Throwback Thursday: Recent ban on hard alcohol attempts to combat same pattern of problems from 1986

Throwback Thursdays are our chance to reflect on past events on or near campus and relate them to the present day. Each week, we showcase and analyze an old article from the Daily Bruin archives in an effort to chronicle the campus’ history.

The consequences of alcohol misuse have long loomed over UCLA fraternities – long before the new regulations on alcohol consumption were put in place last September.

In fact, it’s been happening for more than 30 years.

In February 1986, after it was denied insurance coverage because of too many alcohol-related incidents, the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity joined what was then called “the ranks of dry rushers,” according to a Daily Bruin article published at the time. The resolution, drafted by what was then referred to as the “high council,” demanded the fraternity discontinue alcohol service at rush events, as well as regulate alcohol consumption at parties and limit admission to the parties to invitation only.

Thirty-two years later, and it seems we are still fighting the same battles.

While fraternities originated in the U.S. in the late 1700s as secret societies that discussed social, political and literary theory that was barred from academic curriculum, alcohol misuse is now as deeply embedded into the culture as intellectual discussion used to be.

Two months ago, the North-American Interfraternity Conference gave UCLA fraternities until Sept. 1, 2019 to ban all drinks with an alcohol content of more than 15 percent. The council made the decision after two alcohol-related deaths occurred at fraternities in the organization. Its resolution included nothing about the nature of party invitations, even though a limit on who can attend the parties has always been a fixture in fraternity culture.

Any female party-goer can attest to the disproportionate ratio between the sexes. While there are no formal invitations to fraternity parties anymore, it goes without saying that unless you are female or have some sort of connection to the fraternity, it can be difficult to gain entry to these events.

And, unfortunately there seems to be a growing association with Greek life and sexual harrassment.

The resolutions of 1986 and 2018 intended to prevent precisely such incidents, as well as alcohol-related deaths. The nature of these accidents may differ from year to year, but their ubiquity has sadly withstood the ravages of time.

The 1986 ban contended “fraternities need to actively regulate alcohol consumption themselves.” That advice clearly wasn’t taken to heart.

“Until the Greeks understand the true severity of unregulated alcohol abuse, such resolutions may be just a public relations ploy,” the Daily Bruin’s then-Editorial Board wrote.

The same holds true today – if this resolution is only successful in diminishing public concern about alcohol misuse, then there may be no point in pursuing it. Just in January, the Daily Bruin Editorial Board expressed its concern about student safety at parties and suggested fraternities should institute an indefinite alcohol ban.

The fact that a subsequent, more overarching ban was necessary just 32 years later goes to show internal regulation might not be the most effective method. Still, the 2018 resolution asks NIC-member fraternities to be responsible for enforcing the ban.

Only time will tell whether all party organizers will abide by the ban. In the meantime, we at least know UCLA fraternities are taking strides toward doing what the then-editorial board wrote “is needed throughout the entire Greek system:” reform.

Course readers continue to burden students’ wallets, lines pockets of publishers

Westwood may seem safe on the surface, but, as any student could tell you, it’s an academic wild west. Like a stray bullet in the midst of a bar fight, this student was hit by a painful surprise this quarter: an $80 charge for a course reader.

Course readers are paper-bound, custom-printed collections of materials that instructors can choose to prepare for classes. They can offer a flexible and curated alternative to traditional textbooks.

However, they can also be exorbitantly expensive. Additionally, it can be difficult to hold instructors accountable for conflicts of interest or quality issues in the course readers they assign. For example, a course reader that is currently used for an upper division computer network class predicts the results of wireless technology will come out in “early 2002” – yes, that’s future tense.

Complaints about course readers go back nearly as far. Students from the early aughts wrote against high prices and the costs of copyright licenses. With 400 to 500 courses utilizing course readers each year, they impact thousands of students. In the last decade, students have continued to be affected by prices, and the format itself has been critiqued with the rise of digital outlets like CCLE.

Students are at the mercy of the educational materials they are obligated to purchase and use. Course readers can be expensive, largely because of licensing issues with publishers and professors themselves. Students have little recourse when holding professors accountable and for communicating their issues, and UCLA should better regulate course reader offerings.

Certainly, course readers aren’t inherently bad. They can lead to a better experience, if used correctly.

“I was having students order these quite expensive books, most of which we weren’t using,” said Saree Makdisi, a professor in the English department, on using “The Norton Anthology of English Literature” in his English 10B class. “Plus, I was supplementing on top of them.”

Makdisi created a course reader that includes readings directly aligning with the course curriculum. It contains nearly everything a student needs for his class and can be purchased for $21 from the course reader store. A set of “The Norton Anthology of English Literature” runs for about $65 dollars on Amazon.

However, costs aren’t always so low, and it isn’t always clear why.

Guy Adams, manager at the Associated Students UCLA Course Reader Solutions office, said the cost of the readers sold at the course reader store consists of materials, operational expenses and, in certain cases, copyright fees. These fees can comprise a major part of the price students pay. UCLA does have agreements with some publishers to ameliorate this issue, but not all.

“Faculty that own the material themselves are just like any other source to us,” Adams said.

The majority of professors who own the copyright to their work may agree to waive associated fees at the ASUCLA store, but they aren’t required to. They aren’t obligated to go through the Student Union-controlled course reader store at all, but can get their work published at a number of stores in Westwood, all with idiomatic licensing rules and costs. Adams said some professors reportedly don’t realize they may be signing away such rights to waive fees when writing for another company.

All this means the prices of course readers go up. If professors are responsible for copyright fees, students aren’t likely to know or be able to do anything about it.

Departments can address this by more thoroughly evaluating materials, in terms of content and cost. Professors should be better informed about intellectual property pitfalls, and be held more accountable for their choices. They should also give students a way to provide input or complaints about the quality and cost of materials in an easily accessible and clear manner.

More thorough departmental review of educational materials can also help prevent abuse of course reader assignments. Departments can create policies that encourage more accountability.

Some departments have already moved in the right direction. Last year, the chemistry and biochemistry department required professors to provide no-cost educational options and inform students of any profits made within their syllabuses. Educational materials are also reviewed by committee. Though it can take time and energy, accountability, openness and review can improve the student experience. Other departments should look into adopting similar measures.

Certainly, taking the reins out of professors’ hands may seem an infringement of the intellectual rights of instructors to restrict how their work is used or what goes into them. But that work is also the product of the support of the UCLA community at large – of the lab, offices and intellectual capacity provided here. And students drive that community forward. Future generations of researchers and workers are raised here, and all parties stand to benefit from more open options for educational materials.

Bad course reader assignments are a stressful, unregulated and expensive burden on our education. The university needs to tame the wild west of the course reader market and bring more controls into the equation.

It’s high noon for education, and it’s time for UCLA to draw.

Second Take: Despite originality concerns, Disney’s CGI remakes excite long-time fans

Long live the king – and the era of Disney remakes.

On Thanksgiving Day, Disney finally lifted the curtains on the CGI rendition of one of its most iconic animated films, “The Lion King.” The film’s photorealistic teaser recreated the classic scene in which Rafiki the mandrill proudly presents Simba to the animals of the Pride Lands. Fans on Twitter were quick to show their enthusiasm with comedic recreations, using their pets as unwilling stand-ins for baby Simba. Some viewers, however, see the film as merely another addition to Disney’s never-ending production of regurgitated content in recent years. Although many see this trend to be solely financially motivated, Disney’s remakes and sequels are a perfect opportunity for younger audiences to fall in love with its classic tales.

Just the week before releasing “The Lion King” teaser, Disney also released a second trailer for Tim Burton’s live action “Dumbo.” And with live action remakes already scheduled for “Aladdin,” “Mulan” and “Lady and the Tramp,” Disney shows no sign of stopping. As such, it’s understandable to feel that the Disney we knew as children has lost its charm and originality, and has resorted to tested formulae to increase profit.

When the remake of “The Lion King” hits theaters next summer, it will be 25 years since the original’s release. As someone who first saw the original film as a teenager, “The Lion King” was already veering into being “before my time.” It’s not hard to imagine that’s already the case for children born in the past decade. It almost certainly is the case for older stories, with films such as “Mary Poppins Returns” and “Dumbo” coming 54 and 77 years after their original installments, respectively. Whether we like it or not, some of these seemingly timeless classics are starting to fade from collective memory. As opposed to just being shameless cash grabs, Disney’s strategies can be seen as an effort to keep its stories alive, rather than letting them disappear from pop culture.

Furthermore, Disney’s production of classics doesn’t mean the studio is incapable of envisioning new plot lines and characters with wide appeal. In 2016, “Zootopia” received near universal acclaim for its state-of-the-art animation and underlying message regarding prejudice, and was also the fourth animated film to earn $1 billion at the global box office. “Moana” was also highly praised, especially for its nuanced and well-researched depiction of Polynesian culture. Clearly, Walt Disney Animation Studios can still conjure up both critically and commercially successful films that draw no inspiration from its older material. With so many films under its belt already, the pace at which novel films release can naturally be expected to be slow. Remakes and sequels can fill these gaps.

For audiences who still yearn for more original content in the face of remakes, Disney’s recent dive into sequels and reboots can leave both old and new audiences satisfied. Upcoming films such as “Toy Story 4” and “Mary Poppins Returns” will be new installments to franchises established several years, if not decades ago. Even though these films will build upon pre-established canon, they will provide older audiences with new narratives in unexplored territory, while also sparking the interest of new audiences. With sequels, Disney is able to balance originality and keeping beloved stories and characters relevant. But for a classic standalone story such as “The Lion King,” however, a remake is necessary to keep it at the forefront. Though the film had its share of direct-to-video sequels and spinoffs, the original story is certainly the most memorable, and is certainly the one Disney wants new audiences to remember.

The company’s obsession with remakes isn’t just good for nostalgic purposes; it’s most definitely a smart business decision as well. The box-office showings support the trend of audiences preferring 3D animation over the beautiful but outdated art form of hand-drawn animation. In 2009, Disney returned briefly to traditional animation with “The Princess and the Frog,” but the film’s commercial performance paled in comparison to the 3D computer-animated “Tangled,” released a year later.

Of course, there’s not much inherently wrong with these traditionally animated films – they’re considered classics after all. But keeping up with quickly diffusing trends among media consumers requires constant adaptation of style and form, which Disney seems to have understood and taken advantage of. In fact, garnering audience favor with newer renditions can even entice young viewers to explore the originals, doubling down on popularity.

As with any art form, storytelling changes with time. Disney’s recent trend of remakes and sequels can initially appear as an easy cop out, but the positive anticipation of “The Lion King” shows that long-time Disney fans are itching for retellings of their childhood films. Having witnessed the release of both original and remastered films, it’s clear no matter how old the story is, Disney’s films will continue to enchant audiences for years to come.

After Dark: ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ screening panelists offer in-depth look at iconic quotes

Los Angeles’ blend of midnight movies, cult screenings and historic theaters offers late-night scares and childhood nostalgia back in the theater. Join columnist Nina Young as she attends different cult screenings each week to find out why audiences stay out so late after dark.

Meryl Streep, during a tense scene in “The Devil Wears Prada,” delivers her famous “Cerulean blue sweater” monologue to humiliate Anne Hathaway’s fashion-inept character.

Actor and panel moderator Brendan Scannell – maybe jokingly – dubbed the moment “one of the most iconic pieces of cinema in 30 years” at an interactive screening of the film last week. The crowd cheered in agreement.

The 2018 Vulture Festival LA brought together fans and filmmakers during an intimate showing of the 2006 comedy-drama, with live commentary by director David Frankel and screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna. Based on a Lauren Weisberger’s novel of the same name, the film stars Hathaway as a fashion magazine intern who struggles to impress her demanding boss, played by a hilarious and terrifying Streep.

A critical and financial success upon release, “The Devil Wears Prada” may not be categorized as a “cult” film. That said, it has definitely garnered a strong following, which I noticed upon stepping into the screening room at The Hollywood Roosevelt hotel. Excited attendees of all ages welcomed Brosh McKenna and Frankel as they answered questions about their personal relationships with fashion and fun facts regarding the film’s development. The event included special giveaways, where fans received autographed scripts for being well-versed in film trivia, such as knowing the on-screen cameos made by real fashion industry professionals.

Brosh McKenna said she was surprised by, but appreciative of, the film’s continued fan following, as it still resonates with people 12 years after its release.

“(The film) was honestly very popular at the time, and it seemed to play for people as a coming-of-age movie, but also as a monster movie,” Brosh McKenna said. “So I think it’s both very relatable, and then also it has this aspect of being cathartically scary. … If you watch it with an audience, they will shriek and yell like there’s a shark in the water.”

Categorizing “The Devil Wears Prada” as a monster movie felt way off base as I settled into my seat and heard KT Tunstall’s lighthearted 2000s tune, “Suddenly I See,” open the film. But as the crowd gasped in reaction to Streep’s biting insults and judgmental eyebrows, Brosh McKenna’s words seemed right on mark. For anyone in doubt, I would recommend rewatching Streep’s introductory scene, where she appears dramatically behind opening elevator doors while an ominous score plays – believe me, it is chilling.

The audience’s knowledge of the film’s characters may have been deepened further at the screening when the panelists allowed insight into the writing and casting process. Regarding Streep’s role as Miranda Priestly, Brosh McKenna said Priestly is a professionally-driven woman with little patience for incompetence. Held to a double standard due to her gender, Priestly is often demonized but does a have dimension of humanity, she said. One could argue the nuance is also due to Streep’s performance, which reminds me –

Unofficial cult movie screening rule No. 12: Expect a possible fan following for a particular actor in addition to the movie itself.

During the Q&A portion, a fan asked the panelists about their experiences working with Streep, and a murmur of excitement went through the crowd. The panelists were complimentary of Streep’s involvement in the production, explaining how she picked out details – such as choosing the now-classic “cerulean” from a list of blues – and how she helped streamline her lines to create an intimidating character.

“By the time (the part went to) Meryl, we had some sense that it was going to be something special,” Brosh McKenna said. “She brought this sort of quiet menace to the part. … Once we started to see how audiences reacted before it came out, we had the sense that she might really connect with people.”

For attendee Nick Barbieri, Streep’s performance as Miranda in “The Devil Wears Prada” is his favorite of her career, he said. In addition to learning more about the filming process through the commentary, Barbieri said he enjoyed the energy of the space, one enlivened by the fan community. As for what I personally gained from the interactive screening that brings to mind another screening rule –

Unofficial cult movie screening rule No. 13: Pick up a catchphrase from the film!

Strong fan followings for movies often unite around memorable lines or quippy quotes, and “The Devil Wears Prada” is no exception. In this vein, the screening space encouraged attendees to say lines along with the film, raising their complimentary glasses to repeated phrases such as, “A million girls who would kill for this job.” Brosh McKenna said quotes from the film have even permeated back into the fashion world since 2006.

“The quote that I see the most often is: ‘Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking,’” Brosh McKenna said. “Every year, somebody does an article about florals for spring and quotes that.”

Once “The Devil Wears Prada” came to a heartwarming close, I made my way out of The Hollywood Roosevelt, eagerly scribbling down possible catchphrases. Streep’s devastating and simple, “That’s all,” response to disappointing interactions is a strong quote contender for slipping into daily life.

 

UCLA Sex Squad’s performance aims to spread sexual health awareness through humor

This post was updated Nov. 29 at 2:20 p.m.

A crowded room in Glorya Kaufman Hall will erupt into an improvised chorus during UCLA Sex Squad’s show, singing about the six bodily fluids that transmit AIDS.

UCLA Sex Squad’s 10th anniversary, which coincides with the 30th anniversary of World AIDS Day, will culminate Thursday night in a humor-driven performance meant to spread awareness about sexual health, said co-director Veline Mojarro. Working with co-directors Mojarro and Robert Gordon, the group is a collective of undergraduate students enrolled in “Performing Sexual Health: UCLA Sex Squad,” a class that uses an arts-based approach – including theater, song, dance and scriptwriting – to discuss taboo topics within sexual education. The advent of World AIDS Day focuses on an idealistic future in certain skits, with the closing act imagining a world without AIDS. To achieve such feats, UCLA Sex Squad envisions a world benefited by comprehensive sex education unhindered by institutional barriers, Mojarro said.

“A lot of people don’t realize that sexual health includes everything from putting on a condom to healthy relationships. Sometimes people have a hard time seeing the full spectrum,” Mojarro said. “Anything that informs you making a decision about your body is spoken about in Sex Squad.”

The anniversary show, in addition to student performances, will also feature guest acts including UCLA Sex Squad alumni, campus drag queen Lorelai and representatives from The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, who will be speaking on World AIDS Day. The students themselves will engage in theater and personal storytelling, in which the students take the audience through phases of their lives using vignettes supplemented by castmates’ performances. They also plan to perform both monologues and spoken poetry.

“Sex Squad is about creating a space where we can express our truth and ask ourselves questions that we might not always feel comfortable asking ourselves.” Gordon said. “We’re learning how to navigate these topics inside systems of power that make it harder for people to learn about sexual health.”

Although the show will address the gravitas of topics like AIDS, UCLA Sex Squad members also refuse to shy away from more ridiculous means of disseminating their message, Mojarro said. The group will add a sexual health component, looking forward to a future where discussing such issues is less stigmatized, by rewriting Cardi B’s “I Like It,” a song already laden with overtly sexual overtones. Mojarro said the rewritten lyrics address female empowerment, body autonomy and sexual pleasure specific to female-identifying bodies, with lyrics such as “I like going to the clinic, IUDs all in my crotch.”

“Sex Squad is very deliberately sex positive in that it’s pleasure affirming and allows people to gauge what’s right for them and not be afraid of the idea of pleasure,” Gordon said. “Even the World Health Organization includes pleasure in their definition of sexual health, so Sex Squad is built around the fact that sexual pleasure looks different for every person.”

For World AIDS Day, the show will also feature a “sexaphonic” choir to interactively teach the audience about the six fluids that can transmit AIDS when no barrier is present, such as breast milk and blood. Gordon said the room will be split into six parts, with one person leading each group that corresponds to each of the fluids. The interactive aspect creates a space where people can freely ask questions without feeling the shame or negative emotions typically associated with discussing sexual health, said fourth-year world arts and cultures student Aaliyah Sade.

“From the moment we start learning about our own bodies, it’s all very scientific and distant,” Sade said. “When you come at it from a lighthearted perspective, it opens the space for a dialogue of storytelling and most importantly change-making.”

Since its formation 10 years ago, UCLA Sex Squad has intentionally begun to focus on intersectionality, Mojarro said. With the implementation of laws like the California Healthy Youth Act, which aims to provide sexual education for California’s youth, Mojarro said she hopes that the efforts of UCLA Sex Squad will help to pave the way for similar legislation targeting the improvement of sexual health education, as well as more awareness on AIDS.

“The show represents the students’ voices, their work and their truth. It’s not clean; it’s messy, it’s complex and it’s students dealing with the oppressive world that we live in and trying to navigate what it means to be sexual being in the face of that,” Gordon said. “They’re questioning what’s health in the middle of this incredibly unhealthy world?”

Bruins fly over Rainbow Warriors to put end to two-game losing streak

The Bruins took yet another big first-half lead Wednesday.

But this time, they never took their foot off the gas – especially Prince Ali.

The redshirt junior guard went right at 7-foot center Dawson Carper with 11 seconds left in UCLA men’s basketball’s (5-2) eventual 80-61 victory over Hawai’i (4-4). Ali rose up over the defender, striking a pose to score his 22nd and 23rd points of the game – a career-high – on a powerful slam.

After the play, Ali said he made sure to exchange a look with his former teammate Lonzo Ball, who was sitting on the baseline.

“That’s my guy, so I had to do that in front of him,” Ali said.

Ball nodded back.

But the Lakers point guard isn’t the only one who took notice of Ali’s career night.

“It was good to see (Ali) come out tonight,” said coach Steve Alford. “I thought (Ali) had a really good game offensively and I thought … he did really good on (the defensive) end as well.”

Ali started 8-of-8 from the field – including four 3-pointers to give UCLA an early 14-3 lead – and did not miss a shot until the 12:47 mark of the second half.

Two of Ali’s points came on an alley-oop from sophomore guard Jaylen Hands – the Bruins’ second fastbreak lob of the game and Hands’ eighth assist on the night.

And while Hands’ four points didn’t match Ali’s perfect start, he was able to pick up seven assists in the first half.

“I thought (Hands) ran his team, he ran the show, he did a lot of good things,” Alford said. “If he makes his shots tonight like he normally does, you’re looking at probably a double-double out of him. But how he moves the ball becomes contagious with the other guys, and I thought he did that really well tonight.”

Hands wrapped up the game with a career-high 11 assists.

“I was really focused on just trying to attack, make plays for myself or others and tonight,” Hands said. “People were making shots, so it made me look good.”

Freshman center Moses Brown followed up two single-digit scoring performances in Las Vegas with 11 points and seven rebounds – the highest scoring mark he has hit since Nov. 16 against Saint Francis.

Joining Brown in the starting frontcourt for the first time this season was redshirt freshman Cody Riley. The power forward played 23 minutes in his fourth game back from a jaw injury, and Wilkes said he was glad to have his teammate back on the court.

“(Riley) is a big body, he’s a workhorse, he’s a hard person to guard,” Wilkes said. “For him to come out there and do what he does … just coming out, just giving us a force like that, it helps us out.”

Riley scored eight points and reeled in seven rebounds – with all his points coming in the second half. Wilkes also dropped eight in the final frame to bring his total to 16 points, good for second-most on the team.

The Rainbow Warriors were able to cut the deficit to 16 points with 5:30 left on the clock – the closest they would get in the period – while the Bruins led by as many as 27.

UCLA will get back on the court Sunday against undefeated Loyola Marymount.