On this day 46 years ago, the Daily Bruin reported on UCLA’s announcement of some new experimental classes. Here are some of the more unique ones which show the diversity of UCLA’s class offerings in 1969.

1. The Baha’i Faith

“A two-hour-a-week survey exploring and examining the Baha’i Faith in its various facets, with emphasis on how religion, as the Baha’i’s see it, is relevant to the modern world and modern man.”

2. Theology and Moral Issues

“. . . centers on the issues raised by biological-medical innovations dealing with genetics, organ transplants, brain studies and the whole life/death question.”

3. ESP and Psychical Phenomena

“Group participation in ESP, telepathy, clairvoyance, pre-cognition, hypnosis and poltergeist activity. The class is taught by a professional hypnotist.”

4. Yiddish for Beginners

“A two-hour weekly course designed to introduce the students to the Yiddish language, folklore and folk music.”

5. Good-Time Music

“Ragtime, Jugaband, Fun and Funky Music. Bring instruments, voices, songs, ears and good spirits. Emphasis on participation and sharing music joy, but listeners welcome.”

—Rhiannon Davies

Tags: #tbt, 1969, classes, rhiannon davies, throwback thursday

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On February 12, 1970, 54 students, along with UC Regent William Forbes, participated in an anti-tuition campaign. Meaning: there was no tuition in 1970.

This campaign with the tagline “Bleed for UCLA” used proceeds from the blood drive for advertisements in newspapers state-wide in order to publicize the fact that the Regents were voting on whether to introduce tuition to the University of California and to explain “the arguments against tuition,” according to a Daily Bruin Editorial in this same issue. This editorial asks if Ronald Reagan, who was the governor of California at the time, can ignore students’ arguments against tuition, but “can he also ignore (their) blood?”

Roger Barnes, a senior at the time, said he was bleeding “in sympathy with what’s going on” and Cynthia Swarthout said that although she’s “graduating, (she) originally came to the University because there was no tuition … it’s something worth saving.”

It sure would be nice to have my $30,000+ per year still in my pocket, that’s for sure. *sigh*

—Rhiannon Davies

Tags: blood, protest, Reagan, regents, rhiannon davies, tuition, uc, UCLA

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With finals approaching, everyone is beginning to cram for the classes they’ve procrastinated on all quarter. Here are some free apps to download for your iPhone, iPad or other iOS device that will get you on track.

1. Exam Countdown. This is by far the most important: You don’t want to forget what day your final is on. Not showing up is a guaranteed way to fail. Plus, seeing how few days you have left can shock you into studying.

2. Quizlet. If you’ve never heard of Quizlet, you’re missing out. It’s an app that lets you access flashcards for different subjects or make your own, and it allows you to quiz yourself in a variety of different ways. If you’re really trying to cram, these flashcards are easy to study between classes.

3. RefME. This app is great if you’re writing a paper and need to cite your sources. If you’re using a textbook that has a barcode, all you have to do is hold your phone over the barcode for a few seconds. All of the information about the textbook pops up, along with the citation.

4. Pocket. This app is great for looking up articles on your phone when you intend to save them for later. Simply download the app, and you’ll automatically have a list of options of how to save articles. You can save from Mobile Safari, your computer, apps and email. It’s ridiculously self-explanatory and incredibly useful.

5. Calm. This app is a guide to meditation, perfect for the stressed college student preparing for finals. It begins by asking you to select a relaxing scene like a forest or a beach, after which it starts playing related sounds. You can customize the time you want to spend relaxing to fit your own needs and you can learn how to meditate through the “7 Steps of Calm.”

Good luck on finals!

—Rhiannon Davies

Tags: android, Apps, finals, iphone, rhiannon davies, study

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Some foods just put me in a festive, wintery mood: chocolate, peppermint, anything ginger. Here in Los Angeles, however, we’re missing out on the cold/rainy/snowy weather, and this poses a problem, but not for long. Here are some food options under $5 from Trader Joe’s that will overcome the bright sunshine and bring winter to Los Angeles.

First of all: these ginger snaps. They’re amazing. They embody festiveness. Plus you get so many; they’re only $3.99!

The best part of winter is by far all of the amazing drink options, and I would highly recommend the spiced chai from Trader Joe’s.

These little gingerbread men are perfect for the holidays, and taste fantastic. For $2.99? So worth it.

If you’ve never had a chocolate orange, you are missing out. Once you take it out of the box, it’ll be wrapped in foil. Stand on a hard floor and drop the orange onto the floor while it’s still wrapped. When you unwrap it, it will fall open into chocolate orange slices. Proceed to eat the entire thing.

Last, but not least, these candy cane Joe-Joe’s (read: candy cane Oreos) are so tasty. You can’t turn down anything with candy canes during the holidays.

—Rhiannon Davies

Tags: candy cane, chocolate, food, ginger, rhiannon davies, snacks, trader joes

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For those of you who have not yet been able to make it to the Getty Center, I highly recommend it. As one of the most visited museums in the United States, the Getty Museum is well worth visiting. Housing art from several different eras, it really does cater to all interests, from illuminated manuscripts to photographs to art from Van Gogh and Cezanne.

I don’t know too much about art, but while walking around there were several paintings that I recognized and was just blown away to see in person (AKA if you don’t like art, STILL GO).

For example, this Van Gogh painting is amazing:

Plus it’s free. We’re poor college students. We like free. The only money I spent all day was $1.75 each way for the bus. Speaking of the bus, it’s super easy to get to the Getty (I’m talking about the Center, not Villa, which is a different destination altogether). There’s a stop right next to the entrance to Bel Air on Sunset Boulevard and Bellagio Drive. Just walk up De Neve Drive past Sunset Village, and you’ll get to a crosswalk. The bus stop is on the Bel Air side, right next to the entrance.

The walk is not that long, and the bus ride is super short. You get off of the bus at the Sepulveda Boulevard stop, you cross the street, and you’ve arrived! You take a tram up the hill to the museum, and, trust me, it’s super self-explanatory (I’m saying this as the worst person in the whole world at orienting herself and reading maps involving public transport). The view from the tram is great, and it only gets better the closer to you get to the museum.

The first thing I did was take pictures of the incredible view and of the museum and its gardens. It’s #instagramworthy. And I know, because I instagrammed it.

Let me know in the comments if you’ve been to and what you thought of the Getty!

—Rhiannon Davies

Tags: art, gardens, getty, instagram, la, paintings, pictures, rhiannon davies, van gogh, views

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