UCLA Police Worried About the "Undie Run"

It's a quarterly tradition at UCLA, but the "Undie Run," in which hordes of students run around campus in their underwear, may be causing more headaches for campus police than ever, the Daily Bruin reports.

Last Wednesday, an estimated 10,000 students took part in the most recent installation of the run, which some students say provides a mental release during the stress of finals week. University officials said the event is getting out of hand, with increased property damage and alcohol abuse and large numbers of nonaffiliated students participating.

Nancy Greenstein, the director of community services for the university's police, told the Daily Bruin that more than 15 emergency services calls were made, including six transports for alcohol poisoning, and runners badly damaged one UCLA student's car. The Los Angeles Fire Department also received emergency calls, and campus police made two arrests for fighting.

"It appeared that there was a lot more alcohol abuse this year," Greenstein told the newspaper. "And we remain concerned about the number of individuals who aren't UCLA-affiliated."

Greenstein said most of the serious incidents involved people without connections to the university.

Despite officials' reservations, UCLA students say they want the run to continue. "It's a great way to unwind," one student told the paper.