Undie Run has become a campus tradition over the past several
years, but increasing concerns from university police and the
administration over safety issues may threaten the event’s
future.
In response, the Undergraduate Student Association Council
decided Tuesday to create a committee devoted to finding a solution
for the safety concerns.
Undie Run takes place on Wednesday night of finals week each
quarter. Students gather at the northern intersection of Gayley and
Landfair Avenues, dressed only in their underwear, and run a
predetermined route to the corner of Glenrock and Levering Avenues,
then reverse their course. The event began several years ago as an
attempt to replace Midnight Yell, a prior finals week tradition at
UCLA, which UCPD and On Campus Housing Council shut down when it
began to spiral out of control and include burning furniture.
“There are legitimate safety concerns (with Undie
Run),” said Facilities Commissioner Joe Vardner, who is
putting together the committee. Included among these concerns are
the possibility of people being trampled by runners, and the
dangers posed by vehicular traffic, since streets are not closed
for Undie Run.
Bob Naples, assistant vice chancellor for Student and Campus
Life, added that Undie Run could also prevent emergency vehicles
from getting through.
Berky Nelson, Director of the Center for Student Programming,
agreed that Undie Run should be monitored.
“Health and safety issues are paramount,” he said,
voicing the administration’s concern that injuries sustained
during the event could result in litigation against the
university.
Undie Run has historically encountered legal problems in
addition to safety ones. Vardner cited indecent exposure, public
drunkenness and noise complaints as major issues.
The UCPD receives a “substantial” number of noise
complaints each year, and in the past the Run has gotten so out of
control that arrests have been made, said Nancy Greenstein,
spokeswoman for the university police.
“It’s disruptive to the neighborhoods, since it
begins at midnight,” she said. “There are students
studying for finals.”
While UCPD works to address complaints resulting from the Undie
Run, the event has begun to get out of their control in recent
years, Vardner said.
If the event starts getting out of control, “LAPD are
going to start coming in because UCPD can’t handle it,”
he said.
Administrators have also expressed concern about UCPD
involvement.
“The last thing you want coming in is LAPD,” Nelson
said. “The LAPD does not pay any attention to UCPD, who knows
how to work with students.”
However, Greenstein said LAPD involvement may not be
necessary.
“UCPD would first ask for mutual aid from other
UCs,” she said. “But it is (LAPD’s) neighborhood,
it’s a Los Angeles neighborhood. We work together.”
Naples said the administration is aware of the increasing
problems associated with Undie Run as it continues to grow in
size.
“The official position of the university is that the
potential for something going wrong is very high,” Naples
said.
Vardner said the administration first expressed its concerns to
him about a year ago, but since then they have become more serious
about dealing with the event.
In the past, the administration has been reluctant to become
involved in any way with the Undie Run.
“The reality is that as soon as UCLA steps in, it’s
UCLA’s problem,” Vardner said.
The Facilities Commission has been in contact with students
involved with the Undie Run for nearly two years in an attempt to
resolve the safety issues. The commission spoke with some of the
students who helped create the tradition, as well as some of the
major spirit groups on campus, but to little avail.
“It became apparent that no one group now has control of
it,” he said. “It’s just something that happens.
It’s pretty much a headless beast right now,” Vardner
said.
USAC hopes to include relevant student groups as well as members
of the administration on the Undie Run committee, and Vardner said
work will begin as soon as possible.
“Since it is a campus event, the entire campus should be
able to have a say,” he said.
Nelson compared the problems with Undie Run to the debate
surrounding Black Sunday, several years ago.
Black Sunday, a day of large-scale fraternity partying during
zero week of fall quarter, was shut down in 2002 by a vote of the
Interfraternity Council.
“The key to closing down Black Sunday was not the
administration, it was the students,” he said.
Naples said he is optimistic that student involvement can help
reduce the problems and make sure Undie Run can continue safely
without being shut down.