The Quad’s winter break recap

Welcome back to Westwood. While you have rested or vacationed for the last three weeks, there’s been no shortage of activity at or pertaining to UCLA. The Quad recaps what you missed over the break.

UCLA/Westwood news

• Bel Air Camera in Westwood, “one of the Village’s oldest businesses,” closed Dec. 23 after 58 years in business. The area’s only camera store weathered years of declining sales and could not contend with online retail. It was just sold to new ownership insummer of 2015 for the same reason.
• UCLA chemistry and biochemistry professor Patrick Harran’s nomination to the American Association for the Advancement of Science was rescinded by the organization due to allegations of misconduct that led to a lab fire that proved fatal for one of his lab assistants. In a statement, UCLA said it was “deeply disappointed” by the rescission.
• Crime: In Torrance, an LAPD officer fatally shot a male vandalism suspect near a UCLA-affiliated hospital. The incident comes amid ongoing national debates on firearms and police brutality.

University of California news

• The University of California is launching a $250 million fund that will essentially serve as venture capital financing for individuals affiliated with the UC system.
• Also in UC systemwide news: The University divested $25 million from companies associated with the private prison industry. The efforts were spearheaded by a coalition of black student organizations across the UC campuses. Columbia University was the first major university to divest from private prisons in June.

Sports

• UCLA football loses to Nebraska in Foster Farms bowl, 29-37: All the gripes about UCLA playing a team with a losing record (the Cornhuskers were 5-7 going into the game) dissolved as quickly as the Bruin defense did that Saturday. The Bruins end the season 8-5 in their worst showing since Jim Mora became head coach in 2011.
• NFL draft departures: Three veteran football players, junior defensive lineman Kenny Clark, redshirt junior running back Paul Perkins and junior offensive lineman Caleb Benenoch forwent their last year of eligibility at UCLA to enter the NFL draft. Their decisions follow a pattern of injuries and prior departures that has depleted the quality of talent on the roster.
• UCLA men’s basketball loses Pac-12 opener Friday in dramatic fashion: Despite late-game heroics involving game-tying clutch shots by junior guard Bryce Alford, Washington outlasted the Bruins for the 96-93 win.

Arts & Entertainment

• “Star Wars Episode VII”: Aalhad Patankar discusses the inadequacy of the much-hyped film, citing an excessive reliance on the old rather than creating the new (warning: contains plot spoilers).
• Was 2015 the year of a Justin Bieber “renaissance?” Check out what the Daily Bruin A&E editors have to say about last year’s best movies, art and music in their Year in Review.