Brandon Christensen wakes up every morning on a well-cushioned green couch to the sound of his cellphone’s alarm.

The gender studies department ““ formerly known as women’s studies ““ celebrated its recent name change Wednesday, which went into effect this quarter.

Not many students can juggle five classes, a business and a congressional campaign.

A California state ban on same-sex marriage was ruled unconstitutional by a federal appeals court Tuesday, a move cheered by members of the UCLA lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender community, though same-sex marriages will not resume immediately.

The Occupy movement found its first sustained footing at UCLA Thursday in the form of brightly colored tents pitched in the corner of Wilson Plaza and a crowd of protesters that stayed into the night.

UCLA’s response to budget shortfalls had been well-met by campus administrators and faculty but financial support from non-state groups will be key to maintaining the quality of undergraduate programs, a panel concluded Tuesday night.

Occupy UCLA pitched its first tent in Bruin Plaza Tuesday, but its campout was short-lived.

Originally scheduled to begin Monday, the first tent was pitched by the group late Tuesday morning, but university police and the fire marshal told the group their tent needed to be taken down before they left Tuesday afternoon because they did not have the necessary permits.

President Barack Obama outlined initiatives to decrease monthly loan payments of soon-to-be college graduates in a proposal Tuesday afternoon.

The bill would expand an existing loan repayment program that capped student loan repayments at 15 percent of the student’s discretionary income – income left after taxes and basic necessities are paid for.

The plan would also reduce monthly payments to 10 percent of students’ discretionary income, according to a statement released Tuesday from the White House.

In addition, Obama’s plan aims to consolidate federal student loan program repayment.

Students supported by multiple federal programs would be able to make single monthly payments instead of multiple payments to different programs, which would significantly reduce interest payments, according to the statement.

“The need for enough income to make large monthly payments may discourage some graduates from starting a new job-creating business or entering teaching or another lower-paying public service career,” the statement said.

University of California President Mark Yudof spoke to an audience of East Los Angeles high school students Monday to reaffirm the UC’s commitment to financial accessibility for students.

Tents of every color lay scattered across the front lawn of Los Angeles City Hall on Saturday as thousands of people ““ including UCLA students and faculty ““ milled about in the late morning heat, preparing to march through downtown Los Angeles.