I decided on Friday that I was going to head down to Long Beach City College's Liberal Arts Campus for Spring Sing 2010. And the catch was this: no need for me to go ahead and use the bus to get there. I decided I will use both feet to get over there.
Not a difficult set of streets to get there: Santa Fe, Willow, Clark. I crossed a bridge, climbed a hill, descended down a freeway overpass, and walked on stilts on my way to the venue. I did make one stopover to Name Your Game to repair my red Tong sweater. All right, it was two if you count rehydration at Subway in Signal Hill.
Normally, I do not walking this long of a path because I am not used to it. But when I had my first physical in a long-ass time, and I saw my results, I thought, "Oh my fucking god, I need to get out and drop some pounds or something!" Now I am eating footlong Veggie Delights washed down with light lemonade and green tea, with a bag of Baked Lays on the side. Totally unlike me.
You know something? Curse whoever came up with the faggotry of a disorder called prediabetes. It's an American epidemic that should never have been conceived or named. Because of that word, I am officially scared as F.U.C.K. (without the "my" in "Amy"). So out of fear, I'm walking long distances now. The hope is that this doesn't become few and far between due to the work load I need to do these next few weeks.
But back to the Spring Sing. So this was my first time at the event since "Olevision '05." I came up with that name, by the way, for all of you wondering. And the logo for that was a blatant spoof of the ABC ident. This year, it was "Poetry In Motion." Cheesy theme, but if that's what they came up with, then, well...that's what we'll have to settle for. It's quite better than "Another Waste Of Time." Or "Another Waste of Your Hard-Earned Financial Aid." Or "We Need Scholarships, we're Fucking Desperate, and we have a College Promise to Fucking Uphold!"
That's what Spring Sing was all about. All the proceeds from the variety show and the art fair and concessions went to upholding the scholarships promised by the College.
Little more background on this: the Men of Aztlan were the defending champions, but they were going to face some tough competition this year. When I was a student, the likes of Junior Exchange hogged up all the Sweepstakes trophies. I still regret having to see the 2003 side win Sweepstakes, while my team from the Order of Tong International settled for Men's Division.
Thankfully, those fuckers are inactive. I hope they stay that way. However, we did redeem ourselves a few years later (and this was after I graduated) with a rendition of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."
But before I went over to the Auditorium for the performance, I took some shots of the backgrounds that would be used. As a matter of fact, if you take a look at my flickr profile (bedlamonbalticavenue) you shall see an extensive gallery of all the action, and bonus coverage.
After some background shots, I went over and looked for the Foundation building. I knew that the place had moved, but to where? I meant to find out.
On the way to the Foundation building, I passed by good old Building E, the College Center. I asked one of the attendants, and she said "Either Building T or O." Before I left, I saw a few of performers from my club. And these were some new, energetic faces.
Putting on my hat, I smiled and left. Suddenly, they found out that I was a Tong alum, but they weren't sure. So they went to find me.
I introduced myself to the current members. "Jo-Ryan Salazar, class of 2005, Tong Pledge 151. So, you guys are getting ready for Spring Sing huh?"
They nodded. "We're just waiting for the wolf costume to come in," one of them said. This year, it was about the Three Little Pigs.
"All right. Now, I want you to keep this in mind. Aztlan are the defending champions. You got no pressure. NO PRESSURE. Leave everything out on the floor, and let the chips fall where they may. Even if you don't win anything, the important thing to take is that you performed with no pressure on you. All the weight is on them. Got it?"
"Thanks, Jo-Ryan!" they all said.
"Good luck!" And so I saw them off. Tong would go on to win the Men's Division at the end of the night. That's what happens when they listen to an alum that's been there and won that. It's an "I Told You So" moment.
The new South Quad Building, also known as Building T, is home to a number of administrative offices. Whether or not it was home to the foundation remained to be seen.
So I asked one of the attendants, "Where's the Foundation building?"
"Building O, on Conant," she said. At that point, my heart sunk.
"You're kidding me."
"I don't know if it will be a walk you can handle..."
"No problem. I'll be fine." And I dragged myself down Clark as if I was walking on stilts.
"Oh god, why? Why do I have to walk a little bit longer for my dinner!?" I screamed to the heavens with a sniffle. "Is this was you planned for me, sir? If so, then let me collapse on these stones!" Okay, maybe I didn't say it that way, but I was quite bummed that I had to walk a little bit longer to Building O, located next to Rosie the Riveter Park, Veterans Stadium's parking lot and the Central Plant.
"Is this where the dinner is?" I asked one of the caterers, bringing in a pot of tortellini.
"You're in the right spot," she said.
"Hallelujah! I am still alive, and I am in Building O!" I was exuberant, but starved. It was a simple dinner on tap: tortellini, salad and bread, with light beverages, Heineken and wine.
"Hello, I am here for the..." I couldn't finish what I was saying because I was slumping on the side of the wall of the second floor.
"Oh my goodness," said Nancy yoho of the LBCC Alumni Association. "How did you get here?"
"I walked all the way from my house without public transportation to here."
"Oh my gosh."
"And this was a day after I walked all the way to my house without public transportation to Long Beach State."
"Oh dear God. well, just sit tight and rest for a bit; dinner will be ready in a bit." For a few fleeting moments, I wondered if I really overdid it.
In between helpings of pasta, salad and sourdough slabs washed down with sips of Cabernet Sauvignon, I took stock at some photos of Spring Sing teams past. And I even took shots of previous editions of the Saga yearbook, which used to be published by the College years back. In the heyday of the college, clubs like Mahabharate, Ramayana, Hammurabi and the Order of Tyr were in existence. Thor also was a club that saw its heyday during those times and only recently made a comeback.
I would love to see all those clubs return: Car Amies, Entre Nous, Amigos...heck, I would love to see those louts from JX return as well, as much as I still despise each and every one of their asses. Every one of those clubs combined with those existing now...hoo hoo, we're talking one of the biggest student life conglomerates one will see at a JC!
I realized that I had to pay by cash for my beverages. I told my old friend Dr. virginia Baxter, "I already made a $5.00 donation to you guys, so now I can get some water and wine."
"How were you able to do that?" she asked.
I pointed to the computer behind me.
"You little devil!"
With my batteries recharged and my resolve renewed, it was back to the auditorium. I met some old fellas from my days gone by at the College: Mitchell and Jorge Cardenas, Mike Arango and my big brother from Tong, Hector Garcia. They were stunned when I told them how I got there, but I explained why. At the same time, they were quite pleased that I finished one of my two master's degrees. I told them, "Pass it on."
It was nice to see the ASB Representative of Arts and the Associated Student Body Cabinet (so they returned to that name, huh?) take part in the show.
The first act, an interpretation of Madeleine by the Ladies of Athena, was unimpressive. They all looked chubby. When I was a student, Athena's girls were lean and hot. Not anymore. Times have changed. Next.
The Goddesses of Venus chose to do "I Rise" by Maya Angelou. I don't think the narrator was compellinmg enough. It was clear from where I was sitting (and, mind you, this was WAAYYYY in the back) that she was reading the lines from a paper. Athena and Venus...out. Next.
The Creative Arts department at LBCC put on a solid rendition of "Stomp Your Feet." Obviously they were not going to be judged because it would be unfair. These were some true performers singing and dancing. wonderful stuff. A little Aaron Copeland.
The American Criminal Justice Association (ACJA), who would win the Co-Ed Division, delivered a rousing rendition of the Battle of the Sexes. Some nice dance moves from the sistahs and real rapping by the mistahs kept things in order. Beautiful stuff.
At last, one of the real heavy hitters of the show arrived. I have a slight affinity for the Lovely Ladies of AKNA. I had some friends who were members. Or course, though, I have respect for TNT. They are the oldest continuously-operating women's social service club (the female version of Tong, in a way). AKNA did a great rendition of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Not only did they have solid choreography, but they had a great balance of acting, and even added a slow-motion celebratory sequence, which segued into the club's strongest value: sisterhood.
It was proper, it was done right, and it was fun to watch.
I do feel that the Men of Thor were shortchanged at this event. They put on a tribute to the Beatles, with complete instruments, outfits and wigs to go with their choreography. The problem here was the instruments proved to be, in my view, against the spirit of a Sweepstakes-winning Spring Sing performance. But Thor should have earned more love from the judges. They really got shafted here.
The Pacific Islanders Club did some nice haka and hula dancing to go with some contemporary island grooves. The audience was feeling the love, hooting and hollering. I joined in just for the heck of it.
I met my old ASB Cabinet friend, Shirley, at the show. She did a nice rendition of "Piggy Sue," a little tale of a farmer and her little swine friend on the farm. Also, Kenji Miyazawa of the International Club serenaded the audiences with a Japanese love song while a DJ from KLBC paid tribute to Patsy Cline with "Crazy."
TNT's take on "Alice In Wonderland" was great to see. But while the dancing was there, I don't think the acting was. And some of the choreography was off. It was not balanced enough to be Sweepstakes-worthy. Nonetheless, they did well enough to win the Women's Division, as well as win the award for most tickets sold.
I liked the Three Little Pigs skit. I don't know if it was the fact that Derek Oriee directed the whole show, or if my advice to themn actually worked. One of the members of that cast actually ended up winning the Drama King Award. Simply put, it exceeded my expectations.
AZtlan's version was "The Cat In the Hat." Actually, it was a tribute to Dr. Seuss. Now, I have my guesses as to why they didn't defend their title, even though I felt they put on a good show.
1. This was done in another form last year by TNT.
2. The judges wanted someone else to take the honors.
3. Possible outside influence from other clubs, and the fact that the spirit heard in the other organizations may have contributed. (I was cheering for my guys, but whether or not that played a factor I will neither confirm nor deny).
And the final act was a poem talking about the issues concerning students at LBCC, and it was a call to action. It put everything in full circle while adhering to the theme.
I had to sacrifice watching Long Beach State edge UC Riverside at the Myd, but I'm glad I returned to something that I myself was a part of. I played the role of the reporter during Tong's Spiderman skit in '03. Amazing how everything just comes full circle.
Maybe I need to make walking all the way up to the college without using the bus every first Friday of March a habit after all.
Not a difficult set of streets to get there: Santa Fe, Willow, Clark. I crossed a bridge, climbed a hill, descended down a freeway overpass, and walked on stilts on my way to the venue. I did make one stopover to Name Your Game to repair my red Tong sweater. All right, it was two if you count rehydration at Subway in Signal Hill.
Normally, I do not walking this long of a path because I am not used to it. But when I had my first physical in a long-ass time, and I saw my results, I thought, "Oh my fucking god, I need to get out and drop some pounds or something!" Now I am eating footlong Veggie Delights washed down with light lemonade and green tea, with a bag of Baked Lays on the side. Totally unlike me.
You know something? Curse whoever came up with the faggotry of a disorder called prediabetes. It's an American epidemic that should never have been conceived or named. Because of that word, I am officially scared as F.U.C.K. (without the "my" in "Amy"). So out of fear, I'm walking long distances now. The hope is that this doesn't become few and far between due to the work load I need to do these next few weeks.
But back to the Spring Sing. So this was my first time at the event since "Olevision '05." I came up with that name, by the way, for all of you wondering. And the logo for that was a blatant spoof of the ABC ident. This year, it was "Poetry In Motion." Cheesy theme, but if that's what they came up with, then, well...that's what we'll have to settle for. It's quite better than "Another Waste Of Time." Or "Another Waste of Your Hard-Earned Financial Aid." Or "We Need Scholarships, we're Fucking Desperate, and we have a College Promise to Fucking Uphold!"
That's what Spring Sing was all about. All the proceeds from the variety show and the art fair and concessions went to upholding the scholarships promised by the College.
Little more background on this: the Men of Aztlan were the defending champions, but they were going to face some tough competition this year. When I was a student, the likes of Junior Exchange hogged up all the Sweepstakes trophies. I still regret having to see the 2003 side win Sweepstakes, while my team from the Order of Tong International settled for Men's Division.
Thankfully, those fuckers are inactive. I hope they stay that way. However, we did redeem ourselves a few years later (and this was after I graduated) with a rendition of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."
But before I went over to the Auditorium for the performance, I took some shots of the backgrounds that would be used. As a matter of fact, if you take a look at my flickr profile (bedlamonbalticavenue) you shall see an extensive gallery of all the action, and bonus coverage.
After some background shots, I went over and looked for the Foundation building. I knew that the place had moved, but to where? I meant to find out.
On the way to the Foundation building, I passed by good old Building E, the College Center. I asked one of the attendants, and she said "Either Building T or O." Before I left, I saw a few of performers from my club. And these were some new, energetic faces.
Putting on my hat, I smiled and left. Suddenly, they found out that I was a Tong alum, but they weren't sure. So they went to find me.
I introduced myself to the current members. "Jo-Ryan Salazar, class of 2005, Tong Pledge 151. So, you guys are getting ready for Spring Sing huh?"
They nodded. "We're just waiting for the wolf costume to come in," one of them said. This year, it was about the Three Little Pigs.
"All right. Now, I want you to keep this in mind. Aztlan are the defending champions. You got no pressure. NO PRESSURE. Leave everything out on the floor, and let the chips fall where they may. Even if you don't win anything, the important thing to take is that you performed with no pressure on you. All the weight is on them. Got it?"
"Thanks, Jo-Ryan!" they all said.
"Good luck!" And so I saw them off. Tong would go on to win the Men's Division at the end of the night. That's what happens when they listen to an alum that's been there and won that. It's an "I Told You So" moment.
The new South Quad Building, also known as Building T, is home to a number of administrative offices. Whether or not it was home to the foundation remained to be seen.
So I asked one of the attendants, "Where's the Foundation building?"
"Building O, on Conant," she said. At that point, my heart sunk.
"You're kidding me."
"I don't know if it will be a walk you can handle..."
"No problem. I'll be fine." And I dragged myself down Clark as if I was walking on stilts.
"Oh god, why? Why do I have to walk a little bit longer for my dinner!?" I screamed to the heavens with a sniffle. "Is this was you planned for me, sir? If so, then let me collapse on these stones!" Okay, maybe I didn't say it that way, but I was quite bummed that I had to walk a little bit longer to Building O, located next to Rosie the Riveter Park, Veterans Stadium's parking lot and the Central Plant.
"Is this where the dinner is?" I asked one of the caterers, bringing in a pot of tortellini.
"You're in the right spot," she said.
"Hallelujah! I am still alive, and I am in Building O!" I was exuberant, but starved. It was a simple dinner on tap: tortellini, salad and bread, with light beverages, Heineken and wine.
"Hello, I am here for the..." I couldn't finish what I was saying because I was slumping on the side of the wall of the second floor.
"Oh my goodness," said Nancy yoho of the LBCC Alumni Association. "How did you get here?"
"I walked all the way from my house without public transportation to here."
"Oh my gosh."
"And this was a day after I walked all the way to my house without public transportation to Long Beach State."
"Oh dear God. well, just sit tight and rest for a bit; dinner will be ready in a bit." For a few fleeting moments, I wondered if I really overdid it.
In between helpings of pasta, salad and sourdough slabs washed down with sips of Cabernet Sauvignon, I took stock at some photos of Spring Sing teams past. And I even took shots of previous editions of the Saga yearbook, which used to be published by the College years back. In the heyday of the college, clubs like Mahabharate, Ramayana, Hammurabi and the Order of Tyr were in existence. Thor also was a club that saw its heyday during those times and only recently made a comeback.
I would love to see all those clubs return: Car Amies, Entre Nous, Amigos...heck, I would love to see those louts from JX return as well, as much as I still despise each and every one of their asses. Every one of those clubs combined with those existing now...hoo hoo, we're talking one of the biggest student life conglomerates one will see at a JC!
I realized that I had to pay by cash for my beverages. I told my old friend Dr. virginia Baxter, "I already made a $5.00 donation to you guys, so now I can get some water and wine."
"How were you able to do that?" she asked.
I pointed to the computer behind me.
"You little devil!"
With my batteries recharged and my resolve renewed, it was back to the auditorium. I met some old fellas from my days gone by at the College: Mitchell and Jorge Cardenas, Mike Arango and my big brother from Tong, Hector Garcia. They were stunned when I told them how I got there, but I explained why. At the same time, they were quite pleased that I finished one of my two master's degrees. I told them, "Pass it on."
It was nice to see the ASB Representative of Arts and the Associated Student Body Cabinet (so they returned to that name, huh?) take part in the show.
The first act, an interpretation of Madeleine by the Ladies of Athena, was unimpressive. They all looked chubby. When I was a student, Athena's girls were lean and hot. Not anymore. Times have changed. Next.
The Goddesses of Venus chose to do "I Rise" by Maya Angelou. I don't think the narrator was compellinmg enough. It was clear from where I was sitting (and, mind you, this was WAAYYYY in the back) that she was reading the lines from a paper. Athena and Venus...out. Next.
The Creative Arts department at LBCC put on a solid rendition of "Stomp Your Feet." Obviously they were not going to be judged because it would be unfair. These were some true performers singing and dancing. wonderful stuff. A little Aaron Copeland.
The American Criminal Justice Association (ACJA), who would win the Co-Ed Division, delivered a rousing rendition of the Battle of the Sexes. Some nice dance moves from the sistahs and real rapping by the mistahs kept things in order. Beautiful stuff.
At last, one of the real heavy hitters of the show arrived. I have a slight affinity for the Lovely Ladies of AKNA. I had some friends who were members. Or course, though, I have respect for TNT. They are the oldest continuously-operating women's social service club (the female version of Tong, in a way). AKNA did a great rendition of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Not only did they have solid choreography, but they had a great balance of acting, and even added a slow-motion celebratory sequence, which segued into the club's strongest value: sisterhood.
It was proper, it was done right, and it was fun to watch.
I do feel that the Men of Thor were shortchanged at this event. They put on a tribute to the Beatles, with complete instruments, outfits and wigs to go with their choreography. The problem here was the instruments proved to be, in my view, against the spirit of a Sweepstakes-winning Spring Sing performance. But Thor should have earned more love from the judges. They really got shafted here.
The Pacific Islanders Club did some nice haka and hula dancing to go with some contemporary island grooves. The audience was feeling the love, hooting and hollering. I joined in just for the heck of it.
I met my old ASB Cabinet friend, Shirley, at the show. She did a nice rendition of "Piggy Sue," a little tale of a farmer and her little swine friend on the farm. Also, Kenji Miyazawa of the International Club serenaded the audiences with a Japanese love song while a DJ from KLBC paid tribute to Patsy Cline with "Crazy."
TNT's take on "Alice In Wonderland" was great to see. But while the dancing was there, I don't think the acting was. And some of the choreography was off. It was not balanced enough to be Sweepstakes-worthy. Nonetheless, they did well enough to win the Women's Division, as well as win the award for most tickets sold.
I liked the Three Little Pigs skit. I don't know if it was the fact that Derek Oriee directed the whole show, or if my advice to themn actually worked. One of the members of that cast actually ended up winning the Drama King Award. Simply put, it exceeded my expectations.
AZtlan's version was "The Cat In the Hat." Actually, it was a tribute to Dr. Seuss. Now, I have my guesses as to why they didn't defend their title, even though I felt they put on a good show.
1. This was done in another form last year by TNT.
2. The judges wanted someone else to take the honors.
3. Possible outside influence from other clubs, and the fact that the spirit heard in the other organizations may have contributed. (I was cheering for my guys, but whether or not that played a factor I will neither confirm nor deny).
And the final act was a poem talking about the issues concerning students at LBCC, and it was a call to action. It put everything in full circle while adhering to the theme.
I had to sacrifice watching Long Beach State edge UC Riverside at the Myd, but I'm glad I returned to something that I myself was a part of. I played the role of the reporter during Tong's Spiderman skit in '03. Amazing how everything just comes full circle.
Maybe I need to make walking all the way up to the college without using the bus every first Friday of March a habit after all.