Adam Karon Karon wants to hear your
thoughts on the rivalry, relationships and Jim Everett.Â
E-mail him at [email protected].
Here at UCLA, we think of ourselves as politically progressive.
The campus in general strives towards diversity and
tolerance.
Students involved in interracial or interfaith relationships
feel welcome in Westwood. Why then do some feel so much animosity
towards those engaged in interrivalry relationships? Sure they may
be living in sin, but cut them and do they not bleed (hopefully
blue and gold)?
Junior English student Andy Schwartz has tasted intolerance
firsthand. After nearly two years of dating USC senior Lindsay
Ravage, Schwartz still hears calls of “traitor” and
“here comes the enemy” when they are together.
And that’s just what his father says.
Schwartz grew up in a true blue Bruin household. His dad was a
UCLA cheerleader in the late ’60s, and as a child Andy held
men like John Wooden and Jackie Robinson in higher esteem than any
divine power.
When Ravage studied in England during her junior year,
Schwartz’ father put UCLA license plate frames and stickers
on her car. Jealous students tore them off when she returned to
USC.
Growing up, Schwartz was such a huge UCLA fan that he attended
seven of the Bruins’ eight straight wins over USC in the
1990s.
Like many Bruins, he entered with a healthy dislike for
everything Trojan. After all, his dad always said, “While I
might not have learned to totally love UCLA, I sure as heck learned
to hate USC.”
Andy must have lost a chromosome or two somewhere along the way,
because for the last two years he has ventured into Trojan
Territory weekly in the name of love.
Some could call this admirable. Others seditious. But however
one might view interrivalry relationships, there is no doubt they
are put to the test each November when the UCLA and USC football
teams face off.
The Bruins have not won the city championship since Andy and
Lindsay began dating. While this is probably reason enough to
end even the most meaningful relationship, the couple is already
preparing to endure yet another rivalry game.
“I just hope we win so his friends don’t talk trash
when I come to visit,” Ravage said.
Growing up in Fairfield, Conn., Ravage still has not fully
caught the rivalry bug. She does not understand why Bruins
think the best way to make Trojan cookies is to put them in a bowl
and beat them for three and a half hours. She doesn’t know
why the best way to keep a Trojan out of your yard is to put up a
goal post.
To her credit, Ravage is unlike most USC girls. She reads books
without pictures, won’t drown when you glue a credit card to
the bottom of a swimming pool, and would never make a good
fast-food employee.
Add all that to an enchanting personality, and it is easy to see
why some think she is a Bruin trapped in a certain South Central
gated community.
Then again, a year ago during the UCLA-USC game she and a friend
tried to sell their student tickets to go shopping in Pasadena.
Perhaps interrivalry relationships work best when only one
partner is a huge sports fan. Ravage shows up for football games at
halftime to watch her friend on the cheer squad. She usually leaves
well before the final buzzer, and not just to avoid the carnage of
another USC loss.
Schwartz, on the other hand, rarely misses a game, and has not
left early since coming to UCLA.
The two see each other a few times each week. Do they use UCLA
vs. USC sporting events to add an extra meeting to their weekly
schedule?
“Last year, Lindsay came over to the UCLA student section
during the game,” Schwartz said. “Of course, I had to
make her put a sweatshirt on over her USC shirt.”
Ravage doesn’t always understand the rivalry. She
routinely wears a UCLA sweater around the ‘SC
campus. Though she gets dirty looks and the occasional jealous
glare, she says that it is “all in good fun.”
Schwartz claims he wouldn’t be caught dead in a USC
shirt. Though he admits that Ravage makes it “harder to
hate ‘SC,” he maintains his steadfast loyalty to the
rivalry.
Though she doesn’t care much for football, Ravage says she
likes the rivalry because of the tradition. She claims that
when she has kids, she will add to the tradition by purchasing
miniature USC song-girl outfits (not to be confused with the
turtle-necked Song Boys’ sweaters).
Schwartz retorted that he would burn the clothes before any
child of his wore them.
Relationships like that of Ravage and Schwartz should not be
condemned even by the staunchest anti-Trojan trumpeter. Those
involved in interrivalry relationships should be commended for
their effort, for it is not easy to love the enemy.
Of course, if the Bruins lose again this year, we’ll have
to talk to Schwartz about ending his fling with the
enemy”¦