Alex Carr's The Jaguars' Spot column for Wed., May 05, 2010

Free Glee!

          Hey everybody! VCHS choir has been preparing for weeks now to amaze you with their annual spring performance. These singers have worked really hard to train their voices and, from what they tell me, it has really paid off.

          Choir has about 40 kids at several different skill levels. Some of the kids have been in the program since they were freshmen. Many have been in even before they got to high school, because they were in choir in middle school.

          Nick Villemez, for example, is a VCHS sophomore who started choir later in life -- at the beginning of this semester -- and says he has loved every moment of it. “Choir is really an amazing experience,” commented Nick. "I’ve sung my whole life but after being in choir for only half a week, I could already notice a difference in my singing.”

          The kids are planning to do five songs for the concert. It’s going to all be a capella (meaning there’s no instrumental accompaniment -- just their voices, except for a guitar solo on one song). They tell me they are all looking forward to showing off their talents to their friends and family.

          Nick Vanderpoel, a junior, has the solo in Journey’s, “Don’t Stop Believing.” “I’m the lead singer in my band,” Nick told me, “and I originally joined choir to improve my voice, which it has. Choir is super-fun and I’ve made tons of new friends in just the few months I’ve been there.”

          The concert takes place 6:30 p.m., May 11, in the Maxine. The best part is: it’s FREE! So that means you have no excuse not to go unless, of course, you’re busy that night with your rival choir from a hostile land sworn to destroy our nation from within by undermining our values through the sometimes evil power of song -- in which case you REALLY should excuse yourself and run over to scope out the competition! Come to think of it, maybe every Jag had better bring a bunch of friends just in case ... who knows, we might need as many able-bodies a possible to defend our nation. USA! USA! Or ... you might just have a great time and decide you want to join choir.

Tell me about it!:

          Principal McCowan recently told me about some cool stuff going on this Saturday. Prom is, of course, that weekend, but so is a very special baseball game between Valley Center and Ramona; in Petco Park! That’s right, we’re in the big leagues now! McCowan wants all the kids to be able to make it down there, so carpool with some friends to save some dough (or, since it’s Petco: dog biscuits!). If you’ve gone to ASE (the after-school tutoring program I’ve mentioned here before) then you’re all set because you get a free ticket and a ride to and from Petco Park. See? Wasn’t that smart of you to take tutoring? If you don’t get a ticket that way, then you’re going to have to pay unless, of course, your last name is: Petco! Oh, cheer up, either way you will also get a free ticket to the Padres vs. Nationals game taking place May 28. Note that you’ll need a permission slip no matter how you go. Those babies are available at rooms 804 or 801 during lunchtime.

          Got a great item for this column? Tell me about it! Catch me on campus or go to my web page and shoot me an e-mail (www.carrfamily.com/alex).

          Read all of San Diego Press Club award-winner Alex Carr's columns at www.carrfamily.com.