letter from the editors

Dear reader,

As winter has blossomed into spring, our team of writers has been hard at work. With our theme of “outside the box,” we focused on telling the stories of Bruins who are moving to the beat of their own drum.

Our cover story hearkens back to a story of the past. Last spring, we published an article detailing why students leave STEM majors at disproportionately high rates. This quarter, theater student and PRIME writer Matthew Beymer meets Bruins at the crossroads of artistic passions and academic pursuits, finding out why many choose to leave arts majors as well.

Spring, of course, also brings new growth – and new growth is exactly what’s happening in Westwood’s cannabis industry. With more dispensaries opening than ever before, the industry is welcoming a new demographic of consumers and employees: college students. Read along as PRIME explores this development in “Growing influence” on page 38.

This quarter also started off with an outside-the-box assignment for PRIME writer Martin Sevcik: staying at the Westwood Denny’s location for a full 24 hours. The diner – which rarely closes – is well-known for its variety of food and wide range of customers it attracts. In his day at Denny’s, Sevcik learns about it all.

With the school year coming to an end, this issue marks our last as PRIME’s editors. Though we’re sad to leave, we’re over the moon about our new team and all they will bring next year. Thank you for reading.

PRIME CONTENTS | SPRING 2023

Culture

CULTURE

15

Searching for sapphic spaces

by ALYSSA BARDUGON

6

History to sip on

written by KATY NICHOLAS

Boba shops in Westwood attract a plethora of UCLA students each day. But how did this drink reel in the college demographic?

9

Ephemeral instants, eternally inked

created by CHRISTINE KAO

Across campus, Bruins with tattoos wear their stories on their sleeves.

A user on the r/ucla subreddit was wondering where to find lesbian communities at UCLA. PRIME writer Alyssa Bardugon decided to find out.

Prime

CONTENTS | SPRING 2023

COMMENTARY

24

24 hours at Denny’s

written

by

MARTIN SEVCIK

PRIME writer Martin Sevcik never understood the appeal of Denny’s. So he spent 24 hours straight at the Westwood Denny’s to see what he was missing.

Campus 34

Exeunt the artists

written by MATTHEW BEYMER illustrated by KO CARLOS

Every year, some Bruins reconsider academic pursuits of their artistic passions. What lies behind their choices?

CAMPUS

19

Legacies left untold: the story of the Divine Nine

written

by

ALICIA CARHEE

Few know how to join the coveted group of Black fraternities and sororities. But why do these organizations keep their robust legacies hidden in the shadows?

30 WESTWOOD

Beyond the bus stop

written by JUSTIN HUWE and RAMONA

MUKHERJI

A lot has been said about Los Angeles’ public transportation. How do the people waiting at Westwood’s bus stops feel?

BUSINESS

38

Growing influence

written by MALLORY COOPER

In the expanding cannabis sector, one group is helping to plant the seeds for success: college students.

CULTURE

43

Skate brain

written by LAYTH HANDOUSH

Los Angeles is a cultural hub for skateboarding – and UCLA is no exception.