Undie Run a defining Bruin tradition
It is with great sadness that we read the news of Undie Run’s cancellation. This is a tradition that has served to celebrate the end of the quarter, relieve stress, and has united thousands of Bruins since those 13 bold students took the streets five years ago in nothing but their underwear.
There has never been anything more organic and spontaneous which has had a bigger impact on so many students at UCLA.
The future of Undie Run has always been in doubt, but as the last two Facilities Commissioners, we worked in conjunction with the USAC presidents to negotiate the kind of compromise needed to keep this event alive, and we are disappointed that our current counterparts failed to take on this responsibility.
While there have always been issues of safety and outsiders participating, USAC has been able to mitigate these issues by proactively working with administration to change routes, protect students, and keep this tradition alive.
Instead of taking the initiative and fighting for a major student interest, USAC chose to sit idly on their hands and allow the administration to cancel Undie Run without their consultation.
As alumni who have loved their experiences participating in Undie Run and worked hard to evolve it into a workable event, we hope that an agreement can be reached that will allow students to continue to participate in this Bruin tradition.
This will require work, diplomacy and unity on the part of USAC but as the body that represents issues that students care about it is imperative that they advocate for what students truly want and care about.
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PC Zai
USAC Facilities Commissioner ’06-’07
Sherlyn Mossahebfar
USAC Facilities Commissioner ’07-’08