New UCLA association creates community for first-generation college students

Belen Bravo did not realize her experiences as a first-generation college student made her different from other students until her first year at UCLA.

“I was on my floor last year and there was someone who said, ‘Yeah, I think my mom has like a Ph.D.’ My mom only went to middle school,” Bravo said. “That’s a very stark difference.”

Bravo, a second-year human biology and society student, created the Association of First-Generation Undergraduates at UCLA in April. About 30 students attended the organization’s first general meeting Monday.

About a third of the undergraduate population identify as first-generation students, said Symone Morales, the coordinator for First to Go, a UCLA program that offers resources and support for incoming first-generation students. AFGU aims to offer these students academic support, opportunities for professional development and a sense of community, Bravo said.

Stephanie Toledo, the president of AFGU and a third-year sociology student, said she wants to implement a mentorship program similar to one she participated in at the UCLA Transfer Student Center, an office that supports transfer students and connects them with resources on campus. However, her program would focus on the needs of first-generation students.

“I would like to adapt that in mind with first-generation students because we have our own kinds of struggles and experiences that not other people can really relate to,” Toledo said.

Bravo said the program will pair up fourth-year students and third-year students with new students to ease their transition into UCLA. AFGU also aims to create study groups for first-generation students to create a sense of community.

After Bravo learned how to navigate the university system on her own, she said she felt motivated to create AFGU to share her knowledge with incoming undergraduates about how to handle UCLA as a first-generation student. Bravo began organizing AFGU during the winter with encouragement from Morales, who served as her supervisor.

“I think as a freshman student, you have to do a lot on your own and then also just keep up with schoolwork,” Bravo said. “It’s kind of like a double (burden).”

Kesia Eng, a third-year political science student and director of media and communications for the association, said many first-generation students, such as herself, cannot rely on their parents to inform them about how university systems work. First-generation students can be less aware of campus life and helpful resources and more likely feel like they don’t belong on campus, Eng said.

“My mom was kind of surprised … that you lived at college, (that) there were dorms and things like that,” Eng said. “Going to school was a whole new experience, not just for me, but for her, too.”

Toledo said she did not even know the term “first-generation” existed until she came to UCLA and realized it applied to her. She joined AFGU because she wanted to support her peers through the same issues she faced, she said.

“Knowing that those struggles happened to me, I’m pretty sure they happen across the board for other first-generation students,” Toledo said. “Coming into UCLA is pretty scary and it’s really hard to navigate because there’s so many things going on.”

During the Monday meeting, AFGU held a panel featuring a graduate student and alumna who talked about their experiences as first-generation students at UCLA.

Leticia Trevino, a graduate student in Spanish and Portuguese languages and cultures, said at the panel that it was still difficult to navigate graduate school at UCLA as a first-generation student, despite having already completed her undergraduate education.

“I had no idea how to maneuver anything,” Trevino said. “Because it’s so big and the offices are so separate, it’s just really hard to get information.”

Megan Acosta, who graduated in 2018, said she thinks current first-generation students should ask for help when they need it and be confident about their place at UCLA.

“How I managed and ended up graduating was by asking a lot of questions and learning to advocate for myself, learning that I can get what I deserve, that I belong here at UCLA and that they accepted me for a reason,” Acosta said.

James Tinajero, a first-year applied mathematics student, said he attended the meeting initially looking for internship opportunities. He said he appreciated finding a community of students with backgrounds similar to his.

“I thought it was really helpful just to see other people who are also in my situation as well,” Tinajero said. “Just having the opportunity to bond with other people and share my experiences as well as theirs, it kind of gives you a feeling of home.”

Bravo said she is looking forward to planning more events that promote professional development and health and wellness.

Men’s track and field showcases rapid development in Pac-12’s second-place finish

The men’s team has progressed in just two years under UCLA track and field director Avery Anderson.

Anderson, who is heading the team, was named the Pac-12 Men’s Track and Field Coach of the Year on Wednesday. The recognition came three days after the Bruins’ men compiled 140 points for a second-place finish at the Pac-12 championship in Tucson, Arizona.

“You’re looking at every event group with people – not just one person – but people who are looking at (a spot) … to vie for the national championship,” Anderson said.

No. 21 UCLA men’s track and field’s 140 points was an improvement from last year’s second-to-last-place finish in which the Bruins logged 38 points.

“I think it’s pretty rare to turn the switch that quick,” said junior distance runner Robert Brandt.

Brandt’s fourth-place finish in the 10,000-meter run gave the men’s distance crew its only five points at last year’s Pac-12 championship. But Sunday, Brandt and redshirt junior Colin Burke placed first and sixth, respectively, in the 10,000-meter for 13 total points.

“Last year, finishing way back in the Pac-12 definitely was a blow to a lot of our confidences,” Brandt said. “But to be able to come back after a tough year like that and to readjust … and do some damage – it feels good.”

Brandt also placed sixth in the 5,000 meter for three additional points.

The throwers accounted for 28 of the Bruins’ 38 points in the Pac-12 championship last year, but none came from the shot put. This year, redshirt senior Dotun Ogundeji led two Bruin underclassmen – redshirt sophomore Nate Esparza and freshman Otito Ogbonnia – with a second-place heave of 20.22 meters. The trio combined for 19 points.

“The thing that I’m most excited about is to see some of the athletes who were here on the team when I got here now exist in a situation where they have a group around them and some new athletes (and) coaches who are out here to try to get (them) to higher levels,” Anderson said.

Freshman Sondre Guttormsen and senior Michael Fancey provided a bevy of points in the men’s pole vault, going back-to-back for 18 points after the Bruins did not have a single competitor in the event a year ago.

“(Fancey) has been very consistent lately and has improved since indoors,” Guttormsen said. “It was good that he was able to step up one spot on the podium and bring home some points.”

The upperclassmen also saw a jump in the standings from their previous season in their short-distance races.

Redshirt senior Joe Herrera finished just three-tenths of a second behind Oregon’s Orwin Emilien in the 400-meter dash to place second, after an eighth-place finish a year ago. Senior transfer Cameron Stone – who defeated Herrera at last year’s Pac-12 championship as a Duck – followed Herrera in sixth place to tack on three points to Herrera’s eight.

The Bruins will not compete this weekend and will resume with the NCAA West Regional championship held from May 23-25.

UCLA women’s soccer players join ranks of international teams for 2019 World Cup

A group of former and current Bruins will take the international stage this summer.

UCLA women’s soccer had a group of former and current players make their respective international squads ahead of the 2019 Women’s World Cup. A number of squads have yet to be formalized ahead of the competition, which will start June 7.

Junior goalkeeper Teagan Micah was named to Australia’s World Cup team Monday. Micah started 14 matches in 2018 and allowed only 12 goals, finishing the season with 45 saves. Micah has recorded a 0.790 save percentage across her three years with UCLA and ranks fourth on the Bruins’ all-time list for career wins with 46. Micah was first called up to the Australian National Team for the final match of the Tournament of Nations in August 2017.

UCLA had a trio of former players named to the United States roster for the World Cup. Defender Abby Dahlkemper, midfielder Sam Mewis and forward Mal Pugh were all named to the squad by former Bruin head coach Jill Ellis – marking the first time each of the three made a World Cup roster.

Dahlkemper has collected 37 appearances at the national level since 2016. Dahlkemper was the Bruins’ first winner of the Honda Award in 2013 after leading the defense to the NCAA championship. She currently plays for the North Carolina Courage and was named the National Women’s Soccer League Defender of the Year in 2017.

Mewis claimed the Honda Award with UCLA in 2014 and was named the espnW National Player of the Year and Pac-12 Player of the Year that same season. She posted 28 goals and 29 assists across her career with the Bruins. Also a member of the NC Courage squad, she was a finalist for the NWSL MVP award after the 2018 season. Mewis has made 47 appearances at the international level, recording nine goals.

Pugh only played three spring games for UCLA in 2017 before turning professional. She was 17 years old when she made her debut for the U.S. Women’s National Team in 2016 and scored in her first game. Now 21 years old, Pugh has compiled 15 goals in 50 appearances for the U.S. and plays professionally for the Washington Spirit in the NWSL.

Forward Rosie White was named to the New Zealand national team roster. White finished her career with the Bruins with 17 goals and 12 assists from 2011-2014. This tournament marks the third time she has made the New Zealand World Cup roster.

Canada coach Kenneth Heiner-Møller will select his final 23-player Women’s World Cup roster in the week following their final warmup match May 18. Junior midfielder Jessie Fleming has made 63 appearances for Team Canada and has recorded seven goals and four assists. Fleming has recorded 22 goals and 18 assists across 50 starts for UCLA and was nominated for the Honda Award after the 2017 season.

World Cup play will run until July 7. The competing teams at the tournament will finish up their warmup matches before they travel to France.

Women’s tennis steels its will before NCAA Elite Eight rematch against Tar Heels

The Bruins are one match away from the Final Four.

No. 7 seed UCLA women’s tennis (21-7, 8-2 Pac-12) will face No. 2 seed North Carolina (32-1, 14-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) in the NCAA tournament Elite Eight at the United States Tennis Association National Campus in Orlando, Florida, on Friday. The match marks the second time these teams have met this season.

The Bruins enter Friday’s match following three straight sweeps of their opponents – an accomplishment coach Stella Sampras Webster said will boost the team’s confidence.

“It’s been a great journey so far,” Sampras Webster said. “But it’s not over and we’re not done.”

The Bruins hold a 6-3 record over the Tar Heels, including an all-time 3-0 record in NCAA tournament play. North Carolina fell in the quarterfinals to seventh-seeded UCLA in 2013 and 2015.

The Tar Heels defeated the Bruins 4-1 in the quarterfinals of the ITA indoor championship this year. Sophomore Abi Altick said that result was not reflective of the Bruins’ ability to compete against one of the nation’s best teams.

“We were pretty close last time even though the score was 4-1,” Altick said. “We just need to regroup a little bit before hopefully getting it going in Orlando.”

Sampras Webster said the team is not afraid of North Carolina, and will use its previous matchup as motivation to compete against the Tar Heels.

“We played them and it was a tough match,” Sampras Webster said. “They’re obviously a great team and they’ve had a great season, but we’re really going into this tournament with players stepping up.”

The Bruins surrendered the doubles point in their previous bout with North Carolina, but have since captured 18 of the last 22 doubles points. Redshirt junior Jada Hart said securing the doubles point is crucial in NCAA tournament play.

“You always have to start strong getting the doubles point,” Hart said. “You need to play as best as you can with this format, knowing that it’s single elimination.”

Friday will be the first time UCLA takes on North Carolina this season in an outdoor environment – which Hart said is an advantage for the Bruins.

“We know that our match is going to be outdoors, and the majority of their matches are played inside because of weather,” Hart said. “I think that will help us, being a very outdoor team that loves to be aggressive.”

No current player competed in the Bruins’ last Final Four appearance in 2015.

“We’re looking forward to this matchup and we’re looking to give everything we have,” Hart said. “It’s single-elimination, so any misstep can send us out of the tournament.”

The match will begin at 9 a.m.

Baseball thrives with high batting averages across the board

The Bruins own their highest team batting average since 2012, despite the absence of their opening day leadoff hitter for much of the season.

No. 1 UCLA baseball’s (42-8, 19-5 Pac-12) .293 average – boosted by six players batting above .300 – is good for fourth in the Pac-12.

Coach John Savage said having players who can hit for high averages throughout the lineup is a formidable weapon.

“It makes it really tough on opposing pitchers,” Savage said. “When you can really stretch the lineup, it provides problems for other teams.”

The Bruins have achieved this mark without the help of junior left fielder Jeremy Ydens, who batted .350 in the leadoff role last year but missed 40 games this season with a broken finger.

Sophomore right fielder Garrett Mitchell moved to the top of the lineup in Ydens’ absence and has batted .369 in the leadoff spot. Mitchell owns a .353 average and leads the team with 72 hits – both improvements over his freshman year, when he batted .280 with 44 hits.

Junior third baseman Ryan Kreidler – who has held down the No. 2 hole for most of the season – owns a .307 average and is tied among the Bruins for the most doubles, at 15. As a sophomore, Kreidler hit .222 and had a .333 slugging percentage.

Following Kreidler in the order are two members of last year’s All-Pac-12 team who have returned to form after going through slumps earlier in the season.

Junior second baseman Chase Strumpf’s .363 batting average led the team last year, but he batted .250 through his first 12 games this season. Strumpf has batted .331 since then to improve to .309 overall in addition to having a .453 on-base percentage.

Junior first baseman Michael Toglia tallied just seven hits in his first 43 at-bats after batting .336 last year. His average did not break .250 until March 31, but a surge over the past two months has pushed it back over .300.

Meanwhile, junior left fielder Jack Stronach started this season as UCLA’s most reliable hitter with a .417 batting average through April 12. Stronach has hit .268 since then, but is still batting .343 and has struck out just 15 times in 143 plate appearances.

Freshman catcher Noah Cardenas – who has been holding down the No. 9 hole this season – currently leads the team in batting average. The rookie owns a .396 mark in 96 at-bats and has batted .550 over his last six games, raising his batting average by over .040.

Junior right-hander Felix Rubi said having support from the lineup helps him pitch more effectively.

“It’s always good to have guys behind you that you know can help you out when you’re pitching,” Rubi said. “Whether they’re hitting above .300 or not, you know that every guy in the lineup is going to perform their best for you every game. As a pitcher, it makes you feel much more comfortable on the mound.”

The Bruins now have another high-average player to add to their lineup.

Ydens returned to action Tuesday against UC Irvine and tallied three hits in UCLA’s 7-0 win, raising his average to .308 on the season.

“It’s definitely a huge advantage to have guys up and down the lineup who can hit for high averages,” Ydens said. “We know that with the depth we have, we can trust any guy to come through offensively for us.”

Men’s golf misses out on championship berth after eighth-place finish at regionals

The Bruins’ season has come to an early close.

UCLA men’s golf finished at 11-under 829 to place eighth out of 14 teams at the NCAA regionals in Pullman, Washington. The Bruins were unable to attain the top-five finish necessary to qualify for their second straight NCAA championship berth.

UCLA was two strokes behind fifth place after the first round, sitting in a four-way tie for sixth place at 5-under with No. 17 South Carolina, Florida and Purdue. Senior Cole Madey shot 3-under Monday to pace the team. Junior Hidetoshi Yoshihara earned a team-high six birdies but totaled five bogies, tying for 23rd at 1-under.

Despite shooting 4-under in the second round, the Bruins remained in sixth place, three strokes back of the coveted fifth-place spot. Sophomore Eddy Lai shot the team round of the day at 3-under, vaulting him to a tie for 26th with Yoshihara and sophomore Devon Bling. Madey fell to a tie for 31st after shooting 2-over Tuesday.

Colorado State shot 11-under in the second round, a 10-stroke improvement, to leapfrog UCLA and take fifth place heading into the final round.

On Wednesday, Bling shot his best round of the tournament at 4-under. However, the Bruins only shot 2-under as a team, falling to eighth. South Carolina – which was one stroke behind UCLA heading into the final round – shot 13-under to tie for fifth place with Colorado State. The Gamecocks would defeat the Rams in the sudden-death playoff to complete the comeback and advance to the NCAA championship.

Bling finished tied for 17th at 6-under, while Lai and Yoshihara tied for 37th at 1-under. Madey and senior Patrick Murphy tied for 44th and 47th, respectively.

The Bruins tied for second in par-three scoring average but also finished with the fourth-worst scoring average in par-fives, only beating out the bottom three teams in the tournament. While Bling shot 5-under on par-fives, Murphy shot a tournament-worst 3-over on par fives.

No. 2 Arizona State, No. 7 USC, No. 10 California and No. 12 Stanford will represent the Pac-12 in the NCAA championship beginning May 24 at the Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Multifaceted production group represents major confluence of inspiration sources

Ram Eshwar Kaundinya said he has no intention of competing at Spring Sing.

Fourth-year cognitive science student Kaundinya will play percussion instruments alongside other members of Confluence – a group consisting of four more musicians and a tap dancer. While most Spring Sing acts exclusively feature either musicians or dancers, Confluence merges both the event’s band and dance categories, which renders them unable to compete in the judges’ voting process. But Kaundinya said he does not have competition in mind; rather, he hopes to showcase multiple musical influences through his original song “Water Lily.”

“It comes from my experience as (an) Indian American,” he said. “It really became about … what (it) means to not be restricted or stuck into thinking that you are only Indian American, or you’re only an Indian classical musician, or you’re only a jazz musician.”

He will be playing the djembe and cajon – percussion instruments from West Africa and Peru, respectively – on the Pauley Pavilion stage. However, Kaundinya is also well-versed in playing tabla, pairs of drums typically used in Indian music. He said his first exposure to music was through the Indian classical genre, in part because his elder sister is a Hindustani classical vocalist. But as a lifelong California resident, he said he was increasingly exposed to other music styles as well; one of his favorite CDs growing up was the Lion King soundtrack.

Composing “Water Lily” last summer allowed him to incorporate multiple different musical styles, such as jazz, in addition to rhythms from Indian classical music. By incorporating various instruments, Kaudinya said he hopes to explore how music can extend beyond labels or single cultures.

“I wanted to find a way that I could express my ideas that do come from my experiences as an Indian musician, but (reflect) who I am as a whole,” he said. “That’s where that composition came from.”

The song’s melodies come from musical folk traditions originating in North India, he said, like interlocking rhythmic styles. In “Water Lily,” the time signatures fluctuate from a common 4/4 to a 7/4, eventually reaching 9/4 – nine beats per measure that is divided into only four.

Theo Lee, Confluence’s pianist, said musicians tend to subconsciously infuse elements from their own musical backgrounds into their stage performances. Within the group, the saxophonist, the drummer and Lee all have strong jazz backgrounds, which finds its way into their music styles. And within the jazz genre, each of them brings their own style to the piece; he said he incorporates his experiences playing classical and church music, which have an extremely different sonic quality from Indian classical tunes.

Learning about different cultural influences and each of the band member’s backgrounds interested Michelle May, a fourth-year dance student. May, the group’s tap dancer, said “Water Lily” consists of some styles she was not familiar with, as well as those she knew well, like jazz. Tap dance has had a long-standing history of accompanying jazz music, she said, which is one of the genres that will carry over into Confluence’s performance.

May said she felt it is important to incorporate jazz elements into the composition because it is personal to her as a tap dancer, similar to how Kaundinya incorporated his own background. By including varying percussive sounds like jazz music, he said “Water Lily” highlights how all the group members of Confluence can come together.

“The music you compose really gets to be powerful and meaningful if you’re writing it with the people who are playing it (in mind), because those people are able to have their say, to connect to it,” he said. “The piece I make for these people has to have space for each one of those people.”

Incorporating elements of Indian classical music as well as other genres may introduce attendees to a new type of music, Kaundinya said. The different styles will bring a joyous energy to the stage, he said, which stems from the influences that are not seen in the audience members’ everyday lives.

“I think … all these different things coming together (in) one place is what’s going to be, what I want to bring to that platform,” he said. “We can come together in one place musically … and (as) human beings as well.”