The worst parts of the year for a UCLA student are the weeks when finals rear their ugly heads.
For a time, we tried to relieve stress with Midnight Yell. But based on safety and noise issues, we were forced to come up with a different way of celebrating the end of the frantic all-nighters and ensuing caffeine withdrawal. Five years ago, we arrived at a solution: Undie Run. But it seems such grassroots traditions have made finals one of the worst times of the year for the UCLA administration as well.
The administration has said that Undie Run cannot continue the way it is currently organized: 3,000 to 7,000 people running through campus on the Wednesday night of finals week. The main concern is that a sizeable portion of the participants each quarter are not even UCLA students. Many come from community colleges or other four-year universities, including USC.
The other issue is the thousands of dollars UCLA usually has to pay for security and also to repair areas such as the Shapiro Fountain and Powell Library. These costs add up quickly: up to $75,000 per quarter. That amount three times a year is not exactly a cost UCLA can absorb without question.
The Undie Run is as important a tradition to UCLA as the Naked Mile is to Harvard and the Naked Run is to UCSC. But students need to recognize the need for change ““ and work with the administration toward such change ““ to keep this tradition alive and well for future Bruins.
One major adjustment is keeping the event limited to Bruins. Whether we check random participants’ BruinCards or some other system is implemented, we shouldn’t have to share our school tradition with those who have now put the quasi-sacred Undie Run in question.
Blocking Undie Run from happening altogether would just invite new ideas from students desperate to release the stress and tension of finals week. Undie Run was only born after the former staple of finals week terror, Midnight Yell, became cause for concern on campus and was subsequently blocked. A naked, drunken sprint through Westwood replaced one minute of unruly yelling. What would the next step be?
UCLA students should not be penalized for the poor decisions of other students and “gawkers” to rain on our almost-naked parade. But as responsible adults attending a top-tier university, we should each have the common sense and initiative to change it for the better and for the Run’s long-term vitality.
The administration is right to not accept campus damage. However, as students of this university and fans of the tradition, we also have a right ““ almost a responsibility ““ to embrace this challenge and reform Undie Run.
Undie Run is about dropping the books, forgetting about finals and taking a stand ““ er, run ““ with fellow Bruins.
Sitting around and complaining about the possible end of Undie Run is the not the kind of protesting UCLA students are known for, so why not find constructive changes and make it difficult for the administration to make Undie Run part of UCLA’s past and not part of its present and future?
Fun can still be had without damaged property and unwelcome visitors. UCLA students should take a stand against outsiders causing problems and damage, and enjoy Undie Run for what it was intended to be: a chance to run around drunkenly in our underwear on our lovely campus, enjoying the cool night air against the sweaty skin of ourselves and our Bruin brethren.
Unsigned editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily Bruin Editorial Board.