At UCLA, we have a ton of fun traditions! We even have a medal that you can get if you complete 75 of our traditions by the end of graduation!
To name a few we have our iconic 8 Clap, annual Block Party, Bruin Bash, undie run, and finals scream. We can go on and on forever. Other than these obvious traditions, we have some that are more “low-key”, but it’s ok, I won’t gatekeep them! Here are four surprising UCLA traditions you should do before you graduate!
Participate In (Or Watch) A Lettuce Eating Competition
On my last day of school during my freshman year, I had to end the year with a bang. What better way than to do this by attending a lettuce-eating competition? While I love salad and lettuce, I did not participate. However, I have never laughed so much as I did while watching this competition. Watching this happen is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I even saw people from surrounding apartments looking over their balcony to observe the competition.
Go Iceblocking!
The first time I went ice-blocking was on a random night in the middle of the week after studying in YRL. My friend spotted large blocks of ice by Janss steps, so we decided to go ice-blocking in the pitch black of night. It would 100% have been the safer option to do it in a club setting or with people during the day. But YOLO! No matter what you do, I recommend proceeding with caution. Memories are meant to be made!
Climb Onto The Bruin Bear
After my lettuce-eating extravaganza, we might have decided to climb the iconic bruin bear! It made a fun photo opp and it wasn’t like it was that high up, right? I WAS WRONG! I am unsure if it is due to my lack of experience in rock wall climbing in Wooden or that I am sincerely lacking in flexibility, but I needed a boost to get onto that bear. I eventually did and it was a little scary to be up there, but still super fun.
If It’s Not Too Late . . . Attend a UCLA Vs. USC Football game
Although I have not completed this tradition yet, you can best believe that I will make it happen for 2024! Now that we’re moving on from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten, things will get a lot more interesting (I think, I’m not big into football). Either way, watching the biggest game of the year will be fun. And who knows, maybe you’ll meet Olivia Rodrigo too!