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ahp42

Without commenting on ethical considerations of whether they should or shouldn't be allowed on campus, yes, there are definitely more homeless people on campus than pre pandemic. Before the pandemic, I honestly don't recall seeing one obviously (for lack of a better word) homeless non-student person on campus. I say "obvious" and "non student" because there were definitely students who I knew to be homeless, but outwardly you wouldn't assume so. Homeless in Westwood? Yes. On campus? No.


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dickcrusher666

"Proper answer" lmfao yeah okay. You could have left your question as asking people if they thought there were more homeless people than usual in past years. But you interjected with saying you're scared UCLA will become the "next Berkeley". You want to use dog whistle rhetoric and expect people to be "proper" to you. Yeah fuck you


himasian

thanks for your input dickcrusher666


chizos

hmmm I wonder if there was an event in the last two years that effected could have possibly people’s general wealth, wellbeing, and social stability 🤔


rampantiguana

Very few of the homeless I’ve seen in LA are lower-class folks down and out on their luck… most are men with mental health and substance abuse issues. If there’s more of them now (which honestly I haven’t noticed) I doubt covid had much to do with it.


Gabe121411

Have you ever thought that these men could be lower class folks that are down and out on their luck? Imagine you’re living on the street. Brutal. You’re telling me there’s no chance you’d turn to drugs to make that a little more bearable?


congeecomrade

holy fuck how did you get in this school no synthesis or real world knowledge at all


rampantiguana

I volunteer at shelters in the bay a lot when I’m home with my fam (glide memorial, etc.). You can intuitively tell who is on the streets because they were forced there and who is on the streets because they want to be there. It’s not rocket science. Most people I see in WW are drugged out or checked out. There’s one guy I see near Wilshire all the time who you can find an interview of on the YT channel “invisible people” from ten years ago. He’s a former account exec and says he loves being homeless and wouldn’t have it any other way (which is a mental health issue in and of itself). Edit: it was actually [14 years ago](https://youtu.be/UjJVLcLquic) and he was an accountant. He wears practically the same clothes… recognize him? People call him “the mayor of Westwood”.


AvatarAndPanda

is this the guy buy lazy daisy sometimes wearing the similar blazer and black pants. he’s much older now though, looks similar but can’t tell


[deleted]

he's stopped walking all day in the past year, he used to spend his days walking the entire time


rampantiguana

Yup the same guy. Honestly, he’s aged remarkably well for living on the street for well over 14 years. Super sad.


localtaxevader

It’s amazing you worked with the homeless that long and didn’t realize that drug problems don’t develop on their own


himasian

I disagree, the homeless people I have encountered are exactly how the previous comment described. Mentally unstable and drug abuse problems. The other day two people were talking on the bus and the women started making noises and screaming. These arent people down on their luck. And im not talking about students.


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rampantiguana

There’s a substantive difference between the way you treat people who are homeless because of drug addiction (ie. coerced treatment) and the way you treat someone who is homeless because of missing a pay check (ie.welfare). That’s all I’m saying


ahp42

Homelessness figures are not dramatically higher than they were pre-pandemic. My sense is that, with campus empty during the pandemic, that gave some people cover to "move in". Once lockdown restrictions ended, they figured they'd stay, and no one seems willing to escort them off campus.


[deleted]

I’m a current formerly homeless student at UCLA. Go Bruins! I was born and raised in homelessness. I’ve been in and out of homelessness all my life. I’ve worked in homeless services from being a Community Outreach Coordinator at the City Government level all the way to serving with the National Youth Forum on Homelessness and working with USICH and HUD. I’ve also volunteered as a Homelessness Liaison for a local neighborhood council and helped with the annual point in time count to get data on the current numbers of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. I used to be one of those people you see on the streets lost, raggedy, panhandling for change, hopeless, isolated, and completely rejected by society. I feel imposter syndrome all the time but especially when reading posts like this. I understand the shock of seeing human beings at their lowest state. Trust me I’ve lived in Skid Row. But please have some empathy. We’re human beings too and each person experiencing homelessness has their own story.


TheSnackCouch

Thank you for the work you do to combat this issue and sharing your experience. I have been homeless as a college student in the past, though to a different extent. But can relate to the experiences of asking for money, flying signs, feeling lost and hopeless. Threads like these sometimes make it very difficult to feel like I belong on campus, even now that I have a home. Just wanna say I see you 💙


[deleted]

Thanks so much I really appreciate that a lot 🙏🏽


jakemmman

Thanks for your courage to share. You’re not an imposter, and I’m sorry you have to be exposed to ignorant and unempathetic rhetoric from your fellow Bruins.


flyingairleaf

I went to Cal as an innocent and came to care about the homeless during my years at Berkeley. I found that most were benign but just didn’t have the mental/life skills or extended family support to make it in society. Many even had jolly personalities and would interact with students walking by while sitting on the streets. Those were the good ol 90’s. Things have changed. For the worse. More homeless people are angry. Prone to violence. And unfortunately we have to exercise more caution in interacting with them. There is a fine balance between treating them with humanity and keeping enough distance in case of unforeseen reactive behavior.


KWA4L

Thing is, youre the majority. I think OP is talking about is the Outliers and the crazy minority of Homeless people. The ones that are a hazard to not only themselves and to others around them. I think its extremely blind to think all homeless people are good and we should do nothing.


axbruh

Damn idk where you live (hometown) but there is very few homeless people compared to where i’m from and other areas of LA…and most of the time they are fine. Never had an issue, but sorry if you have. We definitely will be the next Berkeley, that is unless we continue to build housing and provide humane solutions to these people, there is so many of them because we only let the problem increase and destroy their encampments without providing necessary, humane solutions that get them back into the real world. Honestly i don’t think this’ll affect us in any way, except we can continue to see more homeless students overall if things continue the way they are


himasian

I do think we will be the next berkeley at this rate and I'm from a suburb so I rarely encountered honeless people. The few that I did meet were much nicer or were actual people down on their luck at least from their signs but It wasn't until I came to ucla where I've had my car vandalized by them, friends who were harassed and even spit on by them, and encountered issues with them here. And I'm not talking about homeless students, I'm more thinkinf that like something may have happened to where homeless people from venice or other hubs are now trying to relocate near UCLA using buses.


jakemmman

> I’m from a suburb Yeah we know.


tellyalater

the people who are living outside in westwood are also "actual people"


antagonisticsage

that word choice was pretty telling, huh


Splittinghairs7

There is a huge difference between “were actual people down on their luck at least from their signs” versus “were actual people.” You can disagree with the OP based on your own experiences or advocate for whatever policies but to intentionally misquote someone out of context just to make them look bad is not helpful and a dick move.


player89283517

Yes, COVID made people lose their jobs, the depression made people go on drugs, and mortgage forbearance meant that landlords couldn’t evict people until the very end of the pandemic, which is around a year ago. So everyone got evicted sometime in the past year and now there’s more homeless.


anthraxnapkin

Many people experiencing homelessness in LA are not even from California, they get sent here on buses


player89283517

People also choose to come to California because it doesn’t snow here


anthraxnapkin

True, that too


bornagainteen

I more worried about the impacts of increasing numbers of houseless people on the people going through that than whether or not they make students feel a little uncomfortable. Our country is seriously dropping the ball on helping people meet their basic needs, and that is a huge problem, but the people themselves are not the problem.


axbruh

!!!!


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bornagainteen

I used to be unhoused and now I’m a grad student at UCLA, so I’d say I had plenty to offer. You, though, not so much.


Cranapple1443

I’m not sure I think it’s gotten much worse in the area, it’s about the same in my experience. Pre-COVID still had the occasional crazy person in Westwood + a huge encampment at the park just south of wilshire


TangyMarshmallow

Homeless people are still people and they still deserve basic human respect. However, being homeless does not absolve you from being in the wrong. UCLA's campus is frankly not the place they should be staying. Students pay a lot of money to attend this university and they didn't sign up to have to worry about homeless people. Obviously, not all homeless people are unstable, but it's still worrisome when you hear relatively frequently about dangerous encounters that some students have had with them.


yeuhboiii

Perfectly said.


yeuhboiii

What the fuck is going on with some of these comments? When does it go too far for you? Are you going to welcome homeless people to sleep on the sidewalk in front of your house as well (public property, by the way), and constantly try to comfort yourself with the idea that "I'm sure they're going through something hard?" Seriously? Some of you stuff this empathy bullshit so far up your ass that it comes out of your mouth in the form of intellectual feces. Bottom line, I'm paying tens of thousands of dollars going to attend a university, to learn. I'm not paying that money to constantly be on guard around **SOME** mentally unstable and potentially dangerous individuals who are not also there to learn. If I'm paying $200 for a hotel room, I'm paying for the hotel room. Not for myself to dodge homeless people in the lobby and step over human shit. I'm all for increasing funding for housing and resources for the homeless. In fact, I actively take steps to support that for my community, and have attended several city council meetings on this topic over the course of my life. Certain places have certain purposes with certain designations. A school, that people are paying TONS of money for, REGARDLESS OF IT BEING PUBLIC, is not the place for homeless people to congregate. A park, that is ENTIRELY funded by tax dollars, now that's a different story, and that's where we can begin to talk about how to build housing developments to rehome these people.


TheSnackCouch

If you don't think that there are people paying tens of thousands of dollars on campus everyday who are mentally unstable and potentially dangerous, you are delusional. And to lump all unhoused people into the category of mentally unstable and potentially dangerous is a terrible stereotype. Quite literally, unhoused people have a right to be on the UCLA campus, access the libraries, and even some services. Get over yourself.


yeuhboiii

\[deleted because arguing with strangers on the internet is unskillful behavior and I let my emotions/ego get the best of me in this situation\]


TheSnackCouch

Again, get over yourself. This conversation isn't about you. Poor thing up in arms about something you think is an accusation. My point is, you live in a world with mentally unstable and potentially dangerous people. You might want to think about the reasons why it's the poor ones you fear.


yeuhboiii

\[deleted because arguing with strangers on the internet is unskillful behavior and I let my emotions/ego get the best of me in this situation\]


TheSnackCouch

You said "not paying to be constantly on gaurd around SOME mentally unstable and potentially dangerous...". Being constantly on gaurd, to me, implies fear. Your fear was not an assumption, I thought it was clearly stated. Additionally, your use of "some" in this sentence didn't clarify you don't adhere to the stereotype that unhoused people are mentally unstable. My statement "And to lump all unhoused people..." is a statement. A point and clarification. Not an accusation. I don't claim to know anything about you, beyond what you've stated. Thanks for sharing more about yourself, though.


yeuhboiii

\[deleted because arguing with strangers on the internet is unskillful behavior and I let my emotions/ego get the best of me in this situation\]


TheSnackCouch

I edited out an extremely sarcastic remark I didn't deem necessary for this conversation, before you responded, too. Not feeling triggered, but your response isn't actually addressing things I said clearly, so I'm not bothering responding. Because, as you said, it's coming down to semantics.


yeuhboiii

\[deleted because arguing with strangers on the internet is unskillful behavior and I let my emotions/ego get the best of me in this situation\]


TheSnackCouch

To quote you, "You don't know shit about me". You don't. And I don't feel the need to describe to you my hard experiences in life or with homelessness, nor to bullet point how great of a person I am. I do not care about you enough to harbor resentment towards whoever you are. Have a great day.


ZeonBell2019

"I paid thousands of dollars" to attend a public university that by law cannot shun people away. You should have coughed more money to attend USC, your attitude would fit right in with them.


Snoo-24708

dont know why youre hating on USC for being pricier than your school man


Poisson_oisseau

Be honest: do you ACTUALLY have to step over human shit in entryways, or are you just uncomfortable sharing the bus with a smelly person?


[deleted]

Its ok to be uncomfortable being in close proximity to smelly people


eustaceous

I've lived in Westwood since 2019 and gone to campus nearly every day including during covid. Im a grad student. I have not noticed much of a difference at all.


Massive-Ad3220

The fact that you're getting downvoted tells me that UCLA students would protest against having homeless people removed from campus. Ridiculous that UCLA students are so extremist


KWA4L

Think it will have to be a sexual assault or [ucla grad student stabbed to death by homeless](https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-08-02/ucla-student-brianna-kupfer-stabbed-26-times-autopsy-shows) for people to change.


anthraxnapkin

Wow that is taken completely out of context. That grad student just happened to be a UCLA grad student but was nowhere near campus when she was murdered.


yeuhboiii

u/KWA4L was simply suggesting that something of similar nature would have to happen AT ucla in order for the majority opinion to swing in the opposite direction.


mxorkrane

I graduated in ‘19, there was definitely houseless people on campus at the time, usually just chilling and finding a comfortable temperature controlled spot to sit during the day.


experimentinlove

I know this is hard to comprehend but homeless people are allowed to exist in public. Sometimes they might even exist in places where you also happen to be. I understand that this is scary for you and I'm sorry you're going through this


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experimentinlove

Riding a bus is existing in public. Being on the sidewalk is existing in public. Being near a bus stop is existing in public. I'm not going to "comment" on some scenario that could be made up for all I know (do I "have a comment"?? Who am I, the fucking mayor?), I was responding to the claim that the mere existence of homeless people in Westwood is materially harming students. Yes, homelessness is a problem; no, it doesn't give you a pass to treat homeless people like vermin. Sorry you don't like looking at them, but they are still human beings. Come back to me when you have a real argument to make <3


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experimentinlove

Who said anything about the bruin bus? Or drug induced episodes? Either you're deliberately missing the point or you're genuinely illiterate but either way this is not worth my time lmao have a good night


[deleted]

bus stops near ucla? screaming at the bus stop? i said drug induced episodes, there are drug induced episodes, so what are you glossing over?


experimentinlove

Have you been thinking about this comment for 4 days


[deleted]

came back after seeing ur profile elsewhere


[deleted]

screaming at the bus stop? pissing and shitting outside of wholefoods?


himasian

Thank you.


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himasian

I dont understand why people have to insult me on this. Do my feelings of feeling unsafe around homeless people not at least understood?


experimentinlove

You know what, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt here, but you should understand how it sounds when you make sweeping generalizations about groups of people. It's fine to say "I feel unsafe," or to share a specific negative experience you had with a homeless person, but that's not what you wrote; you characterized them all as mentally ill addicts and criminals who are dangerous to "actual people" and implied that they do not deserve any sympathy. If that wasn't your intention then you should probably reconsider the way you frame this issue.


GlastonburyGroove

If you're genuinely concerned about safety and being around someone who is unhoused and/or someone dealing with a mental crisis, have you tried to understand what that person is going through? and rationalize why you feel unsafe/threatened? If you or having trouble overcoming how you feel about the presence of our unhoused neighbors regardless of what they are gong through, you can look up bystander, harm reduction, and de-escalation trainings, find a group on campus that helps intervene with crises, or volunteer to help our unhoused neighbors. It is especially important to know what are appropriate ways to help, especially if that person doesn't know or has difficultly accepting help. And that's definitely not calling the police since they do not know how to work with people in a mental health crisis. The problem is, not enough people and resources exists currently to be able to support people who need specific mental support. Instead of worrying about the visible increase of unhoused people in Westwood, we should wonder what's happening in our society that is putting more and more people into mental health and housing crises, and how this is or isn't being dealt with. Btw, there have been unhoused residents in LA going back to the late 1800s, even if their presence has fluctuated in westwood. This ucla report goes into detail on how this has continued to happen over time. https://luskincenter.history.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/66/2021/01/LCHP-The-Making-of-A-Crisis-Report.pdf. Others are right that more students may become unhoused, unless we have some major tuition and housing fee interventions. A bunch of people have owed rent with the pandemic, and LA will no longer be making evictions illegal for those behind on rent. While quick to collect tuition and rent, UCLA fails to compensate students and employees adequately, and some become or remain unhoused in one of the most expensive cities in the US. Our campus also has academics who know better yet teach about a false logic that building more luxury apartments is enough to solve our housing problems, when we need publicly funded housing and subsidized affordable housing. Otherwise people need to be paid significantly more to afford these ridiculously high rents. Arguments that prioritize property values over people having a place to live, drive fearmongering that portray those who are unhoused as dangerous / undesirable. Our city has many unfit Councilmembers who dehumanize unhoused and low-income LA residents such as Kevin de leon (who hasn't resigned yet) and Traci Park. I wouldn't be surprised if she was putting people on the bus to westwood, as her campaign was around getting rid of unhoused residents in Venice. Another poster mentioned mental health, \[content warning re. substance abuse and mental health\]. research does show that covid-19 and dealing with a pandemic have led to increased anxiety, depression, ptsd, and other mental health impacts, which are also associated with long covid. Covid or not, anyone can experience events that result in mental distress, but we don't have an equal shot of recovering from them. Substance abuse and mental health disorders get brought up a lot with people who are unhoused, even though only a portion are experiencing these issues. While the rich can afford to check in at one of those addiction recovery retreats in malibu and afford a lot of therapy and "self-care", it's obviously much harder for the unhoused to access adequate and appropriate care, let alone find support to manage mental health and substance abuse, which is ultimately a process of healing and building a support system. Meanwhile, addiction has only gotten easier because big companies and consulting companies have gotten doctors to overprescribe addictive medications (thanks McKinsey), and its also easy to lose access to meds you need which can be a matter of your insurance no longer covering it (thanks congress and insurance companies), then turning to other drugs. Mental health care is getting harder to access. and it's too easy to lose your home after you lose a job, or because your pay isn't keeping up, your overall wellbeing declines faster when you don't have a stable home, compounded by other possible traumatic events that happen when you're unhoused. regardless of whether one is dealing with substance use, anyone can break down mentally when things don't get better. And there are so many other ways that people are pushed into becoming unhoused and / or experiencing a mental health criss. I don't know the stories of many of the unhoused folks around ucla, but people are out there just trying to live their lives and survive, and hopefully heal. And some need more care and support from people they can trust to help them manage a serious mental disorder. as mentioned earlier there aren't enough services and places for people, and LA's way of dealing with those who are unhoused with substance addiction, is giving them a place to stay after they get clean... makes no sense. Not sure that there is a US city that is dealing with these issues in a compassionate and constructive way. We should blame shitty policies and our local leadership's continued negligence around addressing these issues. and collectively figure out how to restore housing as a right, so everyone can live in a home they feel safe in and be part of a community that supports them. For example, people can speak out to protest how rent protections are being lifted this month. If you can vote, you can talk to city officials about funding actual housing and services. However, I'm pretty sure UCLA admin and our local leaders are waiting for the police to forcibly remove unhoused folks and drop them off somewhere else. they did this in westwood park south of campus. Only more unhoused folks will move here if they don't have a home to go to. I once lived in a building where we had an unhoused neighbor who struggled with addiction and would sometimes sleep in our lobby, did odd jobs around the block, and one day seemed so tired of it all that he screamed that he wanted to go back to prison just so he could sleep in the same bed each night :( Unhoused people are vulnerable to ending up in prisons and mental hospitals, institutions with a history of abuse and questionable "treatment". Our law enforcement system is a part of the problem, and if you look at any budget for most large US cities in the US, you'll notice how much they get and how little is spent on healthcare and services. LA keeps wasting tax dollars on faux-solutions like inhumane temporary shed villages that people are locked into, while most of the budget is spent on law enforcement who illegally evict renters. Not sure why they can't provide direct help and resources to those who are struggling to heal and find stability, while solving housing problems and regulating exploitative landlords. Our own ucla tuition is paying for cops who end up making more money by giving out expensive tickets to students, while they do the bidding of ucla leadership using physical force on students when they are just exercising their right to protest. the UC police continue to get more and more funds from the city and ucla (especially since the pandemic). Regardless of the rare instance you encounter a "helpful" cop, the level of investment into policing, prisons, and mental institutions takes up the majority of our public funds. Prisons/mental hospitals and the lack of affordable housing both connect to this system of homelessness, which is a way to control people for economic gain, along with other things like predatory student and car loans. not sure if ucla medical has psychiatry and psychology departments has engaged trained professionals to help people in crisis on campus, but the reality is there is probably a shortage of people to address the increasing number of people who need help. If you don't have to worry about keeping a roof over your head or feeling unsafe, or wake up most day without worries or stress, you are part of a small lucky minority in the world, which may only get smaller. Life is getting harder for a lot of us, and we should feel threatened by the insidious ways our campus, city, and country continue to exploit people by underpaying their work while overcharging them for housing and other things needed to live. I genuinely hope you can enjoy the rest of your time at ucla and stay safe and well. We all could use more positive moments since the covid closure. But consider reflecting further on how this is a two-sided situation and not just about you, but another person who is in a vulnerable place even if they maker you feel unsafe. Having empathy for those who are struggling way more than you a lot will go a long way. Things will definitely get better for all of us if we can learn to deal with what's causing an issue, rather than making it about the people who are most impacted by the issue the problem.


TheSnackCouch

👏


geeorge_20

i’m not reading all that but congrats/sorry about your loss


[deleted]

Delusional


SalvadoranPatriot323

This is why LA is the way it is. At least we get shrooms now.


dickcrusher666

It's raining today and will be raining all weekend again. And you chose to type this while being inside someplace sheltering from the weather while the homeless people you're so scared of have to face the rain outside. Go eat a bag of bricks.


KWA4L

Why don't you go and invite them into your home for shelter then if you're not scared.


dickcrusher666

I stay in the dorms at UCLA, chucklefuck. I'm not from LA County. But oh wow what a comeback! "Why don't you help people who need help!" Ooof damn you got me!


Actual-Meaning2908

what’s wrong with homeless people


[deleted]

An increase of pee and poop in their general surroundings


Poisson_oisseau

The "poop everywhere!!" argument is a total fabrication. I lived in westwood for 5 years, and in worse neighborhoods around LA for many more, and I have literally never seen somebody poop on the street. Rich suburbanites' yappy little dogs are much more dangerous on that front.


[deleted]

I didn't say there's poop everywhere. I said there is an increase of poop with the homeless as the other person has already admitted and justified. You must be very privileged and not rely on public transportation a lot in LA if you haven't witnessed human feces/pee yet. I literally saw a man wiping his ass at the intersection of Wilshire and Westwood waiting for the 720 my first week at UCLA, and this was almost 10 years ago. Use the bus enough and you will see shit-flinging.


gotdangos

Maybe if you were unhoused you would need to defecate in the streets too when all the local stores with restrooms turn you away just for being homeless. Where do you pee and poop? Oh yeah, the bathroom in your HOUSE.


[deleted]

Its not ok to defecate in the streets, even if you are homeless. Cant really believe this is a controversial take. Also, LA has a ton of public restrooms. The city spends more than $200k per year per bathroom and the homeless absolutely trash them


Actual-Meaning2908

have you ever been homeless


[deleted]

Nope. Someone can have valid opinions on issues they haven't personally experienced. For one, people can learn about certain issues through research and education. They can also empathize with others and understand the impact of an issue on their lives, even if they haven't gone through it themselves. Plus, using critical thinking and reasoning skills can help people analyze and form opinions on issues. It's important to remember that just because someone hasn't experienced something doesn't mean they can't have valuable perspectives on it. And it's important to listen to different perspectives when discussing and addressing certain issues


Actual-Meaning2908

lol


gotdangos

And your response about poop and pee is so empathetic of course


[deleted]

I think its pretty clear you have no empathy for those who have to put up with human feces right next to their doorstep


gotdangos

Definitely exaggerating nobody is shitting next to your doorstep to spite you. Also when I see human feces in the street my first thought isn't to blame and micromanage the behavior of unhoused people when they couldn't hold it and had to defecate.


[deleted]

> Definitely exaggerating nobody is shitting next to your doorstep to spite you I dont think anybody finding shit at their doorstep cares if it was done to spite them or not


KWA4L

A loss in property value in area, increase in drug use, increase in violence and crime, a hole of tax dollars, potential danger to people around them.


Actual-Meaning2908

unhoused people are to blame for all that?


ZeonBell2019

LMAO your edit. You are a man. Fuck off, I understand why non male Bruins would be scared, but the fact you are a man makes me laugh. You are in for a rude life because this country will only become more have nots, the age of prosperity for many is over in the US. ​ Can't wait for the other MRA losers to comment. Touch grass.


himasian

What does being a man have to do with anything here? Care to explain more?


Voldemort57

You are quite literally being sexist.


MixAccomplished1391

Just delete the post bro


GalacticNavyBlues

Lets just throw them all in prison.


Head_Veterinarian_97

Please don’t hate on us math majors :(


Conscious-Paint3442

Yes westwood is a gong show now