Bruins For the Future

Eating meat especially red meat is harmful for the environment. I think people tend to believe that plant based diets cannot provide the same benefits as meat which is not true.

On campus, I am part of the student organization Medical Aid Initiative. We take unused or expired medical supplies from Ronald Reagan Hospital and redistribute them to volunteer groups, nonprofits, or global health organizations. The supplies get distributed to as close as a clinic in Los Angeles or as far as the other side of the globe. The...

This week, I spent lots of time learning about bottom trawling for my research paper. Bottom trawling is a practice in which large weighted nets are dragged by boats across the ocean floor, catching fish and marine life. According to the documentary Seaspiracy, trawling is the most destructive form of fishing, wiping out 3.9 billion acres each...

This week I decided to connect with a nonprofit organization. I currently volunteer for Downtown Women's Center LA (DWC). DWC is an organization that exclusively supports and serves women and gender diverse people who are experiencing homelessness. They focus on providing a safe and comfortable environment for gender diverse people and advocate...

Since joining the Drawdown Ecochallenge 2025, I’ve made walking a regular and meaningful part of my routine. I now dedicate Saturday mornings to hiking, whether on my own or with friends, and those moments outdoors have become a much-needed reset. On a recent hike in my hometown of Palos Verdes, I was reminded once again of how breathtaking the...

Whenever I practice mindful eating, I find that I am truly experiencing my food rather than simply consuming it. A few days ago, I prepared a simple lentil soup and made a conscious decision to eat without the usual distraction of checking emails. Initially, it felt unfamiliar, even a bit uncomfortable, as I was so used to multitasking during...

Whenever I am with my family, we try eating with no electronics. My parents began this practice in order to help us take in each other's presence and company, so that we set aside time to be with each other with no distractions. They did not start this within our family to reduce food waste, but I now realize that doing this greatly reduces...

Today, I researched various different woman and POC owned small businesses, and actually purchased from one as well! I read a great article which highlighted a number of woman-owned businesses, and came across two that really caught my eye. The first was Hero, which I realized I have already been using for quite some time for skincare! I was...

In the past week, I monitored my use of plastics. I noticed that, while I didn't use too much plastic, my daily morning coffee was often served from the cafe in single use plastic cups, and I realized that all of that plastic use added up. I started going to a different cafe on campus, which uses compostable materials for both the cup and...

While dishing out food, it's easy to overestimate how much I’ll actually eat--my eyes are often bigger than my stomach. Last week, I made a conscious effort to cook smaller meals and portion out leftovers for the rest of the week. I noticed that I’m more comfortable setting food aside for later when I plan ahead, rather than trying to save...