A Berkeley-Born Bruin Dishes on Why UCLA Is Better

I grew up a mile from Cal campus. My mom is a bear. I went to the Lair for years, I went to all the home football games, Cal sports camps, and even UC optometry. I went years where I couldn't wear red, and I hate Stanford as much as any Cal student. Somehow, however, I ended up a Bruin, and I love it.

My mom has always hated USC, so I grew up hating USC. We would shake our keys at the fans during games and boo the band. She taught my brother and I to refer to U$C as the University of Spoiled Children or the University of Second Choice. Our hatred for USC even exceeded that of Stanford—at least the trees are smart, was our thinking.

I would go to at least a few UC Berkeley football games every year, with my parents or my friend, who were even bigger Cal fans than I was.

Last April when it was college decision season, it came down to Cal and UCLA. I chose to be a bruin, to move to Southern California, and to wear light blue.

It was the right call

I was so ready to be a Bruin (Bruin born, Bruin bred, Bruin ‘till the day I’m dead, and all that), because UCLA is so similar to Cal, but also so different. Both are amazing schools with amazing professors, both bleed blue and gold, and both have terrible football teams.

To be honest, UCLA has better food, more fun at basketball games, and friendlier people, not to mention more applicants and less debt. In short, UCLA rocks.

UCLA, however, has the number one food in the nation. Our campus is gorgeous and brick (that wouldn’t last long in Berkeley, being so close to the fault line). The light blue is a welcome change up from the dark blue and gold uniforms I wore for soccer, lacrosse and every other sport my entire life (so many teams here use hand-me-down Cal jerseys).

The Rose Bowl may be a bit farther from Westwood than Memorial Stadium is from Cal, but the bus ride is actually pretty fun. It’s a good time to rest before the game, get your head in the zone, and save your voice for the many eight claps to come.

Also, Oski is pretty creepy looking, especially compared to Joe and Josie Bruin.

8 Claps

The amount of eight claps that happen in Westwood is insane. The other day, I finished a puzzle with friends and we were so proud we had to eight clap. It’s rare that a day goes by when you don’t here the “aaaaaaahhhhh” of an eight clap starting. 

The football

(In this picture, my mom is wearing a Cal hat, at the Rose Bowl, at a UCLA game that doesn't involve Cal.)

Tomorrow, when we walk to Memorial Stadium, I'll be decked out in light blue, ready to eight clap in the Away section (sorry, Mom). It may be Bear Territory, but go Bruins.