Friday, September 5th, 2008

Photo

<p>Ryan Gelber (right) and Matt Roberts of Relax to Paris perform
at a battle of the bands organized

Ryan Gelber (right) and Matt Roberts of Relax to Paris perform at a battle of the bands organized

Bands rock out for UCLA charity

IFC’s fundraiser for UniCamp attracts lower numbers than anticipated

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.