Wanted: Alumni Memories for True Bruin Traditions

Student life at UCLA is about more than lectures, study halls and finals. Knowledge gained in the classroom goes hand and hand with time spent with friends in the dorms, at sporting events or student activities. Years after graduation former students treasure the memory of traditions they participated in that built community, school spirit and a sense of belonging.

New students come to college excited about being included in extracurricular opportunities on campus, but may not know how to go about getting involved or what is available to them. To help them get the most out of their UCLA experience and discover the breadth of opportunity the campus offers, UCLA Alumni Affairs and New Student & Transition Programs have come together to launch a new

initiative: the True Bruin Traditions Keeper Award. The goal of this initiative is to create an even stronger connection to UCLA by encouraging students to become engaged in all that UCLA has to offer. UCLA traditions span all facets of campus life and this initiative will encourage students to take full advantage of as much of these True Bruin experiences as possible.

Introduced winter quarter, and easily accessible through an iPhone app students can scroll through 125 opportunities in 11 categories; academics, arts/culture/food, athletics, campus highlights, campus leadership, career, clubs & organizations, recreation & outdoors, volunteer, UCLA spirit and personal achievements. They may also create one tradition of their own. When students select an interesting opportunity the app opens to a brief history, a link to an associated website, all the details they will need to know to participate and when applicable, they can save the event to their calendar. First year students that complete 75 traditions and transfer students that complete 40 traditions will be recognized as True Bruins at a special awards ceremony and receive a University sanctioned medal that they can wear at graduation. Students verify their completion of a tradition by uploading a photo (that includes some evidence that it is theirs, such as a “selfie”) to the app.

Alumni can look back at their own UCLA experience to help current students connect with fellow Bruins and immerse themselves in the unique culture of UCLA. The number of traditions on the app can increase if there are traditions that should be added. Check out the list of categories and activities contained within each section. If you remember a tradition you don’t see, know of a tradition students and the University should consider reinstating or have an idea for a new tradition email us at alumni@alumni.ucla.edu and let us know. Every school has rituals that have been passed down from generation to generation. Help us keep your traditions alive.

And that’s not all you can do. The first group of UCLA Tradition Keepers will graduate this spring. New Student & Transition Programs will monitor and verify completion of each tradition for June commencement. You are invited to attend the True Bruins Traditions Keeper Awards Ceremony to help celebrate the members of the Class of 2015 who will earn this distinction. Use the email address above to let us know you’d like to attend and we will save you a seat and send details as soon as they are finalized. The ceremony will be awesome fun and a not-to-be-missed experience. Take a selfie at the celebration and save it. It might just be your first new, UCLA tradition.