R.I.P. to one of the greatest UCLA traditions ever
by uclabruin34 on Jul 29, 2009 9:51 PM PDT
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PrintAccording to an article from the UCLA Newsroom,the greatness that is Undie Run will no longer be allowed. According to the article, "safety, escalating costs associated with damage to university property, and police and fire department staffing" seem to be the reasons why it will no longer take place.
Even though in recent years the route had been revised the costs of such a tradition apparently outweighed the benefits in the eyes of the administration.
As a student I think this is horrible. Even though the craziness that is the Wednesday of finals week is well documented, it became part of being a student at UCLA.
However, I do understand how this became a problem. It really got to the point where it was more than just UCLA students attending, but the flip side was that it all came together to make it fun. I even met some ppl during spring quarter's undie run from Canada who said they heard about it and were in the area and decided to check it out.
Which brings me to this, what are your memories of Undie Run? I'm sure some of you have some great memories to share with the BN community
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.
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Proud Undie Runner 2003-2007
Proud to say I am a member of the 12+ Undie Run club!
When I started at UCLA in Fall 2003, Undie Run was still relatively low key. I had heard about it by reading a flyer on a tree somewhere by De Neve. As I was done with finals and curious about what it exactly was, I headed down from Hedrick, down the Rape Trail to the corner of Gayley and Landfair.
It was emceed from the top of 400 Landfair (the Crew apartments), and was mostly a crowd I would say of somewhere between 50-100 people. They had a microphone, sound system, and everything. It was nice and carefree down Landfair, down Ophir, down Glenrock, and up again. The memories of water balloons being thrown from the rooftops of Glenrock apartments was quite refreshing.
Not much notoriety for me personally my 3rd Undie Run (Spring 2004) except for the fact that was when I realized it was the start of something big. The crows was noticably larger, and there was much more of a hubbub surrounding it.
Undie Run #10 (Fall 2006) was memorable for the fact it was the first time that me and my buddies did not have to drink and rush to join in the festivities, as me and my roomies threw a party at our apartment at 403 Landfair (top right balcony) and witnessed the early processions and then scooted down to the intersection to run. (Also was the last Undie Run that started at Gayley and Landfair)
Undie Run #12 (Spring 2007 was exceptionally great as it was my graduating one, with several of my closest friends, me wearing a traffic cone on my head, splashing around in the fountain, but unfortunately dropping my camera, making me scramble to have to buy a new camera in order for graduation two days later.
And oh yeah, even participated in Undie Run #13 in Fall 2007 as a full-time UCLA employee :)
"I'm Michael Fey. I choose you." ~overheard at a party while he was pointing to a girl like a PokeMon
Undie Thoughts
I ran the undie run probably about 6-7 times from 2004 to 2007. It was always a good time. There used to be a great undie afterparty on Landfair around 2004-2005 that the police started breaking up earlier and earlier until the last attempt, when they dispersed it as people showed up.
The concerns about property damage and safety always seemed exaggerated — I never witnessed that. It seemed to be more of a problem with the Westwood homeowners not wanting a block party in their neighborhood. However, there was a growing problem of people I would describe as packs of “brahs” not associated with UCLA showing up without any intent of taking part in the run. These creeps stood along the path taking pictures and scanning for drunken females to take advantage of.
Banning undie run is a tough pill to swallow, and the fact that they made this announcement quietly while the student body is gone for the summer was no mistake. The vast majority of people that participate in this event don’t endanger others, and don’t destroy any property. I can’t see how people can be banned from organizing peacefully in a public place, but I’m not a lawyer.
by gradstudentbruin on Jul 29, 2009 11:19 PM PDT reply actions
agreed
I’ve never understood how police can keep people from congregating in public unless there is violence or a noise disturbance. Even then, people can just move somewhere else. Oh well.
Go Bruins.
Public safety (protecting the runners from themselves?)
Will probably be the excuse they use to tell the students.
Having been a past veteran of UCSB's Halloween night...
as something like this gets more popular, crowds get huge and you start to attract the wrong crowd. My junior year, I saw two guys with real guns, one of them a saw’d off shotgun that he was more than willing to talk about, “just in case somebody fucks with me”. That’s when I knew I was done with Halloween weekend up there.
by bornagainbruin on Jul 31, 2009 12:24 PM PDT up reply actions
It'll be interesting to see what happens
How exactly are they planning on enforcing the ban?
by SuperBruinMan on Jul 31, 2009 1:35 PM PDT up reply actions
I knew what this was before I even clicked on it
For two years I lived right at the start of the “old” Undie Run course. You can’t beat that kind of view convenience. By the time they started moving the course around though, I knew this tradition was on its last legs. Still sad to see it go though.
Well the great thing about it being an unofficial event
Is that it can’t be “officially” canceled. I’m willing to bet that it will happen somewhere in Westwood, just maybe not on campus property. I’ve yet to miss an Undie Run, and I don’t plan on missing any in the future.
A tradition that has also been loosing steam
over the past couple of years. You can still hear the yells across Westwood, but not nearly as many as during my first few years at UCLA. /Shrug.
B.F.
Midnight Yell was something else in my time.
not at all a “all we had” celebration. I remember once, walking on campus late at night after a late shift at my on campus job and hearing this incredible din off in the distance. I was alarmed. What could this uproar signify. Then the dorms joined in and I remembered it was Finals week.
I could tell other many great if inappropriate stories associated with Midnight Yell.
A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment. John Wooden
But don't forget...
the burning couches thrown over apartment balconies, oranges and potatoes being flung at cars and passers by…maybe that’s why they got rid of that too! But I’m sure, as creative and energetic as Bruins are, something else will come.
Well
There was always that celebration in Westwood we had following banner number 11. If have occassion(s) like that to celebrate in the coming years, that will easily make up the passing of this tradition. That night in Westwood after we got it done in Westwood was million times more memorable than all the undie runs combined that have taken place in Westwood. :)
IIRC, Undie Run only began after (in response to) Midnight Yell being cracked down upon.
First Midnight Yell, then Black Sunday, and now Undie Run have been banned. Sad.
there will be an undie run
its probably smart to officially cancel it and put it underground again so creepy off campus people don’t show up.
"when you've seen how big the world is, how can you make due with this?"
by silverlakebruin on Jul 30, 2009 7:07 AM PDT reply actions
Problem is
it would only stay underground for a year or two and then we’re right back where we started. Kind of hard to hide a couple thousand people.
Weak
2006-2008 were the peak years when it ended at Powell. Jumping in the fountain, climbing up trees, drum circles, chicken fights, trying desperately to sneak by police to get in the library to use the bathroom. They already changed the route 2 or 3 times. It was a matter of time before they shut the door on this glorious event. It’s probably best we all honor this sacred tradition the best way we know….raise your glass, strip down, and start running.
undie run fall '06
was my freshman year and thus my first attempt at it. it also happened to conveniently be a week after 13-9 so the “f*ck $c” chants were insane. first and most sober undie run i’ve done in 3 years, good times.
This tradition didn't start until after I graduated!
I don’t know—if it’s only around for a few years, can it really be called a great tradition? I know traditions obviously have to have a beginning point, but it seems like this might be coming to an end before it even could have a legacy. At least the people that took part will have the memories.
I think it’s too bad that the attention got out of control and people from everywhere started showing up. I think the media were as much to blame about this as anyone.
I remember Midnight Yell, and couch bonfires at the apartments. Is that still a problem?
by Westwood Wizard on Jul 31, 2009 6:36 AM PDT reply actions
I was thinking the same thing
The only undie run I saw was when everyone congregated in the street very early in the morning when the big earthquake hit in 1971.
I guess the fact that the tradition seems to have started 20 or 30 years after I graduated makes it seem a little less like a tradition to me. Our tradition was winning the NCAA basketball championship every year. I thought that was a great tradition.
It's not the undie-run that is causing problems, but what happens afterwards
I’ll be going into my 4th year so I’ve gone through my fare share of undie-run shenanigans. And I love blowing off the stress of finals week, but what happened last spring quarter really was pretty out of hand. There was essentially a riot on Gayley and Strathmore, with cars being smashed, people being trampled, and tons of fistfights. And most of this was caused by non-UCLAers. One of my buddys went to the hospital that night after he tripped (due to his own drunken stupor) and got his face stomped on. I saw another guy get suckerpunched in the back of his head. However, the undie run itself is usually pretty safe, it’s just what happens afterwards that is usually sketchy.
Sorry to hear that
Hope your friend is okay. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that an event that attracts this kind of outside attention would eventually cross the line. What you describe is certainly out of bounds and well within the administrators rights to try to reign in. The spectators were a growing X-Factor when I graduated, and if they can’t be counted on to behave themselves, then it’s a public safety issue. This solution is better than the tradition ending in tragedy.
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