Coming back from the relaxed vibes of summer vacation, students had high expectations for the annual concert that kicked o! the start of the school year. Yet as the days drew closer to September 18, many noticed an unusual delay in the lineup announcement. Rumors circulated that the original artist cancelled at last minute, and some alleged that the original artist was Snoop Dogg. However, members of Campus Events Commission could neither comment on nor con" rm such reports.

When it was released six days before the scheduled date, the lineup polarized student responses, with the Facebook event wall providing a forum of heated discussion. Some students dramatically vowed they would switch out of UCLA, while others sounded o! their passionate support of the artists. Posts especially applauded the recruitment of Kendrick Lamar and Childish Gambino, with an appreciable commendation for Diplo of Major Lazer as well. Numerous video links of songs and performances were posted by

such students to bond in their excitement for what they had to look forward to and to help those unfamiliar with the lineup. Still, dissenters lashed back at both fellow students and at Campus Events Commission, a couple rising in notoriety more than others with their commentary.

Before students could " le into Drake Stadium, increased security measures were implemented as part of e! orts to decrease alcohol-related incidents a# er an unusually high number of 18 emergency calls were made last year. Students had to make their way through an extended walkway, starting from Wilson Plaza and throughout the

Intramural Field. UCPD spokeswoman Nancy Greenstein told the Daily Bruin that with this arrangement, the UCPD, Emergency Medical Technicians and various event workers had multiple opportunities to stop inebriated students on their way into the concert.

Students milled around and chatted, while an unknown DJ helped set the mood prior to the start of the event. As the lights dimmed, a group of men known as Starting Six started o! as the opening act. Hailing from the East Bay area, these young rappers showcased a high-energy performance, but fell short of inspiring the same level of enthusiasm in audience members with their prosaic raps.

$ is seemed to carry over into the next act with Kendrick Lamar. With slower music and sexist, o! ensive content coloring much of his lyrics, Lamar created a distance in his performance. When the Compton-based artist attempted to connect with the audience, his shout-outs received weak responses. Despite his large Internet following and much hype from students prior to the event, crowd enthusiasm de% ated to its lowest point by the end of his set.

Interest then notably picked up as people got back on their feet, and Childish Gambino worked the stage. Also known as Donald Glover for his work on the comedy television series Community, this artist was contested by many students as the highlight of the event. Not afraid to jump onto the barriers and interact with fans, the dressed-down crowd favorite kept the mood casual and fun. $ e audience sang along to his popular song, “Freaks and Geeks” and roared favorably at the debut of “You See Me,” a track about Asian girls. $ ird-year neuroscience student Brandon Brown commented, “Childish Gambino was a great mix of smart, witty lyrics, an eclectic live band, with talented showmanship and a front-man who can sing too.”

Final act of the night Major Lazer then maintained the energy level of the crowd, as Diplo opened with a mash-up of Kanye West’s “All of the Lights” and Far East Movement’s “Like a G6.” In addition to fan favorite, “Pon de Floor,” beats of dubstep, house, and hip-hop were spun throughout his set. Students didn’t seem to be bothered much by the musical talents of the DJ himself, but more by what was performed at the forefront of the stage. Most consisted of harmless gyrating and energetic jumping from dancers. Occasionally, more promiscuous acts were exhibited between hype man Skerrit Bwoy and another dancer, which detracted from the music for some students.

A# er inciting a stream of passionate comments from the announcement of its lineup, the annual welcome-back event saw % uctuating crowd enthusiasm and mixed responses. When asked about what she’d like in future Bruin Bash events, third-year political science and history student Vicki Nee said, “I recommend they book not only rap groups and maybe switch it up. [Campus Events Commission] should also make sure the concert is appropriate. I listen to rap music and it’s " ne when it’s talented and makes sense, but they should make sure to screen the songs and performances.”

BOTTOM LEFT | UCLA students cheered with their hands in the air as Bruin Bash began. Despite the high energy of the night, Bruin Bash was criticized by the lack of diversity in the line up of artists. PHOTO | CHARLIE WANG. BOTTOM RIGHT | UCLA alumnus Jared Richmond performs in front of fellow Bruins during the opening act of Bruin Bash.PHOTO | BLAINE OHIGASHI, DAILY BRUIN. OPPOSITE TOP | Major Lazer headlined Bruin Bash 2011. Despite the loud noise coming from the stadium, attendance declined this year due to the lineup . PHOTO | BLAINE OHIGASHI, DAILY BRUIN. LEFT | Childish Gambino (aka Donald Glover, star of NBC’s Community) performs on the stage set up at Drake Stadium for Bruin Bash. Gambino was able to fi ll the crowd with enthusiasm and loudness during the night. PHOTO | CHARLIE WANG.

Aren Alexander, a " rst-year anthropology student, did not know what to expect going into the performance, commenting, “I’ve never really seen a professional performance. I mean, I’ve been to college concerts, I’ve been to the London performance of Wicked, but I’ve never been to a dedicated performance, or a dance performance.” Alexander was invited by a friend who had an extra ticket, and was just

as excited to experience new things in his " rst year of college.

Many students, in fact, who attended the Water is Rising event experienced something new and inspiringly di! erent. For " rst-year biology student Evelyn Bonilla, this too was an exciting event in the beginning of her freshman year on campus. She said, “It’s really exciting; I’ve never seen a play or musical for that matter. And I’ve never been to Royce Hall or inside.” Both Bonilla and a friend who watched the performance with her attended the event as an assignment for their Arts and Architecture 10 class. Despite the fact that she was required to see the event, Bonilla shared she was enthusiastic to learn something new. “I want a further understanding of the culture and how they connect to nature. I hope I can get something from here,” she said.

Similarly, third-year psychology student Joshua Won attended the event for a di! erent course. He explained, “I’m just here to educate myself about the world. I think this is a special event we’re hosting.” Indeed it was, as it was aimed at bringing awareness to various people around the world with the opportunity to make a di! erence globally.

Just as the performance was set to begin, the audience quieted down and the lights dimmed. $ e curtains remained closed. A couple of long moments passed, but still, silence. Just as the audience started to look around wondering when the performance would start, a loud booming chant echoed from behind. A collective auditorium full of people turned their heads to see performers march down the aisles, chanting in their native language.

Each group wore unique out" ts speci" c to its culture and its dance. While the citizens of the island nation Tuvalu wore vibrant red skirts, the females from Kiribati wore coconut tree leaf skirts and the men adorned themselves with tarp-like skirts and straw crowns. Moreover, the people of Tokelau wore grass and tarp skirts, and the men wore shoes with shells sown onto them that musically rattled as they walked. Interestingly, the out" ts of each group complemented their dancing styles.

$ e people of Tuvalu, Kiribati, and

Tokelau each took turns performing their own dance and musical pieces in their own languages, while a large screen showed audience members the translated lyrics of the songs, also playing a slideshow depicting their native lands. With booming voices, the people of Tuvalu shouted and yelled throughout their performances, while the female dance members yelped. Contrarily, the people of Tokelau relied more heavily on drumming with large paddles, and on rhythmically taking steps, clicking their shell-covered shoes into a tapping beat.

Despite the cultural di! erences, each song and dance re% ected the love the people had for their lands, and emphasized the dire situation they were all in. Performed by Tokelau, one of the " nal songs of the night was called Toku Koa, meaning “my precious”; for this song, one performer played the guitar while the others sang melodically around him, singing, “$ e island in my heart…my cultured language, my values and my beauty, they might be gone forever because of your unloving ways. What is the purpose if we sink? Kiribati, Tuvalu, Tokelau, and all the other small islands. Come, let us join shoulders, and stop polluting our environment, or we will go under the rising sea.” $ is heartfelt song clearly emphasized the role of environmental change in the accelerating problem associated with rising water on lower atolls. For the " nale, the three groups sand in unison, “Please love us, God!”

A# er the musical performance, group members shared their individual and culturally signi" cant stories with the audience. As two young girls from Tuvalu, Arieta (age 21) and Babai (age 19) shared, “We are just like normal teenagers. We play with people our age. We play soccer, volleyball, netball, and practice dancing.” Although they insisted that their lives were not so far removed from that of teenagers living in America—“We celebrate Christmas, $ anksgiving as well.”—their respective realities were very di! erent from many teenagers globally. “Life is very easy,” Arieta explained. “If you don’t have a job, you can live without money; there is no tax. I have " ve sisters and one brother, and my dad works in an o& ce. When he gets paid, he buys clothes for us. We go to the beach, sing, dance, have fun, and play video games. I like Pac-Man.”

Opening their hearts to the world around them, and begging for a chance to be seen as relevant and worthy of aid, the people of Kiribati, Tuvalu, and Tokelau taught UCLA students and patrons a clear and important lesson through their powerful dancing and singing: people from all across the globe are connected. OPPOSITE | Female performer raises her hand as she inititates the begining of a new act. Water is Rising was attended by UCLA Bruins and those in the community. TOP | The entire cast performs during the closing act. After the performance, members shared their individual and culturally signifi cant stories with the audience. MIDDLE | Male performers perform their traditional dance as the leader continues the story telling. Males adorned themselves with tarp-like skirts and straw crowns. BOTTOM | Female elderly performer tells the story of what is going on in the Pacifi c Islands of Kiribati, Tuvalu along with her tribe.

background and foreground contrast was a big part of the overall message,” said "rst-year pre-business and economics student Chewon Lee.

One of the "rst UCLA Live performances of the season, the performance was Hofesh Schechter Company’s only stop in the United States for their international tour.

At a few points in the performance, a man wearing a tuxedo and a gorilla mask appeared on the platform, screaming into the microphone with passionate anger distorting his words so that the audience only heard mu'ed shouts and saw emphatic arm waving. As this went on, the dancers down below him appeared as if they were forced to obey his commands; they all raised their arms up in unison, as if their arms were in shackles, and hung their heads in submission. In addition

A foreground served as the dancers’ arena, while the background was intermittently lit throughout the smoke-"lled air to display the live rock band playing intense, powerful music on an elevated platform.

“$e music was dynamic, and the

TOP | Members of the Hofesh Shechter Company lift their arms in unison during a performance. ABOVE | A second group of dancers emerges, in more colorful clothes, who present more organized, ritualistic Semitic phrases, like Teyve-style shimmying torsos, and legs stepping in single time while fingers tickle the air by their faces. OPPOSITE TOP | Besides their capped postures, these groups are hemmed in by an ingenious sonic barrier – instead of a scrim there is a literal wall-of-sound, composed by Shechter, made manifest. RIGHT | Shaped by despair, their arms lift skyward but never fully extend; torsos droop or fling back, never stand simply erect; all eye contact or gaze is missing. Shechter, an alumnus of the world-renowned Batsheva Dance Company of Israel and a former rock drummer, dazzled UCLA Live audiences in 2009 with Uprising/in your rooms. Now Political Mother, his company’s next full-length work, pairs his atmospheric, bombastic score with 10 dancers’ raw physicality in a performance that is gritty and complex.

the performance’s message to be unclear. “Imagery is crucial to my work. I hope to create something that is like a dream for the audience—you understand it but it’s not absolutely coherent. I like dreams because you can be less analytical—it’s an experience, not an argument,” said the seasoned choreographer who has several international tours and choreography on TV shows like Skins under his belt. He did explain, however, that he felt that he created hope with his show. “Hope is not in abundance. [$e show] is dark, but it’s intentionally dark. When you are faced with hopelessness, you try to "nd hope, create hope,” said Shechter.

Framing the performance, a scene of a

man stabbing himself at the opening of the curtains and then pulling the sword back out at the end—while the only lyrical song of the show played about love--le# most audience members feeling a little more hopeful than the rest of the evening’s images had le# them.

His inspiration for the framing scene “came toward the end. It’s all illusions: dead, alive, whatever…$e ending was an experiment; I try to catch the audience in a place where they are suddenly realizing we are here now, we are alive now, this is part of our lives. It also just gave me a kick to do it,” Schechter smiled. Another assumed yet unexplained “kick” was the illumination of orange lights writing out in capital letters “Where there is pressure, there is folklore” toward the end of the performance, which was never connected to any other themes in the dancing or music. Shechter’s intent for his show seemed to be to awaken the senses of his audience members, to make them question who they are, what they are doing, and where they are going.

In an existential way, Shechter engaged the audience and made the performance personal, prompting introspection in each person. “$e whole time it felt like I was doing something, like I was engaged in the whole process,” said "rst-year pre-business and economics student Jai Kyeong Kim.

Shechter’s advice to the audience came as a strong declaration of knowledge he had accumulated over his years of experience in the industry and in politics both in Israel and Britain: “Your intention is a mirror to the result of what you will do. $ere are no secrets to success—if you look for something substantial, you will "nd it.”

to the ominous music and terrifying, spastic movements, the costumery contributed to the 1982-esque vibe, with the freer movements occurring when the dancers wore a variety of suits and dresses and the constricted, uniform movements occurring when they all wore grey jumpsuits. “Honestly, I was extremely confused by it. It was disjointed and unclear, but so interesting. I enjoyed the dancing a lot, but now I want to Google what the performance meant!” commented Jessica Altshuler, fourth-year mathematics and economics student.

Luckily for Altshuler and the other students who voiced the feelings of confusion and awe, Shechter actually intended for

Wu Man’s UCLA Live performance in Royce Hall on November 19 began with %ute and drum music from the 8th century that was lyrical, describing the scenery of the region at sunset. $e journey began with a piece called Ambush From All Sides which was a martial classical piece, and drew inspiration from 8th century Tang Dynasty poetry and ancient Chinese calligraphy. $e music sounded like it was about to end several times, as Wu Man so#ly leaned with her instrument and slowed the plucking of the strings, which only made the passion of the next notes more acute. “Ancient, older China really interests me more than contemporary, so it was extremely engaging. I grew up in a Chinese-oriented family, so I was surrounded by the culture;

beat that sounded like far more than only two performers. $is piece took 12 cycles for the two to get back in sync and clap the same pattern at the same beat, which lasted for well over four minutes. “$e Clapping Music was so untraditional and unexpected. I was mesmerized by the sounds that two people could make just clapping their hands. It was really a cool e!ect when they came together in the end, clapping together,” said second-year computer science student Daniel Baldonado.

Next in the evening was Roberto Sierra’s Bongo-O, which Schulz played using just

I always love learning more about it. Plus, the performance gave me a journey into the history of China from a musical standpoint,” said second-year physiological sciences student Jonathan Wu.

Moving on to China in the 60s was the Dance of the Yi People, which symbolized

young people dancing together with passion and quiet uncertainty, full of changing emotions. During the Cultural Revolution, love was not allowed to be depicted publicly, Wu Man explained, and so the feelings created in this piece were of con%ict, "re, momentary happiness, fear of uncertainty with a fast paced tempo which invoked excitement.

Clapping Music, by Steve Reich, involved Wu Man putting down the pipa and performing the clapping pattern song with Robert Schulz. $ey clapped the same pattern at di!erent speeds, which created a

two bongos. “$ey’re simple instruments but there is an in"nite variety of sounds. It’s what I love about percussion,” said Schulz. He alternated using drum sticks and his hands, while simultaneously using his voice to chant and bring an urgent tone to the piece. “$e drumming was nontraditional. $ere was a heart-cringing feeling that I had, because it was so passionate. It felt foreign, but I really enjoyed it. I just closed my eyes, and let the music surround me,” said "rst-year biology student Dang Song.

During the Ancient Dances part of the program, two vertical screens behind the

BOTH PHOTOS | With elegance and charisma, virtuosic pipa performer Wu Man performed at UCLA’s Royce Hall. Wu Man was part of Yo-Yo Ma’s acclaimed Silk Road Ensemble and has lovingly carved a new space in modern music for the ancient lute-like instrument of China, introducing it to new audiences and nearly singlehandedly expanding its core repertoire. She has moved far beyond the novelty of the pipa’s beautiful-yet-peculiar tone, ensuring that the instrument is appreciated for its unique contribution to various forms of music. In this program, which included the multimedia work, Ancient Dances, a duo for solo percussion and pipa, Wu Man continues her exploration of ancient roots while keeping her forward-looking aesthetic appeal.

musicians displayed images that moved and transformed. $e visuals did not exactly match the music, but they did coordinate with them, %owing slowly between colors and simple black watercolor images. “$e piece starts very slow, the audience almost can’t recognize the screen is moving,” she said. “But the color of the music goes through the image.” Some of the images on the screens behind her were paintings by her father, done by ink brush, of birds, %owers, and Chinese characters.

As Wu Man "nished her last, powerful note, she carefully set her pipa down and

smiled at the audience, happy to have shared her experience of China’s history with the audience in Royce Hall. A#er the performance, second-year computer science student Daniel Baldonado said, “It gives you a glimpse of the culture in a unique way.

$ e evening weather was perfect at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and the stage was set for the Bruins due to Utah’s loss against Colorado and Arizona State’s loss against California the previous day. $ e pressure of winning to stay alive was no longer present, but the Bruins still had a chip on their shoulder. $ e Trojans won the last four

matchups, and head coach Rick Neuheisel said at the press conference, “$ e gap has closed. We’re much closer to them than we were when I " rst got here.” $ at being said, UCLA could not discount the e! ort that USC would put into this game to raise their NCAA ranking. “I can’t concern myself with the sanctions and what the sanctions will mean for their program,” Neuheisel said. “You have to expect that ’SC’s always going to be very talented.” $ is drive motivated the Bruins to play at a high level and with greater e! ort than before.

With over 93,600 in attendance at the Coliseum, USC received the ball to begin the match. In just four plays, USC quarterback Matt Barkley, threw four straight completions and capped the drive with a 42-yard touchdown pass for the Trojans. $ e Bruins responded with a slow and steady drive down the " eld, bringing the ball to the red zone with a 29-yard pass from redshirt junior quarterback Kevin Prince to freshman running back Jordon James. $ e Bruins were sitting with a 1st and Goal at the 9-yard line of USC. $ e cheering of the Trojan fans was bone-chilling, as they wanted their beloved team to dampen the Bruins’ hopes. A# er three runs, it was 4th and Goal at the USC 1-yard line. $ e Bruins were on the verge of scoring, showing the world that they were more than capable to scoring toe-to-toe with USC. A# er a quick timeout by Coach Neuheisel, the Bruins drew up a quick run play for senior running back Derrick Coleman to pound in the potential game-tying touchdown. However, the might of USC’s defense, fueled by its roaring home crowd, stopped UCLA right at the tip of the goal line. $ is turned

e! ort to make an impact on the scoreboard. With less than ten minutes le# in the game, UCLA started from its own 16-yard line and drove to USC’s red zone. 3 straight rushes on a 1st and 10 at USC’s 12-yard line eventually led to a 4th and 5 at USC’s 7-yard line. Prince had to make a pass for either a " rst down or a touchdown, but USC’s stout defense broke up the pass again. With little time on the clock, the hopes of the Bruins scoring just once were dwindling. $ e Trojans ran out the clock and the game ended on an awkward note.

“Meet the new Pac-12 South Champions, UCLA Bruins.” $ ose were the headlines everywhere as the game " nished. It was a bittersweet feeling for the Bruins, as the gut-wrenching shutout loss could not be more embarrassing for a “championship” team, but the hope for beating Oregon for a shot at the Rose Bowl game was still there. “Anytime you’re competitive and you fail, you want desperately for another chance. We’re fortunate to get that chance,” Neuheisel said. He made sure the team knew that they still had a big opportunity to redeem themselves a# er an eyesore performance against USC. Facing No. 9 Oregon was no easy task, as their record showed they were better than the Trojans’.

A big change from the management department made big splashes in news media, as Athletics Director Dan Guerrero announced that head coach Rick Neuheisel was going to be released at the end of the season. He would coach the " nal game of the season in the Pac-12 Championship game against Oregon. O! ensive coordinator Mike Johnson would take the interim head

the game around hugely by giving the Trojans the ball back, while keeping the Bruins o! the scoreboard. USC drove 98-yards in 5 plays this time, scoring with a 73-yard run by running back Curtis McNeal. UCLA ended its next drive with a punt a# er going three and out.

At the beginning of the 2nd quarter, the Trojans came storming back with another 92-yard drive and scored a two-point conversion. A# er another UCLA punt and USC touchdown, the score was now 29-0. During the next drive, the Bruins conjured up a strong push to the USC 7-yard line, but on 3rd and Goal, Prince made a mistake by throwing an interception at the end zone. Again, the Bruins were denied another big score inside USC’s 10-yard line. $ e half ended with Kevin Prince making several complete passes and rushes, but they fell short again a# er time ran out when the ball was at USC’s 25-yard line. “It would have been great to have a methodical drive and cap it with a touchdown,” Kevin Prince mentioned. “Instead, we come out empty-handed, and they go up 14-nothing. It would have helped a lot, just in terms of the psyche of the team.”

On the bright side, the Bruins seemed more than capable of scoring. $ ey just seemed to fall short and choke when it mattered most. Nothing happened for the Bruins in the 3rd quarter while the Trojans scored two touchdowns. $ e game was de" nitely slipping away, and it started becoming a forgetful memory to be le# behind UCLA. $ e 4th quarter started with another USC score, putting their lead to an embarrassing 50-0. $ e Bruins made one last

OPPOSITE | Wide Receiver Ricky Marvray gets tackled down by USC defender. Despite the best effort, UCLA lost to USC. PHOTO | TERENCE LEE. ABOVE LEFT | UCLA football players prepare to tackle as USC prepares to snap the ball into play. UCLA lost to USC 0-50. PHOTO | TERENCE LEE. ABOVE RIGHT |. Redshirt junior quarterback Kevin Prince gets tackled by Trojan redshirt senior linebacker Shane Horton and junior safety T.J. McDonald during Saturday’s loss at the Coliseum. Kevin Prince fi nished the night with 21-33 completions and one interception for 261 yards. UCLA. PHOTO | BLAINE OHIGASHI, DAILY BRUIN.

“It would have been great to have a methodical drive and

cap it with a touchdown...Instead, we come out empty-

handed, and they go up 14-nothing. It would have

helped a lot, just in terms of the psyche of the team.”

coach position for any bowl game that UCLA quali" ed for. $ is did not stop Coach Neuheisel from motivating his team one last time. “We’re going to go represent the South as well as we know how, and try to win the conference championship,” Neuheisel said. $ is game would be dedicated to the head coach, as his stage exit.

UCLA was a 31-point underdog in this match, but they were able to stay close to Oregon. At the beginning of the third quarter, the Bruins were still within 11 points of the Ducks. Everyone except the Bruin sideline was shocked and awed by team’s exceptional performance. However, Oregon kept a comfortable cushion by scoring two more touchdowns while UCLA scored once. A hard-fought bout against Oregon just four days a# er Neuheisel’s " ring led to a " nal score of 49-31. Although the Bruins fell short of the Pac-12 Championship and an opportunity at the Rose Bowl game, the team played inspired football. With his last game, Rick Neuheisel coached with deep emotion and expressed high praise for his players. $ e Bruins were also eligible for a bowl game a# er the NCAA approved the team’s request. $ e season ended on a better note than just a 50-0 shutout against USC, giving UCLA hope for a better season the following year.

Some donors were nervous, knowing that a full 10 inches of hair would soon be gone from their heads. “I am very emotionally attached to my hair, and I want to overcome it and make a di! erence for someone,” said second-year psychobiology student Lilly Chang.

Many people had grown attached to their hair over years of being used to growing it long, and the prospect of losing so much of it was frightening. $ ere was something that outweighed fear, though, as more than 200 donors gave nearly a foot of hair for the cause—reasons ranging from knowing a cancer patient or survivor to just wanting to do something good while making a change in appearance. “I was kind of hesitant, but it’s a great way to help people. It doesn’t hurt me, so why not?” said Esmeralda Cabral, a third-year Spanish student.

A non-pro" t organization that supplies wigs to " nancially disadvantaged patients who

have experienced hair loss under the age of 21, Locks of Love came to the James West Alumni

Center on February 2nd to host an all-day marathon of hair-cutting. $ e hairdressers were students at the Vidal Sassoon Academy in Santa Monica, who worked for no pay for over eight hours and donated their labor to the event. $ e process entailed pulling the hair into a ponytail, measuring it to ensure it met the required 10 inches to donate, chopping the length o! , and styling the newly shortened hair. Vidal Sassoon student Ashley said of the event, “It’s been a lot of fun, and it’s a great opportunity to cut so much hair and make a drastic di! erence.” Since she had bleached her hair, she could not donate to Locks of Love, so this was her way of getting involved with the

cause.From the hairdressers to the donors, one

theme was resoundingly true: everyone wanted to make a di! erence in the life of someone they didn’t know. Fourth-year psychology student Marie Cross organized the event as internal campus volunteer director of the UCLA Alumni Scholars Club, with her passion for Locks of Love developed years ago. “I fell in love with Locks of Love, and I’ve donated many times,” said Cross. “It’s so easy to make a di! erence in someone’s life. $ e ease with which you can give them hope is amazing.”

$ e haircuts surprisingly only took a little longer than 15 minutes, so by the end of

“I fell in love with Locks of Love, and I’ve donated many times... It’s so easy to make a di! erence in someone’s life. " e ease with which you can give them hope is amazing.”

own. People don’t think about it, but hair is really important. People feel like they lose themselves when they lose their hair,” she said. “My grandma lost her hair when she went through chemotherapy for ovarian cancer, and the ordeal was made even harder when she lost her hair. I want to give people their self-con" dence and self-esteem back,” she added.OPPOSITE | Hair dresser prepares to cut off female Bruin’s hair. More than 200 donors chopped a portion of their locks at the fi fth annual Locks of Love hair drive at UCLA, hosted by the Alumni Scholars Club. ABOVE | A hair-dresser measures a lock of hair using a ruler at the event. Locks of Love is a non-profi t organization that makes custom wigs for children affl icted with medical-related hair loss. At hair drives, stylists give cuts to donors with hair lengths of 10 or more inches.

the long day of donating, the UCLA Alumni Society had collected 2,077 inches of hair. $ ese inches upon inches of hair would change the lives of hundreds of patients who had gone through chemotherapy or illnesses or treatments that caused hair loss. Although Cross had hoped to collect 2,400 inches of hair and the day’s collection fell a few hundred inches short of that goal, the event was a success. $ e donated hair made over 200 wigs, and the le# over inches were used to o! set the manufacturing costs that the non-pro" t organization needed to pay o! . $ e short hair indubitably grew back, and the donated hair certainly helped those going through hell to be

able to keep going.$ e personal aspect of donating was

the driving force for many who participated. While some donors had heard about the cause and just wanted to be involved, others knew how important being on the receiving end truly was, and how life-changing and transforming a simple wig could be. Cross said, “You cut 10 inches o! your hair, and it grows back in six months. But the person receiving the wig from your hair--her life is changed forever.” Brooke, a Vidal Sassoon student cutting hair for the event, had also donated her own hair before: “I cut 16 inches o! my mom’s hair and 12 o! of my

Nobody thought that the only high school group in a competitive a cappella music festival would take home the most awards, but that’s exactly what the high school students from Calabasas High School did. $e scholastic competition of the Los Angeles A Cappella Festival, hosted by UCLA, began Friday, January 28 with six school groups; Bruin Harmony, Random Voices, and Scattertones hailed from UCLA, and three groups traveled from other schools--University of Oregon’s On the Rocks, Cal Poly’s Take it Slo, and Calabasas High School’s Unstrumental. UCLA’s home group Scattertones won the festival’s "rst-

ever "rst place award, with Unstrumental from Calabasas High School coming in second place.

$e night was broken down into time slots of 12 minutes, and the groups were allowed to use that time however they wanted. Most groups performed three songs, with the lead vocalists changing for each song. Performing "rst was UCLA’s Scattertones, the only UCLA co-ed group in the festival. Scattertones’ strong suit was the variety in musical choice, their outstanding beatboxer Matthew Flesock, and their lead vocalists’ talent. In fact, out of more than 850 singers who performed, Scattertones member DJ Harper won the award for Best Male Solo of the entire evening. Scattertones also won the overall "rst place award for the scholastic competition. Scattertones member Brett Blackiston, third-year communications student, said the group came into the competition with an e!ort to do their best and perform well. Blackiston said, “I love performing because it’s a great way to represent and share my love for music with others who feel the same way. And since I’m not a music major, it’s great to have a way to express my creativity.”

$e Los Angeles A Cappella Festival had never hosted a competition before,

so they did not have any set expectations of how the evening would go. $e Scattertones, who came in second place in the western regional division at the International Championships of A Cappella, were preparing for another go at the title a few months a#er the festival, and other various performances and concerts.

Following the Scattertones’ upbeat performance was Take It Slo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s co-ed group. $eir performance was a contrast between the deep bass singers and the higher soprano female voices, drawing attention to the variety of their vocal ranges. $e songs they chose were mainly pop songs, although

“It’s a great way to represent and share my love for music with others who feel the same way.

And since I’m not a music major, it’s great to have a way to express

my creativity.”

OPPOSITE | Random Voices female soloist captures the audience with her voice at the Los Angeles A Capella Festival (LAAF). The 2012 Los Angeles A Cappella Festival kicked off in Ackerman Grand Ballroom with the first ever Los Angeles A Cappella Festival Scholastic Competition. ABOVE | University of Oregon’s On The Rocks a capella group perform at the 2012 LAAF. Alex Horwitch of On the Rocks won Best Vocal Percussion. LEFT | Cal Poly’s Take It SLO performs towwards the end of the 2012 LAAF. Despite their best effort, Take It SLOW didn’t place at the 2012 competition.

they added their own twist to them. $e next group was Bruin Harmony, the high-energy all-male UCLA a cappella group. $is performance was di!erent from all the others in its comedic value, as the "rst two songs came along with suggestive dancing that had the crowd laughing throughout the performance, though the third song was a serious, vocally impressive rendition of “Awake My Soul” by Mumford & Sons, a British folk band.

What happened next took everyone by surprise. $e only high school group of the competition, Unstrumental, took the stage by storm. $ey shocked the audience with each number, beginning with a male-female duet with choreography that won Best Staging & Choreography for the evening. $eir female vocalist for a performance of “Love on Top” won Best Female Solo of the show, and their performance of Regina Spektor’s “Samson” won best arrangement. “Unstrumental was outstanding. I’m so amazed at their vocal talent for their age. To be singing Beyoncé like that in high school... Wow,” said second-year psychology student Marvison Monserrat, Jr. Also snagging the award for crowd favorite, Unstrumental was a force to be reckoned with.

Random Voices, one of UCLA’s all-female group sang with an angelic quality while performing popular songs like “Moves Like Jagger” and a Britney Spears classic, “Toxic”. An all-male group from University of Oregon, On $e Rocks, competed last, with a dynamic sound and low bass. Alex Horwitch, of On $e Rocks, won the award for Best Vocal Percussionist for the night. “$ey were easy on the eyes and good on the ears. I liked the choreography, and their song ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ was done really well,” said third-year communications student Serena Lee.

$e show opened and closed with songs performed by the professional a cappella group Simply Put, who had a 1920s scatting vibe, and each of the members had a voice powerful and beautiful enough to be the lead soloist. $eir closing song, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” brought gasps from the audience, and “Killing Me So#ly” le# listeners speechless. $ey served as an inspiring example for the competitors to continue practicing and working toward excellence in the a cappella "eld.

$e nerves from the hosts of the "rst annual festival, the competitors, and the audience members subsided as the evening went on and everyone focused on sharing and appreciating beautiful music. $e simplicity of instruments in a cappella--just start singing--made it easy for every person to enjoy the night of song, taking in the sounds and rhythms of each other.

TOP | Female members of Calabasas High School Unstrumental lead the group with their opening song. Calabasas High Shool Untrumental took second place behind UCLA’s Scattertones. OPPOSITE BOTTOM | Simply Put performs during the opening of the festival. Simply Put hosted the event at UCLA. LEFT | Judges of the 2012 LAAF prepare to announce the results of the scholastics competition. Calabasas’s High School despite taking second place received 4 other individual awards. ABOVE | UCLA’s Bruin Hamony members perform “Awake My Soul” by Mumford & Sons. Despite their best effort, Bruin Harmony didn’t place at the 2012 LAAF.