In spite of some unexpected fountain-hopping at the end, the new
Undie Run route received generally good reviews from students and
administrators alike during a debriefing Thursday.
Representatives from student groups including the undergraduate
student government, the Interfraternity Council, Student Alumni
Association and the On Campus Housing Council met with
administrators to discuss the latest Undie Run.
Because committee members felt the new route was a success, they
opted not to make any more major changes.
Held at midnight on the Wednesday of finals week each quarter,
the Undie Run used to follow a route through the apartments in
Westwood.
But after the administration expressed concern about safety
issues associated with the event, a committee of student-leaders
and administrators instituted an on-campus route last quarter.
Director of police community services Nancy Greenstein said the
new route solved many of the safety issues administrators had
worried about, especially the possibility of auto-related incidents
resulting from students running through the streets of
Westwood.
During the event, a Los Angeles Police Department car chase
ended in Westwood when the fleeing driver encountered UCPD
roadblocks, which Greenstein said could have injured runners had
they followed the old route.
“It was just really fortunate that folks weren’t
there,” Greenstein said. “There really was a risk, and
if students had been in the street, I don’t know what would
have happened.”
In fact, some students said university police presence at the
Undie Run was fairly positive.
“They were there, and they had a presence, but they let us
do our thing,” said first-year undeclared student Chris
Mukai.
The new route did present some unexpected safety issues.
Some expressed concern over the way Undie Run ended, with
students jumping in Shapiro Fountain in Dickson Plaza and trying to
storm Powell Library.
“Students were drinking in the fountain, so they were more
at risk because they were not being cautious,” Greenstein
said.
But many students said jumping in the fountain was their
favorite part of the run.
“I liked it a lot,” Mukai said. “Going in the
fountain was pretty sweet.”
Campus Events Commissioner Jason Kaminsky said he thought the
Undie Run’s new path should be left alone as much as
possible.
“I think that the students have already given up a lot by
changing the route,” he said. “Unless it’s a big
issue, I don’t see the need for stationing police officers
there and having them yelling at kids for playing in a
fountain.”
Some of those at the meeting suggested having lifeguards and
emergency medical technicians present near the fountain in case of
accidents.
Others also cited excessive noise and large crowds in De Neve
Plaza as a problem with the new route.
But Facilities Commissioner Joe Vardner said that unless the
starting location of the run changes, De Neve residents will
probably have no choice but to tolerate the noise.
“There’s no way to keep two or three thousand people
quiet,” he said.
Still, Vardner hailed the new route as an overall success.
“I think people had a lot of fun, and we did exactly what
(the administration) wanted us to do,” he said. “The
Undie Run is here to stay.”