Claire-ification: Team USA missed opportunity to take political stand against xenophobia

A photo of Michael Phelps adorned my 14th birthday cake. My middle school email password was the infamous swimmer’s name. Following the 2004 Athens Olympics, I took up swim classes. I was a big fan of Michael Phelps. Like any kid who positions him or herself in front of NBC for two weeks every four […]

Claire-ification: Testimony on Bradley shows the human cost of placing success first

I covered football for six months at the beginning of last school year. Before that, I worked the men’s volleyball beat for two years, with some men’s water polo and soccer in the mix. If I had to take all the experiences I had and boil them down to one lesson it would be this: […]

Senior signoffs: Sophina DeJesus thanks UCLA community for life lessons off the floor

My college experience began when I was 17, but traveling for acting and gymnastics on top of going to school kept my social life to a minimum. Which brings me back to the first time I stepped foot onto the UCLA campus – the incredible feeling of happiness and excitement as I walked into an […]

Senior signoffs: Thrower Nick Scarvelis imparts wisdom, advice to fellow track mates

I am so excited for the new Under Armour deal UCLA just signed, the athletic gear we all get will be so cool. … But of course I won’t be getting any because I’m leaving. The rest of the student-­athletes will, and I keep forgetting that I won’t be on the track team next year. […]

Senior signoffs: Danny McClintick owes resilience to challenges faced as Bruin athlete

With graduation approaching quickly, we as seniors can’t help but reflect on the past four years. Although for many this is the end of our journey at UCLA, we will be Bruins forever. Comparing where I was – entering as a freshman – to where I am now – just a week away from graduation […]

Tanner’s Take: It’s time the NCAA gives athletes the right to their own images

People get too caught up in the age-old debate about whether collegiate athletes should be paid or not. In reality, what we really should be discussing is whether these individuals have the rights to their own likenesses. The two are obviously related, but the second question is far more straightforward than the first and ought […]

Claire-ification: Collegiate athletes’ freedom of speech should not be silenced

We have a running tally in the sports section of all the clichéd responses we receive during interviews. When training new writers, we place special emphasis on answers that don’t count as answers because they are so unoriginal. The dynamic between reporters with hard questions and athletes with soft answers is so ingrained in sports […]