Best Summer Brands

Summer’s coming up. Look out for some great summer brands! Here’s a few we think you’d like:

1. Rainbows

Get yourself a pair of rainbows. You’ll need them for the beach! It’s a hot California day all the time in LA, and many stories have bneen told about the verstality of Rainbows. I’ve heard of people who’ve worn the same pair of rainbows for over 5 years! They’re a bit expensive, but try to get them anyways, and you’ll find a shoe that conforms to your feet perfectly (after the blisters).

2. Birkenstocks

These are the cool new Rainbows. They’re easier to walk in. They’re more sturdy. And more importantly, they are part of the Bohemian craze that has swept the UCLA campus. Pick em up. You won’t regret it.

3. H&M

H&M has basically everything and anything you need for really cheap prices. This is the time to buy something and experiment. H&M has shoes, backpacks, bags, shirts, pants. If anything, go to ’em for a nice t-shirt.

How to be a Better Student

Midterm season is well underway for some of us. For the more fortunate, midterms have finally let up. We’re left with the aftermath of our grades. For those of us standing a little shellshocked by our midterms, here’s some word of advice we’ve come up with to help you do better in the upcoming finals:

Mother’s Day 2015

Mark your calendar, because Mother’s day is on its way! This Sunday, May 10th is our annual day of mother appreciation, and of course we’re all busy with midterms and other college-y things, but here’s a few ideas to remind Mom just how much you love her.

A UCLA Boba Guide

So maybe you’re tired of Rendezvous boba, or maybe you like  it and want to try something new. That, or you’re a boba snob and you really want to know whether or not we have the same tastes in boba. I don’t know. The point is is that we’re gonna do a short little boba guide on all the places nearby you should definitely check out.

Spring Drinks at the Dining Hall

I’ve tried many many different drinks throughout the two years that I’ve lived on the hill. You have to. There’s only so many times you can drink soda and juice without looking for some sort of new combination that’ll shock your tastebuds. So without further adue here are some favorites I’ve stumbled upon:

1. Coke/Root Beer Float

The classic float. Throw some vanilla ice cream in there and the soda of your choice. Fanta Orange, Coca cola, root beer, etc. It’s your choice. Mix it all up and enjoy the creamy goodness.

2. 7-UP + Lemonade

Want a bit more of a lemony zest to your 7UP because it tastes too much like sugar water? Throw some lemons and lemonade in your cup!

3. Orange Juice + Carbonated Water

Ever crave Orangina? Try to tease out the ratio between oj and soda water to get the drink to where you’d like. Done right, it tastes like delicious orange soda.

4. OJ + Apple + Cranberry Juice

Mixing the three juices makes for a much better punch than the one you get from the regular HI-C fruit punch because it’s a lot less sweet and has more subtle flavors. Experiment with the ratio of juice you’d like to get it just how you’d like it. I personally enjoy doing a 60-20-20 ratio (OJ/AJ/CJ)

So there you go. Here are some drinks you can try out to spice up your dining hall life. Let us know if you have any other combinations we haven’t come up with here!

How to Stay Motivated

I’m tired. I’m sore. I’m stressed. And yet, here I am trying to tell you about how to stay motivated. You may think I am probably not the best candidate for this article because I’m tired, but my struggles have made me realize that I have to make changes in my life if I want to stay sane. Here are some things I’ve realized I need to do now that I’m always busy:

Spring Quarter is the Best Quarter

Spring quarter is the best quarter, hands down. There’s a certain energy in the air. The first years have begun to acclimate and feel comfortable at school. The older students are excited for summer. Everyone walks around with an extra gait in their step. Some people have great summer internships lined up. Others look forward to lazing around for the whole summer. Such is the nature of an academic culture as ambitious as UCLA’s.

That being said, we’re excited to hear about what everyone is doing this summer. Leave a comment on our facebook post featuring this article. We’ll interview the most exciting idea! (Hint, hint: if you have a cool startup that you’ve started or are working for a great cause that needs promotion, we are your mouthpiece).

First Take Film Festival

Credit: Ricardo Ramirez

For those of you who don’t know about the First Take Film Festival hosted by Studio 22, it’s pretty awesome. Studio 22, the on campus video production team, aims to use this Film Festival to promote student filmmakers who live on the hill. It’s a great way to get your film shown to a large audience and get a gauge of how well received your film was. The top film will also get a prize! For those of you that want to know more about the process of submitting a film to this year’s festival, we talked to two Studio 22 filmmakers, Morgan and Ricardo, to get their perspectives!

Spring Break Destinations for Students

Although it’s only a week, Spring Break provides a much needed reprieve for students after the grind of Winter Quarter. The activities planned by Spring Breakers run the gamut from traveling to competing to computing. On The Hill asked students to share some of their Spring Break plans with the rest of us. What are you doing for spring break?

I’m going to a track meet in Arizona where I’m competing in javelin and discus.

-Zaybree Haury, second-year sociology major

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I’m going to work on my mobile app called Bruinlife that gives students access to dining hall menus as well as fitness and nutritional information.

-Matthew Decoste, fourth-year computer science student

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My plan is to go back to Northern California and relive some of my past before I go back to Malaysia.

-Atira Shukri, a fourth-year IDS student

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Well my friend lives in the Virgin Islands so I’m looking forward to the clean beach water there.

-Ashley Knights, fourth-year anthropology student

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I’m going to be in New York City and I’m super excited about finally being able to call out for a taxi.

-Kenya Simms, a fourth-year gender studies student

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I’m headed back to my hometown for San Francisco so I can attend my uncle’s wedding.

-Emily Tom, a first-year biochemistry student

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I’m going to Beyond Wonderland, an EDM music festival.

-Melissa Mendoza, a fourth-year biology student

Spring Break Meal Options

Welcome to spring break! WOO! YOU’RE AT THE BEST POSSIBLE PLACE YOU CAN BE THIS WEEK. ON CAMPUS. Just kidding. Now, if this is your first spring break here, you will know that there are actually no meals offered here during the break by the dining halls.

Therefore, to keep you from scavenging for food, we’ve come up with some cheap alternatives for you instead.