Daily Bruin – Page 185

Student creates mobile app to help students better discuss mental health

Sahen Rai decided he wanted to help normalize conversations about mental health after a classmate died by suicide during his senior year of high school.

“I basically just want to create something that could really help people struggling with mental health issues, or depression or anxiety, and that’s kind of what I want to do for the rest of my life,” he said.

This prompted Rai, a first-year computer science student, to release a mobile app called You Are Loved, which allows users to track their mood and engage in conversations about mental health with family and friends who also use the app.

He said You Are Loved, which was released in February, is part of a larger goal to help people feel more comfortable talking about their mental health and feelings with others.

“People often feel uncomfortable saying how they’re feeling,” he said. “Ideally, everyone would be able to say exactly how they feel, but I think (the app) is a good first step to getting to that.”

You Are Loved lets users rate their happiness each day on a scale from zero to 10, which family and friends can view. If a user continually enters low happiness ratings or enters an extremely low rating at any given time, the app sends an alert to family and friends. Additionally, if a user enters a rating of zero, the app directs the user to suicide prevention resources. The app also displays uplifting articles and sends users daily reminders that they are loved.

“It’s unique in its ability to show (one’s happiness levels) to other people so that other people can help you,” he said. “My goal with it was to help people feel like they’re loved and help people have an understanding that they matter.”

Drawing from personal experience, Rai said he thinks that connecting people with their family and friends through the app will improve their happiness and feelings of worth.

“When I’m feeling down, what really helps me is other people – spending time with other people, getting love,” he said. “I think that’s really what’s at the root of all that, just showing love to your friends and family, showing it to the person who needs it.”

Leslie Rith-Najarian, a doctoral intern at UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services, said social connection is crucial to happiness.

“Social connection is one of the most robust things that relates to happiness because isolation and lack of social interaction can be associated with depression,” she said.

Rith-Najarian said she admires the mission behind the app, but added she thinks further research should be conducted to determine how effective the app actually is.

Rai said many people have praised the app for its uplifting daily reminders.

“I think that’s something that people really appreciate because it’s something to think about. It’s something that just helps you feel better if you’re having a rough time,” he said.

He also said he believes the app helps normalize open discussions about mental health.

“I think what people really connect with or like is that they can communicate with their friends and family (about) how they feel, as opposed to just understanding it themselves or getting help through themselves,” he said. “I think it makes them more open, so to speak.”

Harrison Garff, a first-year music performance student and a friend of Rai, said he believes Rai created You Are Loved purely out of a desire to help people.

“He just really wants to help other people, which I think is such a cool thing; it’s pretty rare to find that motivation inside of people,” Garff said.

Garff said he believes the app is especially beneficial for new college students, who may initially feel isolated at school.

“From a college standpoint, it’s the first time a lot of people are away from their families, you’re in this whole new world,” he said. “If you’re depressed or dealing with mental health, it’s hard to reach out to people around you.”

Garff said he believes the app makes it easier for people to communicate about their mental health, especially if they do not feel comfortable speaking about it explicitly.

Rai said he hopes schools can implement You Are Loved in the near future to allow administrators to track their students’ mental health as a potential means of crisis management.

“School, I think, is often like a second home for a lot of people, and I think being able to bring that to schools is a way to really help address (mental health) at the heart of it,” he said.

Rai said he mentally struggled with being far from home when he first came to UCLA, and said he believes students who feel isolated in their struggle with mental health should persevere and remain open to receiving support from loved ones.

“I mean, I struggled a lot, and things are going okay now,” he said. “Know you’re loved, you’re important, you’re special, and never forget that.”

Baseball bounces back to defeat USC at Dodger Stadium classic

For the first time in three years, the Bruins took home the final game of the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic.

No. 2 UCLA baseball (11-3) battled back from an early 4-0 deficit Sunday afternoon to defeat crosstown rival USC (5-9) 7-5 at Dodger Stadium. The Trojans committed four errors, which led to four Bruin runs that turned out to be the difference in the game.

“The way we came out on top this year shows a different identity that the team has,” said junior third baseman Chase Strumpf. “I think we’re a little tougher this year.”

Down by four runs in the bottom of the third, the Bruins produced their first run with an RBI single to right by Strumpf.

Later in the inning, junior third baseman Ryan Kreidler lined a single to right field and right fielder Preston Hartsell slipped and fell trying to come up with the ball. Strumpf and junior first baseman Michael Toglia scored as the ball rolled toward the outfield wall, cutting the USC lead to 4-3.

“(The third) inning alone brought a lot of confidence, especially with the top of our lineup scuffling here and there,” said sophomore right fielder Garrett Mitchell, who was the leadoff hitter for the Bruins. “It’s just the identity of our team, being able to fight back no matter where we are in the lineup.”

Mitchell led the Bruins in hits, going 2-for-3 with two runs and two walks.

UCLA still trailed by a run in the bottom of seventh when redshirt sophomore outfielder Jarron Silva led off with a pinch-hit walk. Mitchell followed with a single and they both advanced into scoring position by a wild pitch. Strumpf walked to load the bases, but ball four got past the catcher and allowed Silva to come in from third to tie up the game at four apiece.

With two outs and Mitchell and Strumpf still on base, Toglia dribbled a ground ball to right-hander Chris Clarke. Clarke threw wide to first, allowing Toglia to reach safely and Mitchell to score the go-ahead run.

“(USC) made some mistakes,” said coach John Savage. “They walked some people, they made some errors, they helped us out.”

The Bruins added two insurance runs in the eighth inning to extend their lead to 7-4 when freshman center fielder Matt McLain launched a deep fly ball down the right-field line that fell for a two RBI double.

On the mound, freshman right-hander Jesse Bergin got the nod for his fourth consecutive Sunday start. The first pitch of the game from Bergin was sent into the outfield bleachers when left fielder Blake Sabol shot the ball over the wall in right-center to give USC a 1-0 lead.

The Trojans added two runs in the second on a two RBI single by third baseman Ben Ramirez that just got by Bergin’s glove and rolled into center field. USC again extended its lead to 4-0 in the top of the third with an RBI single up the middle by center fielder Matthew Acosta, prompting Savage to pull Bergin.

“It was time for a new look,” Savage said. “We wanted to stay in the game, that game was getting away from us.”

Bergin ended his afternoon with four earned runs, six hits allowed and one strikeout in 2 1/3 innings. The freshman had allowed just one run across his three starts, but raised his ERA from 0.51 to 2.25 after Sunday’s contest.

Sophomore right-hander Michael Townsend came in to replace Bergin and lasted 2 2/3 scoreless innings with one hit allowed and four strikeouts. Savage said the fact that Townsend’s mother recently died has shown the righty’s ability to persevere through tough times.

“It’s fun to see a guy that had some very difficult times in his young life be able to rebound,” Savage said. “He has pitched the best baseball he’s pitched since he has been at UCLA in the last couple weeks.”

Right-handers freshman Jack Filby, redshirt sophomore Nathan Hadley, junior Kyle Mora and sophomore Holden Powell each pitched one inning in relief to preserve the UCLA lead. Despite Powell giving up one run in the top of the ninth inning, the bullpen lowered its ERA to 1.29 on the year and had eight punchouts on the afternoon.

“I have to give the bullpen a lot of credit,” Savage said. “The bullpen has been good for us all season, and that was a big deal today picking up the starter.”

The Bruins will play at Long Beach State (2-12) on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Bruins have strong performance in NCAA indoor championships

The Bruins competed on the national stage this weekend.

UCLA track and field sent six athlete to the NCAA Division 1 Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track & Field Championships in Birmingham, Alabama and five returned with All-American honors in at least one event.

Junior distance runner Robert Brandt said he aimed for two top-five finishes in the 5,000- and 3,000-meter races in front of a packed Birmingham CrossPlex and televised broadcast.

“There’s really no other meet like it,” Brandt said. “With the full stands, you don’t really get that too often in track. Knowing everyone in the race is the best at what they do and everyone at the meet is the best at their event, it’s an atmosphere that’s very unique and fun to be in.”

Brandt – who set UCLA program indoor record in the 5,000m previously this season – jockeyed for a position in the midst of a crowded track in the opening laps of the 5,000m on Friday.

“The (5,000m) was pretty physical,” Brandt said. “There was a lot of finding your place and a lot of strategy.”

Brandt placed eighth in both races but said he experienced a much faster field in the 3,000m on Saturday.

“The (3,000m) was a little bit more fast straight from the gun,” Brandt said. “(I) just (had to) kind of hang on. … Both fun races and different but both very physical.”

Brandt surpassed the leading runner in the pack after a mile but couldn’t hold on for the last 1,500 meters, finishing with a time of 7:56.72. Brandt capped his 2019 indoor season with two All-American finishes and two MPSF conference championship titles after missing last year’s indoor championships due to injury.

“The progress I’ve made from last indoor season to this indoor season, it’s huge,” Brandt said. “I was kind of hesitant getting on the line with some of these better guys, but now I know I can run neck-and-neck with (the best in the country).”

Of the four Bruin throwers sent to the NCAA indoor championships – the most of any school in the nation – three of them garnered All-American plaudits and saw top-10 finishes in their respective events.

Sophomore thrower Alyssa Wilson improved 10 spots from her 14th-place finish in the shot put last year to garner a fourth-place finish and First-Team All-American title.

Wilson entered the NCAA indoor championships ranked fourth in the country with her qualifying mark of 17.73m but fell a foot short of that in competition with a 17.38m toss.

“I did want to throw at least 60 feet just because it was my last indoor meet of the season,” Wilson said. “I’ve hit that a bunch of times in practice.”

Wilson placed ninth and received Second-Team All-American honors in the weight throw the next day with a 20.98m launch – over 4 feet short of her qualifying distance of 22.23 meters.

“(For the weight throw), I think I just had an off day,” Wilson said.

Freshman pole vaulter Sondre Guttormsen earned Second-Team All-American honors with a 10th-place jump of 5.58m on his first attempt but sat down in disappointment after knocking off the bar on his next two tries at 5.63m and 5.73m.

After 10 to 15 minutes, the NCAA officials announced the bar at 5.73 meters had been misplaced too high and granted another three opportunities to Guttormsen. After lacing up his shoes once more, Guttormsen said the NCAA officials’ blunder rattled him.

“The officials in that meet were far from the best I’ve had,” Guttormsen said. “They screwed up a lot of things. … It’s hard to motivate yourself (again).”

Despite the All-American titles, Wilson said the Bruins were disappointed with their individual outcomes.

“I just think we weren’t in the right mindset to compete,” Wilson said. “I think everyone was a little upset with their performance. I know I was.”

UCLA opens the outdoor season with the Willie Williams Classic in Tucson, Arizona on March 15 and 16.

Play highlights marginalized experiences of gay men during the Holocaust

An upside-down pink triangle is the driving force of “Bent.”

Directed by theater graduate student Mark Anthony Vallejo, the production is an adaptation of the original 1979 play and will premiere Thursday at Macgowan Hall. Set in Germany during the 1930s, the play follows Max, a gay man struggling to come to terms with his identity.

“The play illuminates and rediscovers that there’s a part of history that hasn’t been said, and that’s if you’re homosexual, you wore a pink triangle (in the concentration camps),” Vallejo said. “Max is struggling to find love. He wants to love somebody, but he can’t because he’s afraid of who he is inside.”

Although the play occurs amid the Holocaust, Vallejo said the story primarily focuses on Max’s personal transformation. “Bent” begins with Max attempting to flee Germany with his boyfriend Rudy during the Night of the Long Knives – a series of political murders through which Hitler attempted to solidify his power. As the couple is escaping, they are caught and put on a train to a concentration camp. When a guard begins to torture Rudy, Max is advised by another gay man, Horst, to ignore what is happening in order to protect himself. Max helps the guards beat Rudy to death to better his own chances at survival, which Vallejo said catalyzes the internal struggle Max faces as he becomes afraid to admit his sexuality.

The train scene begins the complicated relationship between Horst and Max, said third-year theater student Sam Linkowski, who plays Horst in the production. Horst is proud of his identity and wears the pink triangle openly, whereas Max lies and says he is Jewish, not gay, as he believes the yellow star is safer to wear than the pink triangle.

Vallejo said this aspect of the play has historically been criticized for implying that gay people were targeted the most. However, he said the story is in no way trying to undermine the persecution of Jewish people, but instead highlights the struggles that gay people faced during the Holocaust.

Within this perilous situation, Horst’s ability to reveal his sexuality is admirable, said Linkowski. But he said it is also necessary to understand Max is simply trying to survive. The protagonist learns to accept himself as Horst supports him, he said.

“The whole play is about coming out and the strength of owning your identity,” Linkowski said. “And the strength of being honest with everyone around you no matter what circumstance.”

Playing Horst was very personal to Linkowski, who is still processing the negative reaction he received when revealing his sexuality to his conservative Christian parents. Having felt forced to come out, he said he admires how honest Horst is about his sexuality, despite the risks involved.

It’s not an easy process for the actors to put themselves in the shoes of these characters, as there is a lot of vulnerability involved in portraying grave injustices and atrocities, said Devon Horn, a graduate student in design for theater and entertainment media. The fittings are also the most emotionally straining part of her job, she said, because it is hard to anticipate how an actor will react when they’re in costume. Horn said it is an amazing feeling when a person is in wardrobe and feels an instant connection to their role. However, she also said visualizing themselves as certain characters can cause a lot of discomfort – their role may conflict with their personal beliefs.

Horn said she took great care to introduce the cast to their clothing during fitting sessions, easing them into their costumes. She only introduced the various patches – the triangle and star – at the third dress rehearsal, so the actors could first feel comfortable in their clothing before being brandished with the emblems of the Nazi classification system, she said.

“The whole show is very muted palletewise, with the exception of the red (Nazi) armbands, the yellow stars and the pink triangles,” Horn said. “We really wanted the insignia to pop out, and to be almost glaring so they’re in your face.”

The intense history of the storyline is an important one to highlight, as it emphasizes the struggles gay people have faced throughout time, said Ryan Stevens, a graduate playwriting student and the production’s dramaturge. When playwright Martin Sherman was writing “Bent” in the 1970s, Stevens said there was very little research available or published on the history and trauma gay people endured because many historians did not want to acknowledge it.

Not only does this play give a voice to a marginalized community, but it is also relevant to our times because of the hateful rhetoric espoused by certain politicians, Stevens said. He said society has become more accepting and progressive, yet there is always a danger of sliding back into intolerance, and stories like this serve as a necessary reminder.

“’Bent’ is really important and timely because it is telling the story of what happens when people’s pain isn’t acknowledged and when certain identities are ignored,” Stevens said. “This play really is a living, breathing example of theater causing social change and calling attention to a story that otherwise just wouldn’t be told.”

Muddled patent dispute sheds light on UCLA’s questionable ties to Big Pharma

To most, UCLA is the bastion of public education – the top public university in the nation. To some, though, it’s a lawyer for pharmaceutical companies.

In 2005, UCLA researchers developed enzalutamide, a life-saving prostate cancer drug marketed as Xtandi. The drug’s three patents are still owned by the university, but were later acquired by Pfizer and Astellas, two Big Pharma giants.

UCLA applied for a patent to protect the drug from generic reproduction with the Indian Patent Office. The office rejected the patent, and researchers in India later announced they wanted to create a generic version of the drug. As a result, the University of California’s general counsel filed a patent appeal suit in the Delhi High Court on behalf of Pfizer and Astellas.

UCLA and its pharmaceutical partners now await the patent’s future, though they can still profit for the next 20 years from the original drug in the U.S. While in place, the patent inhibits access to the drug around the world and competitors’ ability to sell it at a more affordable price. The patented drug costs around $10,000 per monthly dosage – the generic form would cost half that.

Despite the matter’s significance, all parties involved have been slow to disclose details to the public. UC Board of Regents meeting minutes do not include mention of the patent battle, and UCLA hasn’t provided a detailed account of its objectives in India. In addition, the Delhi High Court has not made the suit public, making it challenging to understand who is at fault in the case.

It’s highly unusual for a public university to champion a patent claim in another nation on behalf of huge pharmaceutical companies. As a large public institution aiming to provide equal access to education, UCLA should be expected to hold the same standards to communities across the world.

It’s easy to see UCLA’s patent battle as an attempt to ensure these companies – and consequently the university – make the largest profit. But those sentiments are as good as speculation due to the matter’s muddled nature.

Phil Hampton, a spokesperson for the David Geffen School of Medicine, said UCLA was obligated to support the patent request in India due to its licensing agreement with Pfizer and Astellas. He added the practice of patenting provides incentives for future private investment in the school’s research.

Strangely enough, the university hasn’t made the licensing agreement public, even after many requests by the Universities Allied for Essential Medicines, a group rallying for India’s right to produce the drug generically. Additionally, the Delhi High Court has not released any transcripts of the suit.

Tijana Temelkovska, a graduate student at the School of Medicine, said as she entered UCLA she was immediately drawn to the school’s public benefit mission of promoting many progressive social issues, such as equal access to medical care.

“But then when we came here and learned about these issues, it was extremely disappointing and it felt sort of like a betrayal of those values that we all thought that we shared with the institution,” Temelkovska said.

The implications are troubling: If the drug’s generic reproduction is approved, it’s foreseeable the university would not be as invested in developing and patenting lifesaving drugs.

Merith Basey, executive director of UAEM for North America, said having a cheaper version of a drug, especially in a developing country like India, will save hundreds of communities.

“In the history of HIV and other drugs, having a generic competitor is a way to ensure access for hundreds of thousands – if not millions – of people around the world,” she said.

The downfalls of UCLA winning the patent suit are obvious. But it proves difficult to assess the motivations of each party when court cases and formal motions have been so clandestine.

Moreover, the extraordinary circumstances of the matter warrant more transparency. UCLA is setting the example that universities and pharmaceutical companies can keep the public in the dark about their business practices. It is not often we see a university in this position, which could signal a shift toward privatization and hawkish patent practices by public research institutions.

But as Stuart Schweitzer, a professor of health policy and management, puts it, UCLA might be more afraid of the generic drug flooding markets outside of India.

India’s potential parallel trade could result in countries buying cheaper versions of drugs and reselling them where the drug is more expensive. If the generic drug, for example, was sold from India to France and France made that drug available to the U.S., the more expensive original drug would be undercut.

“UCLA will have no qualms about letting a developing country produce drugs – a right guaranteed through the United Nations – but that parallel trade issue is subtle and crucially important,” Schweitzer said.

Certainly, the university has the right to a say in some of the drug’s distribution. But there has rarely been a time where a multimillion-dollar corporation like Pfizer would hire a public research university to practically lobby on its behalf. UCLA was never meant to be a corporate lawyer.

And until the licensing agreement UCLA seems beholden to is made public, one cannot help but think the story is incomplete – or worse, that the university is intent on being a mouthpiece for pharmaceutical companies.

Editorial: Perenially out of touch, Paul Koretz rejects housing projects for nonsensical reasons

A Los Angeles city council member is seeking to exempt California’s largest city from a state law permitting the construction of more housing.

His reason: backyards.

Paul Koretz certainly has quite the absurd grasp on policies – and common sense.

Koretz, who represents Westwood and the rest of City District 5, is spearheading an effort to exempt LA from Senate Bill 50. SB 50 is a monumental piece of legislation sponsored by Democrat state Sen. Scott Wiener that would ease zoning restrictions on the construction of housing units in areas near transportation hubs or centers of economic activity. Advocates say it has the potential to solve California’s long-standing housing crisis by stimulating denser housing construction.

Koretz has couched his opposition in a professed desire to ensure communities of single-family homes are preserved within LA – something supposedly challenged by constructing taller apartments and condos near transit lines.

It’s almost as if the three-term council member thinks backyards and tree-lined streets are the biggest priority for a city with more than 50,000 homeless individuals and where a sizable number of residents spend more than 83 percent of their yearly income on monthly mortgage payments.

And if Koretz really does buy into that argument, he’s not just a lousy legislator – he’s also an unconscionable and inept one.

His effort reeks of “NIMBYism” – the problematic tendency of local power centers to oppose any kind of housing reform. To say “not in my backyard” in this instance is to demonstrate contempt for a legislative initiative that could address one of California’s pressing housing crises in one of its most populous metropolitan areas.

This isn’t the first time the council member has opposed an effort to ease the city’s unfair zoning restrictions. When Wiener released a similar zoning bill last year, Koretz decried the bill as a measure that would turn LA into Dubai. Wiener then approached him, and it turned out the council member hadn’t even read the bill.

SB 50, in an effort to address previous criticism, no longer encourages the displacement of local residents. In fact, it contains a prohibition against the demolition of occupied housing units. Moreover, the updated legislation contains language that would allow economically feeble communities to delay the implementation of its mandates.

But Koretz has decided to just move the goalposts of his bad-faith arguments. His city council resolution against the bill claims LA already exceeded its housing needs for market-rate homes. The resolution also complains about the integrity of the city’s single-family zoning.

It’s clear: Despite a decade on the job, Koretz has little to offer Angelenos – even when the right course of action is painfully obvious.

Certainly, the council member is entitled to take stances on legislation, however ludicrous – the fact that voters chose him as their representative gives him that prerogative. But being elected into office isn’t free reign to pursue nonsensical endeavors. At this point, it’s clear Koretz will present the most dubious of arguments just to oppose any change in the city’s outdated zoning laws out of some mistaken notion that he is protecting city residents.

But the truth is, Koretz isn’t protecting anyone. And his attempts are outlandish, sometimes extending as far as trying to silence free speech.

Scratching out LA from a statewide initiative meant to benefit the city only confirms the truth about Koretz: He either doesn’t have a clue what he is doing – or he doesn’t have the heart to care for Angelenos.

Men’s volleyball extends win streak, sweeping Ohio State and Penn State

The Bruins added two straight-set victories to their win streak.

No. 5 UCLA men’s volleyball (16-4, 6-0 MPSF) defeated both Ohio State (6-14, 2-6 MIVA) and Penn State (8-10, 5-2 EIVA) by scores of 3-0 on Friday and Saturday, respectively, at USC’s Galen Center. The Bruins’ six-game win streak is their longest of the 2018-2019 season.

UCLA opened the Pac-12 vs. Big Ten Challenge with 10 total blocks against Ohio State – the most they’ve tallied in a three-set match this season. Junior middle blocker Daenan Gyimah said UCLA’s blocking helped hold Ohio State to a .017 hitting percentage, the lowest mark of any UCLA opponent this year.

“It was definitely our best blocking game of the season,” Gyimah said. “We just realized that they weren’t that fast on offense, so we just had to get out there and be super disciplined and get our arms up over the net.”

Despite the straight-set victory, junior outside hitter Austin Matautia said the Bruins’ performance was not as high paced as he hoped.

“We needed to improve our energy,” Matautia said. “We need to be better at feeding off of each other when we score points.”

Redshirt sophomore outside hitter Sam Kobrine – whose .467 hitting percentage against the Nittany Lions was a full-game career-high – said the Bruins reversed the course in Saturday’s match against Penn State.

“We got off to a really good start,” Kobrine said. “We were really big in the first set and we carried that energy throughout the entire match.

The Bruins hit for .750 in the first set en route to a 25-12 victory, their largest point differential in any set this season. Gyimah said UCLA’s serving – including Matautia’s three consecutive aces – allowed the Bruins to control the tempo of the opening set.

“Our serves were firing,” Gyimah said. “Behind that, we were just really focused on their tendencies, and we scouted them well.”

Following its first-set loss, Gyimah said Penn State was able to reduce the scoring gap in the next two sets after opting for a new offensive approach.

“Honestly, the whole game would have gone like the first set, but they changed up what they were doing,” Gyimah said. “They strayed away from their tendencies, but it’s good that we forced them to do that.”

Penn State’s shift away from its original game plan was not enough to stop UCLA in the second and third sets. The Bruins outhit the Nittany Lions .460 to.132, respectively, en route to winning the second and third sets by scores of 25-19 and 25-21, respectively.

The Bruins hit a season-high .530, led by Gyimah’s .733 mark to go along with a team-high 11 kills.

The Bruins won the match 3-0, but lost another outside hitter to an apparent injury at the beginning of the third set. With the score tied 3-3 in the third set, Matautia appeared to suffer a leg injury and was replaced for the rest of the game by freshman outside hitter Ian Eschenberg – who tallied his first career kill against the Nittany Lions.

Eschenberg was called upon to make his second career appearance, as the Bruins’ first backup outside hitter, Kobrine, has been filling in for injured senior outside hitter Dylan Missry.

The Bruins will attempt to continue their win streak and undefeated conference record against No. 10 Brigham Young (9-6, 4-3) in Provo, Utah, on Thursday.