Author: Bradley Reichard

Brother Bob attends 50th Founders Day

WESTWOOD – Bob Howe (Northridge) has attended every Founders Day since 1955 except one, so that adds up to 50 Founders Days!
On Feb. 25, Howe showed up for the 83rd Founders Day, his 50th in 51 years!
Bob was one of several pledges from the late 1940s, who represented the wisest of the wise, which also included Capt. Ray Lahr (Malibu), Dick Kater (Simi Valley) and former sage and student body president Fred Thornley (Fullerton).
Many brothers called it the best in recent years, and 79 attended (an increase from the 55 who attended in 2005).
Pinche chef Ruben Zuniga and his mija Julia Zuniga feted us with a great Hawaiian buffet of roasted pig (no, Steve Hazarabedian did not leave the head on the K.D. doorstep), ahi tuna, roast beef and aloha chicken.
Many brothers came from great distances: Gene Roche (New Jersey), Ltc. Ron Rule (Wyoming), John Ivsan (North Carolina), and Ron Mathis (Tulare), Bill Kelly (Sacramento), Chris Cochran (Sacramento), Doug Frank (Fair Oaks) and Doug Glantz (Walnut Creek) from northern California.
Glantz has made the trip from San Francisco and Dallas for three consecutive years. Erik Johnson (Fullerton), Dan Furr (San Diego) and Lance Fuchs (San Diego) returned after absences of 10+ years.
Thanks also to those who rallied at the last minute and made time for the brothers: Bill Kealey (Lomita), Dan Romero (O.C.), Ed Rhee (Redondo Beach), Ltc. Ron Rule (Wyoming) and Dr. Kent Shoji (Rolling Hills Estates), who shuffled over from his honorable job on campus saving lives in the UCLA Medical Center’s emergency room. Scott Scheffler (Marina del Rey) also was able to attend, getting some hours off from his job on campus with the U.C. Police Dept.
A large contingent from the 1958 pledge class attended: Chuck Bader (Pomona), Ron Mathis (Tulare), Gary Stafford (Hacienda Heights), Jack Burghardt (Alhambra), Alex Riddell (West L.A.) and Doug Frank. Doug Frank returned to Los Angeles and the house for the first time in almost 30 years and combined the trip with visits to his former U.S. Marine Corps colleagues.
Rich “Franko the Warrior” Frank (Simi Valley) found a sitter for his 9-year-old daughter (the house did kindly offer its sitting services, to its credit) and rallied a group from the late 1960s/early 1970s that included Chris Cochran (Sacramento), Dave DeCamp (San Fernando Valley), Dr. Kent Shoji and Dr. Rainer Beck (Marina del Rey). Fred Faeth (Irvine) joined the group earlier in the evening prior to the event. Dave reports that his father, another Upsilon alumnus Ray DeCamp (San Fernando Valley) from 1937 is a spry 92 years old and still drives around town!
Franko and his group prowled the halls, trying to get a look at what the rooms looked like these days, but few takers were found for a group of 50-year-olds wanting to hang out and chug with 18-year-old actives. (I tried to explain that the actives would rather be with the ladies of sorority row that Franko’s group, and that this type of behavior is exactly what got the Catholic Church in trouble during the last 40 years, which is a liability that UAA does not need!)
Business notes: The Alumni Association has 41 donors thusfar in 2006. A “Seniors Dinner” and possibly a “Career Night” are planned for June. The Sigma Pi World Series is on May 6 at “The Yard” in Fullerton. Contact Dan Romero, if you want to play: DRomero@DRom.net .
Art Martinez (West L.A.), secretary of the 501-c-7 non-profit Upsilon Alumni Association chaired the Annual Meeting. Herman Quispe (Pasadena) is the sole board member with decision-making responsibility. Jay Ross (West L.A.) was re-elected UAA President for 2006-07. All actions taken during the past year by the board member were approved by the membership.
Tom Miller (Santa Monica), president of the Upsilon Chapter Housing Association, chaired Board Meeting. The house interior was repainted during the Fall, and the next project is to renovate the back balcony doors and windows. If interested in joining the Board, contact Tom at (310) 394-8649 or LvzGolf@AOL.com.

Josh Mandel invites Upsilon brothers and alumni to a free UCLA screening of his feature-length documentary, RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS, which is being released worldwide by Sony Pictures. RINGERS explores how “The Lord of the Rings” book has influenced Western popular culture over the past 50 years. See the film as it’s never been seen before in beautiful DLP projection.

SEE THE RINGERS TRAILER ONLINE!
http://www.sonypictures.com/ringers

This screening is open to the public. Here is all of the info for the screening and the film below:

WHAT: Free screening of RINGERS, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers.

WHEN: Monday, December 5th at 7:30pm

WHERE: The James Bridges Theater on the UCLA campus (Melnitz 1409). Melnitz Hall, which houses the Bridges Theater, is located in the northeast quarter of the UCLA campus. See map below.

BOX OFFICE INFO: All movies are FREE to the general public. Tickets are available at the Melnitz box office the day of the screening, one hour before show time and are given out on a first come, first served basis–one ticket per person.

PARKING INFO: Free parking on Loring Avenue (south of Sunset Blvd, east of Hilgard Avenue at Charing Cross Road) after 6pm. Monday through Friday.

Garage Parking on Campus– $8.00 parking in Lot 3, adjacent to the James Bridges Theater. Purchase parking at the Wyton Drive entrance to UCLA (at Wyton Drive and Hilgard Avenue) before 7p.m., and at the Lot 3 gate one hour before showtime.

BUSES: Santa Monica Big Blue Bus lines 1, 2, 3, 8 and 12 all stop at the UCLA Terminal on Hilgard, not far from Melnitz.

MORE INFO: http://gsa.asucla.ucla.edu/~melnitz/

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ABOUT THE FILM:

RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS is a feature-length documentary that explores how “The Lord of the Rings” has influenced Western popular culture over the past 50 years. Moving beyond “cult classic” and over several different generations, the film unearths countless people gathered under the banner of ‘Ringer’ — academics, musicians, movie stars, authors, filmmakers, and a plethora of pop junkies. Celebrity interviewees include Peter Jackson, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Clive Barker, and David Carradine.

RINGERS features a dynamic rock-driven score with musicians who were influenced by J.R.R. Tolkien. Several indie recording artists have provided new covers of songs from previous “Rings” adaptations. Produced in association with the popular fan-site TheOneRing.net, RINGERS stands as the most comprehensive film document of the ongoing impact of “The Lord of the Rings.”

From the hippie counter-culture to the electronic age; from the Bakshi animated film to Jackson’s epic trilogy; this documentary brings together extensive footage collected over 21 months — across three continents.

Narrated by Dominic Monaghan (star of ABC’s Lost and the Academy Award winning Lord of the Rings trilogy), RINGERS garnered outrageous attention from audiences and press alike during its smash festival circuit run. Screenings continuously sold out in Newport Beach, Dallas, and Park City — with many enthusiasts camping out in Utah’s freezing January weather just to be the first to get tickets.

RINGERS INTERVIEWEES INCLUDE: Writer/Director/Producer – Peter Jackson, Actor – Elijah Wood, Actor – Sir Ian McKellen, Actor – Viggo Mortensen, Actor – Sean Astin, Actor – Dominic Monaghan, Actor – Billy Boyd, Actor – Andy Serkis, Actor – Orlando Bloom, Screenwriter – Philippa Boyens, Author/Interviewer – Cliff Broadway, Author/Filmmaker – Clive Barker, Writer/Director/Producer – Cameron Crowe, Actor – David Carradine, Author – Terry Pratchett, Author – Peter S. Beagle, Author – Terry Brooks, Musician – Lemmy Kilmister, Musician – Geddy Lee, Tolkien Scholar – Dr. Jane Chance, Chairperson of the Tolkien Society – Christine Crawshaw, Author – Colin Duriez, Filmmaker/Critic – Chris Gore, Writer/Publisher – Forrest J. Ackerman, Actor – Bill Mumy, Author/Broadcaster – Brian Sibley, Illustrator/Author – Colleen Doran, Illustrator/Author – Jill Thompson, and hundreds of Tolkien fans!

WHAT CRITICS ARE SAYING ABOUT RINGERS:
“There’s a new documentary to take you back to the Shire!” – Premiere Magazine

“From hippies to Led Zeppelin to the movie trilogy”- Playboy Magazine

“Ringers is a fun romp through the whole LOTR phenomenon”- Empire Magazine

“…Wildly entertaining! …A flawless combination of informative objectivity and insider enthusiasm. Unfailingly noble in spirit and delightfully comprehensive, RINGERS is a collector’s gift that can proudly stand alongside Tolkien’s books and Jackson’s timeless movie trilogy.”- Amazon.com

“…Fascinating! Plenty of juicy factoids!”- Wired.com

“RINGERS is comprehensive, entertaining and informative pop-cultural history!”-

“…Will always be a salient part of ‘Lord of the Rings’ history… See it, absorb it, love it!”- FilmThreat

“The Lord of the Rings phenomenon continues with RINGERS!”- SFX magazine

Winner of the “Outstanding Achievement” Award at the Newport Beach Film Festival

Thanks for the support,

Josh Mandel

Producer
Planet BB Entertainment
1509 N. Crescent Heights Blvd., Suite 3
office: +1 323-669-1173
fax: +1 310-652-6743
josh@planetbb.com

http://www.sonypictures.com/ringers

Brent Kunimoto (1982) was lost but now is found!

He returned to the home of Honolulu several years ago after working on the mainland following graduation.

Brent was one of several Hawaiian brothers during the late 1970s and early 1980s, including Peter Nakagawa, Paul Goto and Ru Shigozawa (I probably spelled that name wrong). They introduced the mainland brothers to traditional pig roasts in the backyard of Sigma Pi Manor for rush and other parties.

Brent taught the pledges how to dig a pit in the dirt (somewhere between the basketball hoops and fences), built an oven of cinderblocks, slather salt, pepper and butter on the pig, package with foil and chickenwire, and wait six hours or so to cook.

Brent’s friends were Dave Shiokari, Mark Helmick, Dave Pulaski and George Knisley, a lieutenant colonel who recently returned from a tour in Iraq. He also remembers Greg “Cool-gaz” Khougaz, who even back then was always trying to serenade ladies upstairs to his room with his guitar (still doing it 30 years later).

The house was a mix of ladies’ men and bookwormy types, and had its share of “Animal House” moments. Brent’s room in the condos was similar to Otter’s lounge (though the wife of the dean never visited) with tract light and blenders blending regularly until 2:00 am. Sometimes 50 people would be in the vicinity — 20 in the room, 30 in the hallway –while Brent and his roomie needed to study. But, they dealt with it in stride and mixed another batch!

Brent earned his MBA and lived in Los Angeles on and off for 15 years, working for Arthur Andersen and General Mills before returning to Hawaii. He now works for Diamond Bakery (www.DiamondBakery.com) — try their Hawaiian animal crackers!

Brent’s family has grown since returning, which has cut into his surfing time. Though, he hopes to take up kite surfing soon, too. But he has a “wonderful” wife, Cheryl, and they have a 2-year-old Michelle and 4-year-old, Justin.

WESTWOOD – The Bruin softball team let us down, but otherwise, the 2nd edition of the “Seniors Dinner” brought alumni from far across the globe.

A group of 13 alumni and 12 active brothers convened on June 8 at Westwood Brewing Company. We watched the tail end of Michigan defeat us in the NCAA final, and proceeded to honor the successful graduating senior class of Upsilon.

Movie producer and attorney Steve Kaplan gave up his tickets in a Dodger luxury suite that night, and squeezed in the dinner between trips to Cannes, Costa Rica and New York. Steve is currently screening his new film, “F%$!,” a documentary on the F-word that his production team has submitted to the Toronto Film Festival.

Attorneys were the majority (so next year, we need a more diversified crowd): Shane Tseng, Stu Johnson, Scott Good, Chris Good, Gary Gross, and Won Park.

The young and the wise were represented. The most recent alumni were Liron Nelik and Chris Good, and 1940s Long Beach Poly prep football star Joe Marsalek represented the ‘wise’ end of the spectrum.

David Finkel, acting Scholarship Chair, was commended for his visionary purchase of an ice machine in the late 1980s. Scot Kawano, Sage Emertius who holds the house record for most years as a live-in and works at the UCLA Dental School, advised the seniors on the importance of dental hygiene and passed out graduation gifts of toothbrushes and toothpaste, horked from the school. Scot lives in Westchester with his lovely wife Helen and their two children.

Herman Quispe, immediate past president of UAA, wore proudly his purple and gold Sigma Pi tie. He also pimped his brother Dorian, the former St. Francis football star who will run in the Machu Picu marathon this summer. Herman plans to make the trip to Peru with his father, who is a native of the country.

The seniors are an impressive group.
Dave Schwartz the Young (brother of alumnus Jeff “Doogie Howser” Schwartz) will study aerospace systems and dynamics at the UCLA Graduate School of Engineering and work at Grumman Northrup, but not before a jaunt to Europe this summer.
Alex Ooi, a former Social Chairman, will work at Deloitte and Touche. He will room with Sam Feinstein and Cory Bookman in Brentwood.
Ben Ikuta will attend Hastings Law School in San Francisco, (alma mater of alumnus Matt Sumrow).
Sam Feinstein will work as an investment banking analyst for Morgan Stanley wealth management in Century City.
Cory Bookman will work at Diversified Entertainment Properties, an entertainment marketing firm in Westwood. He led the fundraising and renovation for the new weight room.
Justin Brandt will be an intern for the Dodgers (where Seth Bluman works in the ticket office) and will pursue a career in sports management.
Andrew Casson will work at Morgan Stanley in wealth management.
Ricardo “Rickstar” Rodriguez will intern with Sen. Diane Feinstein’s Los Angeles office and pursue a career in construction management.
Jared White graduated in Business/Economics and may pursue a career in commercial real estate.

Other graduates are Brian Ario, a former Second Counselor; Marty Salgo; Cory Sambol, a former Sage who later became Pledge Father; Josh Kamzan; Jake Hundley, a former Rush Chairman and House Manager; Josh Grose; Gwin Duangnapa; Abner Shao; and Carl Pestelos, a former Spirit Squad member.

An extra thanks goes to these brothers who paid twice their bill to sponsor the actives’ dinner: Joe Marsalek (courtesy of a $100 donation from our annual appeal for Annual Dues), Gary Gross, Herman Quispe, Won Park, Liron Nelik, Scott Good, Chris Good, and Shane Tseng.

Matt Vrable, the First Counselor, coordinated scheduling of the actives. Unlike our era, he did it right and most everyone showed up on time – NOT late on Sigma Pi Time!

We covered all but $100 of the total bill. So, if any alumni wish to send a donation or Annual Dues, the UAA will gladly accept!

WESTWOOD – The Upsilon brothers greeted Los Angeles Times reporter Larry Stewart with a chair and open ears at the 83rd annual “Founders’ Day” on Feb. 19 at Sigma Pi Manor.

Stewart, the Los Angeles Times sports media columnist and a friend of Joe Marsalek from the San Gabriel Valley, gave his first speech standing on a chair in the the Chapter Room, thanks to a non-existant P.A. system. Stewart attended Las Vegas Bowl champion Fresno State, but generously wore a blue UCLA shirt and encouraged all Bruins to exude their blue and gold spirit. And for good reason – his daughter Jill also is a Bruin.

Larry fired up the brave Bruin fans, especially Paul Dinh, who wanted to storm the Times building for their USC coverage. He encouraged us to get Karl Dorrell more excited and is optimistic about Ben Howland’s first steps back to the Promised Land and Final Four.

Bob Seaman, our dedicated brother who is the second American to run a sub-4:00 mile and another Central Valley product along with his late brother and fellow Upsilon alumnus John Seaman, revelled with Larry about the Glory Days in the Central Valley. Steve Yu, a Bakersfield native, explained the cultivation of cumquats on his family farm.

The event was out of control, as normal, even though last year’s rowdy bunch led to a ban on Little Sisters serving dinner (thanks, Dan Romero!). Matt Sumrow even brought the beer on time.

The “Farthest Traveled” Award went to Jim Murphy, who came from Jacksonville. He slightly beat out Tom Giffin and Doug Glantz, who both journeyed from the Bay Area. A slim Tom now has three children and left them at Disneyland with his wife, Robyn, to get drunk with the brothers. Doug has made it three years in a row, despite living far in Dallas and the East Bay.

The “Wisest Returnee” Awards went to a trio from the early 1950s – Joe Marsalek, Paul Hutton and Ken Ingram.

After Jim Cochran and Ed Cox’s return after 20-year streak of absence, former Head Hasher and E.C. member Jason Gray returned after being a ghost for 12 years. He now has three kids and drives a Camaro in La Canada. Tom Giffin also returned for the first time in 11 years. Ivan Quiroga, recently engaged, continued his two-year streak of attending after a 10-year absence.

Several former Sages attended: Larry Coval, Adam Brockman, Chris Baker, Won Park and Adam Brockman. Jeff Bara met us at Maloney’s, following his Auto Racing Fantasy League draft.

The post-party was at Maloney’s, as usual, and Mike Alvarez was back in his prime, buying shots for all the brothers. Kerry O’Hairball made an appearance, gouging free drinks from the bar patrons (Hey, she’s an O’Hara, what do you expect?)

Plan on joining us in 2006. Bob Hillerman plans to roadtrip from FLORIDA to accept his Golden Cross, and Tim O’Hara will sponsor the bar for the fourth consecutive year.

Business notes: Art Martinez, secretary of the 501-c-3 non-profit Upsilon Alumni Association, chaired the annual meeting. Herman Quispe is the sole board member with decision-making responsibility. Jay Ross was elected UAA President by acclamation.

Tom Miller remains president of the Housing Board. A meeting for new members will be held in April, and we encourage all to attend and become more involved in the management of the fraternity. If interested , contact Tom at LvzGolf@AOL.com.

Aloha!