Thursday, March 5, 1998
Real Bruins
By Carol McKay
Daily Bruin Staff
If April Liening wasn’t such a heavy sleeper, there would be
trouble in Dykstra 719. Construction on the De Neve Plaza Project
has kept many students awake early in the morning for the past two
years, but hasn’t been loud enough to drive some Dykstra faithfuls
away.
"This is my third year living in Dykstra," said Liening, a
third-year English student. And next year, she plans to return once
again.
The social aspect of Dykstra Hall is what keeps her coming back.
Not that the weekly complimentary soda and candy hurt.
As a form of compensation for construction inconveniences around
the hall – which has translated into the destruction of the dining
hall, fireside lounge and basketball courts, plus the addition of
makeshift driveways and foot paths – Dykstra residents are appeased
with free refrigerators and other perks.
"It’s a pain to walk to the other dorms," she said, adding that
her biggest "pet peeve" is the hassle that accompanies retrieving
her mail. When Dykstra’s second-floor lobby was removed, the
mailboxes were also destroyed.
"There are almost a thousand people in this building, and it’s a
pain for them," Liening said. As an employee at the front desk, one
of her most time-consuming (and annoying) jobs is "a pain for us,
too." She has to go through the thousands of pieces of mail by
hand.
But despite the numerous inconveniences caused by the creation
of the Bradley Center and future residential housing complexes,
Liening loves living at Dykstra.
"I figure I have the rest of my life to live in an apartment.
Dykstra’s a very friendly place," she said, explaining that the
physical design of the building sets it apart from the other
residential halls. "With the doors across from each other, it
really leads to interaction."
Based on Liening’s social life, however, Dykstra’s facing doors
shouldn’t get all of the credit. As a leader in Bruin Christian
Fellowship (BCF), a Dykstra front desk employee and the owner of a
very full Mortar Board planner, Liening creates much of the
friendly atmosphere that surrounds her.
In her room, which she shares with Florence Chung, a second-year
psychology and education student, Liening’s love for her fellow
seventh-floor residents is obvious. Snapshots of neighbors plaster
the framing of her overhead loft.
Several students lay sprawled on a mattress and papasan chair
and Liening recalls episodes of "floor bonding."
"People are so into floor bonding, that they’re willing to spend
a whole night of being uncomfortable just to be together," she
said, remembering a time earlier this year when a group of students
gathered to watch the movie "Seven."
After the movie was over, a half dozen students shared space on
the beds, futon and patches of empty carpeting for a
sleep-over.
"Remember the time we put toothpaste on Elias’ face?" Liening
laughed to one of her friends, recalling another late-night
escapade.
"No, that was me," said Eric Gandhi, a first-year business
economics student, who didn’t remember the occasion so happily.
Gandhi is just one of many students who share a sort of adversarial
relationship with Liening.
"Our floor talks so much smack," she said. At dinner Monday,
nearly 20 of them ventured to Rieber and found the one table that
could seat all of them. After the plates were cleaned and the
dessert bar scavenged for treats, the teasing began.
The jokes continued with students poking fun at each other’s
addictions to a video game called Puzzlefighter and The Jerry
Springer Show.
A crowded room is a common occurrence for Liening, who reminded
her neighbors after a post-dinner gathering that they were welcome
to stay even after she left for a special appointment, her weekly
visit with a homeless man in Westwood.
"Just don’t mess my stuff up," she called behind her as she left
the room.
As a member of BCF, Liening has tried to carry the year’s focus
of loving the poor over into her own life. This challenge has
manifested itself into weekly visits with Steven, a 75-year-old
homeless man who lives in Westwood.
Since the first week during fall quarter, Liening has
periodically visited Steven, buying food, bringing gifts of
clothing and simply enjoying conversation.
"It started in the fall. Some friends and I went to dinner.
Afterwards, we broke into groups and hunted down the homeless," she
recalled.
Since that first visit, Liening and her friend Shawn Tellez, a
first-year undeclared student, have "hunted" Steven down in
Westwood several times.
"He really talks your ear off. He just won’t stop talking,"
Liening said. "But he really recognizes us and remembers our names.
He may not be all there, but I know he appreciates it."
Monday, Liening and Tellez took a brisk walk to the Coffee Bean
on Westwood in hopes of finding their white-bearded friend. When
the alley behind the coffee shop was found empty, they hurried over
to the Gypsy Cafe and found him upstairs.
After a quick stop at Diddy Riese for four chocolate chip
cookies, the three sat down to catch up. Steven began remembering a
windy March in 1984 and told stories of life in New York and the
time he "discovered" the fireplace at North Campus.
Of all of her activities, the one that most fills Liening’s
schedule, besides her 12-hour work week at the front desk, is her
commitment to Bible study and faith sharing.
This quarter, she attends several Bible studies, including one
that focuses on the Book of Genesis and a group that she leads for
non-Christians once each week in her room.
"It’s us trying to unpack it and figure out what it means," she
said, describing the challenges faced by the members of her Genesis
group, which is a part of the InterVarsity program at UCLA.
Liening said that meeting with Steven gives her a chance for her
own self-exploration and that she sees images of God in the
homeless.
"There’s something about Steven’s character that really makes me
think," she said. "And I think I can see Jesus in (the homeless)
more than a lot of other people. When I’m around him, there’s a
sort of self-evaluation. It’s good to be around poor people. It
makes me realize how rich I am."
(Left) April Liening, who works at the Dykstra front desk, looks
at a J. Crew catalog with a friend. (Below) Once a week, Liening
goes out with her homeless friend, Steven, 76, buying him coffee
and bringing him warm clothes. April Liening
prepares for a speech she’s to give later that night.April
Liening, who is enjoying her third year living at Dykstra Hall,
plays basketball with a friend.