Crazy Falafel debuts low prices, authentic flavors in Westwood

A new falafel restaurant is now open in Westwood Village.

Crazy Falafel opened on the corner of Lindbrook Drive and Westwood Boulevard on Jan. 20 after replacing Mesa Brazilian Eatery. The restaurant serves Mediterranean-style food options and Middle Eastern fusion cuisine.

The restaurant offers a range of food options including falafel burgers, shawarma paninis and rice bowls. Crazy Falafel has two other locations in Tarzana and Granada Hills, both neighborhoods in Los Angeles.

Karim Abdel, the store manager of the Westwood and Granada Hills branches, said Crazy Falafel opened in Westwood to cater to UCLA students and faculty. The restaurant has seen around 200 customers on a daily basis since it opened.

Abdel added he thinks the prices are fair and cheaper compared to other Mediterranean restaurants.

“We do not offer any discounts for students or happy hours because if you go around Westwood, you really cannot find such quality dishes with these prices that we offer,” Abdel said. “So this is already a gift to UCLA students.”

Abdel said he wants to work with the owner of Crazy Falafel to expand to more locations if the Westwood branch is successful.

“We usually open up a branch and we run it for one year and then start looking for another place,” Abdel said. “Our goal is to become a franchise so people could find us everywhere in various places.”

Gregoire Ohanian, an employee of Crazy Falafel, said he initially started working at the Granada Hills branch, but was sent to Westwood to train employees at the new location.

“The Granada Hills branch is very busy and the job could get tiring because it is long hours,” he said. “We see close to 100 customers within the hours of 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., known as our rush hours.”

Ohanian, who is from the Middle East, said he is excited to incorporate flavors from home into Crazy Falafel’s food options.

“Sometimes the way they make hummus here is different so I always express my opinion that it should be more authentic and it has been welcomed, so I like (the food) better as how it tastes now,” he said.

Lauren Finkle, a fourth-year English student, said she originally planned to go to Mesa Brazilian Eatery, but ate at Crazy Falafel instead after finding out it closed.

“I came for the Brazilian place that used to be here and so coincidentally I was actually coming for the Brazilian food and I did not realize that they switched it out,” Finkle said. “I have had kabobs and shawarmas previously and I’ve liked it.”

Blake Colling, a graduate student in the school of dentistry, said he thinks Crazy Falafel’s prices are affordable for students.

“My dish was a bit more on (the) expensive side, but compared to other places, I think their price range is good,” he said.

JD Markel, a business owner in Westwood, said he enjoyed the falafel dish and would consider coming back, especially since the restaurant is located right by his workplace.

“I work just a block away and I have been waiting for this place to open so I could come in and try it,” Markel said. “I had the falafel plate and it was very special and crunchy – some of the best I ever had.”

UCLA Health pauses chair selection process to address diversity, transparency concerns

UCLA Health and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA administrators halted their search for a new psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences department chair to address faculty concerns about diversity, leadership logistics and transparency.

Administrators began seeking a replacement for the current executive chair, Peter Whybrow, after he announced his retirement in 2018.

Faculty members said in two town halls Jan. 7 and Jan. 10 that the search committee created to find Whybrow’s replacement was not sufficiently diverse to find a candidate who would understand the needs of Los Angeles’ minority communities. Out of the 11 original members on the search committee, 10 were white and eight were men.

They also questioned UCLA Health’s intention to divide Whybrow’s former leadership roles into two positions, the head of the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and a separate psychiatric chair. Some faculty said they believe this may create a false distinction between the roles of the Semel Institute and the department of psychiatry.

Administrators said they originally intended to appoint a chair for the department of psychiatry first, then use the chair’s input to appoint a “visionary leader” for the Semel Institute, according to an email sent by UCLA Health administrators.

Administrators sent an email to faculty Jan. 25 stating they would hold six to eight weeks of small group meetings with faculty to discuss their concerns. They also announced they would be adopting changes to the search committee to make it more diverse.

UCLA Health faculty spoke to the Daily Bruin on the condition of anonymity because they were concerned for their job security.

Diversity

During a town hall Jan. 10, faculty expressed their disappointment with the lack of diversity on the search committee appointed to provide a shortlist of candidates for the chair position.

Faculty said they were concerned because they felt the committee’s demographics did not reflect those of UCLA or Los Angeles.

In response, administrators said they would make changes to the search committee.

Employee A said she believes the composition of the first committee indicated administrators do not prioritize diversity, despite their enforcement of bias training and other diversity measures for faculty.

She added that administrators were not setting an adequate example by appointing a committee that did not reflect the Los Angeles community.

“What are the higher-ups modeling to us?” Employee A said. “It looks like they’re giving lip service to the issues of diversity, but in their actions they’re not really following through.”

Employee D said research from the Association of American Medical Colleges showed diverse search committees were better at choosing leaders who valued equity and inclusion.

Employee D added he thought the Semel Institute did not do enough research on issues affecting racial, linguistic or sexual minorities, as well as those affecting people with disabilities.

“If the leadership … doesn’t push to motivate everyone to ask scientific questions that generalize more broadly to people that historically have been underrepresented in science, then we just perpetuate the same type of science over and over again,” Employee D said.

Employee B said she thinks existing racial disparities in the department of psychiatry have been continually ignored.

“It’s very clear that people of color don’t have the same opportunities; the positions that people of color fill are not permanent positions, they have to make their own salaries and their areas of expertise aren’t necessarily looked at as something that should be included in some of the permanent programs,” Employee B said.

Employee B said she thinks administrators’ limited efforts to promote diversity indicated issues of race will continue to be ignored under whoever is chosen to be the new department chair.

“I think before we begin to discuss how the department should be structured, I think we ought to be sure that the opportunities for people of color are the same as for anybody else, and that’s just not being attended to,” Employee B said.

Two versus one

Administrators said in an email statement they plan to divide Whybrow’s leadership position into two separate ones because they want to prevent conflict between the goals of the Semel Institute and the department of psychiatry.

They said they think the role of the Semel Institute is to conduct research into both basic and psychiatric neuroscience. By contrast, they said the department of psychiatry was intended for solely psychiatric research, as well as teaching and clinical care.

Faculty said they think the administrators’ plan to establish a separate director of the Semel Institute was intended to use the Institute’s resources to prioritize basic neuroscience research over research into psychiatry and clinical care.

Employee E said that the Semel Institute had been originally established as a hospital and institution for psychiatric research. He added UCLA Health and school of medicine leaders were justifying the change based on an incorrect understanding of the established purpose of the Semel Institute.

“I believe that the administration is misinterpreting that, thinking that they have the ability of turning a neuropsychiatric institute into neuroscience research institute,” Employee E said.

Employee G said she opposed dividing the leadership position because she believes it gives the false impression that the Semel Institute and the psychiatric department are splitting into separate entities.

“I think a world-class leader in psychiatry would come because of that integrated mission, and the ability to work across those different domains,” Employee G said.

Employee F said he believes the administration should continue to support research that integrates neuroscience, psychiatry and other disciplines, as has been the tradition of the Semel Institute.

“The idea that (the Semel Institute should) actually be connected to our clinical and teaching missions is not at all considered in their proposal, and I believe it would seriously undermine that,” Employee F said.

Employee E said the Semel Institute contains the majority of the two institutions’ full-time staff positions and resources. He added the administrators’ proposal would lead the chair of psychiatry to become dependent on the director of the Semel Institute because the department of psychiatry would have insufficient resources.

“This would put a constant tension and conflict between the two,” Employee E said.

Employee F said the separation would hinder interdisciplinary study.

“Our greatest success has been getting very large grants that bring together basic and clinical scientists,” Employee F said. “The proposed structure undermines that and will make it more difficult to do the kind of translational interdisciplinary research that we’re known for.”

Faculty response

In order to continue deliberations, administrators proposed meeting with faculty in small groups in the coming six to eight weeks. Some faculty believe this process inhibits transparency by not allowing faculty to openly discuss their concerns with each other in an open forum.

Employee F said he believes this decision is calculated to weaken faculty’s voice as a unit.

“I believe that it’s actually an attempt to try to defuse the tension that they experienced when they actually did confront a unified group of us,” Employee F said.

Employee G said the proposal for small group meetings is not transparent because she thinks making a decision about dividing the leadership positions requires input from the entire campus over a longer time period.

“I think there needs to be a large group, thoughtful engagement, across the (department), not hand-selected small groups,” Employee G said.

Employee G added she thinks most faculty share these concerns.

“It is more importantly about the process by which the proposals happen and the lack of input that anybody has had into it,” Employee G said. “I think this could be incredibly destructive, the process.”

Employee C said despite a lack of clarity moving forward, she believes the conversation is moving in a positive direction.

“I think it’s very unclear exactly what ‘putting off’ means, I think it’s unclear exactly what a more diverse committee will look like,” she said. “But I think that it feels like things are moving in a better direction.”

Students don’t know enough about e-cigarettes. UCLA should fix that.

We’ve all been traumatized from a young age by the disturbing anti-smoking commercials showing images of diseased lungs and former smokers using a voice box. By the time we were old enough to buy cigarettes, we understood they were bad for us.

But this was the early 2000s, and e-cigarettes hadn’t become popular.

Fast forward to 2019: Cigarettes are out, and vaping is in. Vaping on college campuses has become a social phenomenon, with students vaping anywhere: in their dorms, in frat parties and even in class. Companies such as Juul Labs have appealed to younger demographics, creating popular vape flavors, like mango and creme, and devices that can look like sleek USB drives to parents and teachers. According to the National Center for Health Research, Juuls have more than twice the concentration of nicotine than similar e-cigarettes, increasing the risk of addiction.

Despite vaping’s popularity, UCLA does not address its risks to students. The UCLA Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center provides a limited supply of nicotine replacement patches and gum to students interested in quitting smoking. That and providing various links on quitting smoking is the extent of UCLA’s efforts. And none of these resources specifically target e-cigarettes.

It’s clear e-cigarettes pose harm to students. UCLA should provide up-to-date information to Bruins on the effects of e-cigarettes through online programs and facilitated conversations with health professionals. The popularity of e-cigarettes is not a fad. It’s time for UCLA to step up its game and take a more active role in its students’ mental and physical health.

UCLA spokesperson Katherine Alvarado said the university officially became smoke- and tobacco-free in 2013.

The policy, implemented on Earth Day, was mainly for environmental reasons and lacks an educational stance. There are no specifics on why e-cigarettes are banned, what makes them dangerous to students and no further discussion on the topic. The policy simply outlines a timeline of the progression of tobacco-related diseases, a fact already drilled in our minds from childhood.

Not surprisingly, students have not obeyed the rules and have continued to use e-cigarettes on campus. While e-cigarettes may seem like a good alternative, in addition to nicotine, they contain other harmful ingredients, including ultra-fine particles that can get inhaled deep into the lungs, heavy metals like lead and tin, and diacetyl, a chemical linked to lung disease.

E-cigarettes can also lead to health risks, such as nicotine addiction, mood disorders and permanent drops in impulse control. Nicotine can harm the parts of the brain that control attention and learning. In fact, the National Institute on Drug Abuse found evidence to suggest that e-cigarettes serve as a gateway to other tobacco products.

Nick Eischens, a fourth-year economics student who recently quit vaping, said e-cigarettes aren’t perceived the same way cigarettes are.

“People don’t see it as a substance. It’s more of an accessory,” he said. “People do smoke tricks with it and people think it’s sick. But it’s obviously a substance and it is addictive.”

Moreover, a significant number of labels on e-cigarette liquid nicotine containers are inaccurate.

While college students maintain freedom to decide for themselves, it’s the job of the university to educate them about the health concerns. College students aren’t aware of all the things they need to know about e-cigarettes and should be adequately informed. After all, according to an annual national survey of 40,000 to 50,000 students from the University of Michigan’s 2016 Monitoring the Future study, the majority of youth e-cigarette users think they vaped only flavoring, not nicotine.

Sabina Selzer, a first-year geography/environmental studies student, said while e-cigarettes may not be as bad for your body, their effects are still dangerous.

“They’re both highly addictive products if you’re inhaling something,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if e-cigarettes are a little bit better for you, they’re just as bad mentally.”

UCLA already requires entering students to complete online modules on alcohol consumption and should implement a course on e-cigarette usage as well. New Student Orientation could also facilitate conversations between students and health professionals about nicotine so Bruins can enter campus in the fall equipped to make the best decisions.

Some might argue this isn’t the university’s concern and that UCLA already educates students on harmful substances. However, UCLA has taken an active role in educating students about other pressing topics on campus, such as the issues of sexual assault, alcohol use in fraternity parties and substance abuse. Many students aren’t informed on what e-cigarettes are or the harm they can cause because they’re just not given the information. Students are likely to fall for peer pressure and intriguing advertising from vaping companies, and UCLA can deter that.

“Like with smoking, people all thought when it first came out that it was OK. Then they were later finding out it was linked to lung cancer. Since vaping is newer, there is more to be found out,” said Darci VanRyckeghen, a third-year psychology student.

E-cigarettes are the new craze. UCLA shouldn’t let the smoke cloud the obvious.

UCSD chancellor’s renown shouldn’t affect the investigation into his bullying

One man’s success is another man’s failure – or in the University of California, San Diego’s case, potentially more than seven people’s threatened livelihoods.

Oh, and that one man might just be the chancellor.

The Los Angeles Times reported earlier this month that Pradeep Khosla, UCSD’s chancellor, may be under investigation by the UC Office of the President for bullying fellow employees. Seven current or former employees told the San Diego Union-Tribune that Khosla was threatening, insulting, demeaning or rude.

The alleged investigation has so far been kept under wraps. UCOP spokesperson Claire Doan declined to comment on whether an investigation was underway. Judy Piercey, UCSD’s senior director of strategic marketing communications, said the university is cooperating with UCOP’s “investigation into this matter and will carefully review the findings and any recommendations,” but flip-flopped the next day, stating she could not comment on any investigation.

The discussion of Khosla’s workplace conduct has consequently been kicked to the court of public opinion. And let’s just say, people have had some pretty bad takes.

The Union-Tribune spoke to more than 50 current and former UCSD staff and faculty members, who discussed everything from how Khosla is a visionary to how his behavior caused staffers to seek psychological therapy. The 61-year-old chancellor has been a boon to UCSD, overseeing the expansion of enrollment, facilities and private donations at a time when state investment in universities has been all but sufficient. The age-old debate of whether professional success excuses workplace conduct has thus bubbled up in the public forum.

But, for crying out loud, let’s stop with the archaic, unproductive squabbles about workplace misconduct being excusable.

Charisma and professional achievement are not permissible reasons for temperamental shortcomings, especially at the upper echelons of the administrative ladder. No amount of “thick skin” will change the fact that higher education institutions, including the UC, have historically looked past substantiated misconduct by often powerful men because of their academic or philanthropic contributions. The result has been the perpetuation of coercive administrative circles and the tarnishing of the University’s name.

There’s little room for debate. If the allegations against Khosla are true, the UC better show him the door.

Naturally, faculty and administrators supportive of Khosla’s work have pushed back. The chancellor has, in a short seven years, ballooned interest and resources at UCSD, achieving what most others before him couldn’t. And his characteristic, confrontational and blunt speech that includes jabs at his colleagues has been at the center of his allure and fast-paced growth of the previously sleepy, eucalyptus tree-riddled university.

Kimberly Prather, a distinguished chair in atmospheric chemistry at UCSD, for example, reminded the Union-Tribune of the adage: If you want to make everyone happy, don’t become a leader – sell ice cream.

But the allegations against Khosla’s conduct go as far back as 2014, when a former administrator, who went on the record to the Union-Tribune, contacted UCOP on behalf of 11 employees who complained of bullying by Khosla. This isn’t the case of just a couple of disgruntled employees; it’s serious cause for concern.

Moreover, the “success excuses everything” mentality has wrought the UC more than enough heartburn.

That mindset encouraged UCLA faculty and Title IX administrators to brush off sexual harassment allegations in 2008 against Gabriel Piterberg, a former UCLA history professor, simply as part of his demeanor – an apparently passable reason given Piterberg’s contributions and leadership of the university’s Center for Near Eastern Studies and his impressive research. The damning allegations, however, were later proven true and resulted in his removal from the university nearly a decade later after a slog of rightfully negative media coverage and community outrage.

Similarly, Sujit Choudhry, the former UC Berkeley law dean who sexually harassed his executive assistant, was, because of his stature, allowed to remain a faculty member in “good standing“ a year after being stripped of his position. This high-profile screw-up by the UC arguably prompted a state auditor to publish a scathing audit that UC Berkeley, UCLA and UC Davis had not consistently disciplined faculty who were subject to multiple sexual harassment complaints.

The allegations against Khosla aren’t as egregious as these, and it’s encouraging to see UCSD’s administrators cooperate with UCOP’s more-likely-than-not investigation of the chancellor. But in light of a history of men of power mistreating others and getting away with minimal discipline – despite the UC having clear consequences for workplace misconduct all the way up to termination – the UC has a lot of work to do in showing it cares for staff afflicted by its toxic ivory towers.

No, the chancellor isn’t yet guilty of intimidating his colleagues. And no, his charisma and no-nonsense disposition aren’t being put on trial. What’s being questioned is whether he accosted his colleagues and whether his behavior detracted from UCSD’s administrative workplace. How many buildings he constructed and how much the university endowment grew are irrelevant to the discussion.

Sure, Khosla certainly isn’t in the business of becoming an ice cream vendor. But he and other chancellors should at least have the decency of one.

Interactive exhibit showcases beauty standards from around the world

A room in Kerckhoff Hall will transport visitors around the world with the help of a special passport – one that earns stamps for body positivity, rather than the number of countries visited.

Hosted by the Undergraduate Students Association Council Student Wellness Commission Body Image Task Force, Unfollowing Beauty Standards is the final event of I Love My Body Week. The event, unfolding at Kerckhoff Art Gallery on Friday, will highlight beauty standards that exist outside the Eurocentric viewpoint many UCLA students are exposed to. Such standards have pervaded cultures around the world, said Mihika Sridhar, a third-year microbiology, immunology, and molecular genetics student and research director for BITF. Divided into continental regions, such as South Asia and North Africa, the exhibit will emphasize various indigenous populations that have remained untouched by post-colonial influence, later moving into the historical repercussions of how beauty standards in general have evolved, Sridhar said.

“Many cultural standards of beauty are the complete opposite of what you and I deem beautiful, and it’s eye-opening to see how it was in the past is still that way now,” Sridhar said.

The exhibit itself is framed as a travel narrative where students will interact with BITF members as they walk down the line of tables. With approximately nine informational poster boards set up, visitors can read, listen and speak to various task force members about their responses to the information. If they interact with the information presented, by talking to task members, for instance, the students will receive stickers to put on body positivity passports handed to them at the entrance. Those who obtain all nine stickers will receive a baseball hat, Sridhar said.

One poster board details beauty standards from various Pacific Islands, such as Hawaii, Samoa, New Zealand and Guam, many of which are still adhered to today, Sridhar said. For example, some island cultures laud those who may be considered overweight. For men, the extra weight translates to strength and power, while women with larger figures are viewed as fertile and healthy, Sridhar said. Body adornments, such as symbolic tattoos, are also thought to be more emphasized when displayed on a larger figure. These standards differ greatly from the European model of a slender figure, blond hair and blue eyes, said Malia Gutierrez, a fourth-year sociology student and co-director of BITF. Many poster boards will be accompanied by photographs of islanders, while others will use magazine covers to show side-by-side comparisons of celebrities, which reflect the Hollywood beauty standards most college students are exposed to.

“With college students, we’re at an age where we’re most susceptible to media and societal standards. We’re influenced by what we see and believe that’s what we should live up to and that’s completely false,” Gutierrez said. “I might think that people I see on Instagram is the norm, but it’s just a beautiful lie.”

The event also harkens back to traditions buried deeper in time. Diving into ancient Egyptian culture, the exhibit includes a poster board to show the emphasis on bodily grooming, particularly in terms of hair removal from the entire body. Ancient Egyptians also relied on natural sources for makeup, like kohl for lining the eyes, and invented several precursors for the modern beauty routine – one of the first forms of lipstick was crushing bugs to achieve the coveted crimson hue, Sridhar said.

Transitioning into the effects of Western hegemony, the event also delves into the effects that colonial influence has had on Eastern beauty standards. Precolonial India based its sense of beauty largely on class dynamics: Women with curvy, motherly figures donning brighter colors were the epitome of classical beauty. After the British dominated India, skin lightening swept through the country, Sridhar said.

Similarly, in Southeast and East Asia, darker skin was associated with toiling in the fields and tied to the peasantry class, said Alyssa Tabula, a fourth-year psychobiology student and co-director of BITF. Even though the monolid is a common Asian feature, she said, many East Asians have makeup practices that try to distract from them and make their eyelids look fuller and more European. Another poster board, complete with photos of women and makeup examples, will elaborate on this trend.

“It’s important to realize beauty standards aren’t real and just because you may not fit them doesn’t make you not beautiful,” Tabula said. “There are different ways to approach the term ‘beauty,’ and you don’t have to look like one specific person to be considered beautiful.”

Sridhar said that, by showcasing the variety of beauty standards held around the world, the event aims to emphasize the strength of individuality and self-confidence. She said she also hopes the event will make students more historically conscious of why Western influence is present in so many beauty ideals.

“We are a diverse school with a lot of international students, but it’s often difficult to engage with those different spheres of student life and then beyond in the world,” Sridhar said. “Any sort of educational event where people get a chance to appreciate rather than appropriate culture is important for being more empathetic and more knowledgeable humans.”

Student channels her self-confidence through burlesque in her new club

Belicia Tang traded in colorful ribbons for glamorous high heels.

A serious knee injury at the age of 15 took a toll on the third-year psychology student’s self-esteem, forcing her to quit rhythmic gymnastics and turn to other forms of self-expression. Tang, a former Daily Bruin staffer, said she fell in love with the sensuality of Latin ballroom dancing, and the style is much less demanding on her knees. Over the next few years, she said she established her identity as a confident dancer and person.

Tang officially founded the newly formed Bruin Burlesque club on campus at the beginning of this quarter with the driving philosophy of instilling confidence in students through the sensual dance form. The club meets once a week for one- or two-hour dance workshops in the Hedrick Movement Studio, open to students with any experience or skill level. Inspired by JoJo Gomez and other famous femme-style choreographers on YouTube, Tang develops and teaches dance routines to songs by feminine pop artists, including Ariana Grande and Britney Spears. Although the burlesque style can sometimes be associated with strip tease, Tang said strip tease is not a part of her workshops, as she thinks students may feel uncomfortable. Instead, Tang said she hopes to foster self-assurance through burlesque movements.

“There was just something about Latin ballroom, the confidence of these ladies moving in such sexy ways, that really appealed to me and I was like, ‘I want to move like that and I want to look and feel as confident as these women do,’” Tang said. “I used to be really shy but then dance really helped me break out of my shell and that’s what I want to give to these people.”

Several dance organizations on campus are starting to represent femme style, such as Dancesport Club at UCLA, a ballroom dancing club formed in 2017, and some of UCLA’s competitive dance groups, such as NSU Modern. But Bruin Burlesque is the first purely burlesque dance club on campus, Tang said. Burlesque is not a style that many people are exposed to, she said, especially at UCLA where urban dance and hip-hop are part of a long-established culture. Because there are not many dancers in the UCLA community familiar with the style, Tang said she is not able to turn to anyone or invite guest choreographers to help her teach. Instead, every week, she learns femme-style choreography from famous YouTube choreographers such as Yanis Marshall, to teach the Bruin Burlesque members.

Third-year international development studies student Alexandra Tucker has had previous experience with traditional dance styles, but said she decided to join the club to expand her repertoire and experiment with a style of dance new to her. She said the sensual style encourages her to develop a bold stage presence and a stronger connection to the music.

“We’ve only had a few workshops so far but it’s really fun. … It kind of relies more on your ability to interpret the movement more than just technique,” Tucker said. “It’s just for casual fun and there is no pressure, but you definitely get something out of it.”

Tang’s typical two-hour workshop begins with warmup stretches and across-the-floor exercises such as sassy walks or improvisation to music. Then, they work on burlesque technique, including hip isolations and body waves. If there is time toward the end, Tang said she likes to break the students into smaller groups so they have the chance to perform in front of one another. The point of small groups, Tang said, is to get the students out of their comfort zones and to teach them how to let go of any inhibition and perform. During the very first workshop held during week nine of fall quarter, Tang said the students felt uncomfortable showcasing their sassiest walk across the floor. But, by the end, she had them performing in small groups in front of each other.

“They were really nervous about that too, but I just loved it when I saw it on their faces – their relief and their smiles,” Tang said. “I do think they grew a lot in that single workshop because it pushed them out of their comfort zone so much.”

Kendall Kaufmann, a third-year civil engineering student and Tang’s high school friend, said the club has become an important part of improving her mental and physical health this quarter because it is such an enjoyable form of self-expression.

“(The workshops are) a really positive environment. Every time, (Tang) sort of starts it like, ‘Take a deep breath everyone, keep an open mind,’” Kaufmann said. “And that sort of puts you in the right mindset.”

A big part of being confident, Tang said, is expressing self-assurance through body language by learning to become comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. Through her own experience, Tang said becoming a more confident person has opened up many windows of opportunity for her, making it easier to talk to people and better handle nerves, and she hopes burlesque will have the same effects on others.

“Confidence is something that takes a lot of time. It’s a lifelong process, but I think in terms of social confidence, in terms of confidence in your body and in the way you move, those are things that … you can really work on through these workshops,” Tang said. “My goal is to be able to give them that way, that method of becoming confident through dancing.”

Plans for Sepulveda Pass rail station near UCLA are en route for completion by 2035

Los Angeles Metro representatives discussed plans to launch a station on UCLA’s campus for a proposed rail line at a community meeting Wednesday.

Metro discussed the feasibility of different transportation concepts for the Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project, a proposed rail line intended to connect the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles International Airport and the Westside.

Cory Zelmer, the project manager of the STC Project, said the STC aims to connect the LA County region as a whole across the Sepulveda Pass.

“What Sepulveda introduces is very much a regional service,” Zelmer said. “This is, in essence, collecting passengers from at least all the other transit lines in the valley and shuttling them through the pass to get them to the Westside or vice versa.”

Dave Sotero, a Metro spokesperson, said Metro conducted a feasibility study on the STC Project and identified a potential location for a station on the UCLA campus. The station would be near the future Purple Line Extension station in Westwood, which is planned to be completed in 2026.

“It’s a narrowing process, but right now as of this round of community meetings, we have identified a potential station on the campus,” Sotero said.

Sotero added Metro is considering adding a stop on campus because studies have shown that UCLA has a high volume of traffic.

“I’ve seen numbers of 50,000 people a day travel to the campus so it’s a huge generator of trips and it’s a huge destination for people throughout the LA County area,” Sotero said. “So this project is proposed to help people go where they need to go, and UCLA is certainly a key destination along this corridor.”

Sotero said building the transit line over the Sepulveda Pass, a mountain pass which goes through the Santa Monica Mountains that divides San Fernando Valley and the Westside, would be challenging, but necessary to reduce traffic.

“It’s a critical need,” Sotero said. “If you look at a map of this area, there’s only one direct freeway connection between the Westside and the Valley, which is the dreaded 405.”

Sotero said the STC would help reduce transit times from San Fernando Valley to the Westside from nearly two hours in heavy traffic to less than half an hour.

“What we’re finding through this feasibility study is that you could shave a lot of time off this commute,” Sotero said. “Driving could take up to two hours for a trip in the morning, whereas it could take you 15 to 25 minutes on a high-capacity transit line.”

Sotero said while it is difficult to predict fares for the proposed train line, he does not think it will cost very much for students.

“This would be a part of the Metro system,” Sotero said. “We have discounted fares for students, and if there is some sort of adjustment to the fares, I don’t anticipate it will be a high price anyway for UCLA students.”

Sotero said Metro is currently considering several rail line concepts to find the most effective means of travel.

“One concept we’re looking at is the heavy rail concept and the other is the monorail transit concept,” Sotero said. “Both of them have their trade-offs in terms of benefits and challenges.”

Sotero said the heavy-rail transit and monorail concepts would include above ground transport, which could be challenging to construct in heavily populated areas along the pass.

“There are challenges associated with doing aerial structures in a close area like the Sepulveda Pass where there’s not a lot of room to build such structures,” Sotero said.

Zachary Pizzo, a San Fernando Valley resident who attended the meeting, said he thinks the heavy rail concept would better serve the community than the monorail concept.

“The speed of going from the Valley to the Westside is important for growing the project’s functionality,” Pizzo said. “I think the use of the heavy rail allows for more expansion versus the monorail.”

Sotero said the Metro aims to complete the STC by 2035 using revenue from Measure M, a sales tax to raise money for public transportation and roads.

“This particular project is scheduled for completion in 2035 under the Measure M ordinance,” Sotero said. “We’re trying to build faster than that and we’re looking at ways we could more quickly build the project; a potential way we could do that is with a public-private partnership.”

Zelmer said a portion of the project, the Westside-Valley section, is eligible for accelerated construction for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic games under the Metro’s Twenty-Eight by ’28 Initiative. This initiative aims to provide 28 Metro projects with additional resources for accelerated completion by 2028.