Monday, October 27, 1997
BruinFest replaces parade to celebrate Homecoming
CARNIVAL: Music, games, float of a giant armadillo promote
spirit and pride
By Cyrus Zargar
Daily Bruin Contributor
A truck covered with tinfoil, tissue paper and chicken wire sat
by Ackerman Union on Friday night.
Shaped and dressed like an armadillo, the float was built by the
Phi Kappa Psi and Kappa Kappa Gamma fraternities to celebrate
Homecoming.
The tradition started in 1987, after the two fraternities built
a float resembling a Bruin bursting through a football helmet. An
announcer noted that it looked like an armadillo, and the annual
tradition of building the "dillo" began.
"It is our way of showing our pride and spirit," said Tony
Glockner, a fifth-year mechanical-engineering student. "The school
isn’t here, but we’re here."
Other than the "dillo," there were no floats for UCLA’s
Homecoming this year. There was no traditional parade, either.
In its place was BruinFest, UCLA’s Homecoming carnival, which
took place Friday night.
A "Yell Like Hell" procession brought a group made up mostly of
Bruin Belles, children from the Faith In Christ Ministries and
cheerleaders down to the Bruin Bear.
Booths giving away movie posters, a henna body-painting stand
and games put on by various student groups, transformed Westwood
Plaza. From 7:45 to 11 p.m., four bands entertained listeners; the
performances were interspersed with CD and sweatshirt
giveaways.
"Free stuff, I think that’s why people are here," said Meredith
Roberts, a first-year undeclared student.
A crowd engulfed a free-poster stand, as well as games like the
bungee jump, where one could bounce in midair with bungee cords
strapped to his or her torso.
"I don’t believe that people come here solely for the free stuff
because people are paying money to play the games," said Brad
Chapin, the reigning Homecoming king.
Chapin said that BruinFest is an alternative to the traditional
Homecoming parade, which was canceled this summer due to student
apathy.
"We’re always trying to think of new ways of getting people
excited," said Cliff Jin, a fourth-year political-science student
and sponsorship director for Homecoming.
BruinFest, which was organized by the Student Alumni Association
and the Campus Events Commission, had an estimated attendance of
about 1,000 people, according to Sgt. Phil Baguiao of the UC Police
Department.
Noah Gaffney, a member of the band Pharmaceutical Bandits, said
that he had expected a larger audience for their performance at
BruinFest.
"We thought people would be more enthusiastic. It’s a great
school with a good football team," said Gaffney, 17, a senior at
Los Alamitos High School.
At one point on stage, bandmate Matt Embree yelled, "Go Bruins!"
and received a muffled response – only four or five participants
yelled back.
"It’s kind of ridiculous that we have such a big school and
there’s not more support," said Jessica Weil, a third-year history
student and member of Chrysalis, another band that performed at
BruinFest.
But some organizers seemed pleased with the attendance.
"Last year they had the parade which brought down a lot of
people. This year, they didn’t have the parade, but they had just
as many people, if not more," said Richard Mendoza, a fourth-year
microbiology and molecular genetics student and SAA member.
Throughout the night, Mendoza supervised the Bungee Run, an
inflated race course.
Last year, Jenni Hertz, a fifth-year psychology and sociology
student, was the executive director of Homecoming. This year she
was a Homecoming princess.
"It’s kind of sad that there wasn’t a parade this year," she
said. "But if students and alumni really want the parade, they need
to express that by coming and supporting school programs."