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Speaks Out

Edward Chiao, LuAnne Dingiasan
Published: Monday, June 25, 2001

If you could change one thing about your UCLA experience, what would it be and why? Joshua Silberman Computer science “I’d like to see more respect for the arts at this university. More money is always the biggest thing, but publicity is also important. If USAC were to say “This is what’s going on,” or even if the Daily Bruin where to tell people when things are by putting information in better spots rather than the back page of the A&E section one day in advance, that would be a really nice change.” Michelle Chung History and economics “I think it all really has to do with the size of the population. I think if it were a smaller campus, you’d be less inhibited to get to know the people on your campus. UCLA is big and impersonal. I feel like you never see the same person again – maybe only once a year – so you’re discouraged from getting to know that person.” Howana Lundy Sociology and history “I would have made it more fun for black people to be here. Ever since they took away the spot where we kick it – the Bruin Bear – and lowered our numbers, we have been more focused on political issues, and we didn’t have time to worry about having fun. Whites have fraternities and different parties, but people of color don’t have that same luxury. I would have made it so it would have been easier to have parties. I would have had a spot where it was cool for us to kick it on campus.” Poonam Dharn Sociology and history “I would say the diversity. I don’t see a lot of diversity on this campus, and even so, everyone is separated by their ethnicity or class. On other campuses, there’s diversity and you have people of different backgrounds hanging out together, interacting. Here you have different people, but they’re all in their own clique. Maybe programs that promote interaction between the groups would help.” Thomas Lew Psychology “I would lower the price of textbooks. The university already gets money from elsewhere. They have tuition money, they have parking ticket money, so they can afford to reduce the cost of books. Every other day you get a ticket from the meters.” Mitul Patel Psychobiology “I like everything here. I don’t know why, but I haven’t had any bad experiences yet. Everything has worked out the way it was supposed to work out. Everything I came here to do – to get into medical school, academics and to have fun – it all happened. I wouldn’t change a thing.” Speaks Out compiled by Edward Chiao, Daily Bruin Senior Staff. Photos by LuAnne Dingiasan, Daily Bruin Contributor.