I’ll admit it. I’m the UCLA student who does everything in her power to avoid the deluge of fliers on Bruin Walk.
I’ll duck behind the bike racks alongside the Student Activities Center. I’ll mindlessly pretend to browse Bruin paraphernalia as I cut through Ackerman Union. I’ll even go out of my way to trot behind Pauley Pavilion, in order to maintain a paper-free route to and from the dorms.
But after I recently agreed to flier and reserve a table on Bruin Walk ““ at a painstakingly early 5:30 a.m. ““ I developed a newfound sympathy and respect for the club representatives of UCLA.
Of course, I’m not saying that UCLA’s infamous advertisement trail is solely a haven for saints and martyrs.
I acknowledge the presence of the overly aggressive religious zealots and non-UCLA publicity fiends who hunt their prey on Bruin Walk. Yet, for every demagogue and oddball, there are plenty of legitimate Bruin advocates ““ student leaders and organization representatives ““ who exude a high degree of dedication to their cause.
And, as I learned when I arrived on campus at the crack of dawn, that dedication involves camping out overnight to snag a prime spot on Bruin Walk for a day of fliering.
Fourth-year biochemistry student Jessica Tung, a student leader for the Association of Chinese Americans, explained that the early morning Bruin Walk crowd was no new phenomenon.
“It’s crowded like this every year, especially around 1 a.m.,” Tung said. “It gets even busier during first week.”
It’s hard to imagine why anyone would voluntarily endure such struggle for fliering, especially considering the antagonistic politics and nature of Bruin Walk.
Let’s face it ““ Bruin Walk has somehow developed into a quarrelsome tango of pedestrians doing everything in their power to avoid being approached by a club representative, resulting in a slew of angry glares and awkward interactions.
Students would rather puncture their eardrums by blasting their iPods on max volume than speak to an advocate on Bruin Walk.
Or the bustling Bruin somehow manages to oh-so-conveniently receive a text message or phone call on his cell phone at the precise moment someone walks forward with a neon slip of paper.
I have my objections to Bruin Walk and the general fliering system. After all, I believe in conserving paper. I believe that for every flier that is actually kept and read by a student, there are a handful of colored papers that end up strewn across the pathway leading up to Powell Library.
And I believe that Facebook and mass e-mails function as more eco-friendly and faster forms of advertisement. But that doesn’t mean we have to debase or snub those who brave the battlefield of Bruin Walk.
It’s not an ideal situation for either party ““ for the unsuspecting pedestrian who just wants to make it to class on time or for the Bruin Walk participant who is simply trying to fulfill mandatory fliering hours for a student group or organization.
So make the miniscule effort to maintain some Bruin Walk etiquette, as outlined in the lessons below. Because having to awkwardly tote around some 4-inch-by-6-inch paper ads may be annoying, but standing on your feet for hours and dealing with a crowd of haughty and impatient UCLA students is even worse.
Lesson No. 1: Smile. Accept the flier if you’re interested, and give a simple “No, thanks” if you’re not. Was that so hard?
Lesson No. 2: If someone hands you a flier that maintains no purpose to you, don’t drop it on the floor. Walk to the nearest trash can or ““ if you’re aiming for the likes of Don Cheadle or Edward Norton ““ to the nearest recycle bin, and drop it in there. It’s easy and convenient for everyone.
Lesson No. 3: Club representatives on Bruin Walk are students, just like you and me. True, they are students who are trying to brazenly lure you into one of the hundreds of student organizations on campus, but students nonetheless.
Lesson No. 4: Follow the “Don’ts” of Bruin Walk. Don’t bust out your iPhone or Blackberry when approached by an advocate. Don’t pretend you didn’t hear the person, even though he is standing only 3 feet away from you. Don’t tell him what’s on your mind. Don’t act like the dark sunglasses you’re wearing have made you blind to a student representative’s existence.
Let’s all make the effort to maintain the peaceful equilibrium of fliering on Bruin Walk. Let’s keep the litter to a minimum and the angry confrontations to a marginal level.
And, if you’re still the busy Bruin who can’t spare a second to be polite, there are always alternative pathways. I’m a fan of the bike racks.
Still afraid of Bruin Walk? E-mail Chung at lchung@media.ucla.edu. General comments can be sent to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.
Still afraid of Bruin Walk? E-mail Chung at lchung@media.ucla.edu. General comments can be sent to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.