University of California Los Angeles - Bruin Life / Southern Campus Yearbook (Los Angeles, CA)

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HANGOUTS on campus there ' s a favorite place: a grassy knoll, a shaded window ledge, or a small secluded slab of cement, which somehow appeals to at least one studious individual. At UCLA, it seems, everyone settles in sooner or later...whether it be amongs t the crowds of Ackerman Union or the deep serenity of Dickson ' s Art Center. On the expansive north side, there are the Kerckhoff lounges, with their tiled floors and over-stuffed couches scented with the perfume of too many clove cigarettes; as well as the nation ' s second most successful Baskin Robbins ' ice cream parlor. The Coffee House offers various exotic snacks and cafes all somehow tinged with the subtle flavor of rich potatoes. The place is always crowded, explaining why the stereo speakers hang ominously from the brown cork ceiling. Across the walkway at The Coop ' ' , sports fans converge daily in front of the wide-screen t.v. mecca while pizza, croissants, and mexican salads are sold at student prices. Further north, the sculpture garden provides the most serene hanging out atmosphere for students and bluejays alike (where else can on e study in the shadows of bronze nudes and metallic monsters?). In the opposite direction, for the opposite people, the Bombshelter appeals to the more scientific minded, looking as if it had mysteriously sunk into its own basement contrasting the micro-biology towers which surround it. Also on the south side, the halls of Franz and Boelter provide popular studying locations, as do the several libraries and tiny alcoves which are strategically flung around campus. Indeed, hanging out at UCLA can be viewed as both a leisurely challenge and an art among the arts. From the intense insanity of Bruin Walk to the perpetual mid-day calm of the inverted fountain, the options are varied and forever changing. True, it may get confusing, but it ' s also kind of special...having favorite places everywhere.