I’ll miss Westwood ““ but good riddance, YRL

In exactly one week I will have taken my last college final and
be done with school forever, or at least for the foreseeable
future. As a farewell to UCLA for my last column, I’ve
decided to make a list (something anyone who knows me knows I
usually object to) of the 10 things I will miss most about
UCLA.

10. The crossword puzzle in the Daily Bruin. Is there really a
better way to fight boredom? While I mastered how to be discreet
about working on it in my notebook during lecture, it’s not
exactly something you can whip out at work. Plus, it’s pretty
easy compared with those in a lot of professional papers, and
it’s always an ego boost when you can do the whole crossword
puzzle.

9. The amount of walking we have to do. I remember how sore I
was the first few weeks of my freshman year, when I was getting
used to the walk and realizing how much of it would involve
climbing hills.

Then I started to really appreciate it when I decided that the
walk from my apartment to North Campus had to be a mile. If I
walked to class and back, it allowed me to be lazy and say it was
OK if I didn’t go to the gym or if my dinner consisted of
coffee and a bag of candy from Ackerman. I won’t get to use
that excuse if I spend my day sitting in a car or at my desk.

8. YRL. Just kidding. The delirium resulting from a lack of
sleep and a seemingly endless consumption of coffee as one tries to
put together a last-minute paper is one of those defining college
experiences. But it’s definitely not something I think
I’m going to miss.

7. Student discounts and cheap entertainment. All those free or
ridiculously inexpensive concerts and movie screenings make it fun
to go to UCLA.

I’m going to really miss flashing my BruinCard to get
discounts to museums, movie theaters and all the events on campus.
On second thought, while I may graduate this quarter, I technically
don’t walk until June, so I’m pretty sure it’s OK
if I keep it in my wallet just a little bit longer.

6. The John Wooden Center. It’s one of those places I
never really appreciated until I faced losing access to it. Sure,
the equipment is not as nice as many exclusive gyms and the yoga
classes are crowded, but admission is free and the classes are
cheap. I’m really not looking forward to having to write out
a $100 check for a gym membership each month.

5. Bruin athletic events. I’ll be honest with you, I
haven’t attended these as much as I should. But judging from
what I’ve seen at Pauley Pavilion and the Rose Bowl, sitting
with a bunch of old alumni is just not as much fun as doing the
8-clap in the student section.

4. Margarita Mondays at Acapulco’s. Cheap margaritas and
free chips and salsa at a place where you’re bound to run
into at least half a dozen people you know is my idea of a good
time. Where else can you get wasted for eight bucks?

3. Living in Westwood (north of Wilshire Boulevard). The rent we
pay for small, cramped quarters is robbery, but when else in life
will we live walking-distance from a bunch of our best friends? The
next time I see that happening is if I ever decide to move to a
retirement community in Florida.

2. Being able to plan my own schedule. By the time I reached
junior year, I had mastered how to schedule my classes each
quarter. I went through a phase where I was into attending only
twice a week and another where I didn’t attend class before 2
p.m. I’m pretty sure they don’t allow for that kind of
flexibility and freedom at a full-time job.

1. Maloney’s. Really, did you need to even ask?

Rodgers may be graduating, but she’ll still be living
in Westwood. In fact, you’ll probably still spot her at
Maloney’s next quarter. E-mail her at
[email protected].