This past Saturday was UCLA Alumni Day, where alum are invited back to their alma mater to spend a day listening to panels, taking tours, and otherwise enjoying what UCLA has become in the years since graduation.  It’s a nice day to go back to campus and find out what the latest is with the university and I was really glad that Panda was able to come with me this time.  We haven’t been away from campus long enough to need tours to reintroduce us to the ever-changing landscape, so we signed up for the three panels of the day to learn about advances in healthcare, innovation, and motivation.

The first panel was enlightening and really highlighted the delicate balance between human service and machine assistance that is required in the medical field.  While technology allows more and more processes to become semi-automated, the human component becomes increasingly important to maintain.  After all, you don’t remember how nice a machine was to you – you remember how kind that nurse, doctor, or other staff were.  Parts of the talk were a bit lecture-y and it was hard to stay focused due to the intellectual nature of the topic, but overall I did enjoy and appreciate it.

During the lunch break, Panda and I headed over to the School of Engineering’s open house, where we saw some student exhibits, got some free swag, grabbed some snacks, and got a tour of the plasma lab.  It was my first time really exploring Engineering V and IV, and Panda got to show me some cool spots, like the second floor balcony area that I never knew existed.

After wandering around trying to decide on which place to eat lunch (we were given vouchers to choose our own meals this year), we came back for lecture number two on innovation.  The entire panel consisted of Disney employees, past and present, and each had prepared some sort of visual to share.  Definitely a completely different tone and vibe from the first panel.  While the talk itself was fun and lively, I didn’t understand the connection to UCLA or alumni day.  Whereas the first panel was addressing an issue that UCLA is deeply involved in and at the forefront of, this one struck me as almost a marketing pitch.  I didn’t feel like I learned much, but I guess it was more about being entertained.

Towards the end of the panel, during the question and answer session, the fire alarm went off in Ackerman Union, so we had to clear the space.  Panda and I wandered around enjoying strolling around campus and eventually ended up in Wilson Plaza, where breakfast and the opening ceremony had been.  Due to the fire alarm, the third panel was actually moved out here, so we were there when it began.  The motivation one seemed to pretty much just be about sports, so we decided to catch a tour bus and check out Westwood.  Unfortunately, we got in line too late to get a seat on atop the open-air bus, so we were stuck downstairs.  It was a pretty quick trip around our campus and the town; I really wish the bus had stopped in certain areas so the student volunteers could explain more about the new buildings and other changes to student life.

Soon enough, it was time for the closing speeches and dinner.  While we were eating, a random lady approached me asking if I spoke Chinese.  When she found that I did, she began to ask about the university.  It turns out she was scouting for her daughter, who will be applying in two years.  After a hearty conversation, Panda and I finished up our meals and went over to the registration tent to take a picture with Joe Bruin.  I had decided that I wanted to take the buckets used as centerpieces for the tables, so we walked around looking for an empty table so we could take the bucket without having to ask if someone else wanted it.

And that was it, the end to our very first UCLA Alumni Day together!  I’m sure we’ll find time back at campus more valuable the more time we spend away from it.  Still, not a bad start to what hopefully becomes a tradition for us.  Oh yeah, and apparently the world was supposed to end right around the time we were having dinner!  So much for that.