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Arts and Entertainment

Arts and EntertainmentEvents

UCLA – Inside the Fowler Museum

by Teresa Xu December 12, 2019
written by Teresa Xu

“What’s going on inside the fancy building on the left of Janss Steps?” This question may have come into many Bruins’ minds for several seconds whenever they happen to pass by.

While you may have proudly told your family and friends that UCLA has a museum right on campus, do you know what it is about?

Photo from the Fowler Museum Website

“The Fowler Museum at UCLA” was first established in 1963 as the Museum and Laboratories of Ethnic Arts and Technology, featuring the various collections of non-Western art and artifacts on campus, initiating research projects, fieldworks, and exhibitions on the “otherness”– the ethnic changes of foreign cultural group, not necessarily using an art-historical methodology.

In 1971, its name was changed to the Museum of Cultural History and four years later, its collections on art and material culture from Africa, Asia, and the Pacific, as well as the Americas, ranked it Top Four university museums in the country. The current $22-million structure was constructed under the proposal of museum director Christopher Donnan, also Professor Emeritus in the Anthropology department to fully promote visible exhibitions instead of hoarding dusty artifacts underground. Previously located in the basement of Haines Hall, the museum has consistently struggled to re-imagine its own identity in its colonial collection. 

The Fowler Museum under construction (from Online Sources)


Since 2006, the name of the Museum has been officially changed to the Fowler Museum at UCLA, in recognition of the support from the Fowler Foundation and the family of collector and inventor Francis E. Fowler Jr, with its core to emphasize global arts and cultures and make them visible to not only western museum-goers, but more importantly, the indigenous people. The Fowler is not a mere institution which simply collects and hides its objects behind for “safety reasons”, it is part of the UCLA community to actively reflect on the history, re-narrativize the stories behind the colonial collections and call for respect for it.

From September 8, 2019, to March 8, 2020, On Display in the Walled City: Nigeria at the British Empire Exhibition 1924-1925 is on view in the Fowler in Focus Section. By inviting viewers into the well-lighted but relatively small area, this exhibition means to position viewers in a similar place to where the Nigerian artists once were nighty-four years ago in the British Empire Exhibition in Wembley, England: An exhibition almost as a human zoo where artists’private spaces had consistently been invaded by reporters and curious “high-status visitors”. All the resignation they had, the injustice they faced, the discrimination they suffered from were condensed into a strikingly enlarged black and white group photo right at the entrance. 

Photo by Teresa Xu

In the exhibition, visitors will find many bronze helmets, ivory carvings on display are actually replicas of replicas which were not made of their original materials. This selection poignantly reveals the severe looting that happened in the colonial periods which makes it impossible to trace where the real pieces are right now. The causes of how and why the punitive expedition full of deprivation and exploitation happened can be found on the wall texts provided by the curator. With the comfy seats provided inside, viewers have abundant time to read and think about what has happened in the British Empire Exhibition.

Because we care so we choose to display the problematic history truthfully. The exhibition at the Fowler Museums will always leave viewers new thoughts and insights: none of them should feel guilty or sad about the past. Next time, when you pass the Fowler Museum again, remember to check it out, to feel the positivism that the world will become better.

December 12, 2019 0 comment
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Arts and EntertainmentClub HighlightsLifestyle

UCLA Roundnet Team 5th in the Nation

by Lila Hearn April 22, 2019
written by Lila Hearn

UCLA’s Roundnet Club teammates Jason Rhoads and Ryan Baillargeon are ranked fifth in the country, after proving themselves in several tournaments this year.

Jason Rhoads (furthest left) standing next to partner Ryan Baillargeon

Roundnet (also known by the popular name Spikeball) has gained popularity at UCLA and all across the nation as both a casual beach game and a serious sport. It can be played almost anywhere, needing only two teams of two and a Roundnet set. Junior Ryan Baillargeon is the founder and president of UCLA’s Roundnet Club, which has gained plenty of popularity in just two years since its founding. He and sophomore Jason Rhoads make up the team Musty-er (the duo’s team name is a tribute to the team name of their good friends from Cal Poly SLO, Musty, who are also nationally ranked).

Jason Rhoads practicing at Sunset Rec

The sport fosters a real sense of community. The UCLA Roundnet Club practices weekly at Sunset Rec, is open to anyone with an interest in the game, and has even applied to be an official club sport next year. More experienced players gladly help those just starting out, and several teams of two compete in tournaments representing UCLA.

Traveling members of the UCLA Roundnet Club

Rhoads describes the sport to those who have never heard of it as “like volleyball, but the change of possession happens when the ball hits the net, as opposed to going over.” His favorite part of the game is the community of players, and the “fun competitive vibe” of everyone involved.

Ryan Baillargeon (furthest right) practicing with friends at Sunset Rec

UCLA Roundnet is only getting bigger. Anyone interested in playing is encouraged to contact Ryan at [email protected] 

April 22, 2019 0 comment
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Arts and EntertainmentPolitics

Should Celebrities Be Vocal About Their Political Views?

by Zainab Malik March 9, 2019
written by Zainab Malik

The idea of whether or not popular celebrities should be vocal about their political opinions has been a hot button issue for a long time now. Some argue that it is a celebrity’s responsibility, since they are in the public eye, to advocate for political engagement and exercising the right to vote. Others say that since celebrities are not government officials and since many have no real experience in politics that it is not their right or place to judge politicians.

For example, popular singer Taylor Swift has kept quiet about her political alignment for a very long time. However, during the recent midterm elections, she took the opportunity to advocate for Tennessee Senate hopeful Phil Breseden over the incumbent Marsha Blackburn. While many applauded Swift for her encouraging her young adult fans to go out and vote, others felt that it was not her place to condemn Blackburn for her prior voting record.

Though Swift leans toward the left when it comes to political issues, there are many right-leaning candidates who have also been both criticized and applauded for vocalizing their political views. A perfect example of this is rapper Kanye West who expressed his admiration of US President Donald Trump, going so far as to attend an interview with him wearing one of the infamous MAGA hats. Though West stated in the latter part of last year that he planned to distance himself from politics and Trump himself, he rang in the New Year by issuing a series of tweets reaffirming his support for Trump and possibly even suggesting that he himself may run for office in 2024.

Public response to Swift and West leans very much one way or the other, with most having very strong positive or negative opinions about their involvement in the political sphere. Several UCLA students who are educated in or simply involved in the political sphere have differing opinions on celebrities vocalizing their political views, but on the whole, it appears that most are in favor of it.

“I think it makes sense for them [celebrities] because they have a platform that many people don’t have to spread a message,” said Varsha Swamy, a 19-year-old neuroscience major. However, she continues to say that sometimes things are “over politicized” and that “there should be a balance between spreading your message and respecting the purpose of an event. But both are important.”

Brooke Urick, a 25-year-old sociology major, says, “I think it’s not only acceptable for celebrities to talk about politics, but it’s inevitable. Even though they’re packaged as a brand, at the end of the day they are real people with opinions and beliefs. Plus there’s an extra incentive to discuss political opinions publicly when you’re in a position of visibility to use your influence to encourage people to see things your way – especially for issues that you’re passionate about. If I had that kind of influence I would even feel obligated. Not to mention, we can easily figure out which celebrities to cancel once they’ve donned a MAGA cap.”

At the end of the day, we must realize that, positive or negative, harmful or helpful, celebrities are humans with the same basic rights as us and must be allowed to state their opinions freely and openly.

March 9, 2019 0 comment
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Arts and Entertainment

Bohemian Controversy

by Zainab Malik February 23, 2019
written by Zainab Malik
Credit: Feature Flash Photo Agency (Shutterstock)

Extremely serious allegations of sexual misconduct have been brought forth against “Bohemian Rhapsody” director, Bryan Singer. He has been accused of having sexual relations with underage boys, as well as raping four men. These allegations are so serious that Singer’s BAFTA nomination for the film has been suspended such that the allegations can be investigated appropriately. GLAAD also removed “Bohemian Rhapsody” from the Best Picture category.

This has all come to light in the thick of awards season and very near the Academy Awards, arguably the most well-known and prestigious award show of the year. Much speculation over whether or not “Bohemian Rhapsody” truly stands a chance at winning Best Picture this year due to all the controversy surrounding it.

Though these allegations against Singer are indeed horrible and must be investigated thoroughly, we must consider the hundreds of others involved in this project, such as recent Golden Globe winner, Rami Malek, who won his Golden Globe for his portrayal of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in the film. Malek has no controversy marring his record and is fairly innocent in the eyes of the public. His performance in the film has been nominated for an Academy Award. Should Malek and the rest of the cast and crew have to pay for Singer’s actions?

Sarah Bae, 26, a pre-psychology third-year student at UCLA does not think so. “I don’t think everyone else should be punished,” says Bae, “It’s not fair, that movie was still amazing. But underage boys? Ugh.”

Either way, we will see how this all pans out on February 24th.

February 23, 2019 0 comment
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Arts and EntertainmentUncategorized

Jigsaw: Comic vs. Netflix’s Marvel The Punisher

by Andrew Luo February 13, 2019
written by Andrew Luo

            With Marvel’s The Punisher Season 2 hitting the 2 week old mark on Netflix, fans have been given time to process the show and the narratives that have wrapped up. If you haven’t finished the show, you might want to do so before you continue reading, as spoilers lie ahead. One signature character that met his end in the second season was Billy Russo, a.k.a Jigsaw, played fantastically by Ben Barnes. With his Netflix story arc coming to a swift and merciless end, I’d like to compare Billy’s Netflix adaptation to his comic book original, hopefully shedding light on his character and relationship with Frank, as well as including some notable differences.

            In the show, Billy has a rough childhood, bouncing between foster homes and eventually ending up with an abusive foster father. In this aspect, Netflix Billy is almost identical to his comic version, in which he was orphaned by his abusive father at ten years old. However, while Netflix Billy went into the Marines, comic Billy went straight into a life of crime and became New York based hitman.

 This decision, in my opinion, adds a layer of emotion in an otherwise violent and raw TV show and makes the narrative far more interesting. As seen with most comic-book villains, a rough childhood typically causes the character to gravitate towards a life of crime given his lack of good role models and naturally negative disposition towards the world. However, Billy’s decision to become a Marine in the show demonstrates respectable character and proves a healthy step forward from his rough circumstances. Importantly, this decision allows him to meet and befriend Frank, granting the relationship between Jigsaw and the Punisher an emotional aspect that differentiates it from the vanilla hero-villain dynamic.

In the comics, Billy first meets The Punisher on a mission, which results in Billy’s disfigurement and subsequent hatred of Frank. They have no prior association and only come into conflict due to Billy’s initial mission and the grudge he holds. Having that brotherly bond, therefore, dramatically affects character motivations in the show. To start, the bond between Frank and Billy dramatically increases the rage and injustice Frank felt towards the feeling of his family. In addition to losing his loved ones, Frank learns that his best friend failed to stop event that shattered his life. This infuriates a character who really doesn’t need any more pissing off with Frank’s uncontrollable hatred reflected the season 1 finale. Ultimately, this pre-existing bond gives emotional value to the pain Frank inflicts upon Billy, setting the narrative up nicely for season two.

Season two focuses on Billy’s mental recovery far more than his physical one. While his body heals remarkably quickly, he struggles massively with holes in his memory and the haunting image of the Punisher skull. He exists as the social shadow of his former business owner and charming self while struggling to understand how he’s managed to reach his predicament at the beginning of the season. While the beginning of the season shows Billy reclaiming agency and founding Valhalla, it is very clear that Billy still thinks of Frank as a brother, despite their season 1 run-ins. This results in one of the best moments of season 2, in which Frank, wearing the skull vest, confronts Billy on the street after he pulls off his operation (Episode 7). Billy, upon seeing the skull, comes to the horrible realization that Frank was the one who did this to him, and paralyzed by shock, has to be dragged into the getaway car. His worst fear manifests, as the rumors of Frank have been confirmed, and the puzzle that is his mind grows even darker and more complex. This is brilliant for Billy’s psychological character development, as despite his previous crimes, he becomes somewhat sympathetic. Throughout the season, Billy acts like a child lost and angry with the world. He cannot understand the repercussions of his actions as he doesn’t remember them, and the only person who really talks to him is Krista, who seems to be manipulating Billy during their relationship. His helplessness and true loneliness manifest in his final moments, as he tells Curtis that he just “doesn’t want to die alone”. Ultimately, Billy once again becomes a lost child abandoned by the world, trying in his own messed up way to find meaning and value to his existence.

While changes from the original comics aren’t always welcome, I’d say Punisher’s deviation were well warranted. Had Frank and Billy not met in the military, none of this character development would have occurred, and Jigsaw might have stagnated as a traditional villain. However, Netflix graced us with a cool killer turned lost psychopath with a soft spot for a tough old friend, making for a fantastic character arc.  

February 13, 2019 0 comment
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Arts and Entertainment

The 24 Hour Musical Helps the Community While Providing a Night of Entertainment for UCLA Students

by Remy Small February 13, 2019
written by Remy Small

On campus at UCLA, students are using their talents and passions to create a night that not only entertains, but also does good and gives back to the community. Hooligan Theater Company and their cast and crew of theater lovers band together to put on their annual 24 Hour Musical. During this, they attempt to put together a full length musical in 24 hours, culminating in a performance of the piece at the end of the day. This results in quite an entertaining performance, with guaranteed laughs.

While the promise of stumbling dancers and actors trying to hold back laughs is enough reason to gather a crowd, the main draw to the event is how it helps the community. The proceeds made from the event go towards No Limits For Deaf Children Foundation, which supports theatre programs for children with hearing loss. This foundation had been in place for 20 years, serving to teach children in school with hearing loss skills to help them succeed in their education and in life via educational centers and their national theater program.  All the families this program supports are unable to afford speech therapy and find that their schools do not provide adequate support. No Limits provides individual therapy, literacy, academic tutoring, and parent education to families that may not have been able to have these resources otherwise.

The participants even get the opportunity to visit sites that the No Limits For Deaf Children Foundation helps, and meet the actual kids that they are helping. Jacob Cherry, a first year student participating in the event, shares what this opportunity means to him. “I knew that this foundation did amazing things to help children all over Los Angeles, but getting to visit the site and meet the kids brought even more motivation for the musical. The kids are so sweet and happy, and it inspired all of us that went to keep up our work raising money. Like a lot of others on our team, I love acting and theater, so it’s a real privilege to be able to use my artistic interests to directly affect these kids and their families in a positive way.”

The company, taglined with, “one cast, one crew, 24 hours”, will be having the performance of their musical on February 17th, 2019 in the Ackerman Grand Ballroom at 8pm. If you are unable to go, or would like to help further, you can donate directly through donate.nolimitsfordeafchildren.org. If your company is interested in donating, they can become a snack sponsor for $500, a T-shirt sponsor for $1,000, or a title sponsor for $5,000. The donations are 100% tax-deductible, and in return for your generosity your company will be advertised on fliers, posters, and social media. Individual donations, no matter how small, are always appreciated as well!

So if you would like to see what a group of theater kids can put together in 24 hours, while also helping the community, stop at Ackerman Ballroom on February 17th at 8pm for a night of sleep deprived, delirious, musical entertainment.

 

 

February 13, 2019 0 comment
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Arts and Entertainment

Call of Duty Black Ops 4: Weapon Meta

by Andrew Luo November 21, 2018
written by Andrew Luo

With the conclusion of the recent Call of Duty Black Ops 4 2k tournament, COD fans have had their first taste of competitive matches. Despite just being an online 2k, the competitive scene looks promising, especially after the content drought caused by the IW and WWII seasons. Scump pulled over a hundred thousand viewers with a host from Ninja himself, and pretty much every pro in the tournament streamed their POV on Twitch. Importantly, the pros seem to be enjoying the competitive side of BO4 much more than previous years, and that has something to do with a solid overall game but also the weapon meta.

The current meta for BO4 goes as such: 1-2 ICRs for your anchors and flexes, 1-2 SAUG’s for your main and supporting subs, and 1-2 Maddox’s for your flexes and maybe anchors on smaller maps. Now, this meta differs from the traditional format. Competitive is 5v5, so throwing an extra player in the mix changes things up. However, the focus here is more on the weapon meta.

To start, the last two Treyarch games have featured some variant of the M8 that served as the main AR in competitive. However, the main, slow AR this year is the ICR. To put it simply, the ICR is a laser beam. With people running something along the lines of reflex, Grip II, and Quickdraw on this gun, your main ARs are literally turrets this year. While the ICR literally has no recoil at any range, it is still outperformed by other weapons up close, and the lack of stock on this weapon severely reduces mobility. Therefore, we’ve seen many ICR players hold lanes and push behind their Maddox and SAUG players, more or less returning to a traditional anchor.

The next weapon in line is the SAUG. Now, the SAUG is a little different than previous main subs. Traditionally, there has always been “that sub”. In BO2, it was the MSMC. In Ghosts, it was the Vector, although that thing was pretty much an AR if we’re being honest. AW had the ASM1, BO3 had the VMP, IW had the ERAD, and WWII had the PPSH. All these subs were highly competitive with ARs with perhaps the exception of the VMP at medium ranges. This effectively established that close and mid range engagement as sub territory with longer engagements as AR territory. However, in BO4 the SAUG, while still usable at medium ranges, it not nearly as competitive as its predecessors, especially in the presence of the next gun in the meta. At a certain range, the SAUG’s damage dropoff and recoil combined with its somewhat awkward iron sights has sub players rendered completely useless. People are no longer “getting cross map kills with the Skorpion”, plain and simple. However, at close range, this gun shreds. Like the Skorpion and the Vesper, this gun deletes opponents in the blink of an eye. Furthermore, if you’re feeling particularly nutty, you can throw double stock on the SAUG and strafe your heart out. Shoulder peeking a doorway with this gun and baiting somebody to slide into a shower of SAUG bullets may cause an aneurysms in your opponents but is definitely a viable strategy.

The final weapon is the Maddox. And so far this year, the Maddox is “that gun”. Reminiscent of the HVK’s big brother from BO3, the Maddox is by far the most versatile gun in the meta. Coming with low recoil, good time to kill up close and reasonable at distance with forty bullets in a magazine, this gun proves it’s worth in any engagement. Furthermore, the ability to run stock and double quickdraw on the Maddox combines with its fire rate to give this AR sub-like benefits. It’s gotten to a point where many pros have been using the Maddox over actual subs like the SAUG. However, despite the debate, this gun is not overpowered. Run into an ICR across the map or a SAUG in your face and even the Maddox can’t help you. This gun at its heart is just an excellent hybrid weapon. It bridges the gap between a sub and AR and grants gives flex players a go-to gun. Overall, the Maddox is essential to maintaining a balanced meta.

With these three weapons, we can classify each of them as dominant in a certain range. ICR reigns supreme at distance, Maddox shines at mid-distance, and the SAUG obliterates up close. While the Maddox does perform the best at all ranges, each weapon can absolutely be used competitively on any map. Unlike previous years such as Ghosts and WWII where either the Vector outclassed everything or the BAR gunned subs up close, the BO4 meta has clear cut roles that lead to a healthy balance. And while patches will inevitably come and change the meta, what we have right now is pretty solid.

November 21, 2018 0 comment
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Arts and EntertainmentLifestyle

Cute Date Ideas: UCLA

by Lila Hearn November 15, 2018
written by Lila Hearn

Photo by Lila Hearn

The weather is cooling down, and cuffing season is fast approaching. If you’re looking to start something, here are some busy-schedule and budget friendly date ideas for UCLA students, complete with cheesy Instagram captions!

Hammer Museum

The Hammer museum is free, and located within walking distance from campus. Art museums are classic date locations for a reason! A nice place for photos, too. (Cheesy Instagram caption idea: “The most beautiful piece of art was standing right next to me.”)

Picnic on Janss Hill

Janss Hill is great in the afternoon or evening. You could swipe for some food on the Hill and head down there with a couple blankets, and spend time talking, people watching, or watching the sunset. This would be more personal and intimate, if that’s what you’re looking for. (Cheesy Instagram caption idea: “The view was amazing. Oh, and I guess the sunset was nice too.”)

Sports Game

The most obvious choice would be a football game, but all UCLA sports games are great date options. I recommend bringing a blanket and watching a soccer game! (Cheesy Instagram caption idea: “I really scored with this one.”)

Study Room

For when finals season and cuffing season overlap, reserving a study room for a study date can be a great way to spend some time together while still getting work done. Plus, seeing how someone acts when they’re stressed can tell you a lot about them for the future. (Cheesy Instagram caption idea: “The cutest study buddy at UCLA.”)

Kerckhoff Coffee House

Good for meeting up with someone for the first time, the Coffee House is a cute but very casual, public place to get together and see where things go! (Cheesy Instagram caption idea: “She perks me up like coffee.”)

November 15, 2018 0 comment
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Arts and Entertainment

Ai Weiwei X Jeffrey Deitch

by Ally Chou November 15, 2018
written by Ally Chou
Jeffrey Deitch Gallery by Brian Chou
Ai Weiwei's "Stools" by Brian Chou
Ai Weiwei's "Stools" by Brian Chou
Ai Weiwei's "Stools" by Brian Chou

Down to check out some funky contemporary art? Ai Weiwei’s exhibition, including “Zodiac” (2018) and “Stools” (2013) are currently featured in Jeffrey Deitch gallery at 925 N Orange Drive, LA.

Ai Weiwei is one of the most famous Chinese contemporary artists, based in Beijing and now working internationally. His father was Ai Qing, a renowned poet who was persecuted during the Cultural Revolution. Therefore, the artist takes this as inspiration to create artwork reflecting the Chinese government and their repression over individuals. He expresses these emotions through installations created with ready-made pieces that were outsourced with a historical provenance, attached with a symbolic meaning.

When you walk into the gallery, the first thing that hits you as an audience is the massive number of stools, all perfectly aligned in the center of the space. Ai’s stool installation covers 72-foot square of the entire gallery, aligned in a perfectly geometric sequence that leaves viewers amazed, but also evokes a chilling response. Surrounding “Stools” are 12 large multicolored works of art. Each depict an animal of the zodiac, arranged chronologically. From afar, they look like pop art — something Andy Warhol-esque, but up close, you realize they are all made up of small plastic LEGO pieces!

So what does it all mean? The 5,929 wooden stools were gathered from the Ming and Qing dynasties. These were ubiquitous items that symbolize the Chinese domestic household. The use of ready-made, old stools evoke the sense of antiquity that has been carried over consecutive generations, and with it, tells its own narrative. From Ai’s arrangement of the installation, we can see how all the stools have a simple design that has remained the same for decades, reflecting how Chinese values are forever unchanged and persistent.

“Zodiac” can be interpreted through its choice of material — LEGOs. LEGOs are industrial materials that were mass produced, and look identical to one another. The collection of such a big mass of LEGOs questions how the individuals in China contribute to society — what their amalgamated value creates. Just like how the combined presence of LEGOs pieced together, forms a picture representative of Chinese traditions.

Though “Zodiac” is the featured exhibition, the Jeffrey Deitch space also encompasses many other installations by Ai Weiwei such as “Ton of Tea” (2006), “Crystal Cube” (2016), “Treasure Box” (2014), “The Animal That Looks Like a Llama But Is Really An Alpaca” (2015) and more of his exciting projects for you to check out!

The exhibition is from September 29, 2018 — January 5, 2019 at the Jeffrey Deitch gallery.

November 15, 2018 0 comment
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Arts and Entertainment

Escape to Psycho Circus

by Bao Yi Tan November 13, 2018
written by Bao Yi Tan

*Words in bold are tips for raves

As mentioned in a previous post, after two years, I returned to the rave scene with Escape: Psycho Circus!

It was such a great experience and I can’t wait to do it all over again with my friends! This time, I would definitely get my tickets in advance as they will be much cheaper. Getting the tickets 5 days before was definitely the worst idea as the 1-day ticket costs about $170 and that could had been the price of a 2-day ticket. I also got the shuttle pass, as I had learned from prior experience, it is very convenient and to a certain extent, cheaper (compared to other personal modes of transportation).

Escape happened on the weekend of week 4. That Friday morning, I started packing for a mini 4 hours road trip to San Bernardino with two of my friends. 2 rave outfits (purchased at iHeartRaves – a variety of rave outfits, very durable and in style), chewing gum pack, portable charger, and a GoPro are essentials for a rave. And of course, a fanny pack or some sort of bag that you can dance comfortably in for the whole day and night as raves typically last for 10 hours.

Escape started at 4 P.M. and ended at 2 A.M. and the best artists performed later in the night. We got a Zipcar, as it was cheaper and we had more flexibility. We split it 3 ways and  we also had two ride share riders, making the cost efficient. During the ride, we decided to make a schedule. We listened to several DJs and decided we had to go to the sets of Martin Garrix, Kaskade, Excision, and Angerfist.

We arrived at the hotel around 4 P.M. and did a last minute costume brainstorming. My friends decided to draw sewn mouths and I went as a normal rave girl with sparkly booty shorts. We had our phones charged and I packed chewing gum, no Hydro Flask (as security would usually toss it away unless it’s an insomnia bottle or a camelbak), and a portable charger. I would definitely recommend bringing a phone case which could hold cards (I.D. & credit card) We got to the other hotel for the shuttle buses and got our last-minute wristbands (order early so you can receive the wristbands at home).

It is perfectly normal for people to express themselves in ways that an everyday passer-by wouldn’t, as my friends quickly discovered when we reached the shuttle buses that was 5 minutes away from our hotel. Rave is a place where you can fully express yourself! 

On the way to the venue which probably took 30 minutes, the shuttle bus itself became a rave bus. Different color lights were switching every second and it already felt like the night was beginning. Everybody was hyped and people were dancing in their seats. I also started recording videos of candid moments. When we reached the venue, we had to get the other wristband to enter.

From there, we entered the venue and had to go through security too. Everything was quick, as it is managed by Insomniac. Always love their events, such as EDC (short for Electric Daisy Carnival, another rave that I would highly recommend going. It’s way bigger than Escape and definitely way more international – including more water stations). The venue was spectacular. There were areas decorated by fire trees and there was a lake and and gift shops (to buy bottles, shirts, etc). Depending on the situation and how many water parks there are, I wish I didn’t bought the merchandize bottle (it didn’t have lights installed) and bought the regular water bottles as it was quicker.

The highlight of the event for me was Asylum. The haunted house was interactive and realistically spooky. We even made new friends in line and my friends who were rave babies (not anymore) got their first Kandies by Jasmine! We will always remember her. When we got in, we were restrained physically by a cloth and had to go through the maze. There was a clown room, Alice in the Wonderland room (where Alice was being eaten), etc. It was really fun and I hate haunted houses. I was so glad my friends made me do it.

Other than that, we really enjoyed the sets of Kaskade and Excision. We met different kinds of people, from shufflers to glovers. Everyone was just having a good time. The entire night was a blur and my friends who were not into EDM before are now obsessed with the genre 🙂

It is truly an experience before college ends. Plan early, remember to drink lots of water, and get a bunch of cool and trusting friends together and just rave, sleep, eat, repeat! 

Screenshot by Bao Yi Tan
Photo by Bao Yi Tan
Photo by Bao Yi Tan
Photo by Bao Yi Tan
Photo by Bao Yi Tan
Photo by Bao Yi Tan
November 13, 2018 0 comment
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Claudia Bernaga, 3rd year, English Major
Photo by Naomi Holmes
"Today I went to Covel and got M&M’s… all the "Today I went to Covel and got M&M’s… all the managers at Covel know me because I always get M&M’s. "
Alex Lewis, 2nd Year Political Science and Cognitive Science Double Major
Photo by Ariana Fadel
”I’m more likely to cry when I hear other peop ”I’m more likely to cry when I hear other people’s stories and I rarely cry for myself.” Nancy Zhang, 1st year, Computer Sciene Major. 
Photo by Catherine Wang
"I love poetry" Yasmin Siyad, 1st year transfer, P "I love poetry"
Yasmin Siyad, 1st year transfer, Psychology major
Photo by Catherine Wang
“I'm away from home, but at the same time very c “I'm away from home, but at the same time very close. This hot breeze reminds me of summer nights where I would play guitar and sing with my brother. The start of spring motivates me to go out, have fun, and take care of myself; it gets me excited for summer.

I started taking photos during my junior year of high school, which was one of my worst years. Photography helped me in my hardest moments because I instantly found my surroundings more beautiful. Honestly, I never found the sky to be beautiful until I started taking pictures. It sort of popped out of nowhere and completely changed that year around and who I am now." Elizabeth Pinos, 3rd year, Psychology
Photo by Anna Yang
“One time Lady Gaga threw her jacket at me.” M “One time Lady Gaga threw her jacket at me.” Maria Roman, 3rd year, American Literature and Culture Major
Photo by Catherine Wang
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