Welcome, or welcome back, to all of our incoming and returning students! We are so excited to have you joining us here on campus and in Westwood Village.

During your years at UCLA, you will be challenged, be inspired, connect with one another and grow. You will sharpen your critical thinking skills, hone your abilities, forge friendships and create memories that will endure for a lifetime. Much of this will take place on the UCLA campus – but we also encourage you to foster your growth by taking advantage of the amazing opportunities our neighborhood and city have to offer.

In our nook of Westwood, you will find shops, restaurants, museums, theaters and other cultural treasures unique to this part of Los Angeles. Westwood is home to Persian Square (at the intersection of Westwood Boulevard and Wilkins Avenue) and, with the largest concentration of Iranian-Americans in the country, is affectionately known as “Tehrangeles.”

Our neighborhood of Westwood is the perfect place for a tasty bite, a relaxing sitdown with friends or a leisurely stroll through the Westwood Village Farmers’ Market on Broxton Avenue on Thursday afternoons.

On those walks, you will notice the one-block stretch of Broxton Avenue dedicated to the weekly Farmers’ Market will be closed to vehicle traffic full time, as it has been transformed into a vibrant pedestrian “Broxton Plaza,” making way for more community activities, programs and events for the entire Westwood community.

Also, look for the return of UCLA First Thursdays, a themed series of free events that bring the campus and local community together for food, fun and all kinds of entertainment.

Westwood Village is a haven for the arts as well. This year promises to be a memorable one as UCLA artists, research centers and public arts programs participate in the Getty’s PST ART initiative, the largest art event in the United States.

This year’s theme is “Art & Science Collide,” and projects address topics such as climate change, Indigenous knowledge, artificial intelligence, the burgeoning field of eco-acoustic art and more. Some of the works will be housed at the Fowler Museum and ArtSci Gallery at the California NanoSystems Institute on campus as well as the Hammer Museum on Wilshire Boulevard.

As you explore Westwood, make sure to also visit UCLA’s Nimoy Theater, which recently celebrated its one-year anniversary, as well as the area’s many other performing arts venues.

Being a member of campus offers you the chance to participate in local civic life and to shape the present and future of our community. We urge you to take an active municipal role in the city’s neighborhood councils, including voting in the 2025 North Westwood Neighborhood Council election in March.

To help make our region more accessible and equitable when it comes to public transit, consider joining the STC4All coalition and its volunteer student ambassador program to advocate for a UCLA campus station on LA Metro’s future Sepulveda Transit Corridor. Finally, connect with the Westwood Village Improvement Association and be a partner in ensuring that Westwood is a fun, safe, clean and welcoming place.

Of course, the Nov. 5 general election will also be an important opportunity to make your voice heard. Be informed, prepared and ready to vote in national, state and local elections. Visit the BruinsVote website for information about on- and off-campus polling places and keep an eye out for upcoming civic engagement events to learn more about local and state ballot measures.

Finally, we invite you to engage in public service – a core part of UCLA’s mission and a deeply meaningful way to build connections with the local community. The 16th annual UCLA Volunteer Day, which will be held Saturday, Oct. 5, is a signature event in the UCLA experience.

New freshmen and transfer students join together with continuing undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and community members to engage in a wide range of service projects across LA and the globe.

Volunteers can participate at more than 45 partner sites, providing critical support to food banks, parks, shelters, senior centers, schools, veterans’ facilities and other community organizations. Registration opens this month.

One of the things that makes UCLA such a fantastic place to go to college is its location within one of the world’s most diverse and dynamic urban areas. Take advantage of all that Westwood and LA have to offer, and you’ll enrich your experience here while also giving back to our city and its communities.

Once again, welcome to all our Bruins. We hope to see you around town.

Darnell Hunt is UCLA’s interim chancellor and Michael Russell is executive director of the Westwood Village Improvement Association.