7 (More) Things You Can Do Over Winter Break

It’s the last week of Winter Break! Are you running out of things to do? Fret not, we compiled a list of things you can do before you realize that break is over and school starts again!

1) Spend a day with you family and actually talk to them! That’s an idea.

2) Journal! Winter break is a great time to clear your thoughts and plan for the upcoming quarter.

3) Take a ski trip. We live in California! The mountains are only a few hours away.

4) Exercise. Take this time, when you actually have time, to get into shape. We know this is an unconventional idea, considering it’s the holidays, but just do it!

5) Play video games. Do it.

6) Sleep. Need I say more?

7) Practice your instrument of choice! You know that guitar or keyboard that’s been sitting in the corner of your room since you got it for Christmas in fifth grade? Yeah, that one.

Your Roadtripping Guide for this Winter Break

So you’re roadtripping this winter break with a couple of friends, but you plan on coming out of it alive. OTH understands. We went into our road trip together unprepared; and fought off zombies, demons, and starvation. So here are some roadtripping essentials we thought we’d share with you to enhance your experience:

1. Roadtrippers.com is your best friend. This website comes equipped with all types of attractions, restaurants, shopping and sports events you may want to stop by on your trip. That way, you can stop by any local attractions — like, say a monument or really really bomb chicken wings — and still get to your destination on time. It is a one-stop planning tool for those who are new to roadtripping, or even for seasoned veterans who just want less hassle!

2. Toothbrush, toothpaste, clothes, towels, and a camera – aka the essentials. It is essential that you get a camera to capture your experiences. Roadtripping is one of the most fun things you can do as a college student; when you’re an adult with obligations you won’t have time to do something like that. Treasure the memories that you have with your friends, so do invest in a decent camera (or maybe a disposable one for a filtered, Instagrammed feel) to capture the fun moments of your trip.

3. A best friend. These things are really only fun when you’re with someone you can be yourself fully unfiltered.

So there you have it. These are your roadtripping essentials. On The Hill wishes you a great break ahead!

Transportation from UCLA to LAX

Trying to get to the airport for Winter Break? We have a few options that you can consider! Check it out:

It can be difficult to figure out how to get to the airport. We have saved you some of the hassle in finding transportation options and compiled a few great (and affordable!) ways for you to get from Westwood to LAX!

Things To Do in LA over Winter Break

We know that some of you will be staying on campus during the holiday seasons, but don’t be down! There is tons to do! Check out just a couple below!

1) Film Screening at LACMA through Dec 11
Come see “Holiday”, a black and white film starring Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and Doris Nolan. This 1930s rom-com is def worth seeing.

2) Georgetown Cupcake’s Holiday Decorating Workshop through Dec 16
Decorate cupcakes. Eat them. Need we say more?

3) Groundlings Holiday Show through Dec 22
Come see some hilarious improv at the theater where Will Ferrell was discovered!

Club Highlight: Coaching Corps

We invited Colton from Coaching Corps to introduce us to what his organization about and how one might be able to join the club. He gladly accepted and came out to speak with us at our office.

On The Hill: So for those of us unfamiliar with Coaching Corps, could you give us some insight into the organization?
Colton: Coaching Corps is a nonprofit organization that works mostly on college campuses across California but is now expanding nationally. CC supplies volunteer coaches to low income after school programs which can’t really hire extra help, so basically we help train and place coaches in organizations such as the YMCA.

How did Coaching Corps begin as an organization on campus?
I’m actually the second president for the UCLA chapter. Cameron was the first president and he had an internship – 3 years ago now – that Coaching Corps was providing. Cameron was going out there into the city and helping where he got recruited to start a chapter on campus spring 2012. As for myself, I was looking for ways to volunteer on the UCLA Volunteer Center website, contacted them and jumped on board to the leadership team via vice presidency, and this year I took over as president.

Colton Alexio from Coaching Corps

What’s a typical Coaching Corps meeting like?
We like to call our meetings “coaches’ huddles”. We go over things going on such as events on campus, fundraising events. The other half of the meeting will be geared towards a coaching lesson, such as a module on behavioral management and dealing with a site supervisor, anything that helps to improve coaching. They usually last about 45mins to an hour, and we have a meeting once a month.

What kind of fundraising have you all done in the past?
Last year, we did a college sports day where we took a few kids from one of our sites in LA and gave them a tour of the sports facilities on campus. We gave them a tour of Pauley, the Hall of Fame, and Drake Stadium, etc. After that was done, we put together a student panel of athletes (walk on football player, a member of the dance team, a tennis player on scholarship, and staff on the athletic department) to give them the options to get excited about. As for future fundraisers, we have something in the works. We want to put up a dodgeball tournament and get a spot in Pauley, where half of the proceeds ($15 buy-in) go to the winner, and the other half will go to gift cards, transportation, and funds for further fundraising events.

What do you recommend to people who want to get involved?
Coachingcorps.org has an application, where you fill out your athletic preferences, and depending on your site and time commitment, we’ll decide where to place you. We accept applications throughout the quarter and we accept everybody. You just have to have a passion for working with kids and some knowledge about the sport you’re coaching. We offer training even for sports you’re not familiar with. You can contact us at Ucla.coachingcorps@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Interview by Jerry Cheung