Today Bruins will be able to frolic and play in the Eskimo way
as the Student Alumni Association brings snow into Bruin Plaza.
Although snow in Los Angeles has not occurred since a half-inch
trickle in 1962, SAA is breaking that trend in its own way by
giving campus a touch of what real winter is like for a day.
“We wanted to provide members with a benefit, as well as
inform them about their benefits for the rest of the
quarter,” said SAA Director of Member Benefits Ariel
Hankin.
Hankin, a third-year communications and psychology student, said
her committee has been working on “Winterfest” since
November and is really excited to be able to present upcoming
activities to students in such a fun way.
The event will take place in Bruin Plaza from 11:30 a.m. to 1
p.m. It is free for SAA members and $4 for non-members.
Although bringing snow to UCLA may seem like a miracle to
Southern California residents, it’s just another day on the
job for North Hollywood Ice.
The company was contracted to bring in the snow, a process that
involves sending 300-pound ice blocks through shredding machines
which spread the snow throughout the plaza with hoses that are
attached to the machines.
The five tons of snow are expected to cover the entire stage
area and maybe more, depending on how thick the snow is packed,
Hankin said.
The snow setup process should take about an hour, and the snow
will stick around for four to six hours, depending on the
weather.
“I always thought Westwood would look nicer with a layer
of snow,” said first-year English student Lisa
Dracolakis.
Students were sent notices via e-mail last week to notify them
of the event, and many, like fourth-year psychology student Daniel
Cho, seem excited by the notion of a change of scenery from the
usual bare concrete of the plaza.
“This winter’s been pretty warm; it’d be nice
to have some contrast from summer,” Cho said.
“It’s cool for those Cali kids to see something
other than the sun,” he added.
Catered food will be offered with sandwiches, chips and cookies
from Westwood’s own Damon and Pythias while radio station
KROQ will provide live music to get Bruins properly in the
spirit.
The SAA also plans to offer hot chocolate, but with with the
day’s high temperature predicted to be 72 degrees, it remains
to be seen whether students will flock to the hot beverages.
While the SAA is looking to provide some good old-fashioned
winter fun, organizers also aim to inform students about upcoming
events.
Hankin says that the event is mainly to help both members and
the rest of the student body to be aware of the activities and
events that will be going on during winter quarter.
One such event is Dinner for 12 Strangers, during which UCLA
alumni host dinners for current students in their homes.
Students will also be able to get information about how to get
involved in Spring Sing, career workshops like “Bruins in
Business” this coming Tuesday and next year’s
Homecoming parade.