By 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, thousands of students clad only in
their underwear had gathered in front of Royce Hall, some splashing
in Shapiro Fountain to relieve finals stress and celebrate the end
of another school year and others lining the steps of Powell
Library to watch the festivities.
For the second quarter in a row, the Undie Run followed its new
route through campus, beginning at the top of Gayley and Landfair
avenues and ending in Dickson Plaza.
UCPD Director of Police Community Services Nancy Greenstein said
this was likely the largest Undie Run in the four-year history of
the tradition. She estimated that around 5,000 people attended the
event, adding that spring quarter Undie Runs are typically larger
than fall or winter quarter ones.
Undie Run, during which students run a predetermined route in
their underwear at midnight on the Wednesday of finals week each
quarter, has existed for four years. The event has grown larger and
larger each year, and now typically includes thousands of
participants.
Eric Newton, a second-year molecular, cellular and developmental
biology student who participated in the run, said he was surprised
by how many students attended.
“I wasn’t expecting as many people to show up as
there were,” he said. “It was pretty crazy.”
Greenstein said despite the large turnout, the run went off
largely without incident, though she said toward the end of the
night emergency medical services had to be called in connection
with a few incidents of alcohol poisoning.
Many students said they did not feel the larger crowds detracted
from safety.
“Some people fell over in the fountain (at the end of the
run), but other people immediately pulled them up so they
wouldn’t get trampled,” Newton said. “I
didn’t ever feel endangered.”
This is the second time the Undie Run has followed a route
through campus. The run used to loop through the streets of
Westwood, ending back at the corner of Gayley and Landfair
avenues.
But citing concerns about the safety of students running through
the streets, administrators, student leaders and police moved
winter quarter’s run onto campus.
Greenstein said she thinks the new route is better than having
students run on public roads, but noted that some safety and
logistical concerns have yet to be resolved.
“Any time you get that many people together, there are
always public safety concerns,” she said. “It’s
still problematic because of the number of essentially forced
street closures (before runners move onto campus).”
While many students said they liked running on campus, others
said they noticed too much administrative interference with this
quarter’s run.
“It was so structured,” said first-year English and
philosophy student Lauryn Gold. “It was a pre-determined
route lined with cops and cones.”
Greenstein said police are present strictly to ensure safety.
She said she saw a few safety hazards during the event, including
some students who climbed on top of a bus stop structure before the
run began.
But Danielle Ryan, a first-year English and psychology student,
said she thinks students’ antics are part of the culture of
the Undie Run.
“I could see where some people might take issue with it,
but I think if people aren’t going a little crazy it’s
not living up to its purpose,” Ryan said.