Blue and Gold Week: bonfire tonight

UCLA's homecoming is Saturday against Stanford, but Blue and Gold Week celebrations are happening all week on campus. Tonight there's a rally and bonfire on the intramural fields at 8 p.m. Click here for more information on Blue and Gold Week and click here to check out video from last year's bonfire.

—Adam Rose

Photo: UCLA students stack pallates in preparation for a bonfire in 1999.

Credit: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

Want to be on live TV?

FSN Prime Ticket will be broadcasting "Lexus Gauntlet Live" from a set next to the Bruin Bear on campus at 9 tonight. The show alternates between UCLA and USC every week, but this is the first trip to Westwood because of the Monday night game two weeks ago.

Coach Rick Neuheisel will be on tonight talking about football — we're just guessing he'll be more focused on Arizona than BYU. Nellie Spicer from the women's volleyball team also will be on the show. Spicer and her teammates are ranked fourth in the nation and have a packed schedule this week, playing host to Northridge on Tuesday and playing three games in Illinois this weekend.

If you drop by, there's a good chance you'll be on camera. The crowd is frequently shown on the air.

—Adam Rose

Age-old question

An article ran in last week's Times about a petition to reevaluate drinking age laws. It's been signed by college and university presidents around the country, including several local ones.

UCLA and USC officials were approached to sign the petition, but they held off. A spokeswoman said UCLA Chancellor Gene Block wanted more time to confer with other university leaders and examine research about the age limit. USC President Steven B. Sample received the petition last week but hadn't yet taken action, a spokesman said.

Perhaps the late, great Westwood watering hole known as Madison's would still be around if it weren't for the current age-limit laws. Just a hunch.

Speaking of booze, alcohol is not sold in the Rose Bowl at UCLA's behest. All Pac-10 stadiums are "dry," though the Rose Bowl does serve during the bowl season.

—Adam Rose
Photo by Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times

SWAT teams storm UCLA dorm

Relax — it was just a drill.

FBI and LAPD officials were practicing at Rieber Hall on Tuesday, making sure they were prepared for a Virginia Tech-style shooting if one were to ever happen in Los Angeles. Despite reports of "flash-bang" bombs and other not-so-subtle training techniques, this blogger didn't notice anything unusual while on campus for several hours today.

On second thought, there was a surprising number of paparazzi lurking in the bushes outside UCLA's first practice of the season. That was odd. Turns out they were stalking actress Kate Hudson at the nearby tennis tournament. Only in L.A.

—Adam Rose

Image via UCLA Newsroom