Suntans and surfbums
By Daily Bruin Staff
July 28, 1996 9:00 p.m.
Sunday, July 28, 1996
Summer sun draws flocks of sunbathers and other warm-weather
worshippers outdoorsBy Karen Duryea
Summer Bruin Senior Staff
Grab your towels and sunscreen, because it’s sunbathing weather
at UCLA.
Sunset Recreation, The Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden, and
Meyerhoff Park are just some of the popular areas for
non-hibernating Bruins to catch some rays and maybe attempt to
study.
Although some opt for the shade, Bruins can be found all over
campus taking advantage of the warm weather and, at times, baring
it under the sun.
"I’m just catching a little sun after class," said Carter Fisk,
a fourth-year biology student who laid out in Meyerhoff Park.
Like some students, who are approaching finals of Summer Session
A, Fisk brought out a book to study so that sunbathing would serve
a dual purpose. However, his intentions failed as he lay on his
back, his book open and unread beside him.
"I’ve read about a page or two," Fisk confesses.
But Bruins aren’t the only ones who know where to get some fresh
air. According to Sgt. James Vandenberg of the University Police,
staff and faculty have found some creative spots to keep from being
cooped up in the summer.
Employees set up camp on top of the medical center complex as
well as the Factor building, the tallest on campus. The view from
atop the building places viewers eye-level with Westwood high-rises
such as the Oppenheimer Tower, as well as the Santa Monica
Mountains.
"Some had authorization to come out there during their lunch
hour," Vandenberg said. He also recalls finding students sunbathing
on the top of the residence halls and on the hoods of their cars
atop the parking structures in the past few years.
Vandenberg said the university holds few regulations for
sunbathing, stating that people "cannot go in an area that will
interfere with the business of the university," such as impeding
traffic. And, more specifically, "no nude sunbathing allowed."
California Penal Code section 314 states that "lewd" nudity is a
misdemeanor and a second offense is a felony.
However, a group called the Western Sunbathing Association, Inc.
(WSA) an organization for nude recreation, provides information
about clothing-optional events and resorts.
"Presently, there are no nude beaches in Los Angeles County,"
said a representative of the WSA. "However, the courts have held
that simple nudity is not obscene or lewd, so mere sunbathing in
the nude is not illegal.
"The known nude beaches are usually separated from the ‘textile’
ones, so when the majority of the users do not object to nudity,
there is no legal problem."
The "Cahill Policy," implemented after an appeal to a court case
concerning nudity in 1988, states that rangers will not cite people
for nudity on public lands unless another citizen complains, and no
citations are given if the nudists put on their clothes when
asked.
Elysium Fields in Topanga is the closest WSA club to UCLA. WSA
representatives say that their nude beaches attract a
"cross-section of the population. There will be singles, families,
young couples, elderly persons and … college students when there
is a nearby college or university."
A few students from other UC campuses choose the "birthday suit"
lifestyle. Black’s Beach, a nude beach near San Diego, is
frequented by students from UCSD, said WSA representatives.
In 1992, Andrew Martinez, better known as "the naked guy" who
walked around the UC Berkeley campus in the nude, was eventually
expelled for his choice of dress. His decision to be a student in
the buff caused the Berkeley City Council to pass an ordinance that
prohibits public nudity.
