We pride ourselves on curiosity, questioning mindsets, breaking stereotypes and expanding knowledge at UCLA.
Yet one topic is often left in a cloud of haze: cannabis use and its role in higher education.

Bruin Walk is the place for speed-walking to class, avoiding eye contact with people flyering and arguing about controversial political issues.
Political debaters are a common sight on UCLA’s campus.

The garage door was open.
The familiar clutter of NFL memorabilia, 1960s high school prom photos and peculiar gadgets that once occupied the space was replaced by kraft-colored boxes.

New student advisors warn students at orientation about UCLA’s lines, telling stories of waiting for hours in the sun. I brushed off these comments at the time, sure my advisor was exaggerating.

The last thing university students should be thinking about during finals week is gun violence.
But in December 2025, a gunman killed two people and injured nine after opening fire at Brown University.

UCLA claims its purpose is the “creation, dissemination, preservation and application of knowledge.”
Yet today’s students are consuming more information than any generation before them, without ever being formally taught how to evaluate it.

The present generation of Bruins is much more allergic to peanuts and tree nuts than its predecessors.
Self-reported peanut or tree nut allergies among children in the United States saw a threefold increase from 1997 to 2008 – when most current undergraduates, born between 2003 and 2007, were toddlers or elementary-aged.