USAC recap – March 12

The Undergraduate Students Association Council is the official student government representing the undergraduate student body at UCLA. Council meetings take place every Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Bruin Viewpoint Room and are open to all students. Watch a livestream of the meetings on the USAC Live! channel on YouTube.

Public Comments

  • Several students said they felt the removal of Richard White from the election chair position was unfair. The students also said they wanted Internal Vice President Robert Blake Watson to resign.

  • A Jewish student said he found the previous Instagram bio of election board chair candidate Kyana Shajari to be anti-Semitic. Shajari said her bio was a response to bullying in the past and was not intended to be anti-Semitic.

  • The chapter chair for California Public Interest Research Group said the organization is continuing their campaign for clean transportation. Another representative from CALPIRG said it is moving forward with initiatives to reduce food waste at UCLA.

Special Presentations

  • Jeremy Wildman from Bruin Media Group said BMG is an advertising group that wants to consult with the election board about increasing turnout in elections.

  • A representative from UCLA Transportation said it was increasing the parking fee plan to fund more public transportation options for UCLA students and staff.

Agenda

  • The council allocated a total of $4,569 from the contingency programming fund to USAC and non-USAC groups.

  • The council appointed Kyana Shajari, a third-year psychology student and previous investigations member of the election board, as the replacement election board chair.

Reports

  • President Claire Fieldman said her office will host a workshop Thursday with free mini pies if students give feedback about the Bruins Safe app.

  • External Vice President Jamie Kennerk said her office is investigating the $15 million the University of California Office of the President wants to invest into a financial aid plan. She added her office is lobbying UCOP to invest $15 million into programming instead.

  • Academic Affairs commissioner Nidirah Stephens said her office is working on adding a bachelor’s degree in music to the degrees a music major from UCLA can graduate with. She added AAC is also looking to push professors to BruinCast more classes. She added AAC and the Cultural Affairs Commission will host an event highlighting multidimensional experiences of Central Americans in the Kerckhoff Hall art gallery Thursday 7-9 pm.

  • Campus Events commissioner Alley Madison said her office will host a free screening of “Teen Spirit” on Thursday. She added the Shorttakes film festival is now accepting submissions.

Despite lead, baseball faces late-game trouble in loss to Oregon State

The Bruins had a rare ninth-inning collapse.

No. 2 UCLA baseball (13-4-0, 1-1-0 Pac-12) fell to No. 3 Oregon State (14-2-1, 1-1-0) 7-3 on Saturday, surrendering four runs in the top of the ninth. Before the game, the Bruins had allowed just two ninth-inning runs in 16 games all season.

With the game tied 3-3, the Beavers loaded the bases on three walks issued by sophomore right-hander Holden Powell, before first baseman Alex McGarry stepped to the plate and knocked a single up the middle to give Oregon State its first lead of the series. Catcher Adley Rutschman followed it up with another single up the middle that plated two more, and a wild throw by UCLA’s junior first baseman Michael Toglia missed the glove of senior third baseman Jake Hirabayashi, allowing another run to cross the plate.

“We’ve ran out a good bullpen all year,” said coach John Savage. “Our bullpen’s really been one of our strengths. Powell just didn’t throw enough strikes in the ninth inning. If you don’t throw strikes, it’s really hard to get people out.”

Before the ninth, UCLA stayed neck-and-neck with Oregon State behind six innings of one-run ball by redshirt junior right-hander Jack Ralston, who pitched his way out of multiple jams.

Oregon State first threatened in the second inning, putting runners at second and third with two outs. However, Ralston struck out the final batter of the inning on a called third strike to make it out unscathed.

The Bruins took the lead in the bottom half of the inning with some help from the Beavers. With runners at first and third and one out, freshman center fielder Matt McLain sent a double play-ready ground ball to second baseman Ryan Ober. However, shortstop Beau Philip’s throw sailed over the first baseman’s head, allowing junior left fielder Jack Stronach to cross the plate to give UCLA a 1-0 lead.

The lead lasted just half of an inning, as Rutschman singled down the right field line to score infielder Wade Meckler and tally the first run of the series for Oregon State.

After a mound visit from Savage following his fifth walk of the night to put runners on at first and second in the top of the fifth, Ralston struck out the next batter to preserve the 1-1 tie.

“I liked the way I pitched out of the stretch to get out of problems,” Ralston said. “It’s always important to limit the damage.”

UCLA retook the lead in the bottom of the fifth, when Toglia led off with a double into the gap and McLain drove him in with a triple that soared over the center fielder’s head. Sophomore shortstop Kevin Kendall plated McLain with a ground out to the right side of the infield, putting the Bruins ahead 3-1.

Ralston capped off his night in the top of the 6th with his quickest inning of the game, retiring all three batters on nine pitches to notch his fourth quality start of the season.

“Whenever you go six and give up one, it’s really beyond a quality start,” Savage said of Ralston’s performance. “We don’t like the five walks, but he didn’t give up many hits. We take that start any day of the week.”

However, once redshirt senior right-hander Nathan Hadley relieved Ralston, Oregon State was able to tie it at three thanks to a no-doubter by McGarry that careened off of the Jack and Rhodine Gifford Hitting Facility in right.

The Bruins had a chance to take the lead again in the bottom of the eighth, when senior designated hitter Jake Pries stepped to the plate with runners at first and third and two outs. However, Pries struck out swinging and the teams stayed tied entering the ninth inning.

“We can always improve with runners in scoring position,” McLain said. “Obviously, you can never be perfect in baseball, but we could definitely improve.”

UCLA had one last chance to mount a comeback in the bottom of the ninth, but relief pitcher Brandon Eisert struck out the side to seal the game for Oregon State. Eisert pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings in relief, striking out 10.

“(Eisert) clearly had his way with us,” Savage said. “He cut right through us. That was disappointing, but that’s the best I’ve seen him. … You’re talking about a guy coming out of the bullpen and putting a stop to the game.”

The Bruin bullpen surrendered six runs overall, after allowing seven runs in the team’s first 16 games. UCLA also lost for the first time this season when leading after the sixth inning.

UCLA will take the field for the rubber match against Oregon State on Sunday at 12 p.m.

Coach Kondos Field honored at her final home meet in gymnastics’ win over Utah State

Coach Valorie Kondos Field started to get emotional before her last meet in Pauley Pavilion even began.

In an honorary premeet ceremony, UCLA Athletics director Dan Guerrero revealed the floor would now be called the “Valorie Kondos Field Floor,” noting when people think of UCLA gymnastics and its coach, they think of floor.

He also highlighted the title is fitting given the floor rests on the Nell and John Wooden Court – a tribute to the two legendary UCLA coaches’ friendship.

Kondos Field seemed visibly surprised, covering her face with her hands.

“I was overwhelmed by the floor,” Kondos Field said. “I would’ve never (guessed). If they had said, ‘What do you think they’re going to do to tribute your name?’ I would’ve said, ‘Put a plaque up in the gym, I don’t know.’ (But then) how (Guerrero) explained it, that (floor has) been my stage, that I’ve crafted these routines and taught gymnasts how to perform. … What a perfect gift.”

No. 2 UCLA gymnastics (9-1, 7-0 Pac-12) defeated Utah State (5-10, 0-6 MW) on Saturday 197.575-194.850 in the Bruins’ last home meet of the season. The meet celebrated the seniors’ and Kondos Fields’ final meet at Pauley Pavilion in front of a crowd of 12,270 people.

UCLA tied its lowest scores of the season in a dual meet on vault and the uneven bars, recording 49.100 and 49.200, respectively. Despite the Bruins’ lower-than-usual scores, the Aggies did not break 49.000 in either of those events.

Junior Kyla Ross fell on both events for the first time this season.

“I was more shocked than anything,” Ross said. “But (senior Katelyn Ohashi) did come up and tell me that I’ve been carrying the team a lot this whole season, so it’s fine to give them the chance to be able to help me get through this. It was definitely amazing to know that I had that support. That helped me flip the switch and be able to come back stronger after the first two events.”

The Bruins came back in the next two events, scoring 49.450 on balance beam and 49.825 on floor, respectively.

The Bruins honored their seniors throughout the meet, with Macy Toronjo competing in an exhibition on bars to loud applause while Brielle Nguyen was immediately wrapped in a long embrace from her teammates and later Kondos Field after completing her routine on beam.

Ohashi said she was just trying to absorb everything about being in Pauley Pavilion for the last time.

“I tried to just stay present and enjoy everything and everyone that came out to see it,” Ohashi said. “Just knowing how much the crowd has grown in the past four years was amazing.”

UCLA had Pauley on its feet during floor. Both sophomore Pauline Tratz and junior Felicia Hano garnered 9.950s, while junior Gracie Kramer scored a 9.925.

Chants of “10” and “Kyla Boss” flooded the gym after Ross finished her routine, and the cheers only grew louder after her score was announced as a perfect 10. Ross has now scored a perfect 10 in every single event this season, completing a “gym slam.”

Ohashi finished off floor with her viral routine, with more chants of “10” ringing out. The judges did not disappoint, and Ohashi received a perfect 10 to cap off her final home performance.

“I love what I do so much,” Ohashi said. “If it weren’t for Miss Val, the sport wouldn’t be what it is today. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. If it weren’t for her, I don’t even know that I’d be a gymnast today. So, for that reason, she has probably changed everyone’s world that’s in here today, and I want to thank her (so) much for that.”

Kondos Field led the fans in a final dance as the meet concluded before honoring the UCLA seniors in a postmeet ceremony. A video paying tribute to Kondos Field’s career with the Bruins followed, featuring former athletes and coworkers.

The crowd rose in one last standing ovation as generations of alumni gymnasts, Utah State and UCLA gymnastics teamed up in a final flash mob, forming a circle around the coach on her floor to say goodbye.

“I’ve spent my whole lifetime here,” Kondos Field said. “And, this is coach Wooden’s home that we all get to come visit. I think for the first time I realized it’s my home, too.”

Theater review: ‘Black Super Hero Magic Mama’ successfully uses comic book tropes to add humor

According to the average superhero origin story, tragedy leads to a path of great strength. But what happens when the hero chooses to grieve instead of fight?

Amid the discourse surrounding police brutality against black males, playwright Inda Craig-Galván challenges the brave mother archetype in “Black Super Hero Magic Mama,” which will run at the Geffen Playhouse until April 14.

The play follows Sabrina Jackson (Kimberly Hébert Gregory), a mother grieving after her unarmed teenage son, Tramarion (Cedric Joe), was killed in an accidental police shooting. As Sabrina reels from her loss, she is pressured by family, reporters, witnesses and the police to speak up. Instead, she remains silent inside her son’s room – miles away from a microphone and podium.

Because of the outside world’s demands, Sabrina has a mental breakdown that transports her psyche into the alternate universe of a comic series created by her son and his close friend, Flat Joe (Noah Abbott). As her alter ego Maasai Angel, Sabrina encounters both villains and allies while she journeys to fight the root of her grief.

Although the narrative deals with an emotionally heavy subject matter, the comic book elements successfully weave notes of humor throughout, bringing dimension to play’s tone. Hébert Gregory’s swift tongue and demanding body language were able to pull laughs from an audience that was simultaneously reaching for tissues. As Hébert Gregory waves her hands and hips to invoke the sass of a nagging mother, or dramatically puffs her chest during her hero monologues, she skillfully draws from character tropes without making the gestures feel cheesy.

The second act, which is set primarily in the alternate universe, takes advantage of a number of comic book tropes, such as leveling up and third-person narration. With quips that bash Hawkeye and the DC Extended Universe, the play employs self-awareness of its stereotypical hero plot as a tool to rake in laughs. Instead of seeming out of place, the humor cleverly reminds viewers of the playful demeanor Sabrina lost alongside her son, strengthening the audience’s sympathy towards her.

But what truly makes the play stand out are the parallels between the superhero arc and Sabrina’s grief, which are strengthened through Myung Hee Cho’s set design meant to evoke classic superhero imagery. The play is primarily set in Tramarion’s bedroom, which rests on a rotating platform. As Sabrina begins to come into her hero identity, she has many moments in which she stands strong with a weapon in hand as the platform spins, creating an image similar to the quintessential camera pan around a hero as they arrive at the battleground.

While these references to iconic hero moments tiptoe along the line of being heavy-handed, the emotional investment one feels in Sabrina’s development fuels these moments with a deeply satisfying quality. The rich sentimentality of the narrative reminds audiences that these moments became cliches in the first place because they work effortlessly when done right.

Again mirroring the standard superhero arc, the play questions whether or not the expectations the public holds Sabrina up to are justified. As referenced in the play, an admirable hero overcomes their tragedy by helping others. Batman used his wealth to suit up after the death of his parents, so Sabrina should use her platform to fight injustice.

But is it fair to impose the rules of comics onto the rules of real life? Here, the play misses an opportunity to address a key difference between the two narratives: Superheroes typically face a distinct villain responsible for the tragedy – Sabrina faces an entire political system. Though this fault in the extended metaphor wasn’t fleshed out, the superhero parallel is nonetheless an effective allegory of how an empowered person handles loss while providing a more comprehensive take on the subject.

In all, the metaphor is not a seamless match. But its fresh take on a current political issue effectively re-evaluates the publicity surrounding grief and a hero’s responsibility to themselves

 

Fire hydrant breaks next to Anderson School of Management

A fire hydrant broke Saturday afternoon near the UCLA Anderson School of Management, launching water high into the air.

Los Angeles Fire Department captain Brian Wall said LAFD responded to the hydrant breakage at 2:23 p.m. but did not have more information beyond that.

Anthony Rasca, a fourth-year aerospace engineering student, was grabbing lunch with a friend when he heard the sound of water rushing.

“We were just getting some food and we thought we heard a water slide and we saw this,” he said. “At least it happened on a hot day.”

Zainab Qadir, a second-year psychobiology student, said she was able to see the column of water from the Hill.

“I was actually eating at (Bruin Plate) and I saw it through the window,” she said. “At first I just thought it was a fountain … but then I saw that it was as tall as the buildings.”

Bruins remain undefeated on the sand, crush Waves third time this season

This post was updated March 16 at 10:27 p.m.

The Bruins did it again.

No. 1 UCLA beach volleyball (15-0) defeated No. 5 Pepperdine (11-5) for the third time this season, earning its second 5-0 sweep over the Waves. The Bruins have not dropped a set in their last two meetings.

“We are fully developed as a program in terms of our program style, strategy, ability to make adjustments and overall volleyball IQ – all of that mainly has to do with the age of the athletes,” said coach Stein Metzger. “Some of our first recruiting classes are now seniors and juniors, so they have the experience we need now.”

UCLA scored early with a win on court four, where junior Savvy Simo and sophomore Lea Monkhouse beat Nikki Lyons and Maddie Dilfer 21-13, 21-18. The pair is now 7-2 on the season.

Senior Sarah Sponcil and junior Lily Justine faced the Waves’ Heidi Dyer and Gigi Hernandez on court two. The Bruins led by two points before stringing together an 8-3 run to take the first set.

Metzger said the plan was to serve to 6-foot-2-inch Dyer in order to prevent her from hitting at the net.

“Our serving strategy was to make her move because she’s taller and we have deep sand here,” Metzger said. “I think that really caused some challenges for her and she ended up being more of a shooter than a hitter.”

Justine battled Dyer – when the latter did get opportunities to come to the net – despite being 3 inches shorter. Justine came out with back-to-back blocks early in the second set.

“I think we were just working on reading and taking our own spaces of the court and looking for any options to create weird plays – and at that point I was ready for something to come back over so I got some lucky blocks.”

The pairs traded points until UCLA pulled out the two-set win 21-14, 22-20, posting the second dual point for the Bruins. To clinch the dual, seniors Nicole McNamara and Megan McNamara won 21-13, 21-18 on court one over Deahna Kraft and Brook Bauer.

Senior Zana Muno and freshman Abby Van Winkle got off to an early 20-16 lead on court three, but conceded four consecutive points to Alexis Filippone and Skylar Caputo – leaving the first set locked at 20.

UCLA fought its way to a 28-26 extended-set win in the first, but found itself down 17-12 in the second. The pair went on a 5-0 run to tie the set, and continued its comeback to secure the straight-set victory 21-19 on a Van Winkle ace that brushed the tape.

The win preserved Muno and Van Winkle’s perfect 14-0 record.

“I think we’ve gelled now that we’ve had a lot of practice together because we were changing up the lineup a lot in the beginning,” Van Winkle said. “We’re connecting with setting mostly – she’s setting me a little lower which has been helping.”

Senior Izzy Carey and freshman Lindsey Sparks took court five with a 4-0 Bruin lead in the dual. The pair completed the sweep with a 21-16, 21-10 win over Simone Priebe and Katie Gavin.

The victory marked Carey’s 102nd win, leaving her tied with former Bruin Elise Zappia – Carey’s partner in the 2017 season – for the most wins in program history. The senior is one of just two Bruins with a 15-0 record this far into the season.

“(Carey) is probably the most disciplined player on the team,” Metzger said. “She also makes exceptionally good choices. As a blocker, she’s not the most physical presence at the net, but in her position in the fives, she’s downright spectacular in terms of her ability to be consistent.”

The Bruins will have a 10-day break before hosting Oregon at Ocean Park Beach in Santa Monica.