By Jammie Salagubang
Daily Bruin Contributor
Signs of Spring at UCLA:
1. People badly in need of tans decide to show off their pale
appendages.
2. Worse selection of classes this quarter.
3. Residential Telephone Services have screwed up your phone bill
(wait, that’s every quarter).
4. The hike up Bruin Walk is not only torturous, but
sweatier.
5. The squirrels are more aggressive.
6. More flies, besides the aggressive squirrels, bothering people
while they eat.
7. People have more excuses to ditch class (like you really needed
them).
8. The annual migration of that rare and lucrative species:
touristas camerasus.
9. Graduating seniors look scared.
10. Spring Sing is here!
"Spring Sing is just a huge festival of song and dance," says
Bob Schermerhorn, a fourth-year psychology student and executive
director of tonight’s Spring Sing at the Los Angeles Tennis Center
on campus. "At UCLA, everyone is kind of doing their own thing, but
Spring Sing brings it all together in this huge production where
everyone is going for the same common thing – to promote UCLA
spirit."
Now in its 49th year, Spring Sing is UCLA’s oldest musical
tradition. The show originated as a contest between fraternities
that serenaded sororities. Over the years, Spring Sing has grown.
At its height, it was held at the Hollywood Bowl and attended by
over 10,000 people.
This year’s performance will feature 16 student acts competing
in six categories: solo, duet, ensemble, a capella, production and
band.
The audience will also see the recipient of the George and Ira
Gershwin (GIG) Award: musician John Lee Hooker. Every year at
Spring Sing, the GIG is presented for lifetime achievement. Past
award winners have included Angela Lansbury (1988), Ray Charles
(1991) and Mel Torme (1995). Musically active for 50 years, Hooker
is also a Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame inductee. He also recently
received multiple Grammy awards for his 1997 album, "Don’t Look
Back." Mick Fleetwood, of Fleetwood Mac will present the award to
Hooker.
"His music has influenced a lot of different people in the music
industry," Schermerhorn says.
Celebrities also play a part in keeping the show humming. Chris
Hardwick from "Singled Out" emceed last year’s event, a position
Ronald Reagan has also held many times in years past.
Celebrity judges choose winners in each category. Some of the
stars this year include Krista Allen (Billy from "Days of Our
Lives"), Anthony Michael Hall ("The Breakfast Club" and other Brat
Pack movies) and Kelly Rutherford (Megan from Fox’s "Melrose"). The
winners have their names engraved on a trophy and hopefully receive
something more.
"(SAA) brings out agents and people from the entertainment
industry so that they can get exposure to that industry,"
Schermerhorn says.
And the performers are appreciative. Mark Armstrong, a
second-year communication studies student who won in the solo
category last year, was reluctantly persuaded to join Spring Sing
by his friends. This year, he will perform again without the
influence of others.
"What I like the best about Spring Sing is the chance to perform
and spread my music to more people," Armstrong says. "It’s just
good exposure for me to be seen performing and doing my own
material, because you never know what might come out of it, a
record contract, publishing deal. Spring Sing can give a little
step into the industry."
Armstrong will perform his original vocal composition titled
"Airplane in the Rain" for the solo category.
Third-year communication studies and accounting student Mona
Tavakoli, along with her band, Chrysalis, an all-female modern folk
rock group, will also perform an original song.
"There’s something for everyone," Tavakoli says. "It’s a
plethora of diverse talent pooling together for a good ol’
time."
Other performers include STOMP on Campus, a group that does
similar routines to the famed percussion group; Kasama, an a
capella group singing "I Feel For You" and jazz band Collective
Harmony performing "Amazing Grace." The Alpha Phi sorority and the
Theta Chi fraternity will perform one production number while the
Tri-Delta sorority and Phi Kappa Alpha will collaborate on
another.
"(Spring Sing) is really cool because you can get the average
Josie Bruin off Bruin Walk and they can be a star," Tavakoli
says.
However, potential performers still have to go through
auditions. In February, over 80 groups tried out for the 16 slots.
A panel of professors and students rated the acts and picked the
ones with the highest scores.
"At Spring Sing, you see some of the most awesome talent that
you’re going to see at UCLA," Schermerhorn says.
Many students last year attended out of curiosity or because of
friends.
"When I went last year, I thought it was going to be kind of
like ‘hurhurhur’ but it was really good, I was really impressed,"
says Veronica Brooks, a second-year psychology and political
science student. "Spring Sing is better than life itself!"
Hernane Tabay, a second-year chemical engineering student,
although not quite as enthusiastic, also enjoyed last year’s Spring
Sing.
"It was hilarious," says Tabay. "It was pure entertainment for
about five bucks."
Tavakoli sees Spring Sing as a bargain between the audience and
the performers.
"People that are buying the tickets to Spring Sing are coming to
see a good show and the performers are there to give it to them,"
Tavakoli says.
Like another UCLA landmark, Spring Sing seems like the place
where it all comes together.
MUSIC: Spring Sing will be held at the Los
Angeles Tennis Center tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets are $4 for SAA
members, $6 for UCLA students. For more information, call (310)
UCLA-101.