Bruin Overnight Experience gives admits a taste of UCLA
During the Bruin Overnight Experience program, admitted students attended a student panel and presentations by professors. (Tamaryn Kong/Daily Bruin)
By John Peter Cavender
April 21, 2014 1:00 a.m.
Joseph Schenker was born at UCLA. Now, he has to decide whether he wants to return.
Born in the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Schenker, who was admitted into UCLA’s class of 2018, spent the first four years of his life in Los Angeles. He then moved to Bethesda, Md., where has lived ever since.
Schenker has a few options on the table. He was also admitted to UC Berkeley and the University of Maryland.
Both Schenker’s father and grandfather taught at UCLA and his mother completed graduate school at UCLA as well, Schenker said. After Bruin Day, Schenker said he was heading straight to Berkeley to visit the UC’s oldest campus.
Schenker, along with over 200 other admitted students, took part in the fifth annual Bruin Overnight Experience, a program that allows admitted students from out of state to spend the night in UCLA’s on-campus housing and to learn more about the university.
The Bruin Overnight Experience, which took place Friday and Saturday, was coordinated by the Office of Residential Life, Parent and Family Programs and Admissions, said Shirley Giraldo, social justice initiatives coordinator for ORL.
The admitted students who attended the Bruin Overnight Experience received invitations to attend from admissions, Giraldo said. They did not get charged for attending, she added.
Admitted students taking part in the program attended a student panel in Covel’s Grand Horizon Room, where UCLA students of all years spoke about their experiences at UCLA and answered the prospective new Bruins’ questions.
Panel members discussed the pros and cons of the quarter system, experiences with Greek life and their favorite classes.
Many admitted students said they enjoyed the panel and found it informative.
“I like how (the overnight program) is very student run. It was not that way at other schools,” said Gauri Ganesh, an admitted student from East Greenwich, R.I.
Ganesh added that she is deciding between UCLA and NYU. She needs another day to think it over, but said she is leaning toward UCLA.
Before attending the student panel Friday evening, the admitted students in the program ate dinner in De Neve dining hall.
“I was really impressed with the food here,” said Helen Ni, an admitted student from Greensboro, N.C. The quality of the food is a big factor for her, she added.
Ni said she was standing at the top of Janss Steps and looking down at the Bruin Day booths when she realized she definitely wanted to be a Bruin.
Ni, who is interested in studying communications, said that participating in the Bruin Overnight Experience helped her see UCLA from a student’s perspective, instead of from an outsider’s perspective.
The admitted students also saw a video and some presentations from professors in De Neve Auditorium.
After the panel, admitted students met their hosts and spent the remainder of their evenings with them.
Mary Isaac, a first-year economics student, and her roommate hosted Ni and three other admitted students in their dorm room. Isaac said that she decided to be a host because she wanted to welcome admitted students and make them feel like they are more than a number.
Isaac said she is very happy that Ni decided to come to UCLA, because this means that she will be able to help Ni out next year when she is a freshman. Isaac added that she and her roommate plan to host admitted students again next year.
Ni said that her hosts told her a lot about the clubs that UCLA has to offer and that she was every excited about UCLA Radio since she has always wanted to be a DJ.
“I already have some plans of what I want to be involved in next year,” Ni said.
