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Caption: ASCC students perform during the "MTV Showdown" which took place this past Friday evening. A packed auditorium enjoyed a lively evening of extravagant performances from the College's student clubs. (Photo: J. Kneubuhl) |
FALL 2006 MTV Showdown Rocks Packed House at ASCC |
October 30, 2006 James Kneubuhl, ASCC Press Officer |
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American Samoa may not get the real MTV, but the idea of staging an elaborate production to accompany a popular song has nonetheless taken firm root among our youth, as you can see every semester at the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) when the student clubs present their ever-popular “MTV Showdown”. This event, sponsored by the Student Government Association (SGA), gives the student clubs a chance to shine as performers when they compete to create the best overall stage presentation based on familiar pop songs of their choice. Each semester has seen the students “push the envelope” further in terms of elaborate dance routines, wild humor and sheer energy, as evidenced when the fall 2006 edition of the show took to the stage this past Friday evening in the ASCC auditorium. |
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The MTV Showdown traditionally has two phases of competition. During the first half, the competing student clubs all presented their individual interpretations of the same song. Each club came up with their own dance moves, costumes, stage props and “story” to convey the essence of the tune. This year’s song choice for the first half of the show, Rick James’ ‘80s blockbuster “Super-Freak,” certainly offered the performers a wide palate of ideas to work from, and their various notions of what exactly makes a “freak” ranged all the way from zombies in one performance to drag queens in another.
For the second half of the Showdown, the clubs competed all over again, this time interpreting individual songs of their own choosing. An observer could not help but find it impressive when the clubs all came out in completely different costumes to perform entirely different routines from the first half of the evening. Motown medleys, scenes from “Grease,” hip hop throw-downs, modern dance techniques, Tina Turner tributes, and Polynesian extravaganzas all went by in quick succession, sometimes within the course of the same performance!
This semester’s competing clubs included Zero6 Mafia, 685 Club, Blue Fa’atasi, Chosen Few, House of Flying Daggers, Outsiderz, and OWW. SGA Vice President Nada Tuamasaga and Parliamentarian Maryell Tyrell acted as the evening’s MCs. During the show’s transitional phases, the pace never let up thanks to entertainment from the House of Malena, the engaging young lady vocalist who goes by the name Tolu, and rappers “The Game 4”. Dance instructor Carmella Gallace, Mike Aunoa of Management Information Systems and Vaiee Aliilua of Financial Aid acted as judges for the evening. Many of the students who competed in this year’s Showdown also take Gallace’s dance classes, and she complemented their talents with the observation, “With the right training, many of these students could have a career as professional dancers.”
While every club’s performances earned them a lively response from the packed house, when the scorekeepers tallied the points assigned by the judges, the evening’s winners emerged as Chosen Few in first place, House of Flying Daggers in second place, and Outsiderz coming in third. The evening came to a close with a taualuga performed by reigning Miss ASCC, Danielle Nafanua Jennings.
Dean of Student Services Dr. Emilia Le’i expressed her appreciation of the student clubs’ hard work in preparing for the event, as well as their professionalism in making the show run smoothly. “In any competition, only so many can win,” she reflected, “but I still thought every single club did an impressive job, and the higher they keep raising the bar, the more fun the audience has watching them perform.”
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