Event Pix
Class of 2014 Send-Off Party
July 18th, 2010
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Over 200 incoming students, undergraduates, parents, and alumni attended the send-off event at Nick and Janet Ciriello’s beautiful home in Hancok Park. Yalies and their families and friends ate, drank and swam for a warm send-off to the class of 2014.
Thanks to Lili Barsha CC’88 for the photos!
Historic Downtown LA Walking Tour
May 22, 2010
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Over 60 Yalies, families and friends traipsed, tangled and tottered their way through some of downtown LA’s hidden-in-plainsight gems — like the Bradbury Building, Angel’s Flight funicular and the Broadway theaters. We then ended up at the historic Clifton’s Cafe for a retro-cafeteria lunch and a whopping group picture. A special thanks to Yalies Ken Bernstein and Edgar Garcia for putting together the event and leading two groups, and to Yalies Chris Coe and John Kaliski for leading the other groups.
Renoir in the 20th Century at LACMA
May 5, 2010
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On Wednesday evening, May 5, Southern California Yale Alumni were given a private tour of the new Renoir exhibit at LACMA. The tour was guided by the curator of the exhibit, Claudia Einecke, so each piece we viewed came with a story about how it came about and why it was selected.
Renoir in the 20th Century focuses on the last three decades of Renoir’s career. Renoir’s paintings from this period, which have never been studied and shown as such, are often misunderstood as they do not fit comfortably into the history of high modernism. Offering an unprecedented look at Renoir through the lens of modernism, the exhibition bridges the divide that exists in many people’s minds between art of the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries.
A Yale Day of service at Will Rogers Elementary
May 2, 2010
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On Sunday, May 2, Yale alums joined forces with Big Sunday volunteers and P.S. Arts to create an arts fair for the students of Will Rogers Elementary, a Title One public school. Some 100 students enjoyed making sock puppets, painting rocks, creating mobiles, getting their faces painted and much more. It was a big boost for these children who recently lost a beloved principal, and an incredibly fun day for all!
Women & Microfinance Panel
April 28, 2010
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On April 28th the Yale Club co-hosts a terrific panel on Women & Microfinance with UCLA Net Impact and Los Angeles Microfinance Network. The event, which was sponsored by AYA and CIBER, brought in over 130 attendees from the LA community to see speakers from some of the top microfinance organizations in the US. Thank you to all who came out!
A Magical Day at The Magic Castle
Apr. 18, 2010
Guests said “Open Sesame” to the owl at the entrance and walked into the magical world of the Magic Castle. Usually open only to members, the Magic Castle opened its doors for a special day of magic and food for Yalies and their families. Admission included brunch and admission to the Palace of Mystery Show where the audience was captivated by the amazing Rob Zabrecky, as well as admission to other “up close” magic shows that entertained children and adults alike.
Class of 2014
Apr. 12, 2010
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The annual Los Angeles reception for the newly admitted class of 2014 was a terrific opportunity to meet the new students and reconnect with alumni. Despite the fact that it was warmer in New Haven than in Los Angeles, we had a lovely time at the beautiful home of Francisco Leal and Dr. Sonia Molina. Dean Kevin Hicks from Berkley gave an excellent speech to the admits with made me nostalgic for Old Eli, Naples and Toads.
Whiffenpoofs Concert, Reception & Crossroads Choir Performance
Mar. 14, 2010
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The Yale Club of Southern California welcomed the Yale Whiffenpoofs and the Crossroads school choir for a special concert performance at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica.
The reception before the event gave everyone a chance to say hello to friends, family, and even some of the Whiffs. The outdoor reception was just the beginning of the fun, though. The a cappella arrangements of jazz standards, classic ballads, traditional Yale songs, Motown classics, and recent popular hits put a smile on everyone’s face at this sold-out event.
Preview of new opera, Before Night Falls
Mar. 10, 2010
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The Yale GALA, Yale Club of Southern California, and the Latino Alumni Association presented a Special Preview of Before Night Falls with a discussion with composer Jorge Martin ’81.
Jorge Martín’s Before Night Falls, an opera based on the memoirs of Reinaldo Arenas, the gay, Cuban, dissident author who died of AIDS in New York in 1990, premieres at the Fort Worth Opera in May 2010 (www.fwopera.org). Yalies gathered to see this special preview at the Music Center in Downtown LA. The opera preview was performed by current Yale Opera students. The discussion was insightful with highlights being the 15 year timeline that it took to compose such an intricate story into an opera and how the ED of the Fort Worth Opera was able to get this very progressive opera into his theatre.
Family Night at the Silent Theater
Jan. 23, 2010
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With the help of the AYA, the Yale Club of L.A. is now offering a new program of activities and events that are appropriate for the whole family. The program is being spearheaded by Darcy Troy Pollack ’87 (darcykp@mac.com) and Jennifer Devore ’87 (jendevore@earthlink.net).
The 2010 kick-off event was at the Silent Movie Theatre where families got to watch three of the most quintessential silent films starring Charlie Chaplain, Buster Keaton and Laurel & Hardy. Kids and adults both got to learn about what made these films and their starts special with introductions to each film provided by Yale Professor Ron Gregg, Senior Lecturer and Programming Director in Film Studies, who flew out to LA to make this event one to remember!
After the films, the kids got to retreat to the courtyard where they made their very own silent films. Props were provided but the kids certainly showed off their inner creativity as Spencer filmed their crazy antics. All the excitement wasn’t left to the children, though. The adults got to hear from Jim Karen who was one of Buster Keaton’s close friends and even used to attend that same Silent Movie theatre with him!
Musical Afternoon Tea: New Blue and the Spizzwinks
Jan. 9th, 2010
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Two of Yale’s most celebrated a cappella singing groups, The Yale Spizzwinks and New Blue, regaled a diverse crowd of Eli alumni, friends and family at the residence of Brig Troy in Brentwood. With repertoires that covered traditional standards and modern takes on pop songs, the all-male and all-female groups served up an afternoon of foot-tapping, aural glee.
Click here to see an HD video of scenes of the concert
Association of Asian American Yale Alumni (AAAYA) Meeting
Oct. 10, 2009
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Over 40 Yalies turned out at the Viceroy Hotel for the inaugural meeting of the Southern California chapter of The Association of Asian American Yale Alumni. The day began with a strategy session and concluded with a cocktail reception with featured guest speaker Betty Hung JD ’97, Directing Attorney at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles & Part-time Fellow at the Inner City Law Center. AAAYA SoCal already has two service events planned for mid-November, and is gearing up for an exciting slate of cultural and family events in the new year. If you’d like to get learn more about the group, please contact Azan Kung (azankung@aol.com).
Hollywood Bowl: John Williams and the Music of the Movies — with the Los Angeles Philharmonic
September 5, 2009
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As always, this event was a sold-out crowd pleaser. Dozens of Yalies of all ages turned out for an evening of wine, camaraderie, and the music of John Williams. Whether it’s the theme to Superman, Harry Potter, Star Wars, or Indiana Jones, you haven’t heard it ‘til you’ve heard it at the Hollywood Bowl!
YCSC Real Estate Finance and Development Forum
July 21, 2009
On Tuesday July 21, the YCSC hosted its first quarterly dinner for the YCSC Real Estate Finance and Development Forum at Campanile. During the dinner topics of conversation covered a wide range of subjects related to the current condition of financial market for real estate, emerging trends in green technology and building, and the immediate challenges facing the industry during the coming months. The evening provided a unique opportunity for its attendees to meet and network with other Yale alumni in Los Angeles in the real estate industry. Look for details on our next dinner in our upcoming newsletters
AYA Director Mark Dolhopf (on loan from New Haven) outlines Yale's plans to greatly expand its alumni-focused initiatives -- including supporting the creation of new alumni organizations for Yalies of all classes, extra-curriculars and shared interest (ethnic) groups.
AYA Pep Rally @ LACMA
May 16, 2009
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It was our best-attended event in years! Over 150 Yalies and guests met at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to explore the history of Pompeii and the future of Yale alumni initiatives.
After cocktails at a private LACMA courtyard, the assembled group watched Mark Dolhopf, executive director of the Association of Yale Alumni, give a presentation on AYA’s ambitious plans for expanding and deepening its ties with Yale alumni of all stripes. Bottom line: Whatever class year, extra-curricular activity or shared-interest (ethnic) group you identified with while at Yale or want to identify with now, there is currently or (soon will be) a Yale alumni association in Southern California for you.
To reinforce his point, Mark shared the stage with the AYA directors heading up shared interest groups representing African-American, Latino and Asian American Yale alumni. We’ll soon be consolidating contact information for all existing groups on the Yalela.org website, but if you’d like to find out what associations are in existence now, drop an email to me, Yale SoCal VP Blair Golson (bbg3@aya.yale.edu).
At the end of the presentation, we filed into LACMA’s Pompeii exhibit for a private tour of the dazzling collection of antiquities on display. (Did you know that the ancient Greeks knew the Earth was round? They had globes!)
The evening also served as a pep rally to get SoCal-area Yale alumni excited about getting involved with the Yale Club. We announced that we’ll be holding a weekend-long retreat this fall for those Yalies who’d like to have a say in how the club evolves over the next couple of years. The details on that are TBA. And regardless of whether you attend the retreat, we stressed that there are several ways to participate right now:
Join the club or renew your membership – not only to get discounts on general events and to gain admittance to member-only events; but also to help the club with its costs (as we get virtually no financial assistance from the University.)
Help us produce an event – Our most popular events of the last year – a tour of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory; a behind-the-scenes tour of the Getty; and a private talk with CA Supreme Court Justice Carlos Moreno – have happened because alumni have volunteered their ties to interesting organizations and personalities. If you have a connection to an intriguing place or person, let us know! We’ll set up an event.
Sponsorship – Would your organization, or an organization you know, benefit from getting an association with the Yale Club? If so, let us know.
Join the board – Would you like to play an active role in helping make the club run? Whether you’d like to plan events, recruit new members, work on sponsorship deals or – heck, you name it … we’d love to hear from you. We’re an informal group and the time commitment is pretty light: we hold monthly phone-based meetings and quarterly in-person meetings over dinner. We have a lot of fun making the club run, and we always love getting the perspectives of new members to keep things interesting and fresh.
If any of the above sounds good, drop me, Blair, a line. bbg3@aya.yale.edu
Yale Day of ServiceMay 16, 2009
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Over 50 Yalies, friends and family members splashed, splattered and sloshed their way toward creating an eye-popping mural at a Culver City elementary school during Yale’s global day of service.
On a day when thousands of Yale alumni across the world participated in a cornucopia of local service events, members of the Yale Club of Southern California re-painted a wall at Grand View Elementary School that had recently been vandalized.
The painting was no stately, color-in-the-lines affair. It was a total Jackson Pollack-style melee, involving throwing brush-fulls of paint in manic arcs across the wall. No one went home unscathed.
The Yale Club’s participation was made possible through P.S. ARTS, a non profit that provides free visual and music arts classes for every child at Grand View during their school day. (A huge thanks to P.S. Arts board member and Yalie Darcy Pollack for helping to make this happen!)
Private Tour of the “Pompeii and the Roman Villa” Exhibit at LACMAMay 13th, 2009
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Twenty Yalies received an exclusive and private tour of the brand new “Pompeii and the Roman Villa” exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Under the guidance of the guest curator of the exhibit — Kenneth Lapatin from the Getty — attendees learned about a variety of the influences on Roman art around the Naples Bay. Professor Lapatin provided offered deep insight into many of the pieces and a unique perspective on the process of assembling and presenting the exhibit. Following the exhibit, members had the opportunity to share dinner with Professor Lapatin and discuss further the collection.
Hipcooks Cooking ClassApril 19, 2009
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Yalies of all ages enjoyed “Paris in the Springtime” at one of LA’s hippest new gatherings – Hipcooks.
The event began an a hands-on cooking class and concluded as a dinner party at which the Yalies enjoyed the fruits of their labor. The menu featured mussels in wine, parsley, garlic and lemon; a hearty coq au vin with a new twist; and pots de crème au chocolat for dessert.
Yalies Behind the Scenes at the GettyApril 11, 2009
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Seventy five Yalies descended on the Getty Center LA for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of facilities off-limits to normal museum-goers.
At the Research Institute Frances Terpak, Curator of Photographs (Yale Ph.D., Art History), told stories about connections between the Getty and Sterling Library at Yale. Thomas Kren, the Manuscripts Department Senior Curator (Yale M.A., ’74, Ph.D. ’78), gave attendees juicy tidbits about the Getty’s collection of European illuminated manuscripts. Annelisa Stephan, senior Web writer/editor at the Getty (DC ’92), gave Yalies the back story about the warring egos whose artistic works are enshrined in the Getty’s central gardens. And David Carson demonstrated how instruments that look straight out of Flash Gordon are used to detect art forgeries.
A HUGE thanks to Yalie Katja Jelljadt for helping to spearhead the organization of the event. And thanks, too, to Yale-affiliated Getty employees Rob Flynn, Genny Gonzalez-Turner, Rebecca Peabody, Deenie Yudell for chaperoning the groups throughout the event. Who knew so many Yalies work at the Getty?
Feb Club LAFeb. 21, 2009
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Over 150 LA Yale alums joined Yalies across the world to celebrate Feb Club Emeritus.
The event brought together Yale alums from the classes of 1908-2008 over the course of 28 nights in as many cities worldwide.
In Beverly Hills, The Crescent Hotel became our campus courtyard for the night, overflowing with the sounds of TANG, Mory’s drinking songs, and Eli merriment.
The cups went round and round and the shouts of that timeless verse rang out:
….Sing Hallelujah! Sing Hallelujah!
Put a nickel on the drum,
Save another drunken bum
Sing Hallelujah! Sing Hallelujah!
Put a nicked on the drum and you’ll be saved.
I was lying in the gutter,
I was covered up in beer,
Pretzels in my moustache,
I thought the end was near,
Then along came FEB CLUB
And saved me from my curse,
Glory glory Hallelujah sing another verse!
See you next year, Bulldogs!
The Ivy Plus Society: Stone Rose
Feb. 10, 2009
Roses are red, violets are blue, I went to a fancy school, how ‘bout you?
For February – month of romance, love, and all things red, pink, and mushy, we hit up Rande Gerber’s Stone Rose Bar at the Sofitel. Did anyone find their Mr./Ms. Right, Right-Now, or All-Right, You’ll Do for Now? Definitely looked like there were some pairings in the air…
Thanks to Sweet Riot, we had deep, dark chocolate flowing all night long, so one way or another, there was a bit of sugar for everyone. Click on the photos below to check out the rest of the night’s matchings.
IVY Entertainment @ Sundance Party PicsJan. 17, 2009
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We had a blast at our IVY Entertainment Sundance mixer on Saturday. We took a break from movie-watching, skiing, and suite-gifting to party it up at the revivy1amped and renamed Downstairs bar.
We’ve had our event at this high-profile location for the past 5 years, and we kept the tradition going strong!
Ivy grads and friends mixed and mingled, and traded notes on favorite movies and parties.
Several filmmakers with Sundance-premiering films also attended. Many said they met great contacts.
After mingling, the Aussie band Tamarama got the music going. Check our pics (on Facebook)!
Whim n Rhythm Concert & BBQJan. 10th, 2009
(See more pictures here and videos here)
Yale’s premiere all-female a capella group, Whim ‘n Rythym, serenaded a collection of Yalies young and young at heart at a private reception in Hancock Park.
At the end of the gala, Yale Club staffers brought four extra pizza pies back to Venice Beach, where they handed them out to the down-on-their luck on Ocean Front Walk.
A huge thanks once again to our ever-gracious hosts, Francisco Leal (Yale) and Dr. Sonia Molina (Haaavhad).
The Ivy Plus Society: Les Deux Jan. 7, 2009
Les Deux definitely left us with a new fave TIPS party-base! With its gorgeous outdoor living room dripping in red light, Les Deux was the perfect spot for TIPSers to get together to usher in 2009. No post-holiday-party-season-depression for this bubbling crowd. We gotta agree with the LA Times who says “the nostalgia here is so now. The scene could be 1920s Paris except for all the young Hollywood royals who are making it.
Maybe the reason Christina Aguilera, the Hilton sisters, Joaquin Phoenix and Eva Longoria are repeat customers is the succulent lighting. Even a toad would look handsome at Les Deux, but more than likely, you’ll be meeting princes and princesses.” So… anyone have any tails of prince or princess meetings? Do tell. We’re always happy to publish any good party gossip/ tales in our recaps, so send us anything story-worthy for next time: events@ivyplussociety.org. Click on the thumbnails below to catch the rest of the night’s photos.
Yale in Hollywood Chat with Four Christmases director Seth Gordon
Dec. 22, 2008
Yalie director Seth Gordon described how he went from making his video game documentary to directing A-list talent Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn at our Yale in Hollywood chat at the Arclight Cinema in Hollywood on December 22. Gordon directed the holiday family comedy Four Christmases. The film has made more than $100M, and was #1 at the box office for two consecutive weekends. Gordon discussed his film experience at Yale, his early work on Cry Wolf, New York Doll, and King of Kong, and the secret to filming in a jump-jump bouncy castle in Four Christmases.
Yale Club’s Better Bulldog Service Event: Food BankDec. 18, 2008
How many Yalies does it take to pack 2,700 shopping bags of holiday food in three hours? Well … we still don’t know — because several thousand other volunteer showed up on the same night to pitch in on the effort.
For its third event of the year, the Yale Club’s ‘Better Bulldog’ group gathered alumi to help sort, bag and pack food bags bound for the kitchens of LA-area underprivileged families. An initiative of local non-profit One Voice — which has been running the program for around 20 years — the event took place in the massive hangar at the Santa Monica airport and featured non-stop DJ’ed pop music, impromptu renditions of the “YMCA” dance, and a bucket brigade that would have made Benjamin Franklin proud. Thanks so much to everyone who came out!
The Ivy Plus Society: James Gray GalleryDec. 13, 2008
Ho!Ho!Holiday Party! The Ivy Plus Society’s Holiday Party Night brimmed with mistletoe, sparkling cocktails, melting chocolate, stunning art, and even more stunning young alums. Bullet-Proof Gentleman and Shimmering Ladies: y’all clean up very well!…LA needs more excuses to turn out satiny cocktail dressed ladies and sharp jacketed boys! Thanks to budding flower design superstar (‘scuse the pun, couldn’t resist) Stephanie Jones (Yale ’00), the gallery was decorated with gorgeous flowers… and of course the TIPSers in the house took care of decorating the night with laughing smiles and holiday cheer. Merry Holidays to All and Look forward to dancing through many more TIPS nights together in 2009!
Yale – Harvard: Holiday Performance Potluck DinnerDec. 6, 2008
A mere two weeks after suffering a nail-biting 0-10 defeat at the 125th Yale-Harvard football game, the Bulldogs once again squared off against their Cantab rivals — this time over a hotly contested musical competition at the Yale-Harvard Holiday Performance Potluck Dinner. The match-up, an annual tradition dating back farther than the author of this write-up cared to fact-check, pitted alumni of both schools in a contest of “Name that Classic!” (Think “Name that Tune!” for Liszt and Bach afficianados.) And although the sons and daughters of Eli took an early commanding lead over their Cambrugian counterparts, the battle royal was called on account of weather — a move made even more controversial by the fact that the entire event took place indoors.
Over 50 graduates of Yale and Harvard were on-hand to witness the spectacle, which was graciously hosted at the beautifully-appointed Hancock Park home of Dr .Sonia Molin (Harvard) and Francisco Leal, Esq. (Yale). The evening also featured performances by a Harvard chamber music quartet, a piano recital by Yalie Claire Chiu, Christmas carrolls by alumni of both schools, and a reading from the book “Women at Yale,” by its author, Yale Ph.D. Janet Lever.
Yale – Harvard Game: Tailgate PartyNov. 22, 2008
Yale and Harvard alums rallied at the Yankee Doodle in Santa Monica to cheer on their teams. Alums caught up with old friends and met new ones. Try as they might, the Elis couldn’t manage a score against the Cantabs,with a 0-10 final score. But we had great spirit, good times, (and better looking guests!), so still a great Saturday! 
Jet Propulsion Laboratory Tour: Prof. Charles BailynNov. 16, 2008
40 Yalies and guests spent a fascinating afternoon at Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Sunday, November 16. The day began with special guest Professor Charles Bailyn, the Thomas E. Donnelley Professor of Astronomy and Physics at Yale, who taught us about How to See a Black Hole — bet you didn’t know that was possible! Following the enlightening talk, we were treated to a private tour of JPL, led by Daphna Enzer and several other JPL Yalies. Awe-inspiring highlights included watching assembly of the next Mars Rover module, a satellite that will measure salination of the earth’s oceans, and Mission Control. The group then had plenty of time to mingle at the JPL museum with a delicious dinner from Akbar. Special thanks to Prof. Bailyn, Daphna Enzer, all of our JPL hosts, and Ophir Finkelthal for all of their efforts making this wonderful event happen!
The Ivy Plus Society’: Sky BarOct. 28, 2008
This month, we went for one more Sky Bar Dance before the year ends… As usual, Sky Bar did not disappoint. The party was absolutely brimming with 400 fabulous young alums and enough gorgeous views and peops to go around for all. We had the entire place all to our special selves, making for a smashing Sunset night to remember. We vote this as our all-time fave venue to date. What do you think? Well, until next time, Take Care Sky Bar. See you in ’09!
The Ivy Plus Society: PaliHouseOct. 21, 2008
Let’s see…what was our excuse for partying on a school-night this month? How about…we were either laid off (so we had no excuse not to take advantage of our new-found ability to sleep-in on Wednesday morning) or we had not been laid off (so we had to come out to celebrate the fact that we still have jobs and buy drinks for all our unemployed friends). Either way, it made for another fabulous TIPS-y night. PaliHouse lived up to its promise as a new gem on the West Hollywood scene. Daily Candy calls it “a modern, rustic nod to the New Orleans French Quarter.” Whatever. It’s pretty; you’re pretty. Fun night. See ya next month! Click on the photos below to launch a slideshow of event pics.
The Ivy Plus Society: KressSept. 30, 2008
We kicked off the fall with a killer Back to School Party on the rooftop of Hollywood’s hottest club of the moment – Kress. Just a few friends…about 500 at final count. Summer may be over, but this being LA – land of eternal summer and perfect weather and all – we enjoyed a balmy Hollywood night with perfect rooftop breezes and cocktails. The LA Times called Kress “Hollywood’s night life crown jewel” and we can see why. Gorgeous setting for all you gorgeous LA Ivy Plus alums.
Sept 18, 2008
The monthly lunch fest of Yalies of all ages featured a (sadly unmet) demand for Baker’s Soup and Welsh Rarebit.
Sept. 6, 2008
This year’s annual Hollywood Bowl picnic was a smashing success! Big thank you to organizer Jonathan Jenkins for all his organizing efforts! About forty Yalies and guests gathered for pre-show festivities, sharing good food, wine, and conversation. The wine continued to flow freely as our entourage proceeded to reserved seats and the LA Philharmonic belted Tchaikovsky out to the stars, concluding with a rousing rendition of the 1812 Overture to fireworks…
The Ivy Plus Society: TropicanaAug. 20, 2008
TIPS kept our summer celebrations in full swing and headed to the Tropicana Bar at the infamous Roosevelt hotel for an evening of poolside play. This remains one of the hottest venues in town and a favorite of TIPS alums. We packed the place with 300+ coeds and basked in the laid-back Hollywood glamour of the poolside bar. Shining lights illuminated fluttering palm-tree branches and TIPS alums filled the cozy, fireside outdoor den. P.S. who saw Marilyn Manson? The DJ that kicked up at 9 is in his band; guess he came down to say hello. Not our usual TIPS guest, but hey, we’re a welcoming bunch…
Yale Dodger DayAug. 3, 2008
Two dozen alumni donned their Yale and Dodger blues for an afternoon of supporting LA’s favorite baseball team. The home team delivered a spectacular win and everyone who attended enjoyed the opportunity to cheer on the Dodgers together, debate baseball, share food, and see the club’s name in lights!
Dinner and Talk with California Justice Carlos R. MorenoJuly 27, 2008
About 80 Yalies and their friends packed former YCSC Board Member Francine Hanberg’s Bel Air home on Sunday, July 27 for a dine and talk with California Supreme Court Justice (and former YCSC President!) Carlos Moreno. A collegial atmosphere prevailed as guests mingled and munched in Francine’s lovely living room, flowing out onto the balcony as the sun set over the Getty. This spirit continued as Justice Moreno spoke about the Court, focusing his comments on the Court’s procedures, the death penalty and the recent gay marriage case. Justice Moreno provided insight as to how the gay marriage ruling was founded on Court precedent stretching back 60 years and remarked about the California Constitutions strong protections of individual liberties. Justice Moreno also graciously replied to questions from guests on a wide range of topics. YCSC thanks both Francine Hanberg and Justice Moreno for their ongoing service to and support of YCSC.
Summer BBQ, Pool Party & Whim n Rhythm ConcertMay 31, 2008
The Yale Club kicked off the Southern Californian summer with a party featuring the sonorous serenades of one of Yale’s most beloved singing groups.
Over 75 Yalies, friends and family members of all ages alighted upon the home of Francisco Leal (’86) and his wife, Sonia, for a combined BBQ, pool party and Whim ‘n Rhythm a capella concert.
Whim, at the start of its seven-week international tour, delivered three 20-minute sets, replete with perennial crowd favorites “Galileo,” originally by the Indigo Girls and “Hammond,” originally by The Roches.
Cheerful revelry prevailed as blender after blender full of frozen fresh fruit-infused margaritas made their way through the heat-addled merry-makers. Future Yalies (i.e., kids under 5) were spotted under foot and YCSC promises to add juice boxes to our next BBQ shopping list! YCSC Vice President Blair Golson (JE ’01) manned the grill and YCSC President Jennifer Anderson (JE ’01) covered the ice-cream bars.
Also notable: This marked the second time in three months that party hosts Francisco and Sonia Leal opened their home to a horde of Yalies — the earlier occasion being a reception for undecided admits to Yale. We owe both of them a hearty Boola Boola round of thanks!
May 4, 2008
The Yale Club of Southern California kicked off its Better Bulldog volunteer program on May 4 with a day of service and fun at a Los Angeles elementary School.
The Better Bulldog program is a series of monthly volunteer opportunities for Yalies to give back to the greater Los Angeles area.
For its first event, the Yale Club joined 150 other local volunteers to spruce up Carthay Center Elementary School — whose student population is 75% Title 1 (lower socioeconomic and income levels).
Fifteen yalies banded together to turn the walls of the school’s cafeteria from drab white into vibrant pastel hues of banana yellow, lime green and magenta.
The occasion of the event was Big Sunday — the largest annual citywide community service event in America.
E-mail Better Bulldogs organizer and Yale Club V.P. Blair Golson (bbg3@aya.yale.edu) to get involved with the next event.
(Click here for more Yale Club of SoCal pix)
(Click here for Yale Club-associated group “The Ivy Plus Society” pix)
