University of California Los Angeles - Bruin Life / Southern Campus Yearbook (Los Angeles, CA)

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Spring Events- Treading along the walkway to Janss Steps, students discover new books and discuss their favorites with authors. Michael Mantel Daily Bruin Several spring events took place at UCLA during the end of last school year. Among the most highly anticipated were Spring Sing, which was organized by the Student Alumni Association (SAA), and the famous Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. Spring Sing 2002, a fusion of song, dance, and skits commenced at UCLA in the Los Angeles Tennis Center on the evening of Friday, May 3rd. Spring Sing was an awesome night, full of musical talent. The vocal and instrumental performers were really impressive, said Elizabeth Morgan, a second year life science student. Spring Sing 2002 sold-out more than 4,000 tickets to parents, students, and other guests. One of the highlights of the evening came when Stevie Wonder made a special appearance and surprised the audience by following his speech with an unexpected, but well-received, musical performance. I remember being very impressed with the event. I wasn ' t too thrilled about going at first, but I had to because my girlfriend invited me. The students in the audience created a really warm atmosphere for the performers, said Nishan Tchekmedyian, a second year business economics student. He added. The Spring Sing committee did a wonderful job recruiting celebrities and putting on a memorable performance. I would definitely go again. Another annual event at UCLA during the spring was the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, a two-day event that took place on April 27th and 28th. The Festival of Books promoted literacy and included book signings by well-known authors such as Ray Bradbury and Maya Angelou. Avid fans waited in long lines to meet and get autographs from their favorite authors. I thought that it was a thrilling and exciting event because you got to meet all these literary giants, like Janet Fitch and Michael Connelly, said Helena Hsieh, a third year English major. Hsieh added, It was really nice to see such a huge event draw thousands of people to UCLA ' s campus, all to promote reading. Talia Shandling, a third year communication studies student pointed out that the festival was geared toward children to a considerable extent. She said, It was a great way to educate kids about reading and the importance of books. Indeed, there were many programs at the festival to keep children entertained, including face-painting booths, costumed characters, and book readings by children ' s book authors. by Sandra Partamian 18 Events-

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I I ' lonathan Young Daily Br Kyle Craehl Claudia Sun Dennis Oartia

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Edward Lin Daily Bruin Flabbergasted, Sarah Daquioag and LaRita Williams play the keyboard with Stevie Wonder. Wonder was the recipient of the Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement at Spring Sing 2002. A graduating Bruin throws her arms jubilantly into the air at the culmination of the College of Letters and Science commencement ceremony. Performing Someone Has to Be, Fifty 7 Views members Eric Fraley and Evanne Riskas serenade the crowd at Spring Sing 2002. The group won the Northern California Alumni Grand Sweepstakes Award for best overall entry. Spring events keep Bruins entertained ard Lin Daily Bruin Events 19