Just before midnight on Wednesday of finals week, one set of sleep-deprived UCLA students studies inside College Library amid textbooks, laptops and coffee.
Another set, however, has abandoned the library entirely, choosing to crowd the intersection of Strathmore and Gayley Avenues ““ wearing nothing but underwear.
The UCLA tradition of Undie Run first came to the university in spring 2002.
Since then, midnight has become the traditional hour for UCLA students to strip to their undies and jog through the campus grounds.
The first Undie Run was instigated by Eric Whitehead, a 2004 UCLA alumnus, as an act of defiance against the university campus police for preventing the legendary midnight yell, said Brad Greenberg, another 2004 UCLA alumnus, one of the original Undie Run participants and former Daily Bruin business editor.
The original run consisted of just 13 sophomore males jumping and running down Glenrock Avenue in their underwear.
“During the first few runs, spectators bombarded us with water balloons, paint balls and beer-filled water balloons, so by no means did we expect a legacy to come from what we considered an innocent act of rebellion,” Greenberg said.
Undie Run ““ what the event has become known as ““ is now a UCLA custom that has drastically grown since its modest beginnings.
The university cornerstone, which now regularly attracts 8,000 to 10,000 students, has caught the attention of the community, the media and other universities. But as the run has grown in popularity, it has drawn concerns from campus administrators and university police.
“The costs of property damages and having police out there three times a year creates a financial drain on the university,” said Robert Naples, associate vice chancellor and dean of students. “Some students may argue that they’re not asking for police intervention, but we feel the responsibility to protect students in case something goes wrong.”
The administration’s concerns are focused on student safety, damages to UCLA grounds, costs associated with police staffing and the presence of outsiders at the event, Naples said.
Nancy Greenstein, a UCPD spokeswoman, said she has been involved in regulating Undie Run since the beginning.
“UCPD’s role in the event is to ensure the safety of the campus community, while also being mindful of the property,” Greenstein said.
Due to past property damage, including broken windows in College Library, broken sprinklers in Royce Quad and damages to the Shapiro Fountain, the Undie Run route was changed this year with the students’ cooperation, Naples said.
In December 2008, members of the undergraduate student government announced that students would be directed to the Intramural Field instead of running up Bruin Walk toward College Library.
Meetings between university administration and USAC to discuss the future of Undie Run have ensued with the intention of addressing the administration’s concerns while still allowing the tradition to maintain the spirit upon which it was founded.
On May 28, USAC representatives met with Naples, Greenstein and other administrators regarding the June Undie Run and runs of the future.
“The beginning of the meeting painted a bleak outlook for the event,” said Tim Mullins, the recently elected USAC facilities commissioner. “However, we were able to energize the talks with ideas of how to revitalize the event, making it safer, more fun, and adding more meaningful dimension to the event.”
Mullins said that USAC representatives Jason Tengco and Addison Huddy introduced ideas of increasing awareness and helping those who lack the means to obtain basic essentials such as clothing.
“Overall, the administration was open to the ideas and has really left it to the responsibility of USAC to come up with a solution to meet student and administrative concerns,” Mullins said. “With that charge, the next USAC meeting will see Undie Run under a full spotlight in an effort to make this a priority issue for the entire council. We believe this is particularly important as Naples stated, “˜Each Undie Run could be the last.'”
In terms of what to expect for Undie Runs to come, USAC hopes to see an added purpose to the celebrated strip down, a better route and a smarter end location, Mullins said.