Monday, May 11, 1998
Trojans will invade campus to expand AIDS awareness
MUSIC: Condom company, Pedro Zamora Foundation to host concert
in Westwood Plaza to promote safe sex
By Michelle Zubiate
Daily Bruin Contributor
Stay on the look-out for 15-foot Trojans on campus Tuesday. No,
not Tommy the enemy, but the ones we actually come to love and rely
on in high-risk situations.
Trojan condoms and the Pedro Zamora AIDS Foundation will host a
free concert in Westwood Plaza featuring the new rock band Wank.
But that’s not all. Over 25,000 condoms (sporting Zamora’s face)
will search for people to give them homes on Bruin Walk. One huge
blown-up condom will even grace the stage throughout the show.
Many remember Zamora, who died of AIDS in 1995, from MTV’s "The
Real World: San Francisco." For those who continue to educate high
school and college students about AIDS awareness, he symbolizes
something deeper: true dedication to a worthy cause.
"He was much more than (a person who died of AIDS)," says Brian
Quitana, president of the Pedro Zamora Foundation. "He testified
before Congress, was on the front page of the Washington Post and
he was invited to the White House during the Bush years. He held a
press conference to snub them by refusing the invitation because
the administration had not done enough in his expert opinion, the
expert that he was at 19."
Once in awhile,the foundation puts together even bigger events
like the concert being held on campus tomorrow at noon. Wank, one
of the newest outfits to hit the KROQ airwaves with their new
single "Forgiven," will perform.
"We’re excited about it," says Bobby Amodeo, Wank’s bassist and
vocalist. "I think its a great thing. I’m 28 years old and I know
what it was like going to high school. It’s scary. So if we can do
anything to create some form of awareness, then we are all for it.
If we’re doing it through our music than that’s great or even
through our name. Whatever the reason might be, we’re happy to be a
part of it."
So what is with the name Wank?
The band describes it as a do-it-yourself mentality. Since they
started 12 years ago, the band members have done everything
themselves, from writing their own material to starting a record
label and producing their own album.
Their music is often described as "power pop" but their songs
contain real-life truths behind them. Although they have never
personally experienced someone infected with or dying of AIDS, they
do understand human loss and sadness. It is this honesty they like
to reflect in their music.
"Our song, ‘Larry Brown,’ is about Danny’s best friend who, when
he was 13, died of leukemia," Amodeo reveals. "One day Danny was
playing ball with him and the next day he was gone. It took Danny a
long time to actually write a song about it, which was kind of like
medicine for himself. ‘Super Normal,’ the ballad, is actually about
a girl that all of us know, and she’s mentally retarded. She hates
herself and thinks she’s not normal and that people don’t like her.
We wrote that song for her. We’re hoping that people will get (our
music) and appreciate it."
Hosted by Adam Carolla of KROQ and MTV’s "Loveline," the event
will also mark a significant event for the Pedro Zamora Foundation.
Trojan will announce their one-million-condoms-a-year donation to
the foundation in hopes of continuing the quest for safe sex among
students. The real importance resides in giving people the
resources and not just the knowledge to make the right decisions in
bad situations.
"For many people with low socio-economic levels, the difference
is between having a condom and not having a condom," Quitana says.
"Buying a $5 pack of condoms is not a reality."
Usually the foundation organizes awareness presentations to
perform in front of high school and college classrooms. Volunteers,
ages 26 and under, give talks, put on skits and show videos that
deal with a variety of youth issues. They touch on everything from
self-esteem issues to negotiating relationships. Most importantly,
they address the dangers of mixing drugs and alcohol with sexual
activity.
While the foundation maintains the belief that distributing
condoms does not promote sex rather than safe sex, Wank holds a
different point-of-view.
"Hopefully it will be a lot of good people who all believe the
same thing and a lot of positive feedback," Amodeo says. "But I’m
not going to go up there and throw condoms out. I’m not that guy.
They can have booths for that, but I won’t be a part of it. Because
that’s promoting sex more than promoting safe sex, I think. Maybe
that’s because I went to a Catholic high school."
Wank, however, fully supports AIDS education.
"It’s tough because now because since I’ve even on the road I’ve
seen all these young kids at the concerts around the ages of 12 and
17," Amodeo says. "I wasn’t like that when I was 12. Kids are
stage-diving, making out in the corners, slammin’ and drinking. I
don’t know what has happened to our family values. We’ll do
anything that we can, even if just us playing there will help
someone. All of us have been through it and we want to set a good
example. I was happy that we were asked and I was surprised and
hoping it’s just not a pun on the name."
The events will also include a surprise celebrity guest who will
accept the donation from a Trojans spokesperson on behalf of the
Pedro Zamora Foundation. In addition, the concert will be recorded
for future broadcast and aired on the Internet.
"We’re going to be broadcasting worldwide with five
international broadcasts," reports Dean Cheley, concert director of
the Campus Events Commission. "We’ll be using the main UCLA
backbone to link the events to the Pedro Zamora foundation web site
at www.pedro
zamora.com."
The foundation looks forward to meeting the Bruin community and
bringing to them its mission of awareness and celebration.
"Of course we chose the UCLA campus," Quitana says. "We want to
prove to you that not all Trojans are useless."
MUSIC: The Pedro Zamora AIDS Foundation will hold its concert
Tuesday at noon in Westwood Plaza on campus. Admission is free.
Maverick
Wank will play in Westwood Plaza Tuesday to promote AIDS
awareness.