimming pool. "My colleagues
and I have got a whole party planned. I plan on going swimming,"
Sutkus said. "My last final is from 8 to 11 (a.m.) and at about
11:05, I’ll be there. It’s something I’ve been looking forward to
ever since my freshman year," she said. "Everyone goes."
"Graduating seniors definitely have something to celebrate about,
and jumping into the inverted fountain is the perfect way to do
it," confirmed Angela Linares, a psychology graduate. "There’s
going to be happy hours at the inverted fountain." Other graduates
plan on leaving the state or even the country to celebrate the end
of the their Bruin student life. "I’m going to Cairo, the Greek
Islands and Costa Rica, part of the way with friends, and the other
on my own," said Laura Daley, an Anderson School graduate. Olga
Ospina, a sociology graduate, said Hawaii – the island resort of
pineapples and palm trees – will suffice for her. "I’m going to
Hawaii to have some fun. I’m going to go on a liquid diet … of
alcohol," she said with a laugh. For some students, graduation
doesn’t mean taking a well-deserved break. Instead, it means
getting a job. "The craziest thing I’ll be doing is starting my own
company," said Randy Horn, an Anderson graduate. He added that the
company, Zobmondo, specializes in "creative and outrageous" adult
board games that are intended to generate discussion. Travelling to
Korea and Europe is how James Roth, a sociology graduate, plans to
celebrate his graduation – basically just "spending my last summer
break relaxing." Taking a trip or jumping into the inverted
fountain, however, isn’t what all graduates plan on doing after
graduation. "Postmodern society has got me down," said Chris
Manning, an English graduate. "I’m going to get a bad heroin habit
going and drop out of the mainstream." Although most prospective
alumni are excited about leaving, a fear for the future as well as
fond memories still linger within. "I’ll really miss being an
undergraduate," Deshmukh said. "In going on to grad school, I’ll
get the academic part of it, but I’ll miss the social part. I don’t
think it’ll be as easy to have as much fun as in your
(undergraduate) days. There’s too many responsibilities. "I’m
excited and a little bit nervous. It’s kind of like jumping into
the dark." Some students say that they can celebrate their
graduation with confidence. "I know a UCLA diploma is worth
something, so I’m ultimately not that nervous," Linares said. "I’ll
miss all the good times here, being in an environment that helped
me grow," Linares said. "Enjoy it – everyone told me to do that –
because it goes by too quickly."