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UCLA cancels Undie Run

By Carolyn McGough

July 29, 2009 12:45 p.m.

The university announced today that Undie Run, UCLA’s final-week tradition, has been canceled following campus administrators’ safety concerns.

Security and safety problems are among the main reasons prompting Undie Run’s cancellation, according to a UCLA statement. The university will no longer allow the run, which occurs three times a year on the Wednesday of each quarter’s finals week.

According to undergraduate student government General Representative Addison Huddy, there are severe problems with Undie Run. He added that the event needs to become “more regulated and more official.”

But Huddy said that though he and Facilities Commissioner Tim Mullins and fellow General Representative Jason Tengco were aware that the administration was making a decision regarding the event, they were not aware that it was going to be so “blatant.”

“We’ve been working with them. “¦ We thought we were going to have more time,” Huddy said.

Administrators have threatened to cancel the ritual for years now because of an increased number of accidents and vandalism. Tuesday night, Undergraduate Students Association Council members were notified of its termination.

“While we regret having to call off the run in the future, we must ensure the safety of our students and the community and also look after UCLA’s relationships with our neighbors,” said Robert Naples, the associate vice chancellor and dean of students, in a statement.

Naples is out of town and unavailable for further comment.

UCLA spokeswoman Elizabeth Kivowitz said no further information is available at this time, and Naples will likely make no further comment until students return to campus in the fall.

In the past, campus officials have said that a high number of non-UCLA community members at the event was also a concern for student safety. The ritual has attracted up to 10,000 participants, administrators have said, not all of whom have any affiliation to UCLA.

According to the statement, costs due to damages have escalated in recent years. Police and fire department staff attend the event to ensure student safety, adding to the financial consequence of the event.

The first Undie Run began in 2002, when 2004 alumnus Eric Whitehead ran with his friends down Glenrock Avenue. The route has changed many times since then, and last quarter it culminated on the Intramural Field.

But despite the administration’s decision to eliminate the event, Huddy is still hopeful for alternatives to its cancellation.

He said he’s working with Mullins and Tengco to find “innovative solutions” to present to officials to try to preserve the tradition and stop its cancellation.

“The bottom line is that many many UCLA students love this event,” he said. “It’s becoming part of our culture, part of our school spirit.”

To get rid of the event so suddenly, he added, would be a disservice to students. Huddy said that he and fellow USAC members hope to work to find a solution immediately and throughout fall quarter.

“It’s something students want, and as an elected official, I’m going to fight,” he said.

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Carolyn McGough
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