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Showing posts from 2012

Second Year Belle: Birtu Belete

I love Christmastime more than any Jewish girl that I know.  I'm not sure if it's the Christmas carols, cozy winter clothes or the spirit of giving, but there's something about the Christmas season that makes me happier than any other time of year. The Salvation Army's Annual Sears Holiday Shopping Spree  reminded me exactly what Christmas is about. One hundred  boys and girls between the ages of five and eleven were given a hundred dollar gift certificate to buy essential items for the holiday season. I had the privilege of shopping with four wonderful children all of whom inspired me and made me feel so lucky for all of the amazing opportunities I've been given. The children were so conscientious and good-natured, it was amazing to see how well these young kids understood the value of a dollar. They were so gracious and I could tell that they  appreciated the time we were spending together. I think the highlight of my day was when one of the little boys I shopp

Pauley Pavilion Opening

First Year Belles, Sara and Nicole at the Pauley Opening I have only known Pauley Pavilion as a large, closed off structure that I only vaguely noticed as I walked to campus. Rushing past construction workings, attempting to avoid large bulldozers and equipment as I sped down BruinWalk with my iPod blasting, I had no even considered the purpose or history of the building. Then, in a rush of donors, bright lights, and the rolling of red carpets, I was able to witness the unveiling of the new Pauley Pavilion. First Year Belles Sara, Andrea, & Stevie A night of elegantly dressed donors, casually mingling with champagne, I was in wonderment of the prestige and sleekness of the Pavilion. I never would have guessed what was occurring behind that chain link fence last year as I passed by would lead to such an awe-inspiring structure. As a bruin belle representative, I welcomed guests and helped with the security and planning staff in charge. I felt privileged to stand there wi

My Experience So Far

Coming in to UCLA as a transfer student, I have to admit that I was pretty nervous. The school I transferred from only has about 900 students, so going from that to the largest school in the state, with about 40,000 students, was a bit of a shock at first. There were so many people, so many activities to get involved in, and way too much to process at first. I had known about Belles because my mom’s cousin was a Belle during her time at UCLA. I knew it was a highly regarded organization prided on professionalism, leadership, and service—but what I didn’t know is that I would find my true home on campus and become a part of it. Getting the phone call that I had been accepted as a Belle was the highlight of my week, but little did I know that it would quickly become the highlight of my quarter as well! Belles has literally become a second family to me, and a place to belong on a campus full of strangers. It’s 80 of my best friends. I have become a part of one of the most amazin

S.O.A.R.: Saturday Opportunities for Adaptive Recreation

“Don’t be afraid to throw the ball.” Normally, when playing the rough and rowdy game of dodgeball, you wouldn’t have to tell me this twice. But when you’re the only one left on your team, and the opponent you are facing is a 14-year-old girl with cerebral palsy leaning precariously on crutches, you have to be told twice, three times, maybe even ten times, that you shouldn’t be afraid to throw the ball. And there I was, clutching a foam dodgeball, mind racing a million miles an hour, and despite what the adaptive recreation supervisor was telling me, I was afraid of throwing the ball. Backtracking a bit, this was my second time at the SOAR—or Saturday Opportunities for Adaptive Recreation—program. The first time I went, I had an eye-opening experience playing wheelchair basketball with kids who had various disabilities, ranging from cerebral palsy to Downs syndrome to autism. Nothing makes you realize how lucky you are like shooting a basket while standing, and then being put into a wh

Blue and Gold Belles!

Two of my favorite things are Bruin Pride and Bruin Belles, and what could be better than combining these two loves through Campus Culture events?  Earlier this year I volunteered at the Chancellor's Game Day Party tailgate at the Rose Bowl before the Utah football game (where the Bruins came out with a W!). I had always wondered what fancy events go on under the big canopies in the UCLA Fan Zone and I finally found out through Belles. Stationed at the temporary tattoo table, I helped toddlers, kids, teens, and adults alike put on UCLA & Joe Bruin tattoos and get super spirited before the game. One man even wanted a UCLA tattoo smack dab in the middle of his forehead! Seeing baby Bruins getting into the blue and gold spirit so early on in their lives just makes me so excited!  Putting on UCLA tattoos for donors and baby Bruins at the Chancellor's Game Day Party Earlier this month a huge group of Belles and I went to the Pauley Pavillion Opening Madness grand op

First Year Belle: Karen Bryan

Bruin Belles has been the best way to transition into life at UCLA. As a first year, UCLA can seem like a huge school, whether it’s in classes, in the dorms, or just walking down Bruin Walk. I was overwhelmed and sometimes intimidated during the first few weeks by all of the people I was meeting. I was worried by the uncertainty of where I would find my place in such a diverse school. Once I heard about Bruin Belles and was accepted into the organization, I was immediately welcomed with open arms. Bruin Belles has given me a community of likeminded women who are all amazing! There are girls from every year and major, and the diversity of backgrounds makes it so easy to meet so many different kinds of people. Every week I find myself searching for empty space in my schedule to sign up for more events. There just isn’t enough time in a quarter to do everything that I want to that Belles offers! I love that I am able to participate and attend events that I would never have the o

Second Year Belle: Laura Clugston

'The best way to find yourself   is to lose yourself in the service of others'                                                                                -Ghandi   All throughout middle school and up until now, I have been heavily involved in volunteer work in many different areas. Whether it is waking up at three in the morning to set up for a race, standing on my feet for countless of hours to pass out programs for people at an event, or working the graveyard shift until two in the morning at the hospital, I love it all. Coming to UCLA with a passion in my heart for community service was something that I wanted to continue when I got to college. Walking through the aisles of all the clubs at the Enormous Activities Fair was exhausting, but those bright blue jackets with 'belles' on the sleeves stood out to me like no other. After talking with the girls about their service organization, I knew this was the one for me. Part two was the  applicatio

First Year Belle: Ashlee Barone

Junior Belles at Fall Retreat Hi everyone! My name is Ashlee Barone and I am a first year Belles! I am a third year transfer, so this is my first quarter at UCLA. Before coming to UCLA, I was definitely terrified. I was leaving the comfort of my hometown, Fresno, California, to move to a huge school in a big city. My first week was spend awkwardly trying to meet other juniors but instead mingling with freshmen that were two years younger than me. It made me for a real lonely time. All I wanted was to find my own place on this campus, somewhere I could feel a part of a little family. Then, I found Belles. Ever since I joined Belles, my life has been a whirlwind of excitement.  I’ve gotten to do amazing things like working in the Press Box and watching Homecoming game with the best view in the Rose Bowl.  I got to work at the Grand opening of Pauley and speak to Kareem Abdul Jabbar, something that I will forever brag about. Each week, I get to choose from numerous ev

WELCOME TO THE BELLE BLOG!

Belles at Fall Retreat! Hey everyone, Welcome to our brand new blog! This project is a currently a work in progress, but I'm hoping to get the Belle Blog up and running within the next couple of weeks. We created this site to give you all the inside scoop on what the Belles are up to! Instead of only sending out the newsletter to BBSA alumni and supporters in the winter, this will give us the chance to keep you updated throughout the year. We'll be featuring the perspectives of many of our members, highlighting their experiences at specific events they volunteered at or about their general experience in Bruin Belles. Get excited! Much love, Michelle Quan Public Relations Director