A Brand New Lounge!

April 25, 2012

By: Gabe Fierro

Did you ever wonder where band members go to do their homework or hang out during a normal weekday? Probably not until I asked that question!
We call it the lounge.

It’s a small room, just enough space for a couple couches and a table. It’s snug and it’s ours. Every day, band members come in and out of it, sitting, eating, sleeping, studying and just hanging out.
And up until a week ago, it was probably one of the most nauseating places on campus.
The band moved into the basement of the Golden Bear Café in 1960, and it looks like no one has cleaned it since. Of course, I exaggerate, but I don’t overstate when I say that it hasn’t received a serious deep cleaning, painting and refurbishment in the lastfifteen years or so.
The room was literally festering. Every day, if felt like a new creature, cockroach, mouse, or beast too fast to identify, was making its home in our space. And our furniture! The couches looked like a bear had been in there (granted, lots of Bears have been in there – after all, we do go to Cal). It wasn’t pretty. The fabric was torn to shreds and it smelled like mold and perspiration.
This semester, the band took it upon itself to clean the lounge up. People came out of the woodworks to offer suggestions on how to improve the lounge and offer time to actually make those improvements. In one week, we were able to move all of the musty furniture out of the room, give it a few deep cleans, paint, and move new furniture back in. Dozens of band members helped out for hours at a time to make this happen and the change has been remarkable.We just reopened the lounge this last Monday, and it’s cleaner than it’s been in fifteen years. We can still fit just a few couches and a table. People are practically sitting on top of each other during a busy hour. It’s a snug space. It’s ours. And now, it’s clean.

Thank you to all the people who helped out and all the donors who gave furniture to make this change possible! The lounge is put to good use.


Cal Day Performances

April 16, 2012

By: Gabe Fierro

Cal Day is coming up on April 21st and as always, we have a great line-up of performances that will bring the Spirit of California to this event! Our performances will feature Cal Fight songs, new music from our student arrangers, the hits from this year’s halftime shows, and, of course, the classic Cal Band favorites! There will be six chances to watch the University of California Straw Hat Band perform from the morning to the afternoon:

 

1. The Chancellor’s New Student Welcome Ceremony, Haas Pavilion, 8:30am

2. Undergraduate Admissions Event, Pauley Ballroom, 9:45am

3. Spring Football, Edwards Stadium, 10:00am

4. Sather Gate Concert, 10:30am

5. Noon Rally, Sproul Steps, 12:00pm

6. Oskiland, Memorial Glade, 1:00pm

We are excited to showcase the talent and sprit of the Cal Band and we hope to see you in the crowd singing (and hopefully dancing) along!

Go Bears!

 


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