When?  Monday, February 8, 2010; 7:00 PM
Where?  Pyramid Alehouse Brewery, K Street Mall

As most of you know, Chris Ochoa has served as the Director for our scholarship golf tournament for the last 12 years, since its inception. Understandably, he is looking to hand over the duties to someone else. Last year, the Board proposed taking a committee approach as to not burden any one person with all of the responsibility. This will be the first year to put this into practice. Below is a list of the roles we are still looking to fulfill.

This is one of our biggest and most important events of the year. We are seeking to raise $5,000 in scholarship monies for local Sacramento students heading to UCLA in the fall. If you can help in any way,

• Tournament Chair - This is the person who keeps the committee on task, coordinates any meetings, and works to fill any gaps.
  
  
• Raffle / Auction - This could be two positions. Someone needs to keep an inventory of all the items received, determine which prizes go into the raffle and which ones should be auctioned off, determines the starting auction price, and prints the auction sheets. Someone also needs to set up the raffle and auction tables on the day of the tournament, sell raffle tickets, and draw the raffle prizes.
  
  
• Plaques - This year we would like to have plaques made as a thank you for our Shirt, Lunch, and Platinum sponsors. This person would order the plaques.
  
  
• Sponsors - Someone needs to answer questions regarding our 6 sponsorship levels and track the sponsorships that do come in. Works closely with those responsible for the raffle, auction, and plaques.
  
  
• Golfers / Check In - Someone needs to keep track of the golf registrations, put foursomes together if we have individual golfers, and check in the golfers the morning of the tournament.

The first meeting of the committee will be February 8 at Pyramid Alehouse downtown from 7:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. after the regular Board meeting.

When?  Monday, February 8, 2010; 6:00 PM
Where?  Pyramid Alehouse Brewery, K Street Mall

During this February meeting we will begin forming committees to plan our major events for the year including UC Day, Campus Connection, and the annual  Golf Tournament.

Also, we will discuss some new fundraising ideas to help bolster our scholarship fund.

Finally, we will confirm all of the board positions for 2010.  We are still in need of a detail-oriented person to fill the role of Secretary.  This person is key to making sure we stay compliant with both the University and the State.

All Club members are welcome and encouraged to come!

On his conference call tonight Coach Rick Neuheisel was quoted as saying, ''I talked to Norm as he was en route from the east coast and he assured me he wanted to be at UCLA...I anticipate him being with us ...''

It sounds like Norm is sticking around, which is fantastic news.

Also, after watching the Lane Kiffin press conference, from the standpoint of a UCLA fan, USC hit it out of the park. If the goal is to return SC to the middle of the Pac-10.



It was his first press conference at USC and he was eaten alive by TJ Simers in regards to the report that Ed Orgeron called Tennessee recruits last night and tried to get them to decommit and come to USC.

I look forward to watching Lane Kiffin fold very quickly over the next few years.

I look forward to seeing how little it takes to

Yesterday, mid-afternoon, my worst fears seemed to be coming true.

Of all the names that were coming out as possible Pete Carroll replacements at USC, John Gruden was the one that scared me the most. He seems like a Pete Carroll type coach, except he had success in the NFL, even winning a Super Bowl.

He was the one name that I would have given anything to have USC not hire.

Then USC did something incredible, it hired Lane Kiffin.

Lane Kiffin.

Really?

5-15 with the Raiders, 7-6 with Tennessee Lane Kiffin?

That's it?

I was over the moon at how excited I was to hear that Kiffin was the best USC could do. He is an unproven, undeserving, jerk. Just ask anyone in SEC country what they think of Lane Kiffin. He was facing many recruiting violations during his one year in Knoxville and is leaving a program at the worst time.

I feel terrible for all Tennessee Vols fans, but it is the type of class we on the west coast have become accustomed to from USC.

The one thing that I was not too excited about was the fact that Kiffin was bringing his father Monte Kiffin, a legendary defensive coordinator in the NFL, and Ed Orgeron, a cut throat recruiter. Kiffin and Orgeron were two of the architects of the USC heyday during the early 2000's. I wasn't happy about Orgeron being back, but I still felt happy about the hire.

I went to dinner, super excited about UCLA's luck. Then I came home to the news that felt like a punch in the stomach.

Norm Chow was being wooed to USC.

For the next two hours I gathered as much info as I could to help dispel the rumor that Chow would be stabbing the Bruins in the back.

Over the coarse of the two hours the story went from Chow was gone to Chow is in talks to it's a 50/50 chance Chow leaves to Chow is staying. However, none of this information was coming from Chow himself, it was coming second hand and from those "close to the situation."

I went to bed fearful of what I would hear when I woke up in the morning.

So far today I have heard that neither Chow, nor his agent have been contacted by USC. But according to Scott Wolf, USC beat writer for the LA Daily News, USC is prepared to offer Chow between 1-1.5 million bucks. For a college coordinator that is ridiculous.

Now, the Chow deal is not done, and as of 12:34 P.M. PST, Norm Chow is still the offensive coordinator at UCLA, but that could change.

But after looking more at the Lane Kiffin aspect of the story, even if Chow leaves, I still feel like UCLA is in a great spot.

Kiffin is not a good hire, he is an arrogant jerk and if any parent has paid attention to this story, including Ed Orgeron calling Tennessee early enrollments and telling them not to go to class, and if they want to come to USC there are spots for them.

This gives every coach in the country something to use against USC as negative recruiting.

Lets also realize that USC hiring Lane Kiffin is a huge middle finger to the NCAA.

The NCAA will be deciding the fate of USC football in one month and typically if there is a sign of remorse, the NCAA would take it easier on the school in question.

Instead, USC hires a coach who put a school under investigation in just 14 months. I think the NCAA could view this as an indication that USC feels that they are above the rules. Look for the NCAA to make an example of the Trojans.

After all, a lot of the infractions that USC is under investigation for happened when Kiffin and Orgeron were at USC previously.

I will stay on this story and post more info as it becomes available.

Each year, the Sacramento Area UCLA Alumni Club, in conjunction with the UCLA Alumni Association, gives away scholarship monies to deserving young people in the greater Sacramento area. This money is raised primarily through two means. The first is through our Annual Golf Tournament; the second is through gracious donations from members and friends of the Club.

These scholarships are awarded through the UCLA Alumni Scholarship programs. Below is the profile of our most recent recipient:

Mallory Valenzuela, Rocklin High School

Honors and Awards:  Coca Cola Scholars Program Semifinalist; Herff Jones Principal's Leadership Award School Finalist; Organization of Chinese Americans Essay Contest (1st Place); Mayor Joe Serna Jr. Award; journalism Education Association of Northern CA (Honorable Mention); Rocklin High School Honor Guard; Distinguished Community Service Award.

Extracurricular Activities: "The Flash" Editor in Chief; Peer Counseling; SATS - Students for Advancing Teacher Salaries; US Senator Barbara Boxer Internship; Thunder Mentor; Friendship Day.

Volunteer/Community Service: Key club; National Honors Society; Thunder Galleria; California Scholarship Federation; Teachers Aid.