Chancellor greets new Bruin family members
By Daily Bruin Staff
Oct. 15, 2009 11:07 p.m.
Today through Sunday, our campus will be filled with festivities for students and their families. This is our annual Parents’ Weekend, when we welcome the families of new and returning students.
It’s a time to celebrate our great UCLA family and to especially greet the newest members. It’s also a time to introduce new Bruins to this amazing place and the wealth of opportunities it offers.
The concept of family is important to UCLA. Many of our students look to their families to provide the support and encouragement they need to attend UCLA. Some are following in the steps of parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and brothers and sisters who attended UCLA.
Others are first in their families to attend UCLA or to attend college. They are paving the way for those who will follow them. But regardless of circumstances, all UCLA students join an extraordinary Bruin legacy, first as beneficiaries and eventually as alumni, volunteers and supporters who enrich the university and society in many ways.
Bruins come from all walks of life, all economic, social and cultural circumstances, but they all share a commitment to excellence that is evident in every aspect of UCLA: from the arts and health care to athletics and almost every imaginable field of academics.
Because we are a public university, we focus our research and learning to enrich society through civic engagement and service learning. Bruins’ strong service ethic was beautifully confirmed recently in our first UCLA Volunteer Day, which involved more than 4,000 students and received national media attention.
At UCLA, we embrace and celebrate diversity in all its forms. One of our most distinguished alumni, Nobel laureate Ralph Bunche, said, “We must adhere staunchly to the basic principle that anything less than full equality is not enough.”
We depend upon all Bruins to ensure that UCLA will continue to provide the access to opportunity for which it has long been known and loved. That access helps define us as a campus and enriches the educational experience.
Like other families, we have our own traditions, such as the eight-clap, Spring Sing and other campus rituals that are passed down from one generation to the next.
Parents’ Weekend is also a beloved tradition and a perfect time to show Bruin spirit as we welcome our newest family members to UCLA and greet those who are returning.
Block is the chancellor of UCLA.
