Chip Kelly lays groundwork for next football season with 19 recruits

The Bruins have their lowest-rated recruiting class since 2011, but don’t tell that to coach Chip Kelly.

“We’re really happy with the guys that we got,” Kelly said. “I think they’re great fits for this university. (They) have all their priorities in line, especially with the academic and athletic combination which this university prides itself on.”

UCLA football’s recruiting class added three names on Wednesday’s National Signing Day, bringing the total number of signees to 19, but the new crop of Bruins rank seventh in the Pac-12 and 43rd in the nation. Three-star tight end Michael Martinez – who committed back in June – signed his National Letter of Intent on Wednesday, and Kelly said he will play a major role in replacing NFL Draft hopeful Caleb Wilson.

“We knew (the tight end position) was going to be priority for us, and we identified (Martinez) a long time ago,” Kelly said. “(Tight ends coach) Derek Sage did a great job developing a relationship with him. … He’s got the size obviously to be an in-line tight end, but played flex a lot for his high school and can get out in open spaces, can catch some balls, got a huge catch radius. (He’s) probably one of the bigger tight ends I’ve ever had the opportunity to recruit.”

Martinez measures in at 6 feet, 6 inches and 246 pounds. He was ranked as 2019’s No. 16 tight end after reeling in 43 catches for six touchdowns and 661 yards for Mater Dei High School this season.

Martinez may have brought size to the tight end position, but Kelly sought out size outside the numbers as well.

Three-star receiver Charles Njoku, the brother of 2017 NFL Draft first-round pick David Njoku, also signed Wednesday after committing Jan. 25. Njoku is 6 feet, 5 inches, becoming the Bruins’ third wideout over 6-foot-3.

“(He’s) a lot like a (freshman) Mike Ezeike or a (freshman) Chase Cota – another bigger, taller target on the perimeter,” Kelly said. “(Njoku), I think, is a guy that has a huge upside as he continues to grow into his body. He’s all of 6-(foot)-4 and change right now, so (we’re) really excited about him.”

UCLA’s biggest new target, however, is preferred walk-on Hudson Habermehl. The 6-foot-8-inch wide receiver from Roseville, California, runs a 4.65 40-yard dash and racked up 334 yards and six touchdowns in one season of varsity football at Woodcreek High School. Six-foot-3-inch wide receiver/cornerback Ashton Authement also took a PWO offer Wednesday.

Kelly said that the team has shifted more focus onto the walk-on program in his first full recruiting cycle.

“Last year obviously we were just getting into it, but I feel really really strong about the walk-ons that we’re bringing in this class,” Kelly said. “The unique aspect that we have is getting in-state kids to stay home. Obviously, being a state university, that’s a big deal, and so we’ve made a concerted effort in the walk-on program and I think it’ll show with the kids who show up here when we start in June.”

The final signee Wednesday was three-star linebacker Noah Keeter from Gainesville, Florida. Keeter is 6 feet, 5 inches and 224 pounds, size that Kelly said was necessary to add to the Bruins’ pass rushing corps.

The Bruins have had eight players announce their intention to transfer since the end of last season, but Kelly said he was prepared for those decisions and they did not change his recruiting plan this cycle.

“Most of the kids were grad transfers that didn’t play, so obviously, you know that they’re going to move on and try to play (for) somebody else,” Kelly said. “Usually guys aren’t transferring if they’re playing at the last place. So we try to assist those guys in any way we can in terms of where they’re heading and what they can get accomplished.”

National Signing Day only opened at midnight Wednesday, so the Bruins still have a chance to reel in some last-minute targets. Kelly said UCLA will have a shot at one of two more players, but he did not comment on who they were and the likelihood of them signing.

But for now, Kelly and the Bruins have no five-star signees and just one four-star – among the fewest in the Pac-12.

The Quad: The root of the reason why trees are toppling down throughout town

Just a couple weeks ago, two trees fell down in Westwood within mere days of each other.

Nearly every year, trees fall like this – but why? With the recent fall of two large trees around campus, it’s important to understand what exactly causes trees to topple over. As it turns out, the reason is rather intuitive: It ultimately all boils down to the weather conditions.

It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, but windy and rainy weather – like the weather we’ve been experiencing these past couple of days – are often linked to trees like the one by Veteran Avenue or in front of Ackerman Union falling down. It’s not particularly uncommon for trees to fall in the middle of storms or in the days following them, as rain water soaks into the ground and gusts of wind blow at the trees.

Because trees are largely held up by a combination of their own weight and the friction in the soil pushing up against their roots, the aforementioned friction is easily weakened as soil grows saturated with rainwater.

According to the Los Angeles Daily News, the increased rainy weather, paired with years of drought conditions, may also exacerbate the situation in Southern California. Susan Sims, a Riverside-based arborist, told the LADN that as a result of the drought conditions throughout the state, many tree roots were weakened due to a significantly lowered amount of rainwater intake. After years of adapting to the drought conditions by developing a shallower root network, the trees are oftentimes not prepared for a heavy influx of rainwater.

In addition, tree roots often shriveled up and got infected with fungi during the drought, which consequently grows in response to heavier rains than the tree is used to.

This may or may not be the case with the trees that fell in January, but with all that rain in the days leading up to the tree falls, it’s certainly likely that the weather played a role somehow.

But trees don’t just fall in rainy weather either – perhaps a bit more surprising is a phenomenon known as “summer limb drop,” which has been noticed in areas with particularly hot weather. One theory for why this happens is that on hot days, trees don’t transpire – the process of releasing water through the leaves – but continue to take in water through their roots, causing limbs to grow heavier. This can lead to branches breaking as the trees can no longer hold them up.

Students who’ve been on campus for the past couple of years will know that trees falling all throughout Westwood is not a new phenomenon by any means. Last spring, another large tree fell, blocking the road between Ophir Drive and Levering Avenue, damaging a pickup truck and a station wagon in its path – just the week after a smaller one fell on Kelton Avenue.

Perhaps the most memorable fall occurred back in 2017, when a large tree fell into an apartment complex on Kelton. The tree, which broke through the roof and window of the building, scratched the leg of one of the apartment’s occupants as it fell through, but did not hurt anyone else.

The tree fall in 2017 sparked broader concerns about student safety. Students living in the units affected by the tree fall were forced to evacuate from their apartments and find new permanent housing. After a number of trees had fallen earlier that winter, a student who spoke with The Bruin back then expressed her concerns that the city wasn’t doing enough to prevent trees from falling; however, it might be a bit difficult to tell just which trees are going to fall, since all of them can be susceptible to falling in unfortunate weather conditions, according to the Scientific American.

With even more rain on the horizon, it’s likely that it’ll come with even more falling foliage. While safety precautions are a completely different story, don’t be too surprised if you hear about some big trees taking a tumble in the next couple of weeks.

Study shows increase in state funding for universities over past year

State funding for higher education increased nationwide last year, but may not have a substantial impact on the University of California, according to researchers from an annual survey.

The Grapevine survey, a joint project undertaken by the Center for the Study of Education Policy at Illinois State University and the State Higher Education Executive Officers, is an annual compilation of state data regarding funding for public higher education, said Andrew Carlson, vice president of finance policy and member services at SHEEO.

The results of the survey, released Jan. 21, showed a 3.7 percent increase in state funding for higher education nationwide, an increase from the previous fiscal year. In 2017-2018, state funding increased by 1.6 percent.

Carlson said Grapevine is housed at Illinois State University and has been run by the university’s faculty since 1960. He added SHEEO took over the data collection for Grapevine around 9 years ago.

He said the most recent Grapevine survey shows continued development and investment in higher education funding across states.

“The overall economy, especially with respect to state budget, is in a period of growth and remains strong,” Carlson said.

With the recent growth in state funding, students and families have been putting more pressure on institutions like the University of California to keep tuition costs low, he added.

“As state funding continues to rebound and continues to increase year (after) year, … that’s an indication of a strong economy and in a lot of cases that means that enrollments are probably declining,” Carlson said. “You also will see more pressure to either freeze tuition increases year (after) year, or at least hold them much lower than typically happens during a downturn.”

James Palmer, a Grapevine editor from Illinois State University, said the survey found state support for higher education was marginally better in fiscal year 2018-2019 than in fiscal year 2017-2018.

“This continues a pattern of fairly modest increases in state fiscal support for higher education over the past five years,” Palmer said.

He added the modesty of these increases reflects the difficulty states face in maintaining the necessary revenues to substantially increase higher education funding.

“Because of competing demands made on state budgets for other state obligations, including health care, in some cases unfunded pension obligations, K-12 education and … because of the desire in many states to lessen the tax burden on taxpayers, the states struggle to sustain the fiscal capacity to make increases to higher education,” Palmer said.

Carlson said many higher education institutions that rely on government funding as their main source of revenue are becoming increasingly cautious of an approaching economic downturn.

Palmer said historical records suggest a recessionary period will likely bring forth declines in state support for higher education.

“As the economy declines, state tax revenues decline,” he said. “As state tax revenues decline, so too does the capacity of states to increase funding for higher education”

He added, during economic recessions, funding for higher education is often a lower priority for states than other financial commitments.

“During economic downturns, it is easier for states to decrease funding for higher education than it is to decrease funding for other state obligations, because higher education is a discretionary item in state budgets,” Palmer said. “Usually there is no state constitutional mandate that states must fund higher education.”

“We have seen a series of increases in state higher education funding since the last recession, but we haven’t necessarily gone back to the level of funding seen prior to the recession,” Palmer said.

He added state funding for higher education increases with each recovery out of a recession, but never quite returns to its original levels.

Palmer said flagship universities such as UCLA and UC Berkeley will not be affected by these declines as much as regional universities such as California State Universities. Flagship universities are often the most well-known and most research-intensive public universities in a state, according to College Board.

He said alternative revenue streams, such as research grant funds and private funds from alumni, allow flagship universities to provide more institutional student aid.

“Flagship universities have more access to alternative revenue streams to make up for this long-term decline in state funding than do regional state universities or community colleges,” Palmer said.

Carlson added that while flagship universities are better equipped to withstand sudden changes in state funding, state support is still an important factor in fiscal security.

“They are definitely less dependent, but state funding does remain a critical funding source for them,” Carlson said. “I think it is a little shortsighted to say that they are not dependent at all on state funding.”

Joel Aberbach, professor emeritus of political science and public policy, said the increase in state funding could have an impact on higher education, but it ultimately will depend on how the money is spent.

He added while a great proportion of university budgets comes from research grants and hospitals, he believes the rise in state funding will likely still have an impact on higher education.

“I think it is important to recognize that state funding counts a lot for the types of experiences that students have, even if it is only a small portion of the total university budget,” he said.

School of Medicine receives $15.2M gift from estate of comedian Garry Shandling

The David Geffen School of Medicine received $15.2 million to further its research, according to a university press release.

Garry Shandling, a comedian, actor and previous patient at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, died March 2016 and left $15.2 million from his estate to expand research in the division of endocrinology, diabetes and hypertension; the division of infectious diseases; and the UCLA Agi Hirshberg Center for Pancreatic Diseases.

The funds will be used to establish the Garry Shandling Endocrine Surgery Research Fund, the Garry Shandling Infectious Diseases Innovation Fund, the Garry Shandling Pancreatic Diseases Fund and the Garry Shandling Medical Research Fund.

The Garry Shandling Medical Research Fund will be dedicated to general medical research and will be managed by the School of Medicine’s dean.

Shandling had a four-decadelong career in show business as a sitcom writer and stand-up comedian. He created the sitcoms “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show” and “The Larry Sanders Show.”

He was also previously a patient at the UCLA medical center, where he underwent surgery for hyperparathyroidism, a rare condition that can result in heart attacks.

The grant is a part of the UCLA Centennial Campaign, which recently surpassed its goal of raising $4.2 billion by December 2019.

Forgive yourself more: A study suggests it may help prevent cognitive decline

Self-forgiveness may be the key to preventing cognitive impairment, according to a paper published by a UCLA researcher.

Researchers found lower levels of self-forgiveness were associated with greater hostility and cognitive impairment after conducting a study of a sample of American adults over 10 years.

Past research has shown that high hostility was related to poorer results on health indicators, such as body mass index, insulin resistance, lipid ratio, alcohol consumption and smoking behavior.

In this study, some participants exhibited a decreased ability to perform cognitive tasks that affect the quality of everyday life, such as concentrating and making decisions.

George Slavich, a co-author of the study and an associate professor in psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences, said hostility is one of various factors that contribute to cognitive impairment.

“Cognitive impairment generally increases with age,” Slavich said. “But it does so at a different rate for all of us and can be accelerated by factors such as stress and hostility.”

Researchers sent a survey to 1,084 adults across the country that measured cognitive abilities by asking participants the names of the current and former United States presidents, the answer to a simple subtraction problem, and the date. They also measured forgiveness by asking participants to indicate if they agreed with statements such as “I often feel that no matter what I do now I will never make up for the mistakes I have made in the past.” Researchers tracked cognitive impairment 10 years later in a follow-up study.

Grant Shields, a doctoral student in psychology at UC Davis and a co-author on the study, said he was surprised to find that the forgiveness of others was not as impactful as self-forgiveness. Loren Toussaint, a psychology professor at Luther College and co-author of the paper, said self-forgiveness is more impactful on one’s health because it is harder to escape the intense feelings of shame and guilt when an individual is the perpetrator instead of a victim of hostility.

“When you recognize (you’re the hostile individual), it’s really hard to cope with,” Toussaint said. “Having recognized you treated someone poorly, you have nothing other than (to) sit with that. You can’t get away with it.”

Slavich said, in order to increase someone’s capacity for self-forgiveness, it is important to recognize one’s own faults and take responsibility for mistakes by apologizing and making amends.

“Remember that no one is perfect, that all human beings are fallible, and that feelings of shame and regret are experiences that everyone has from time to time,” Slavich said. “If you’re feeling those things, you’re not weird, you’re just like everyone else.”

Toussaint said he believes everyone possesses the ability to forgive, and individuals can practice and get better at it, which is why it is important for people to become aware of its positive effects.

“Exercise gets all kinds of attention, but self-forgiveness produces about the same benefits as exercising,” Toussaint said. “(Exercising) takes a lot to do, but forgiveness is something everyone can do.”

SFAC members talk transparency concerns after rejecting administrator salary cap

This post was updated Feb. 7 at 3:15 p.m.

Student fee allocators offered mixed views on whether their committee takes enough student input into consideration in light of the committee’s rejection of a proposal to cap UCLA administrators’ salaries.

The Student Fee Advisory Committee rejected a proposal from the Graduate Student Association to cap the salary of UCLA administrators at $202,000 per year Jan. 22.

GSA first proposed to cap administrative pay in November. Michael Skiles, the GSA president, said GSA passed the proposal hoping money that would otherwise go to administrators could be used to address issues of food insecurity and housing among students.

“We feel it is unethical that executives are exorbitantly compensated while students and workers are struggling with basic needs,” Skiles said.

Chancellor Gene Block has an annual salary of $469,172, which is higher than that of the highest-paid governor in the U.S., who makes $202,000 and of the U.S. president, who earns $400,000 per year.

Students currently pay $1,128 in student services fees per year, which are meant to fund various campus and student services. SFAC – composed of undergraduate, graduate, faculty and administrative representatives – is charged with providing budgetary recommendations to Block regarding where these fees should go. Block then makes the final decision regarding allotment.

Jazz Kiang, a student at the UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies and the chair of SFAC, said in an email statement that student representatives allow for the student population to have a voice in the allocation process.

However, Zak Fisher, a graduate student at the UCLA School of Law and member of SFAC, said he believes representatives voted against the proposal because they did not want to jeopardize their relationship with the chancellor even though they believed the proposal would have benefited students.

Fisher said he thinks administrators with half-a-million dollar salaries should not be prioritized over students.

“It’s not morally acceptable for that situation to be going on. Basically people are getting filthy rich working in administration at this school while students are starving, living in cars,” Fisher said.

Skiles said students’ incomes often do not help them meet basic expenses, citing a University of California Undergraduate Experience Survey which found 37 percent of UCLA undergraduates experience some level of food insecurity.

The members of the committee who voted against the proposal declined to comment.

Fisher said the rejection of the proposal led to conversations about transparency for students and conflicts of interest within the committee.

For instance, he said a member of the committee spoke on behalf of their campus organization asking for funds, and given the influence and position, the request is likely to be given different treatment.

He also said he believes students do not know where their fees are going, let alone that there is a committee that meets every Tuesday to decide where funds should be allocated. As a result, Fisher said he feels the best interests of students are often not kept in mind.

“I’ve been shocked, frankly, at the way the committee conducts itself, and the lack of transparency and lack of accountability,” Fisher said. “The general sentiment among … student representatives and administrative representatives is that we’re not really there to represent the students.”

The committee has had difficulties in the past with lack of student input in regard to their budget decisions, but it aims to support vulnerable student populations, such as those from low-income and nontraditional backgrounds, by appointing student representatives from underserved communities, Kiang said in an email statement.

Kiang also said he thinks the committee is already transparent enough because SFAC meetings are open to the public and students have access to the budget information online.

Residents find convenience, community at alternative housing option PodShare

Andrei Atanasovski said PodShare is the only housing he can afford within walking distance from campus.

“I’m pretty sure without this as a solution I wouldn’t have been able to make it through my program,” Atanasovski said.

The Westwood PodShare, a housing community on Hilgard Avenue, offers hostel-style living for its residents, said Elvina Beck, PodShare founder and CEO. PodShare offers 200 beds across its five locations in Los Angeles, and residents can stay as long as they like at any of the locations.

PodShare could be replaced by a new housing development, which might cause Atanasovski to have to live further away or stop attending UCLA. Atanasovski is completing a professional program in film production at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.

Two physicians filed a plan with the City of Los Angeles in November to build The Agora, a 16-story housing development, at the same location where PodShare is located. Several community organizations, including the Westwood Neighborhood Council and the Holmby Westwood Property Owners Association, oppose the project because they think it will replace affordable housing and cause traffic congestion.

The proposed Agora project would have 462 beds priced at $1,000 to $1,200 a month per bed, said Ted Khalili, co-principal developer of The Agora. If The Agora’s application is approved by the city, PodShare’s lease would end prematurely to make room for the new high-rise building.

PodShare operates differently than a typical apartment complex, Beck said.

PodShare charges residents $40 for one night, $245 for one week and $840 for one month. These fees include housekeeping, water, toiletries and utilities, Beck said. There are no other fees or security deposits.

Ashley Miniard, manager at the Westwood PodShare, said their low prices are the focus of their business model.

“Our business model is based around affordable housing in unaffordable areas” Miniard said.

Beck added renting at PodShare is similar to a gym membership.

“You can work out at any 24 Hour Fitness if you have a membership – for us you can sleep at any PodShare,” Beck said.

Residents are allowed to choose their roommates for each room, with gender-segregated rooms as well as co-ed rooms available for non-binary or transgender residents. Rooms range from 200-300 square feet and accommodate on average three to four people per room.

Rooms are arranged with one bunk bed on either side as well as desk space, cabinet space and space for personal fridges. PodShare also has a communal kitchen with a large fridge for residents to store their personal food.

Miniard added that cooking together with other residents is part of the experience of living at PodShare.

“Most residents go out to eat for breakfast and lunch but dinner is a group activity,” Miniard said.

Other amenities include free towels, coin-operated laundry, daily housekeeping, Wi-Fi, furnishing, a library, 24-hour desk service, and a business center with an iMac and printer.

Beck said most PodShare residents stay two weeks to one month. Since the Westwood location rents primarily to students, most residents typically rent for the full month. About 16 to 20 people have stayed over four months at the Westwood PodShare, Beck said.

She added that on average, 60 to 70 percent of the 90 beds at the Westwood location are occupied.

Atanasovski said he thinks PodShare provides international students with accessible housing.

“It’s a great way for us who are part of UCLA programs but don’t have the right to access or claim student housing,” Atanasovski said .

Vince Augusto, a UCLA Extension student, said he decided to stay longer than intended because of PodShare’s convenience.

“It was supposed to be a short-term stay for me but it was just so good and the price is so good and close to campus so it’s perfect,” Augusto said.

However, Augusto added because many people live in Podshare, it is not as clean as he would like.

“It has its drawbacks, for example the hygiene,” Augusto said. “A lot of people live here so it’s not as neat as a hotel.”

He said he loves the sense of community the program brings.

“I like the fact that I have my own friends here and I get to share a room with them,” Augusto said.

Miniard added she thinks the sense of community helps residents from abroad ease into life in a new environment.

“You have a stranger aspect but you end up hanging out with them and have a bonding experience in a unique place,” Miniard said. “Family generally worry when you’re away, but when you make friends here it really puts them at ease.”