In an effort to raise funds for a UCLA charity, the
Interfraternity Council hosted the first-ever UCLA Rock Out at the
Sunset Recreational Center on Thursday evening.
The Rock Out took place on the grass at Sunset with side-by-side
stages and colored lights bouncing off the stage as the five judges
looked on from their table facing the performers.
Seven local bands, including Strictly Noise, Blindside and
Paramount competed for a grand prize: an opportunity to play at
Headlining Night at the Roxy.
“This event allowed the Greek community to work together
and organize an event for students,” said Derrick Kluchoo,
internal vice president of IFC.
IFC is the governing body of the 20 national and international
fraternities on campus.
The Student Alumni Association also helped to organize the
event.
All proceeds from Rock Out went to UCLA UniCamp, the official
student charity of UCLA.
Student tickets for the event were available from the Central
Ticket Office throughout the week for $5.
UniCamp is an independently funded non-profit organization that
helps link UCLA to the community.
Each year, UniCamp sends approximately 1,000 children from
low-income families to a residential outdoor summer camp.
“Right now, we’re in a position to put on a large
event for students and it’s a great way to give back,”
Kluchoo said.
UniCamp volunteers were appreciative of the work put in by the
event’s organizers.
“The efforts tonight were amazing,” said Joseph
Castaneda, who works with UniCamp.
According to the IFC Web site, The Rock Out was structured after
the Vans Warped Tour with a dual-stage system to avoid a waiting
period between performances due to stage setup. This structure was
intended to ensure that entertainment was consistently provided for
the audience.
The seven performing bands encompassed a wide array of music
genres to appeal to all students.
“I think (the show) is good,” said first-year
student Megan Miller. “They have an interesting
flare.”
Individual fraternities usually host at least one philanthropy
event each quarter but this is the first time that IFC has hosted
one this year.
The event’s Web site said that they were expecting
“over 1,000-1,500 members of the UCLA community” to
attend, but only approximately 100 turned out to the event.
In response to receiving a lower turnout than expected, IFC
President Mike Hanna said that whether there are 100 people or
1,000 people, they will continue to host this event.
“I’m very proud of Derrick and the efforts he put
forth into this event,” Hanna said.
Organizers said they hoped the UCLA Rock Out would encourage
students to get involved in the Homecoming Week activities and to
take pride in being a Bruin.
Hanna said he hopes the Rock Out will become a part of UCLA
tradition, and said IFC plans to hold the event again next
year.